Things Confirmed for Splatoon Raiders

Summary

Splatoon Raiders is not Splatoon 4; it's a spin-off focusing on a single protagonist on the Spirhalite Islands.
Exclusive to Switch 2, the game offers enhanced features like HDR, 4K displays, and 60+FPS gameplay.
Players control a new hero, The Mechanic, with a robot buddy, exploring an open-world setting with potential hidden threats.

The original Splatoon became one of the few reasons to invest in a Wii U, as its ink-splashing fun stood out next to its grimmer, bloodier, moodier third-person squad shooter brethren. Its sequels continued the fun on the Nintendo Switch, where, online or offline, players tried to cover as much of the stage as possible in their team's ink, and paint over whatever areas their opponents reached first.

But now there’s a new entry in the series on the way, and unlike its predecessors, it’s got different goals in mind. Splatoon Raiders is the series’ first spin-off game, and it aims to shake up the formula. It’s still early days, so there’s plenty of room for speculation, but with the trailer and early press details available, this list will deal with what’s officially confirmed for Splatoon Raiders.

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6 It’s Not Splatoon 4

It's a Spin-Off for a Reason

Splatoon Raiders will single out its protagonist on the Spirhalite Islands instead of giving them a team.
They can still shoot ink everywhere, but they'll have to do more than that to progress.
Switch 2 owners will get a new update for Splatoon 3 to keep them occupied in the meantime.

It’s a bit of an obvious statement, but Splatoon Raiders is not Splatoon 4. The trailer suggests that players can still shoot ink everywhere to help them maneuver, so it'll be familiar enough for Splatoon fans. But the trailer also shows that the game will likely be a single-player affair, as its new hero will run around the Spirhalite Islands instead of joining their buddies to ink up multiple different courses.

Splatoon 4 is still currently in development, but if players still want a more traditional Splatoon experience, they can revisit Splatoon 3 and its new update. It gave players a range of new stages, and 30 new weapons to experiment with, from the Splat Charger CAM 0 and its Crab Tank to the Torrentz Hydra Splatling and its Big Bubbler. That, and it's all free of charge, though it works better on the Switch 2 than its predecessor.

5 It’s A Switch 2 Exclusive

There's Only One Way to Play This Game

Players will need a Switch 2 to play Splatoon Raiders.
The game's release date hasn't been set yet, so there's no rush to pre-order it or its console yet.
The Switch 2 supports HDR, 4K displays, and 60+FPS gameplay.

Even if players don’t have a Switch 2, they can still enjoy Splatoon 3. But if they want to see what Splatoon Raiders has to offer, they’ll eventually have to switch (pun not intended) to Nintendo’s new console, as the spinoff is exclusive to the Switch 2. At the time of this writing, the game doesn’t have a set release date, so players have time to save up cash until the game hits the market.

The Switch 2 can provide a 4K resolution when docked, supports HDR, and provides 60FPS gameplay even in handheld mode. It's a pretty powerful piece of kit compared to its predecessor, so players can expect the game to be a visual treat with its tropical locations and vibrant ink splashes.

4 There’s a New Hero in Town

Say Hello to the Mechanic

Players take control of a new Inkling called The Mechanic.
They can do everything Splatoon's Inklings can do, from shooting ink everywhere from their new gun, to swimming in the puddles they leave behind.
They're also joined by a robot buddy, whose purpose hasn't been revealed yet.

Instead of playing any random Inkling or Octoling, players take control of a new lead in the Mechanic. They joined Deep Cut, the band from Splatoon 3, whose desire for treasure led them all to the Spirhalite Islands in the first place. While the player character remains mute in the trailer, they get the lion's share of the gameplay, where they can do everything the squid kids can do in the regular Splatoon games.

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They’re armed with a new ink-shooting weapon that has a bigger ink tank but looks more makeshift next to the main series’ gear, suggesting they made it themselves. The Mechanic is also joined by a robot buddy who runs after them as they dash, jump, shoot, and swim around the place. But the trailer didn't show off what it does yet, so no one knows for sure whether it'll fight off foes, collect materials, or do something completely different.

3 They’re Joined by Deep Cut

Splatoon 3's Band of Treasure-Hunting Musicians Make a Return

Shiver, Frye, and Big Man are the ones responsible for taking the Mechanic to the Spirhalite Islands.
Their attempts to find the island's hidden treasure make them crash when they get caught in a tornado.
They'll likely provide some extra objectives and activities, as they can be found fishing and hanging out on different parts of the island.

Shiver, Frye, and Big Man, the members of Deep Cut, gave Splatoon 3 players the rundown on their stages, game updates, and other announcements via their Anarchy Splatcast. They even played the bad guys in the ‘Return of the Mammalians’ campaign, where their plans to loot the Splatlands got them into trouble. Now they drive the plot of Splatoon Raiders, as they find a map of the Spirhalite Islands hidden in a basement.

According to the articles they found, they think it could lead them to their next payday, and get the Mechanic to fly them over there via helicopter. At least until some hidden, mysterious, glowing object sends a tornado their way and makes them crash. Chances are they won't let that stop their search, nor will it stop them from having fun, as the trailer shows them fishing, lounging around and doing all sorts in the background.

2 It Takes Players Into a New World

Jumping Off the Stage into the Wider World

Instead of being locked to one stage, the Mechanic can roam freely around the Spirhalite Islands.
They can still shoot ink everywhere and swim squid-style in the puddles they leave behind.
It may be an open-world game, though its specific genre hasn't been revealed yet.

The trailer shows the Mechanic running freely around the Spirhalite Islands, with nary a wall, pit, or team member driving them to ink everything in sight. So, it’s safe to say Splatoon Raiders is going to be more exploratory, where players will use their abilities to see more of what this new world offers.

Does that mean it could be an open-world game? It’s likely, though it’s hard to say. Viewers only got a brief snippet of gameplay in the trailer. It does seem like the player can take the Mechanic around anywhere, though there's a chance it could be more open-zone a la Super Mario Odyssey than being a Splatoon-based Breath of the Wild clone. Until Nintendo shows off more of its gameplay, there’s little for prospective players to go on.

1 There’s Something Hiding Around the Islands

And It Might Not Be Friendly

On top of the mysterious glowing object, there's another mysterious item in the Splatoon Raiders trailer.
Viewers can find a grayscale shot of an eye at the end of the trailer.
It likely belongs to some giant sea creature, possibly a boss in the game.

While the big glowing light at the center of the Spirhalite tornado sticks out more, there's a shot of an eye slowly opening while hidden underwater in the trailer. This suggests there’s some sort of threat lurking around the Spirhalite Islands too. Similar trailers in the past have used cryptic signs like this to tease their game’s big villains, or at least one of their new, more antagonistic characters.

But without anything more concrete to go on, this eye could belong to anything. All that can be said for sure is that the Spirhalite Islands are hiding more than Deep Cut’s long-sought treasure, and it’ll be up to the player, via the Mechanic, to find out what it is. It sounds ominous enough, but with their new gear, the Mechanic needs something to give a good inking.

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