Nintendo has explained why it chose to develop Splatoon Raiders as a spin-off rather than moving directly to Splatoon 4, with producer Inoue discussing the decision in a new “Ask the Developer” interview.
According to Inoue, the development team wanted to explore a different style of gameplay after spending more than a decade building and supporting the main series.
“We’ve been going full speed ahead for over 11 years since the series’launch, developing and updating three titles along the way. We thought it might be interesting to create something with a slightly different approach to gameplay, where you can really savor the action on your own. Splatoon isn’t just about competitive play; it also includes cooperative modes like Salmon Run and a single-player Story Mode.”
Inoue said those non-competitive elements provided the foundation for the new project.
“So, one of our motivations for developing this game was our desire to create a new entry point into the series by releasing these non-competitive elements not just as a secondary feature, but as a standalone spin-off. That said, we will continue to develop competitive gameplay going forward. That’s why we developed this game as a spin-off and not as ‘Splatoon 4.'”
Developed by Nintendo EPD and published by Nintendo, Splatoon Raiders is the first major spin-off in the Splatoon franchise. Launching exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 on July 23, 2026, the third-person action shooter follows a player-created mechanic who crash-lands on the Spirhalite Islands alongside Deep Cut. Players can tackle the adventure alone or with up to three other players as they explore the islands, recover relics, upgrade equipment and battle hostile Salmonid creatures.
