Splatoon 3 Reveals Release Window and New Co-op Mode Trailer

During today's Nintendo Direct presentation, the company put a big focus on Splatoon 3, the latest iteration in its paint-focused online shooter. As we've seen with the previous two Splatoon games, this one is set to launch in the summer months, though no specific date was announced. In addition to that release window, Nintendo debuted a lengthy new trailer focused on Salmon Run: Next Wave, a co-op experience building off the previous Salmon Run mode that debuted in Splatoon 2.

The new trailer can be found embedded below. 

Salmon Run: Next Wave should be a welcome sight for fans of the mode in Splatoon 2! Things look significantly improved from the previous game, and it's clear that Nintendo is pushing the series in a bold new direction, while keeping things faithful to the elements that fans already love.

The original Splatoon debuted on Nintendo's Wii U console. While the system represented one of Nintendo's biggest failures, Splatoon found a passionate following, selling nearly 5 million copies. Part of the game's success came from its regular Splatfest competitions, where players pick a team by choosing between options like ketchup vs. mayo, or dogs vs. cats. The final Splatfest in the original Splatoon pit fan-favorite characters Callie and Marie against one another. When Splatoon 2 released on Nintendo Switch in 2017, the results of that competition had a major impact on the game's narrative. Similarly, the final Splatfest for Splatoon 2 was chaos vs. order, and the win by Team Chaos seems to have had catastrophic results in Splatoon 3.

From what Nintendo has shown so far, Splatoon 3 looks like it will make a number of changes from the previous two games! Notably, fans can expect to see new locations, and new weapons, such as the Killer Wail 5.1 and the Big Bubbler. Unlike the first two games, players will also have the opportunity to choose their starting point at the start of each match.

Are you looking forward to Splatoon 3? What did you think of the first two games in the series? Let us know in the comments or share directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!