Today, a Nintendo Direct was announced. However, that Direct was revealed to be a “Partner’s Showcase,” and as fans of The Big N know, that means that it’ll just be about 3rd party titles. While that’s not a bad thing, as there needs to be 3rd party support on the Switch 2, players have been eager to hear more about 1st party games, including the recent surprise that was Splatoon Raiders. The game got a shocking trailer in June, where it was basically shadow-dropped onto us with no warning whatsoever. Players had been expecting something from the ink-shooting franchise, but not a spinoff game like this.
Nintendo hasn’t talked about the entry since then, but a leak may have given us some key info to look forward to while we wait for the next 1st party Nintendo Direct. As you’ll see in the Blue Sky post below, there was a “leak” via a retail store in Malaysia, and the following info was provided through that “leak.”
We’ll break this down section by section. First, the potential 2025 release. Most people would agree that this is the most shocking part of it all. We rewatched the original trailer for Splatoon Raiders, and it didn’t give a release date. Most people likely thought a 2026 release date due to one not being dropped in the trailer, and 2025 seemingly being “filled up” outside of one month, based on the games we already know are coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 this year. However, if the game is almost done, and Nintendo can use the love of the franchise to enhance console sales in the holiday season, they’ll do it.
As for the “focus on adventure and exploration,” that would suggest that the game is following the paths of the expansions within the last two mainline games. Even the story campaigns in the main titles don’t have true exploration elements, as it’s all about getting from one point to another to advance to the next level. From what we saw in the first trailer, the game is set on a chain of islands that Deep Cut crashes on, so that would mean there’s plenty more to explore.
An extra story element does feel likely here, especially with what we said about Deep Cut. The quest system is something we’re not sure what to make of, but Nintendo has done this kind of thing for other series, so that’s not a stretch.
The abilities of “the mechanic” will definitely help separate the game from the mainline titles, so that could be the key “gameplay hook’ to lure people in whenever it arrives.
