Why Splatoon Raiders’ Reveal May Be Bittersweet for Fans

Summary

Splatoon Raiders, a spinoff game, introduces new experiences for fans of the series to enjoy.
Splatoon 3 is getting extra content to hold players over while Splatoon 4 is in development.
The delay of Splatoon 4 could lead to a more polished and innovative game in the long run.

The surprise announcement of Splatoon Raiders, the first Splatoon spinoff game, naturally has fans excited about the future of the Nintendo franchise, but it also shakes up what fans thought they knew. With Splatoon Raiders in development, the news some fans were hoping for may be farther off than they imagined.

With the release of the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World still fresh, fans were blindsided by news from the Splatoon series. While some had speculated that a new installment in the franchise would be on the way for Nintendo’s newest console, the announcement still managed to raise some eyebrows. Rather than the expected Splatoon 4, Splatoon Raiders was announced as a new spin-off title for Nintendo’s shooter series. Little is known about the game and how it will differ from the typical Splatoon experience, but it has been made clear that the player is an Inkling mechanic who crash-lands on a mysterious island. When it comes to new games in hot series, usually any news is good news, but there is a slight undercurrent of sadness around this reveal, as it likely means that Splatoon 4 isn’t as close to releasing as some players might have hoped.

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By Justin Skiles

A New Splatoon Spin-off Can Help the Series Grow

When the first Splatoon game came out in 2015, it was an instant hit for Nintendo. The ten years since have seen the inklings added to the Smash Bros. Roster, 2 sequel games, and even ‘live’ concerts from the games’ virtual bands. It’s undeniable that the series has grown to be another of Nintendo’s beloved franchises, and Nintendo typically makes spin-offs of its most popular games. While not a universal good, Nintendo’s spin-off titles are usually a great way to explore other genres or areas of a series’ lore. For example, the Mario RPG spin-offs are lauded by some as the best Mario games of them all. So, while it’s unclear what genre or narrative Splatoon Raiders might be exploring, fans can likely look forward to an excellent game in any case.

Splatoon 3 Gets Extra Content

Along with the announcement of Splatoon Raiders, it was revealed that Splatoon 3 will receive a free update on June 12. Players will soon be able to use 30 new weapons in the game's Splatlands Collection, as well as earn new badges. It will also add new stats that will be used in matchmaking and bring back the Urchin Underpass map from Splatoon 1. It can’t be a coincidence, though, that this update comes alongside the spin-off announcement and the launch of the Switch 2. It’s possible that this update is meant to act as a consolation for those who prefer the original Splatoon experience. Adding this new and returning content will help expand the lifespan of Splatoon 3, as players will probably have a while to wait until Splatoon 4 arrives.

Splatoon 4’s Delay Might Not be All Bad

It can be a disappointment for hardcore Splatoon fans that the fourth mainline installment won’t arrive as soon as they wanted it, but there are some possible upsides to the situation. While they will supposedly have to make do with Splatoon 3 for a bit longer, the added development time on Splatoon 4 means that when it does release, it should be even better. With a longer development cycle, Splatoon 4 can take the time it needs to reach new heights. Each new installment in a series should innovate on the last, and the Splatoon formula has been pretty solid since the first game. The added weapons and maps have spiced up the subsequent games, but with even more time between installments, Splatoon 4 could be the best title yet.

Splatoon Raiders is good news for the series, as it will expand the possibilities and create new ideas for use in the core games as well. Fans still have a lot to hope for in Splatoon 4, and this delay just means they’ll have to wait a bit longer for the payoff. In any case, Splatoon’s future is bright, and fans have to wait and see where it leads.

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