This next story might seem a bit odd given the timing of certain things and events, but Nintendo made a post about it, so we know it’s real. The Splatoon 3 community firmly believes that the game is nearing the end of its gaming life. The title is currently doing a “Summer Knights” event with a Splatfest that is not that far away, but many feel that in August or September, the game’s run of updates and events will cease. The series does have a habit of ending its “cycle” after about two years, which would be in September 2024. However, that isn’t stopping Nintendo from trying to make more sales of the game before that happens.
Previously, Japan revealed that a special Splatoon 3 bundle would be released soon. It would bundle the main game with the two-part DLC that allowed players to return to Inkopolis while also giving them access to the special roguelike DLC called “Side Order.” At first, the bundle was only confirmed for Japan. However, today, Nintendo of Europe posted that it would be coming to at least part of the West and would release on July 25th:
As noted in the tweet above, the bundle also comes with a special membership to Nintendo Switch Online; that way, people can jump right into the online madness and splat the nights away.
While it may be a bit oddly timed given that the game might be ending the bulk of its monthly content soon, it is a nice bundle to get, and it is a steal to get everything bundled together as one, plus get some free months of online play.
The game has already sold incredibly well on the Nintendo Switch and is currently the second-best-selling game in the franchise, behind the second entry that came out on the Switch in 2017. Plus, it should be noted that even after the monthly contests end, people can still play the game as much as they want, including with the online sections like Turf War and the Elite modes. The only things that won’t be continuing are the Big Run and Splatfest events, and updates with balance changes are likely to be fewer going forward.
Many suspect that Nintendo is already working on the 4th entry to the franchise, and it’d be stunning if they weren’t, as this has been one of the biggest new IPs they’ve had in a while. Plus, they need content for the Nintendo Switch 2, and this will bring people to the console.
