Splatoon (series)

Splatoon's logo

For the original game, see Splatoon.

Splatoon is a multimedia franchise based around a series of third-person shooter video games developed by Nintendo.

List of games

Game	Description	Platform	Release
Splatoon	Splatoon is a third-person shooter developed and published by Nintendo. The game features battles between Inklings, using weaponized ink to cover territory and "splat" opponents. The game was first revealed at the Nintendo E3 2014 Digital Event.	Wii U	JP: 28 May 2015 NA & EU: 29 May 2015 AU: 30 May 2015
Splatoon 2	Splatoon 2 is a third-person shooter developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch console, and the sequel to the Wii U game Splatoon. The game builds further on the ink-based shooting mechanics introduced in Splatoon, with the general gameplay being identical, but with new content including new weapons, stages, and a new horde mode named Salmon Run.	Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2	Worldwide: 21 July 2017 TW: 1 December 2017 KR: 2 May 2019 JP, HK & TW: 8 October 2021 (with DLC)
Splatoon 3	Splatoon 3 is the third entry in the Splatoon series and the sequel to Splatoon 2. Announced during the February 2021 Nintendo Direct, it was released on the Nintendo Switch on 9 September 2022. A physical version of the game with the Splatoon 3: Expansion Pass DLC included released on 18 July 2024 in Japan and South Korea, and 25 July 2024 in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.	Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2	Worldwide: 9 September 2022 JP, KR: 18 July 2024 (with DLC) AU, NZ, EU: 25 July 2024 (with DLC)
Splatoon Raiders	Splatoon Raiders is a single-player-focused spin-off game in the Splatoon series that was released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. It was announced on 10 June 2025.	Nintendo Switch 2	23 July 2026

History

Video games

At E3 2014, Nintendo announced Splatoon, the culmination of experiments dating back over a year, to be released in 2015. After an extensive marketing campaign, the game launched for the Wii U on 28 May 2015 and continued to be actively updated until late 2016. The series immediately saw success upon the launch of its initial game, selling extremely well across all regions and spawning a franchise across multiple other media. Online functionality for the game, and the Wii U as a whole, was switched off on 8 April 2024, rendering large parts of the game inaccessible.

On 20 October 2016, only one month after the final update to Splatoon during its active life, Nintendo's reveal trailer for the Nintendo Switch teased new content in the series for the console. The January 2017 Nintendo Switch Presentation officially revealed it as Splatoon 2, for a release that summer, and eventually launched on 21 July 2017. A sequel to the first game, it introduced new weapons, modes, locations, and characters to the Splatoon universe and sold multiple times more copies than the original. The game continued to receive events until 2021.

The March 2018 Nintendo Direct revealed that the series' first paid DLC, titled the Octo Expansion, would be released for Splatoon 2 that summer. It was released on 14 June 2018 and added new playable characters and an expansive new single-player campaign to the game.

Splatoon 3 was revealed during the February 2021 Nintendo Direct for a release on Nintendo Switch in 2022. Following a long build-up, it was released on 9 September 2022. It featured new weapons, a new single-player story, and took place in a new location, the Splatlands. It continues to be updated and get new in-game events into 2026.

The February 2023 Nintendo Direct revealed that Splatoon 3 would receive a two-part DLC named the Splatoon 3: Expansion Pass, where players can revisit Inkopolis from Splatoon, with Wave 1 - Inkopolis slated for that spring, and a new single-player campaign titled Wave 2 - Side Order slated for the future. Later, Wave 1 - Inkopolis was released 28 February 2023. The September 2023 Nintendo Direct revealed that Side Order would feature replayable gameplay with many returning characters and new enemies and would take place in a version of Inkopolis Square from Splatoon 2, with a release window of Spring 2024. Side Order later released on 22 February 2024.

On 10 June 2025, Nintendo announced the first Splatoon spin-off game via the Nintendo Today! app, albeit with no release date. Splatoon Raiders, a single-player-focused action game, will be released exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 on 23 July 2026.

Other media

From 2016 to 2022, a manga series was officially published in Japan. It follows Team Blue, consisting of Goggles, Specs, Bobble Hat and Headphones, as they compete against various rival teams in Turf War cups and Ranked Battles, inspired by Splatoon and Splatoon 2. It began to be localized in 2017, with the sixteenth and final volume localized in English in early 2023. In 2017, two episodes of the manga were animated and published on YouTube and on DVD.

A direct sequel to this series, based on Splatoon 3, called Splatoon 3: Splatlands, started being published in Japan in 2023. It continues to follow Team Blue as they discover the Splatlands. It began to be localized in 2023 and continues to be published as of 2026. Another follow-up, an adaptation of Splatoon Raiders, began to be published in 2026 while Splatoon 3: Splatlands went on hiatus.

An unrelated gag manga strip inspired by Splatoon titled Mellow Squid 4-Panel Comic was published in Weekly Famitsu magazine in Japan around 2017. One volume of strips was published separately, with a selection localized into English in The Art of Splatoon and The Art of Splatoon 2.

Another manga series, Splatoon: Squid Kids Comedy Show, was published in Japan from 2017 to 2021. It is a gag manga series of four-panel jokes based on Splatoon 2 and was localized in English from 2020 to 2022. A two-part continuation of the series, based around Splatoon 3, was published in Japan in 2023 but has not yet been localized.

Merchandise

Main article: Merchandise

Nintendo signed license agreements with various companies to make Splatoon branded products.

Common elements

Plot, themes, and characters

In both Splatoon and Splatoon 2, the player is a new arrival in Inkopolis, a city inhabited mainly by squid-like creatures called Inklings, as well as other sea creatures that have adapted to live on land. Here, they compete in ink battles - a sport that involves splattering ink on the ground and at opponents to carry out various objectives - to earn popularity and cash, which they can use to buy gear and weapons.

In the original Splatoon, the player arrives at Inkopolis Plaza, where they soon find that the Great Zapfish that powers the city has been stolen by the Octarian forces. To get it back, they head to Octo Valley through a manhole found in the plaza. Once there, the player meets Cap'n Cuttlefish, an elderly Inkling who is trying to track down the Great Zapfish. The player then joins forces with him, becoming Agent 3 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, and is tasked with venturing through various locations in Octo Valley to locate and reclaim the Great Zapfish.

In Splatoon 2, the player arrives at Inkopolis Square two years after the events of the first game, where they learn that Callie from the Squid Sisters pop idol group has gone missing, along with the Great Zapfish. The player then spots Marie, Callie's cousin, standing on top of a manhole in the corner of Inkopolis Square and follows her to Octo Canyon. Here, Marie asks the player for help in her search for both the Great Zapfish and Callie. After agreeing to her request, the player then becomes Agent 4 and travels through Octo Canyon to track them down.

In Octo Expansion, the player is an Octoling nicknamed Agent 8, who is trapped in the Deepsea Metro subway system. They soon meet up with Cap'n Cuttlefish and explore further into the subway, where they find a telephone. The Telephone tasks them with passing a series of tests in order to collect four Thangs which will allow them to leave the subway and go to the "promised land". During the tests, Agent 8 receives advice from Pearl and Marina, who help them to escape the subway.

In Splatoon 3, the player and their companion Smallfry meet a retired Cuttlefish in the Crater, who names them the new Agent 3. Searching for the Great Zapfish, they end up in a fight with DJ Octavio, with whom they fall into an abyss after the floor underneath them is destroyed by Fuzzy Ooze. Waking up in Alterna, they meet up with Agent 1, Agent 2, and their Captain, who was the previous holder of the "Agent 3" title. Together, they explore Alterna in search of Cuttlefish while uncovering the mysteries behind the Fuzzy Ooze.

In Side Order, Agent 8 and Pearl find themselves in the Order Sector, a replication of Inkopolis Square located in the Memverse, a virtual reality created by Marina. Together with her and Acht, they climb the Spire of Order to confront its overseer, Order.

Gameplay mechanics

Splatoon games are third-person shooters, meaning that gameplay consists primarily of shooting, and the player character is visible on-screen.

Players use various weapons to spray ink to claim territory and damage opponents. Players can remain in humanoid form to attack, and switch to cephalopod form to submerge in ink. While submerged in ink, the player can refill their ink tank, swim to move faster than in humanoid form, or stay still to hide from opponents.

Locations

Main article: Locations

Location	Description	Games
Inkadia	Also known as Greater Inkopolis. It is the region in which Inkopolis, Octo Valley, Octo Canyon, and the Deepsea Metro are located. It appears to be located in present-day Lake Chūzenji, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Hammerhead Bridge connects Inkopolis to the Splatlands, allowing residents to travel back and forth.	✓	✓	✓	✗
Inkopolis	A city inhabited by Inklings, Octolings, Jellyfish, and other sea-dwelling creatures that have adapted to live on land. It is the main city of Inkadia.	✓	✓	✓	✗
Inkopolis Plaza	An area of Inkopolis that serves as the main hub in Splatoon. Inklings can enter Inkopolis Tower to take part in battles, or go shopping for gear and weapons at Booyah Base. There is also a manhole in the northeastern corner of the Plaza that connects it to Octo Valley.	✓	✗	✓	✗
Inkopolis Square	An area of Inkopolis that serves as the main hub in Splatoon 2. Inklings and Octolings can access the Deca Tower to join battles or buy gear and weapons from the Galleria. A shady organization known as Grizzco Industries can be found west of Deca Tower that allows an Inkling or Octoling to participate in a Salmon Run for unique rewards. A manhole south of the Grizzco building connects the Square to Octo Canyon.	✗	✓	✓	✗
Octo Valley	A hidden valley located near Inkopolis that serves as the setting of the eponymous single-player mode of Splatoon. Octarians live in this valley within underground domes accessible through kettles.	✓	✗	✗	✗
Octo Canyon	A hidden canyon located near Inkopolis that serves as the setting of the eponymous single-player mode of Splatoon 2. Octarians live in this canyon within underground domes accessible through kettles.	✗	✓	✗	✗
Deepsea Metro	A mysterious subway system deep beneath Inkopolis and the setting of the Octo Expansion in Splatoon 2. It is the base for the Kamabo Corporation and home to the denizens of the deep. It is.	✗	✓	✗	✗
The Splatlands	A desert region located relatively far away to the west of Inkopolis. The intense sun and harsh environment have had a profound effect on its inhabitants. Trendsetting Inklings have been drawn here in recent years. It is the location Splatsville, the stages introduced in Splatoon 3, the Crater, and the upside-down and rusted Eiffel Tower.	✗	✗	✓	✗
Splatsville	A newly discovered city dubbed the "City of Chaos". This city is located far away from the city of Inkopolis, and is situated in a broader region called the Splatlands. This area serves as the main hub in Splatoon 3.	✗	✗	✓	✗
The Crater	The first location of Splatoon 3's single-player campaign, Return of the Mammalians. It is located in the desert of The Splatlands and the region of the upside-down and rusted Eiffel Tower. It appears to be located in present-day Mount Fuji.	✗	✗	✓	✗
Alterna	The location of Splatoon 3's single-player campaign, Return of the Mammalians. It was the last human settlement and is located below the Crater. The area is made up of multiple islands surrounding the Alterna Space Center.	✗	✗	✓	✗
Stages	A wide variety of places in and around Inkopolis, the Splatlands, and their surrounding areas that are popularly used for ink battles on top of their normal purposes. A different selection appears in each game, with some appearing in multiple.	✓	✓	✓	✗
Salmonid Swim Zones	The inhabitat of the Salmonids. Designated ocean areas in the world of the Splatoon series and the location of the Salmon Run stages in Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3. The first zone is located in Inkopolis Bay to the west of Inkopolis, while the second one is to the south of Anarchy Bay, which is located to the east of the Crater.	✗	✓	✓	✗
Order Sector	A mysterious world within the Memverse built of its own rules, that acts as the main setting of Side Order. It is a prototype VR simulation created by Marina, and contains a colorless version of Inkopolis Square featuring the Spire of Order.	✗	✗	✓	✗
Spirhalite Islands	A group of islands and the inhabitant of the Salmonids in Splatoon Raiders. They are referred to by the Squid Research Lab as "mysterious", and are being investigated by Deep Cut as part of a yet-unclear rumor. Together with the mechanic, Deep Cut raids the islands for treasure.	✗	✗	✗	✓

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A Quick Rundown on the Splatoon Series

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	スプラトゥーン supuratūn	Splatoon
Chinese	斯普拉遁 sī pǔ lā dùn	Splatoon
Korean	스플래툰 seupeullaetun	Splatoon

See also

• List of official websites