The Splatoon franchise from Nintendo is undergoing a transformation with the upcoming Splatoon Raiders, which shifts the well-known multiplayer experience into single-player territory. Splatoon Raiders features a trio of beloved characters embarking on a new adventure, supported by their pilot-mechanic-armed treasure hunter.
Fans have eagerly anticipated the next chapter in the series, expecting another high-stakes multiplayer splatter-fest. Instead, the new game offers a fresh spin-off adventure that is unlike anything seen in the series before. I had the chance to experience Splatoon Raiders at an in-person event in NYC, and I’m completely captivated.
Splatoon Raiders begins with the Deep Cut crew crash-landing their helicopter in the middle of Spirhalite Islands. For those unfamiliar, Deep Cut is a popular music group within the Splatoon universe, consisting of Shiver Hohojiro, Frye Onaga, and Big Man, the stingray of few words. (Mostly “Ay.”) The trio is joined by another character in this adventure: the Inkling or Octoling pilot and mechanic of the team. In other words, you!
A New Take On A Beloved World
The Deep Cut members (and mechanic) naturally want to return home, but they end up constructing a floating home base while they wait. It becomes somewhat chaotic, evolving into a large hub that grows as you play. Before long, they discover treasure hidden on the surrounding islands. So, of course, that takes precedence over getting home!
They unearth an Exploration Bot equipped with a treasure radar and a handy drill. Then, they launch the mechanic and the Bot (piloted by one of the Deep Cut characters) to hunt for treasure, gather goodies and weapons, and defeat enemies known as Salmonids. Getting home? That can wait. There’s treasure to find!
At the event, I experienced the first few levels of the game, which introduce players to this new setting. The Splatoon-specific Nintendo Direct releasing today elaborates on gameplay details, but in summary, your goal for each level is to reach the treasure. How you achieve this varies based on the area and type of level, from straightforward “mine the crystals” levels to raids, challenges, boss monster arenas, and more.
During my hour of gameplay, I encountered numerous customization options for gameplay. Everything from your ink tank to gadgets attached to it and your weapon can be tailored to fit your playstyle. You can also select who pilots the Bot that accompanies you and provides backup, boosts for high jumps, and special attacks that vary based on who’s piloting.
As with any Splatoon game, ink plays a crucial role in gameplay. As you shoot or splash ink, it creates colorful puddles on the ground. Diving into these puddles allows you to move faster, regenerate health quicker, or refill your ink tank. It’s also useful for climbing steep surfaces and evading enemies. The act of diving in and out of ink splatters for movement is enjoyable and satisfying.
You can also explore levels for extras like poppable balloons, breakable boxes, and rings to run through. Certain areas require gliding over water—this is where I found myself repeatedly falling into the wet abyss, which ironically harms your Inkling or Octoling. To be fair to the game, this was likely user error: I kept instinctively switching to squid form to attempt a midair dash, which is not its intended function.
The game defaults to motion controls, which felt unnatural to me. Fortunately, changing this from the menu during gameplay is straightforward, so I wasn’t struggling throughout my preview.
Splatoon Raiders Oozes With Charm
The world of Splatoon Raiders is filled with personality and charm: The weapons are crafted from reclaimed materials ingeniously combined together, and there are various old human items integrated into the environment. You can customize your character with stylish outfits and hairstyles. Best of all, there are plenty of fishy puns!
The attention to detail is outstanding. While exploring around the base, I accidentally hit Big Man with my ink blaster. He looked startled for a moment before shaking it off. Delightful!
Splatoon Raiders is very beginner-friendly—both regarding gameplay and franchise knowledge. You’re not required to know anything about the lore and can dive straight into the adventure even if you’ve never played a Splatoon game before. At the same time, you can make it as involved or simple as you prefer: rush headlong into battles with speed-based tactics or focus on strategy and weak-point sniping.
Exploration and experimentation are encouraged throughout gameplay. Even if you fail a level, you retain everything you’ve collected (including EXP and items). Plus, all items are automatically picked up so you don’t miss any crucial materials or items. And when all else fails, you can adjust the difficulty level mid-play.
Diving Into The Deep End
In the latter half of my preview event experience, I explored more advanced strategies and equipment options. Instead of starting from scratch again, I was thrown into challenging scenarios with skill points available for spending and numerous weapons at my disposal.
I experimented with my loadout until I found what suited me best since every weapon type has its advantages and disadvantages. Certain level types challenge players to use preset weapons and gadgets in an almost puzzle-like manner. Trying one of these pushed me towards experimenting with tactical setups that I’d usually avoid.
I discovered that combining the Power Tank with a gadget that propels it forward created an unbeatable combination… until I failed during a raid. This prompted me to try different weapons until I found a bow that allows me to unleash five arrows at enemies or charge it for a powerful attack that also launches timed explosives—perfect! That raid didn’t stand a chance!
I finally got to experience multiplayer mode alongside others attending my preview session. Although designed primarily for solo play,<em>Splatoon Raiders</em> allows non-dungeon maps (challenge maps) to be played cooperatively with up to four friends either locally or online.
Together we had an enjoyable time blasting through levels as our combined firepower covered the ground in ink while shooting at Salmonids made movement in squid form even smoother. Enemies scale with additional players present ensuring challenges remain engaging enough for everyone involved. Three new amiibo figures based on Deep Cut characters will be available upon release unlocking exclusive customization options among other in-game benefits.
No matter if playing solo or with friends,Splatoon Raiders promises to be an exciting addition to the Splatoon universe—it’s accessible charmingly fun! Scheduled for release as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive on July 23rd 2026.
