Nintendo dropped a bomb out of nowhere. Splatoon Raiders just got a brand-new trailer. And a release date. And a price. All through the Nintendo Today app. No warning. No build-up. Just suddenly, boom. Splatoon Raiders is real. It’s coming. It’s happening. The game that has been silent for almost a year just came roaring back.
Splatoon Raiders is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on July 23, 2026. That’s three months away. The digital version costs $49.99. The physical version costs $59.99. That price point matters. It signals this is a meaty experience. Not a quick cash grab. Not a minimal spin-off. Splatoon Raiders is something substantial.
What Is Splatoon Raiders: A Single-Player Adventure
Splatoon has been multiplayer forever. Competitive. PvP focused. Three games on Wii U and Switch. Millions of players battling online. But Splatoon Raiders changes the formula. It’s single-player focused. This matters for players who don’t care about competitive multiplayer. Players who want story. Exploration. Adventure. Splatoon Raiders delivers that.
You play as a mechanic. Not an elite soldier. Not a super agent. A mechanic. You venture to the mysterious Spirhalite Islands. That’s your setting. That’s where Splatoon Raiders unfolds. Your job is simple: hunt treasure. Splat enemies. Customize your loadout. Explore the islands. That’s the core loop. But beneath that sits something deeper. Splatoon Raiders has exploration. Base building. Permanent upgrades. Map discovery. This isn’t just Salmon Run reskinned. This is Splatoon Raiders as a full adventure.
The Squad: Deep Cut Is Your Team
You don’t adventure alone. Deep Cut joins you. They’re described as swashbuckling musicians. Three characters. One of them is Big Man in a mech suit. Yes. A mech suit. That detail matters because it shows Splatoon Raiders isn’t taking itself seriously. It’s fun. It’s absurd. It’s Splatoon.
Deep Cut consists of three iconic Splatoon characters. They help you navigate the islands. They fight alongside you. They have chemistry. Splatoon Raiders makes these characters feel alive. Not just NPCs you see once. Actual teammates. Actual relationships. That squad dynamic is crucial for a single-player game. You need people to care about. Deep Cut gives you that.
The Gameplay: Ink, Weapons, and Gear
Splatoon Raiders shows off wild mechanics in the new trailer. Players see an ink axe. A sniper turret. An actual shark being used as a weapon. Ink disc shields that spin around you. These aren’t your standard Splatoon weapons. Splatoon Raiders is creative with its arsenal. Each weapon has attachments. You can customize your ink tank with multiple mechanical gadgets. Three or four unique attachments per tank. That’s customization. That’s variety.
The gameplay footage shows Inklings splatting Salmonids. Some are familiar. Some are brand new. Splatoon Raiders isn’t just recycling old enemies. It’s expanding the universe. The Spirhalite Islands are teeming with threats. Aggressive sea creatures everywhere. Your job is to defeat them. Collect loot. Splat your way to treasure.
One reviewer noted Splatoon Raiders features extensive Salmon Run gameplay but with permanent upgrades, map exploration, and base building elements. This isn’t just killing waves of enemies. There’s progression. There’s strategy. There’s purpose beyond just the moment-to-moment combat. Splatoon Raiders gives single-player gamers what they want: depth without multiplayer pressure.
Fashion and Customization in Splatoon Raiders + The Islands and Exploration
Inklings are fashion icons. In previous Splatoon games, you could dress them up in wild outfits. High fashion. Cool gear. Splatoon Raiders shows Inklings wearing different clothes throughout the adventure. The trailer shows outfit changes.
The Spirhalite Islands are the setting. Splatoon Raiders shows expansive maps. Multiple areas to explore. Treasure to find. Loot to salvage. This isn’t a linear corridor shooter. Splatoon Raiders is designed for exploration. You discover areas. You find secrets. You unlock new paths.
Permanent upgrades tie into exploration. You find things. You upgrade your character. Those upgrades stay with you. Your mechanic evolves. Your arsenal expands. Your capabilities increase. That progression is satisfying.
The Bottom Line
Splatoon Raiders makes a splash with its new treasure-hunting trailer. Three months until launch. Single-player focused. Island adventure. Deep Cut as your squad. Ink weapons and gadgets. Permanent upgrades and exploration. That’s the pitch. That’s why players should care.
Splatoon Raiders is bringing the franchise to a new audience — the multiplayer-averse audience, the story-focused audience, and the exploration-loving audience. Nintendo is playing smart. Splatoon Raiders exists for everyone who thought they’d never get a Splatoon game. Now they can.
