Nintendo has confirmed the post-release roadmap for Splatoon 3 alongside details of new weapons, game modes and mini games.
Splatoon 3 is coming to Nintendo Switch next month (September 9) and during a dedicated Direct, Nintendo revealed a bunch of new information about the third-person shooter.
During the 30-minute presentation, it was revealed a total of 12 returning and new stages will be playable when Splatoon 3 launches. Scorch Gorge, Eeltail Alley, Mincemeat Metalworks, Undertow Spillway and Hagglefish Market will make up The Splatlands while Greater Inkopolis will include Museum d’Alfonsion, Hammerhead Bridge and Mahi-Mahi Resort. Inkblot Art Academy, Sturgeon Shipyard, MakoMart and WooHoo World will also be playable.
A total of 12 new and returning stages await you in #Splatoon3 at launch, with more to follow via free updates. pic.twitter.com/OuEIcQNuWW
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) August 10, 2022
However, Nintendo has also confirmed more stages will be added for free post-launch.
Alongside more stages, Splatoon 3 players will receive new catalogs and weapons every three months for the next two years, alongside x battle and league battle modes.
Even more #Splatoon3 content is inkoming via free post-launch updates! pic.twitter.com/Y7uWwic4LA
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) August 10, 2022
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And coming alongside the regular, free-updates is a “large-scale paid DLC”.
Elsewhere in the Direct, Nintendo teased a new weapon, the Splatana. This sword allows players to “send blades of ink flying or perform a charged slash to devastate your enemies”.
It also gave players a look at special weapons like the Tacticooler (a fridge filled with “refreshing beverages”), the Wave Breaker (which sends out damage-causing waves) and the Reefslider, which is basically a motorbike that sprays paint.
Is that…a fridge filled with refreshing beverages?! Take a closer look at some new special weapons making their debut in #Splatoon3. pic.twitter.com/ivwUkUkHDy
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) August 10, 2022
Nintendo also shared a first look at Big Run, an in-game event based around the Salmon Run, that sees Salmonids invade Splatsville.
When it releases next month, Splatoon 3 will feature a full single-player campaign called ‘Return of the Mammalians’.
After Splatoon 3, the notable Nintendo releases for this year include: Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope on October 20, Bayonetta 3 on October 28 and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on November 18. The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild would have made that list, but it was delayed into early 2023.
In other news, No More Robots’ company director Mike Rose has confirmed the studio has “half a dozen” games coming to Xbox Game Pass in the next twelve months.