Fast, fun, and frant-ink action awaits in Splatoon 3, available now

It’s time to get messy, folks. In the Splatoon™ 3 game, stylish combatants named Inklings and Octolings use highly advanced (and rather quirky) weapons to fling colorful ink at each other. Throwing enough ink at an opponent will splat them, removing them from the battlefield for a few moments.

Of course, there’s another twist—your character can also transform into a tentacle-y version of themselves to swiftly swim through (or hide in) ink that matches their team’s color. It’s all about picking the right gear and weapons for your playstyle, mastering movement, and out-inking/thinking your opponents.

You can purchase the game today from Nintendo.com or Nintendo eShop on your device!

Let’s talk about modes

Whether you play solo or team up with friends*, there’s a mode for you.

Turf War: The classic 4v4 mode where two teams try to cover the most ground with their ink color. There are 12 stages at launch, with more to come via free updates.

Salmon Run: Now available 24/7, this co-op mode has a group of four players try to defeat waves of Salmonids and collect Golden Eggs. Take on dastardly new Boss Salmonids, brave the might of King Salmonids, and cook up some new strategies with the Egg Throw move.

Story Mode: Things are getting a wee bit hairy. Join Agent 3 and the New Squidbeak Splatoon as they discover the secrets of Alterna and the Fuzzy Ooze. This is a great mode to learn the ins and outs of Splatoon 3 and get a fuzzy taste of Splatoon lore. Plus, your new buddy named Smallfry is there to help!

Anarchy Battles (Open): Whether you like taking on an online** challenge by yourself or with friends, Anarchy Battle (Open) welcomes all team configurations. This means that you can squad up with your buddies to take on rotating modes, such as:

• Splat Zones: Use your noggin and a whole lotta ink to control hotly contested areas.

• Tower Control: Hop on a moving tower, ink it up, and ride it to victory.

• Rainmaker: Fight your way to this powerful weapon, reach the various checkpoints, and then take it to the goal.

• Clam Blitz: Collect and deposit, uh, clams. What else would it be in something called Clam Blitz?

More wins means that you’ll earn more Rank Points, so good luck!

Anarchy Battles (Series): In this online** challenge, you are placed on a randomized team and must work together to reign supreme in a gauntlet of Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, or Clam Blitz matches. The more you win, the more Rank Points you’ll get. However, you’ll also need to put some of your Rank Points on the line to enter the competition!

Note that you unlock Anarchy Battles when you either reach level 10 or transfer save data from Splatoon 2.

Special Events: Every now and then, players can take part in large-scale events like a Splatfest or Big Run. We’ll talk more about these when the time is right!

What’s new?

The Splatoon experience has been ink-spected from top to bottom, adding big changes (like new moves, weapon classes, special weapons, and more) to handy tweaks (you can now see 3D holograms of your friends in the Lobby to squad up before battle**) to a card-based minigame.

Customization also gets a boost with an in-game Season Catalog that rotates every few months for two years. Each catalog is chock-full of different gear, victory emotes, stuff to personalize your in-game locker, and titles/nameplates to create your own Splashtag. Of course, there are also a bunch of eclectic in-game shops to grab gear and weapons as well.

We’re just skimming the surface, so check out https://splatoon.nintendo.com/ for more info.

Bonuses if you have Splatoon 2 save data

If you have save data on your system from the Splatoon 2 game, you’ll also get some helpful bonuses. It will allow you to:

• Receive three Gold Sheldon Licenses that can let you access your favorite weapon types more quickly.

• Join Anarchy Battles from the get-go, regardless of player level.

• Start with a higher rank, depending on your rank in Splatoon 2.

• Get matched against players who achieved a similar skill level to you in Splatoon 2.

Earn 10% Gold Points for a limited time

Lastly, from now until Sept. 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can earn 10% in Gold Points*** when buying the digital version of Splatoon 3. Don’t worry if you previously pre-ordered digitally: those points will still be coming your way.

*Additional games, systems, accessories and/or Nintendo Switch Online membership may be required for multiplayer mode. Games, systems, some accessories, and Nintendo Switch Online membership sold separately.

**Any Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-online

***Offer valid through 9/30 at 11:59 p.m. PT when you purchase or redeem a download code for the digital version of the Splatoon 3 game on Nintendo eShop or Nintendo.com. Gold Points are awarded based on the amount you pay (excluding tax and any points or discounts used) and have no cash value. A Nintendo Account is required to receive and redeem My Nintendo points. Terms apply. https://accounts.nintendo.com/term_point.