In September 2021, an industry insider revealed that Splatoon 3 would be coming towards the end of 2022. This prediction was right on the money, as Nintendo announced today that the third installment to the popular third-person shooter will be released on September 9, 2022. The news comes alongside a new expansion for Splatoon 2, leaving fans of the franchise absolutely stuffed with good news.
The release announcement also came with a new gameplay trailer featuring over three action-packed minutes of footage. Check out Splatoon 3’s online 4-v-4 Turf War mode below:
Splatoon 3 was previously shown at February’s Nintendo Direct, which set the game for a summer 2022 release date. During the presentation, fans got their first look at the third game’s co-op mode Salmon Run Next Wave.
Turf War mode will include a blend of brand new and classic stages, with the newly released footage showing off Eeltail Alley, a new stage in Splatoon 3. Fans can also see a new weapon, the Stringer, a bow that shoots ink both vertically and side to side. Along with Turf War, the third game will include a new single-player campaign.
Splatoon 2, originally released in July 2017, saw its final large-scale update in July 2019.
The first game in the franchise was released in 2015 for the Wii U. The game follows a group of inklings, able to transform between humanoid and cephalopod forms, as they engage in colorful turf wars. The goal of the game is to color as much of the map in a single color as possible. Enemy ink is harder for players to walk across and continuously deals damage.
The sequel, Splatoon 2, won the Excellence Prize from Famitsu and an award for Game Design at the CEDEC Awards upon release. The title was nominated for Best Switch Game 2017 by both Destructoid and IGN.
Splatoon 3 is headed to the Nintendo Switch on September 9, 2022. The game is now available to preorder and will cost $59.99.
