As one of Nintendo’s most popular recent series of games, Splatoon has received multiple changes to the formula since the first game in 2015. Last year, Nintendo announced perhaps the largest departure for the series so far with Splatoon Raiders, a single-player-focused experience in a normally multiplayer franchise. Today, the company surprised fans with a release date for the game in addition to a trailer showing off some of the game’s story and mechanics.
The release date trailer opens on a large coastal building, home to the main character mechanic. Players will have the chance to customize the appearance and sound of the character from the start of the game, editing details like hair shape and eye color. After the introduction, the main character wanders the beach, where they encounter the first enemy Salmonids, aggressive sea creatures that are on the hunt for the same treasure as the player. Just like in the other Splatoon titles, combat will be based in paint, with the enemies spreading a sickly yellow across the beach. To fight against this, players can use new ink weapons and gadgets unique to the game. Throughout the trailer, viewers are also introduced to the new characters, Shiver, Frye, and Big Man, who are musicians looking to help the player out.
In addition to facing off against the Salmonids, players will also be tasked with exploring and looking for treasure. The trailer shows off a metal detector-like feature and a treasure chest that opens to an item that grants a mid-air jump ability. Other gadgets are shown later, such as one that creates a circle of ink around the player and another that can serve as a turret. The final mechanic shown off by the trailer is the ability to put the main character’s skills as an engineer to work and modify ships and items in the main base. A recent post on the Splatoon account reveals that the game will also be playable with up to three additional players, with scaling difficulty to compensate.
The trailer ends by revealing amiibo of the main characters and giving the release date of July 23, 2026.