Nintendo has been showing off a lotta Splatoon 3 on Twitter lately, and IDK if you’ve been paying attention, but everything in the upcoming colorful shooter is looking sick. There are new customization options for your character, more weapons to experiment with, an additional map to play on, a look at the Octolings, and more. Suffice to say, I’m stoked and will probably play the hell outta it when it hits the Switch on September 9. So in case you missed it, let’s check out some of the new Splatoon 3 stuff.
You don’t have to go far to see the source of all this new information. You could scroll Nintendo’s official social media accounts, but you’ll find better luck going directly to Splatoon North America or Splatoon Japan, verified accounts that post the latest findings from the Squid Research Lab. They’re sources for your inky fix that have been sharing new Splatoon 3 details lately.
For instance, the Squid Research Lab revealed two new Splatoon 3 weapons in April. The first was the Ink Vac, a Ghost Busters-looking backpack vacuum cleaner that sucks ink up and fires it back with extra power. The other was the Triple Inkstrike, a mortar-like weapon that fires three missiles into the air that can then be directed via throwable beacons. This is just the new equipment. The Squid Research Lab went a little wild on Twitter not long after uncovering these armaments, showcasing rapid-fire “shooter” guns, slow-moving “charger” rifles, the silly roller brushes, and so many other categories of “go splat” instruments.
There’s also the new Undertow Spillway map. A former flood bypass now transformed into a skirmish zone, the abandoned facility offers all kinds of high- and low-ground areas. And because those lower levels appear pretty open while the higher platforms look like ramps, I can see this being a favorite among the community. Or, at least, it’s the one I will vote for as often as I can.
I can’t forget about the additional customization items, either. You’ve got more footwear like Timberlands—Timberinks?—and slides, as well as extra tops and bottoms for your character. There is also a new set of hairstyles for both the Inklings and Octolings, which seem to be much like the Inklings but with “better hair.” I like to think we all have good hair, but maybe that’s just me.
But I gotta be honest with y’all. While all of this new-new is cool, nothing convinces me Splatoon 3 will rule nearly as much as the fictional Squid band Front Roe’s new single, “Sea Me Now.” The band is a melodic pop-punk quartet and this song is a bop. A banger. A whole vibe. It slaps, hard. I mean, just listen to the noodle-y syncopation of the guitars in the verse, the thumping rhythm of the drums, the nice synth flourish before the chorus hits…and then the chorus kicks in and, ugh, it’s tight! As a guitarist who played in metal bands and pop-punk growing up, this is definitely a song I’m going to learn to jam along with.
If you couldn’t tell, I’m totally ready for this game to come out. Splatoon 2 was a favorite shooter of mine, a game that perennially stays on my Switch in case I ever wanna dive into a match and get mad at my fellow Squidmates for refusing to follow the objective. With Splatoon 3 looking like an expanded Splatoon 2, it’s absolutely looking like my multiplayer shooter of choice this September.
