Splatoon 3

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Splatoon 3

Splatoon 3 is the third entry in the Splatoon series and the sequel to Splatoon 2. Announced during the February 2021 Nintendo Direct, it was released on the Nintendo Switch on 9 September 2022. It sold quickly, with 10.67 million copies sold, and was approximately the seventeenth-best-selling Nintendo Switch title.[1]

Following the Team Chaos victory in the Chaos vs. Order Splatfest, Splatoon 3's style is very chaotic, bringing post-apocalyptic, patchwork, and other chaotic elements together with the styles of both previous games.

Splatoon 3 expands the Splatoon series on many different fronts, with an extensive story mode, new Salmon Run challenges and rewards, a wider range of customisation with more options (including the additions of Splashtags and the locker room), and the new mode Tableturf Battle. Additionally, Splatoon 3 streamlines many aspects of the previous games. The Battle Lobby has been reworked into a greatly-expanded practice area accessible between matches, Splatfests are overhauled with three teams rather than two and a new Tricolor Turf War mode, and the UI has been made more responsive and informative. Additionally, Splatoon 3 is the first game in the series to be localized into Korean[2] and Chinese.[3]

Development

In an interview with the weekly Famitsu magazine from around July 2019, Splatoon series producer Hisashi Nogami said that after completing Splatoon 2, the team focused on the Octo Expansion DLC as well as updates, and would not think about the future until completing version 5.0.0 of the game. This means that Splatoon 3 development had not started as of July 2019 and presumably started after the release of Version 5.0.0 on 31 July 2019.[4] This is quite different compared to the timing of the development of Splatoon 2, which started immediately after Splatoon was released.

On 17 February 2021, Splatoon 3 was announced in a Nintendo Direct.

On 23 September 2021, more information was revealed about Splatoon 3 in a Nintendo Direct, including new special weapons, stages, and music, as well as the reveal of the single-player mode Return of the Mammalians.

On 1 January 2022, the @SplatoonJP Twitter account posted a Tweet for the arrival of 2022. The post included a video with an Inkling performing a victory pose along with a jingle, while 2022 is written in ink. This revealed the return of the brush main weapon class, marking the final returning weapon class revealed.[5]

On 27 January 2022, Volume 16 of the Splatoon manga was released with a teaser of the new Agent 3 arriving in Splatsville.

In a Nintendo Direct on 9 February 2022, Salmon Run Next Wave, a successor to Salmon Run from Splatoon 2, was revealed to be a mode in Splatoon 3, introducing new Boss Salmonids, Egg Throwing, and the King Salmonid. It was also confirmed that the game will be released in the summer of 2022.

On 22 April 2022, a fourth trailer for Splatoon 3 was released, showing gameplay of a Turf War and revealing the release date to be 9 September 2022.[6][7] It was also revealed that the game will support cloud saves (for offline play data) and that there will not be separate regional versions, meaning that all language options will be available to every player.[8]

On 10 August 2022, an approximately thirty-minute long Nintendo Direct focused entirely on Splatoon 3, titled the Splatoon 3 Direct, was aired, revealing many new details about various aspects of the game, such as its modes, characters, stages, weapons, etc. A free demo of the game called the Splatoon 3 Splatfest World Premiere was also revealed.[9]

On 25 August 2022, Nintendo Treehouse showed off some gameplay of the game's story mode, such as the reveal of the first level of Future Utopia Island, Get to Know Alterna, Your Only Choice.

On 27 August 2022, the Splatoon 3 Splatfest World Premiere was started at different time zones with 26 weapons to use and a variety of different gear to wear. A single Splatfest took place in the demo, the theme of which was Rock vs. Paper vs. Scissors. After the Splatfest's results were announced, the demo ended.

On 9 September 2022, Splatoon 3 was released.

Splatsville

Story

The game takes place 5 years after the events of Splatoon 2 in the Splatlands, a sun-scorched desert inhabited by battle-hardened Inklings and Octolings, and Splatsville, a city of chaos that developed rapidly since the last Splatfest of Splatoon 2, Chaos vs. Order.[10] The game's design is themed around chaos due to the outcome of the Splatfest.[11]

The Splatoon 3 single-player story mode is called "Return of the Mammalians". Octarians return as the primary enemies, but the majority of them now appear mutated with brown fur and purple eyes. The story starts in the Crater where the player's character, an Inkling or Octoling accompanied by their companion Smallfry, is recruited by Craig Cuttlefish into the New Squidbeak Splatoon as the new Agent 3. The majority of the mode takes place in a location beneath the Crater called Alterna, a large, snowy area littered with incomplete structures and hazardous Fuzzy Ooze with a rocket at its center. Callie, Marie, and the Captain (the former Agent 3 from the previous games who is now the captain of the group following Cuttlefish's retirement) appear in this area to aid the player in their goal of exploring Alterna and finding Cuttlefish, who went missing shortly after recruiting the player.

Gameplay

File:S3 first twitter preview - inkzooka 2.jpg

Like its predecessors, Splatoon 3 is a third-person shooter game focused on online multiplayer ink battles, in which eight players are divided into two teams of four. Players have two main forms and may switch between the two at will: their humanoid form, in which they can use weapons to spread ink and splat opponents, and their swim form - with a squid or octopus appearance, which, if they enter their team's ink while in the form, allows them to swim through ink at greater speeds, including up walls, recharge their ink tank faster, and hide from opponents.

Players have access to new movement techniques to dodge attacks and expand the possibilities of attacks. A Squid Roll allows them to leap and twirl out of their ink and a Squid Surge allows them to quickly swim up ink-covered walls and jump out at the top, and both have a short phase of invincibility.[12] Additionally, medals are now awarded at the end of multiplayer matches for various accomplishments, such as inking the most and getting the most splats.

In the Splatlands, players in online battles enter the battlefield with a spawner. It floats above the stage behind each base and allows players to aim at their desired deployment location within that team's spawn area. After choosing where to deploy, the spawner launches players to that location in squid or octopus form similar to a Super Jump.[13] If a player is splatted, they will respawn in the spawner and will launch in the same way a battle starts.

In story mode, Smallfry, nicknamed "little buddy", accompanies the player. It can be thrown to attack Octarians, interact with contraptions to solve various puzzles, and remove hazardous Fuzzy Ooze.

Characters

Main article: Character
File:S3 art 2D story mode H.jpg
Several characters that appear in Return of the Mammalians.

Protagonists

Secondary

Antagonists

Player customization

File:Style choose S3.jpg
Selecting a style.

The genders of the Inklings and Octolings are no longer explicitly stated. Instead, the player "selects a style". Additionally, Octolings can now be selected from the start rather than having to be unlocked from paid DLC first.

New Player Settings have been added:

  • Two new skin tones in addition to the seven returning, for a total of nine.
  • Seven new eye colors, including six heterochromatic eyes that form a gradient from one color to another, in addition to 14 returning colors, for a total of 21. Some of these new eye color options feature colored pupils.
  • New hairstyles and legwear.
    • Hairstyles and legwear are no longer split between genders, meaning either style can access any hairstyle or legwear option. Hairstyles are still split between species.
    • Four new Inkling hairstyles and four new Octoling hairstyles are available, many of which are asymmetrical. All 16 hairstyles from Splatoon 2 return, for a total of 24 options.
    • Four new legwear options have been added in addition to the eight returning, for a total of 12.
  • The player can now also customize their character's eyebrow shapes. There are new eyebrow options in addition to four eyebrow shapes from previous games (that previously matched the character's species and gender). In addition to their classic eyebrows, they can have the same eyebrows but with a slit, rounded eyebrows (for Inkling girls), triangular eyebrows (for Inkling boys), teardrop-shaped eyebrows (for Octolings), thin eyebrows (for Inklings), and curved eyebrows (for Octolings).
  • The player now has a "little buddy", a Smallfry that plays a role in the single-player mode. Their hairstyle can be customized, with a total of seven different options.
  • Each player now has their own customizable Splashtag, displaying the player's username and ID number alongside customizable titles, badges, and a background. These are displayed in certain situations, such as at the start and end of battles and when viewing players in the square. In the player's first battle, they will use a default Splashtag with the default username of "Player"; after their first battle is complete, they unlock username and Splashtag customization. More titles, badges, and backgrounds can be obtained in various ways.
    • Usernames can now be changed directly in the game independently of the player's Nintendo Switch username. Their username after their first battle will default to their Switch username but is otherwise no longer determined by it.
  • Players can now customize the emotes that they perform upon winning battles. Unlike in the previous games, there are no longer animations for when players lose; instead, only the winning team of the battle is shown regardless of whether that was the player's team, at which point all players on that team are seen performing their selected emotes.
Inklings and Octolings with new gear and customization options.

New gear has been added, along with returning examples:

  • Three new brands have been introduced:
    • Barazushi makes high-quality technical wear for both hot and cold regions, like parkas and hoodies.
    • Emberz produces mostly patchwork clothing with an addition of other pieces, representing the chaotic ethos of Splatsville.
    • Z+F is a collaboration between the brands Zekko and Firefin, producing street-savvy gear inspired by hip-hop and skater roots.
  • Numerous returning brands have added new choices to their arrays, including brands such as Enperry, Forge, Krak-On and Toni Kensa.
    • Certain brands don't offer any new gear, instead offering a combination of choices from past games.

Locations

File:S3 promo screenshot story Alterna 00.jpg
Alterna
A map of Inkadia and the Splatlands.

Modes

Turf War

There are no changes to the rules of Turf War in Splatoon 3 besides the addition of spawners. As in previous games, Turf War is the only Regular Battle mode.

Tricolor Turf War

First introduced in the Splatfest World Premiere, Tricolor Turf War is a new mode in Splatoon 3. This mode is only available in the second half of a Splatfest and is an altered version of the Turf War mode in which the three Splatfest teams battle in one Turf War. The Splatfest team that was in the lead at the Halftime Report of the Splatfest has four players in the match and start in the middle of the stage, while the other two teams have two players each and start at opposite ends of the stage. In the middle of the stage, there is a device called the Ultra Signal. If a member of one of the two losing Splatfest teams captures the Ultra Signal by holding it for long enough, a Sprinkler of Doom will appear and constantly rain that team's color for the rest of the match, and it cannot be destroyed. The person trying to capture the Ultra Signal is immobile while capturing it, so they can be splatted in the process, causing them to lose it.

Anarchy Battle

Anarchy Battle is a new mode that replaces Ranked Battles from previous games. It features all four modes from Ranked Battles that previously appeared (namely Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz) on rotation and the returning rank system. There are two types of Anarchy Battles, Series and Open; Series Anarchy Battles do not allow for friends to join each other and use a new best out of five rulesets by which losing three battles results in a loss, while winning five battles results in a victory. Open Anarchy Battles are standalone battles in which players have the option to either join their friends or play solo.

League Battle

League Battle, a returning mode from Splatoon 2 in which teams can take part in Anarchy Battles, is planned to be added to the game in a future update.

X Battle

X Battle replaces Splatoon 2's X Rank from Ranked Battles, featuring the same four ranked modes but on a separate rotation, available only to players who have achieved a rank of S+0 or above in Anarchy Battles during the current season.[14] X Battle was added to the game on 1 December 2022 as part of the Chill Season 2022 update.[15]

The Shoal

The Shoal allows Private Battles and Salmon Run to be played locally with other nearby players. Like in the Battle Lobby, the player can now move around inside the building, and it houses its own Test Range that can be used while waiting for battles or shifts to start.

Tableturf Battle

Tableturf Battle is an adaptation of Turf War styled after a card game and involves various cards depicting characters and weapons that fill areas like in a Turf War. There are over 150 different cards that players can use to build a deck; they correspond to various shapes that can be used to cover turf and they can be charged up to cover additional turf, with the winner of the game being whoever covers the most squares of turf. The mode takes place in the Tableturf Battle Dojo and can be played against various CPU-controlled enemies, with online play against other players added at the beginning of Fresh Season 2023.

Salmon Run Next Wave

File:Salmon Run Next Wave Main Art HQ.jpg
Salmon Run Next Wave promo image

Salmon Run Next Wave is a horde mode that is the successor to Salmon Run from Splatoon 2, introducing new Boss Salmonids, stages, and mechanics, such as Egg Throws, King Salmonids, and Big Runs. The mode can now be played at any time, rather than being available on a set schedule. It is accessible from a Grizzco Industries building in Splatsville, which, like the Battle Lobby, can now be freely moved around in and houses its own Test Range that can be used while waiting for shifts to start.

Stages

Main article: Stage

Multiplayer

Multiplayer stages in Splatoon 3
S3 Stage Barnacle & Dime.png
Barnacle & Dime 		S3 Stage Bluefin Depot.png
Bluefin Depot 		S3 Stage Brinewater Springs.png
Brinewater Springs 		S3 Stage Crableg Capital.png
Crableg Capital
S3 Stage Eeltail Alley.png
Eeltail Alley 		S3 Stage Flounder Heights.png
Flounder Heights 		S3 Stage Hagglefish Market.png
Hagglefish Market 		S3 Stage Hammerhead Bridge.png
Hammerhead Bridge
S3 Stage Humpback Pump Track.png
Humpback Pump Track 		S3 Stage Inkblot Art Academy.png
Inkblot Art Academy 		S3 Stage Mahi-Mahi Resort.png
Mahi-Mahi Resort 		S3 Stage MakoMart.png
MakoMart
S3 Stage Manta Maria.png
Manta Maria 		S3 Stage Marlin Airport.png
Marlin Airport 		S3 Stage Mincemeat Metalworks.png
Mincemeat Metalworks 		S3 Stage Museum d'Alfonsino.png
Museum d'Alfonsino
S3 Stage Robo ROM-en.png
Robo ROM-en 		S3 Stage Scorch Gorge.png
Scorch Gorge 		S3 Stage Shipshape Cargo Co..png
Shipshape Cargo Co. 		S3 Stage Sturgeon Shipyard.png
Sturgeon Shipyard
S3 Stage Um'ami Ruins.png
Um'ami Ruins 		S3 Stage Undertow Spillway.png
Undertow Spillway 		S3 Stage Wahoo World.png
Wahoo World

Salmon Run

Weapons

Main weapons

The Tri-Stringer
  • The Stringer class was added, of which there are two; the Tri-Stringer, and the REEF-LUX 450. Once charged, it fires three strings of ink simultaneously. Its design seems to be based on a fishing rod, using the reel and string. Stringers also have two stages of charge, as seen in the Nintendo Switch OLED trailer.
  • A new Splatana class was released, consisting of the Splatana Wiper and the Splatana Stamper. Splatanas fire slashes of ink when used and can perform a charged slash to deal high damage to a faraway opponent or instantly splat an Inkling or Octoling within melee range.
  • All base main weapons from previous games return, except for the Dual Squelcher. However, no second variants were available at launch.

Sub weapons

Special weapons

The Crab Tank, one of the new specials

Five special weapons from Splatoon 2 return, those being the Tenta Missiles, Inkjet, Ink Storm, Booyah Bomb, and Ultra Stamp.

Music

The game contains a new cover of Splattack! by C-Side, different from both the original Splatoon version and the Octo Expansion cover. This cover seems to suggest the game's music will follow a more rock-esque style, especially considering the overall theme of the game seemingly being based on Chaos winning the Chaos vs. Order Splatfest.

A new band called C-Side has a song named Clickbait, which was first heard in the 23 September 2021 Nintendo Direct.

A new band called Front Roe made up of previous Squid Squad members Ichiya, Nami and Murasaki, and an unnamed fourth member has a song named Sea Me Now.

A sample of an early version Now or Never! can be heard in an official tweet released on 1 January 2022. A full version of Now or Never! can be heard in the background of the gameplay trailer on 22 April 2022.

Deluge Dirge and a then unnamed song (Toxic Anoxic) were featured in the Salmon Run Next Wave trailer in the 9 February 2022 Nintendo Direct.

Off the Hook are in a new band called Damp Socks feat. Off the Hook. They have made a new song called Candy-Coated Rocks.

Another song by C-Side, Paintscraper, was revealed on 5 August 2022.

A new set of idols, known as Deep Cut, were revealed on 10 August 2022 during the Splatoon 3 Direct. The group consists of Shiver, Frye and Big Man. They debuted alongside a song called Anarchy Rainbow.

Deep Cut has a new cover of Now or Never!, heard in Splatfests.

Another Damp Socks feat. Off the Hook song, Tentacle to the Metal, was revealed on 7 September 2022.

With the release of Version 2.0.0, the names of the songs Headhammer and Triple Dip by C-Side and Sandy Side Up by Front Roe were revealed, although these songs were heard since the release of the game.

With the release of Version 3.0.0, a jukebox was added to the Battle Lobby. It can be requested to play almost any song in the game (as well as a select few from previous games) for Cash 100.

With the release of Version 4.0.0, a new band named Yoko & the Gold Bazookas release 3 songs, Ska-BLAM, Three-Horn Circus, and he previous Splato. There was also a release of 3 new lobby songs as well.

Post-launch updates

File:Splatoon 3 Expansion Pack Inkopolis promo.jpg
Promotional image for Splatoon 3: Expansion Pass

Much like the previous Splatoon games, several free post-launch updates are being released for Splatoon 3. Such updates are liable to prevent battle replays from working due to balance adjustments. The game's season changes roughly every three months, with additional weapons and catalogs being added at the start of every season.[16] The first post-launch content update, Chill Season 2022, which was released on 1 December 2022, features the addition of the stages Brinewater Springs and Flounder Heights, 13 new weapons, X Battles, and a new catalog. The second post-launch content update, Fresh Season 2023, which was released on 1 March 2023, features the addition of the stages Um'ami Ruins and Manta Maria, 12 new weapons, 2 new special weapons, the Jukebox, online Tableturf Battle, new Salmon Run Next Wave content, and a new catalog. Later updates are set to include content such as additional stages, League Battles, and using keywords to interact with ghosts in a channel. Additionally, major paid DLC will come in the form of the Splatoon 3: Expansion Pass, which is, so far, said to come in two waves, with the first having the player be able to travel to Inkopolis Plaza from the first Splatoon game, and the second, known as Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass: Side Order, likely having a new story in the same vein as Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion, with it taking place in what seems to be a modernized version of Inkopolis Square from Splatoon 2, and the only known characters so far being an Octoling and Off the Hook.

Gallery

Image linking to the gallery page
➤ View the gallery

Trivia

S3 Sticker SQDNOV character.png
Too long!
This trivia section is too long. Information should either be consolidated, rewritten, or otherwise integrated into the main article.
  • The signature ink color set for this game is similar to the Color Lock set in Splatoon 2 and one of the Ranked Battle color sets in Splatoon, as well as Deep Cut's color scheme.
  • The Inkopolis Memorial Mixtape ends with the same drum loop used in the Splatoon loading screen followed by the opening of the original version of Splattack!, similar to the music of the Splatoon 3 announcement trailer.
  • In the Splatoon 3 announcement trailer, it could be seen that, while Inklings and Octolings are being shown individually, the Octoling using the Hydra Splatling had the symmetrical teeth of an Inkling, unlike the asymmetrical teeth Octolings usually have. This was later corrected in some promotional art of Octolings on the Splatoon 3 official Japanese website after the game's release date reveal.
  • Upon closer inspection, the "3" in the final version of the game's logo has cracks visible on its surface. This is a reference to the game being themed around chaos and it taking place in a desert region.
  • As a reference to the game being the third in the series, the number three is a recurring theme in the game, similarly to eight being a theme in the Octo Expansion. For example:
    • The protagonist of Return of the Mammalians is named Agent 3.
    • The main Inkling's hair is styled in a braid, a hairstyle made by twisting three strands of hair.
    • The most prominent bands in the game, C-Side and Deep Cut, each have three members.
    • Splatfests feature three teams, Tricolor Turf Wars, and 333x battles.
    • Several weapons introduced in the game are named after and associated with the number three, namely the Tri-Stringer (which fires three shots at once), the Trizooka (which can fire three times, each shot consisting of three blasts), and the Triple Inkstrike (which has three uses before expiring). Additionally, the Wave Breaker fires three shockwaves before it vanishes.
    • Multiple new gear items are named to fit this theme, such as the Tri-Shred Tee.
    • The model of the Octobot King used by DJ Octavio in Return of the Mammalians is called the Octobot King L3.Gs.
    • Three pieces of treasure are collected in Return of the Mammalians.
    • Mr. Grizz's original name, as revealed in the Alterna Logs, was "Bear #03", and he is given the title of "The Ursine Anomaly #03" in Return of the Mammalians.
    • The time limit in the final boss battle of Return of the Mammalians is 3:33, and the final mission of the mode, After Alterna, has an entry fee of 333 Power Eggs and first-time clear reward of 3333 Power Eggs.
    • In Tableturf Battle, CPU opponents each have three difficulty ranks, and must be defeated in a rank three times to unlock the next rank. Additionally, non-jellyfish CPU opponents reward sleeves after being defeated 30 times on the third difficulty rank.
    • In Salmon Run, the maximum hazard level is 333%.
    • Octolings draw a "3" in the air when trying a brush at Ammo Knights.
  • Splatoon 3 won the "Best Multiplayer Game" award at The Game Awards 2022.

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese スプラトゥーン3
Supuratūn 3		 Splatoon 3
Germany German Splatoon 3 Same as English
China Chinese 斯普拉遁 3
Si1 pou2 laai1 deon6 saam1 (Cantonese)
Sī pǔ lā dùn sān (Mandarin)		 Splatoon 3
South Korea Korean 스플래툰 3
Seupeullaetun 3		 Splatoon 3

External links

References

  1. ↑ Nintendo Consolidated Financial Highlights: 31 March 2023
  2. ↑ Nintendo Nintendo of Korea
  3. ↑ Nintendo Nintendo of Hong Kong
  4. ↑ 17 July 2019 Splatoon 3 development hasn't started yet
  5. ↑ Twitter @SplatoonJP Twitter - 2022 arrival post
  6. ↑ YouTube Splatoon 3 – Release Date Revealed - Nintendo Switch
  7. ↑ Nintendo Enter the Splatlands When Splatoon 3 Surfaces on Sept. 9 - Nintendo
  8. ↑ Twitter @asasasa98765 Twitter (Splatoon dataminer) - Regional differences and languages
  9. ↑ [1]
  10. ↑ Twitter @NintendoAmerica - Post about the story's timeline
  11. ↑ Developer interview
  12. ↑ Splatoon 3 for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Game Details
  13. ↑ Splatoon 3 - Nintendo of America Twitter thread
  14. ↑ Splatoon 3 https://splatoon.nintendo.com/en/news/squid-research-lab-dives-deep-into-the-splatlands/
  15. ↑ Splatoon 3 https://splatoon.nintendo.com/en/news/a-new-season-of-splatoon-3-content-is-about-to-surface/
  16. ↑ Twitter Nintendo of Europe - Free post-launch updates
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