The Splatoon 3 release date is just around the corner. While the first two Splatoon games were only two years apart, it’s now been five years since Splatoon 2 came out. As a result, fans of the series are undoubtedly eager to see what the latest entry has to offer. Here’s everything to know about Splatoon 3, including its release date, trailers, gameplay, and more.
Splatoon 3 Release Date
The Splatoon 3 release date was confirmed by Nintendo of America in April 2022, more than a year after the game was first announced. Players will be able to play Splatoon 3 when it launches on September 9, 2022.
However, players can get their hands on the game before the release date through the Splatoon 3 Splatfest World Premiere demo. On August 27, squids and kids can get early access to the game as they fight for team rock, team paper, or team scissors.
Splatoon 3 Trailers
Splatoon 3 has had a number of official trailers. The first announcement trailer closed out a Nintendo Direct in February 2021. It showed off the game’s post-apocalyptic setting, upside-down Eiffel Tower and all. It also provided a first look at a new weapon type, a new gameplay mechanic, and the new hub city.
In September 2021, a new trailer gave a more in-depth look at some of the game’s new stages and abilities. More importantly, this trailer provided a quick overview of what players can expect from the Splatoon 3 story mode.
The next Splatoon 3 trailer came out in February 2022. This trailer showed off gameplay of the cooperative players-versus-CPUs mode, Salmon Run Next Wave, including the new Egg Throw ability. It also debuted some of that mode’s antagonists, the Boss Salmonids, including Fish Stick and Flipper-Flopper.
Another trailer in April 2022 featured a Turf War match on the Eeltail Valley stage. This trailer also confirmed the game’s September 2022 release date.
The biggest chunk of information about Splatoon 3 came during a dedicated Nintendo Direct in August 2022. This trailer revealed that the hub city is called Splatsville, showed off new characters, confirmed a Salmon Run variant called Big Run and highlighted the game’s varied customization options, including the ability of Inklings and Octolings to dab and do the Macarena.
Finally, one final trailer on August 25 will provide a detailed overview of the single-player mode in Splatoon 3. It will also give a rundown of all the available stages and recommended strategies for the Splatfest World Premiere.
Splatoon 3 Characters
Inklings and Octolings will be the main playable characters in Splatoon 3. Meanwhile, new characters named Shiver, Frye, and Big Man make up the Deep Cut news trio. Characters can obtain new weapons, gear, and more from an array of zany Splatoon 3 characters, including Mr. Coco, Jel La Fleur, Gnarly Eddy, Nails, Murch, Sheldon, and Harmony.
The Splatoon 3 story mode will focus on a brand new Agent 3, along with Splatoon’s Squid Sisters, Callie and Marie, who now go by Agent 1 and Agent 2. Little Buddy, Craig Cuttlefish, Captain, DJ Octavio, and the Octarians will also all play a role in the game’s story mode.
Finally, several other characters have been confirmed to make some sort of appearance in Splatoon 3. These include Judd, Li’l Judd, Mr. Grizz, Crusty Sean, Pearl, and Marina.
Splatoon 3 Gameplay
In many ways, Splatoon 3 will feature the same tried-and-true third-person shooter gameplay as previous entries in the series. Every single weapon set from the previous games is coming back. In addition, the Turf War, Splat Zones, Rainmaker, Tower Control, and Clam Blitz modes are all returning in Splatoon 3.
However, there are also plenty of new additions that can shake things up in Splatoon 3. There are two new main weapon types: bow-like stringers and sword-like splatanas. That brings the total number of weapon types in Splatoon 3 up to nine. Of course, a number of new sub-weapons and specials will also make their debut in this game, not to mention the new Splatoon 3 maps and modes.
Unlike previous Splatoon games, players start each match above the stage in Splatoon 3. From there, they can aim a launcher platform to determine where they will start the match. In addition, characters have two new advanced movement options. Squid Rolling allows players to dodge attacks with a quick jump in the other direction, while Squid Surging allows players to rocket up ink-covered walls at high speeds.
Splatfests have a new gameplay twist in Splatoon 3 since players can pick among three teams instead of two. Toward the end of Splatfests, players will engage in Tricolor Turf Wars. In these special matches, four members of the currently-leading team will start in the middle of the map and have to fend off two members each from the trailing teams.