Splatoon 3: Release Date, Gameplay, Trailers, And More

Since the launch of the original Splatoon, players have been enamoured with Nintendo's foray into the competitive multiplayer shooter space due to its unique gameplay and style. Since then, we have seen a second title and now fans eagerly await the third title. It doesn't look to change up the Splatoon formula too much, but with such a solid concept that's yet to run its course, that's fine. For all the information we currently know about Splatoon 3, including the release date, gameplay, trailers, and more, we've got you covered.

Splatoon 3: Release Date

We finally have a concrete release date for Splatoon 3, and though we initially heard murmurs of it releasing in the first half of 2022, it will be available for players on September 9, 2022. The announcement came on April 22 with a brand-new trailer that showcased some more gameplay.

Splatoon 3: Trailers

There have been a few trailers so far for Splatoon 3, showcasing off various aspects of the game. The reveal trailer gave it quite a post-apocalyptic look as the protagonist walked through desert landscapes littered with old-world ruins, like the Eiffel Tower, before taking the train to a populated city called Splatsville. After this, the title drops, and it showcases some multiplayer gameplay, as two teams of four blast ink around and swim inside with their squid forms.

The other trailer of note is subtitled 'Return of the Mammalians' and starts by showing off more multiplayer gameplay, that includes some whacky new main and special weapons. At some point in the middle, it suddenly switches, and we get what appear to be single player gameplay across varying environments with the protagonist from the first trailer. We do know also that the title of this trailer, is what the campaign will be called too, and so gives us some look into the story. 

The latest trailer we've seen came on April 22, which revealed the release date of September 9 along with some new Turf War gameplay. In the trailer, we see a full multiplayer game play out where the perspective keeps switching between the different players. This gives us a glimpse at some new skills and weapons, while still maintaining the Splatoon spirit.  

Splatoon 3: Gameplay And Story

Splatoon 3 will play very similar to the previous two games, featuring third-person shooter combat across a multiplayer and single player mode. The main multiplayer mode is called Turf War, which sees two teams of four compete to cover the map with the most amount of paint, while also fighting each other off. This is expanded in Splatoon 3 with the advent of new weapons, such as the Ink Bow, which change the game's dynamic and should provide a new meta for players to learn.

All the usual fun from the original such as the rollers, squid forms, and Inklings vs Octolings rivalry is here, so don't expect it to change up the formula too much, instead building on the foundation which the last two games made.

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The main hub of Splatoon 3 will also be different, taking place in Splatsville instead of Inkopolis. The former city is located somewhere in a place called the Splatlands, which may explain the post-apocalyptic vibe from the very first trailer. The campaign, which can be activated from the hub, is titled Return of the Mammals, and will focus on the reappearance of mammals in the world, and how that affects everyone's colourful inky fun.

Splatoon 3: Platforms

As a Nintendo first party title, Splatoon 3 will only release on the Nintendo Switch.