The latest installment of the Splatoon series leads the franchise into an interesting new direction.
Splatoon Raiders, the first spinoff of the Splatoon series, will officially be released globally on July 23, 2026. It is described as a "single-player-focused Splatoon game," and will exclusively be available on the Nintendo Switch 2.
The game follows the story of a young character known simply as the "Mechanic," as they are left stranded in an uninhabited and mysterious region known as the Spiralite Islands after their helicopter crashes.
What comes next is an action-packed, third-person shooter adventure, where players can decide between being an Inkling or an Octoling. Additionally, players can customize their avatar's appearance, explore a vast open-world map, construct gadgets, and engage in duels against Salmonids
Though Splatoon Raiders is stylized as a single-player game, it also features a co-op mode that allows up to three players to join either locally or online.
Pre-orders for Splatoon Raiders are currently available through the My Nintendo Store, with a digital copy costing US$49.99 and a physical copy priced at US$59.99.
Splatoon Raiders will be the fourth installment in the Splatoon franchise, which first began in 2015 with the release of the original title. Since then, it has grown in size and popularity, with many in the community appreciating its colorful palette, striking art style, and its unique approach to the shooter genre.