Summary
The surprise announcement ofSplatoon Raiders, the firstSplatoonspinoff game, naturally has fans excited about the future of the Nintendo franchise, but it also shakes up what fans thought they knew. WithSplatoon Raidersin development, the news some fans were hoping for may be farther off than they imagined.
With the release of the Switch 2 andMario Kart Worldstill fresh, fans were blindsided by news from theSplatoonseries. 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 expectedSplatoon 4,Splatoon Raiderswas announced as a new spin-offtitle for Nintendo’s shooter series. Little is known about the game and how it will differ from the typicalSplatoonexperience, 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 thatSplatoon 4isn’t as close to releasing as some players might have hoped.
A New Splatoon Spin-off Can Help the Series Grow
When the firstSplatoongame came out in 2015, it was an instant hit for Nintendo. The ten years since have seen the inklings added to theSmash 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,theMario RPGspin-offs are lauded by someas the bestMariogames of them all. So, while it’s unclear what genre or narrativeSplatoon Raidersmight be exploring, fans can likely look forward to an excellent game in any case.
Splatoon 3 Gets Extra Content
Along with the announcement ofSplatoon Raiders, it was revealed thatSplatoon 3will 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 fromSplatoon 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 originalSplatoonexperience. Adding this new and returning content will help expand the lifespan ofSplatoon 3, as players will probably have a while to wait untilSplatoon 4arrives.
Splatoon 4’s Delay Might Not be All Bad
It can be a disappointment for hardcoreSplatoonfans 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 withSplatoon 3for a bit longer, the added development time onSplatoon 4means that when it does release, it should be even better. With a longer development cycle,Splatoon 4can take the time it needs to reach new heights. Each new installment in a series should innovate on the last, and theSplatoonformula 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 4could be the best title yet.
Splatoon Raidersis 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 havea lot to hope for inSplatoon 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.
