This article is about the video game series. For the first game in the series, seeSplatoon (video game). For the manga based on the video game series, seeSplatoon (manga).
Splatoon[a] is athird-person shooter video game franchise created byHisashi Nogami and Shintaro Sato and developed, published and owned byNintendo. It is set in the far future on apost-apocalyptic Earth that has been repopulated with evolvedmarine life. The series centers around a pair ofhumanoid races that evolved fromcephalopods known as Inklings and Octolings—based onsquids andoctopuses respectively—which can morph between humanoid and cephalopodic forms at will. They frequently engage in "Turf War" battles with each other and use a variety of weapons that produce and shoot ink while in their humanoid forms or swim through and hide in solid surfaces covered in their own ink while in their cephalopodic forms.
The first game in the series,Splatoon, was released for theWii U on 28 May 2015. A sequel,Splatoon 2, was released for theNintendo Switch on 21 July 2017, followed by an expansion pack,Octo Expansion, on 13 June 2018. A third game,Splatoon 3, was released on 9 September 2022, followed by an expansion pack/DLC,Side Order, on 22 February 2024. Aspin-off game titledSplatoon Raiders was announced on 10 June 2025, as an exclusive for theNintendo Switch 2. The series has received positive reviews for its style, gameplay mechanics and soundtrack, with the first two games in the series having been nominated and awarded several year-end accolades from various gaming publications. The series has sold over 30 million copies.
Splatoon has spawned numerous collaborations with third-party companies and established its ownesports tournament circuit in 2018. It has spawned amanga series as well as holographic music concerts, primarily inJapan.
Aerial view of an ongoing Turf War match on the stage Mincemeat Metalworks, introduced inSplatoon 3. The usage of ink to both exert map control and facilitate movement across a battle arena is a key facet of theSplatoon series' multiplayer gameplay.[1]
TheSplatoon series consists ofthird-person shooters with a focus on competitive online multiplayer across several game modes.[2] Players select from a range of weapons resemblingwater guns, oversized painting equipment, and other objects that they use to spread their ink across the floors and walls of the gameplay area and to damage enemies.[3] During gameplay players control characters named Inklings and Octolings, both of which can freely alternate between a weapon-wielding humanoid "kid" form and a cepholopodic "swim" form[b] with the press of a button.[5] While in humanoid form they can use their weapons to spread ink across surfaces and damage enemy players. While in swim form, players can submerge and tread through their own team's ink. Additionally, players can only replenish their ammunition by standing or swimming in their respective ink color.[6] During matches, players can activate communication signals directed to their team. These signals consist of "This Way!" and "Booyah!"[7] Players can also instantaneously launch themselves towards a fellow teammate or their team's spawn region, an action known as "super jumping", by selecting the desired target through an in-match menu.[8]
In the firstSplatoon, players could pick a multitude of weapons belonging to one of six distinct weapon classes: Shooters, Chargers, Splat Rollers, Splatlings, Inkbrushes, Blasters, and Sloshers.[9][10][11] With the release ofSplatoon 2, the Dualie and Brella classes were added to the roster,[12] whileSplatoon 3 introduced the Stringer and Splatana classes, making for a total of eleven weapon types across the franchise.[13][14] Each base weapon is assigned a loadout of one "sub weapon" and one "special weapon". Sub weapons usually come in the form of defensive structures or offensive projectiles, and require a considerable amount of ink to dispense, while special weapons are powerful armaments that must be charged via a player's Special Gauge by inking the surrounding area.[15][16][17]
Players can equip numerous perks that passively aid their gameplay. These perks, known as abilities, can range from speeding up respawn time, reducing the amount of ink consumed by sub weapons, and upgrading the damage performed by special weapons. Abilities are attached to cosmetic gear items, which are separated into three categories: headgear, clothing, and shoes.[18] Each clothing item has one main ability slot and a maximum of three secondary subslots. The number of subslots available is dependent on the respective gear's "star power", which can increase at the end of a match in accordance with how manyexperience points were gained during the battle, at which point a random ability is assigned. However, the subslots can be re-rolled or entirely removed ("scrubbed") by trading in-game currency with specific vendors. If a given subslot is empty, players can manually apply an ability to them by speaking with said vendors and spending "ability chunks".[19][20][21][22]
"Turf War" is one of the main gameplay modes in theSplatoon franchise. Two teams of four players[c] on either side of a symmetrical map compete to spread their team's ink across as much of the floor space of the map as possible before the match ends after three minutes. While players are not awarded points for doing so, it is possible to kill enemy players, referred to as "splatting", to temporarily remove them from the game so that they cannot contest the spread of ink until they respawn.[1][23]
Another online offering present in all installments is "Ranked Battles",[d] available only to players level 10 and above.[25] These consist of alternative modes focusing on competitive, teamwork-oriented gameplay[26] that last five minutes plusovertime if specific conditions are met. Over the course of the series, four distinct Ranked modes have been introduced, those being Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz.[27] The accessibility of the modes at a given moment are dependent on rulesets that rotate at fixed intervals throughout the day. Ranked modes utilizeskill-based matchmaking; players are grouped together based on a shared letter-based "rank" that reflects their in-game aptitude level.[25]
Splat Zones plays similarly toking of the hill in that players must exert control over one or two designated regions, named "splat zones", for a set amount of time. This is achieved by spraying the zone with at least 70% of their team's ink color; if there are two zones in contention, both must be controlled simultaneously by the same team to deplete their timers. If a team steals control over the zone(s) from their opponent, said opposing team is imposed the penalty of an additional timer that itself must also be depleted.[24] Overtime is initiated when the losing team remains in command of the zone(s) when the overall five minutes elapses, and ends immediately after said team either surpasses the opposing side or loses control.[28]
Tower Control has players compete to stay atop of a moving structure, the "tower", which is by default positioned in the middle of the map. If the tower is currently being ridden by a team, it moves along a preset path that ultimately leads to a final goal located in the opposition's base. Starting withSplatoon 2, the tower must first clear numerous checkpoints dotted throughout the path before it can reach the goal.[29] If a team transports the tower to the goal before the five minutes elapses, a situation known as a "knockout", the match ends early and awards them bonus points; otherwise, whichever team pushed the tower the furthest is determined the victor.[30]
Rainmaker's objective is for teams to transport a large weapon, the titular "Rainmaker", to a pedestal on the opposing team's base; it plays similar tocapture the flag. The Rainmaker is normally situated in the middle of the map, where players must destroy its protective shield and have one teammate physically grab it. If a player is splatted whilst carrying the Rainmaker, the weapon and its shield reappears at the player's site of death, at which point it may be retrieved by either team. If the shield is destroyed but the Rainmaker is not grabbed in time, it disappears and spawns at its default location in the map's center.[25] Additionally, if the wielding player remains in possession of the Rainmaker for too long, the Rainmaker explodes, splatting said player and resetting to the center. Checkpoints were added to the mode inSplatoon 3.[31]
Clam Blitz is aninvasion game that has each team, both starting with 100 points, compete to collect golden clams scattered throughout the map with the objective of hurling them into spherical baskets, found in their opponent's base, to deduct their own points counter. If a player collects eight clams,[e] the Power Clam item, shaped identically to agridiron football, is generated, which needs to be thrown into the enemy's basket to puncture its protective barrier. In this state of vulnerability that lasts for a maximum of ten seconds, the attacking team must throw regular clams into the basket to prolong this window and deplete their points to zero, whereupon they win. If, by the end of the five minutes, neither team has scored, overtime is initiated for a maximum of three additional minutes. If after this period both teams still have yet to score, whichever team generated the most Power Clams throughout the course of the game is deemed the winner.[33]
"Splatfests" are limited-time, recurring events that also take place in-universe. During Splatfests, players are asked a question and pick a team based on the answer that they chose, with each team being backed by a particular in-gameidol character. InSplatoon andSplatoon 2, players are given two choices relating to a random theme. The themes are usually in the form of preferencequestionnaires (e.g. cats vs. dogs,[34] mayonnaise vs. ketchup),[35] but can also cover other topics, such as paradoxes (e.g.chicken or the egg).[36] InSplatoon 3, there are instead three sides to choose from (e.g. bread vs. rice vs. pasta).[37] Aside from the typical original questions, Splatfests may sometimes be part of a real-life corporate partnership (such as aTransformers-themed Splatfest withHasbro,[38] theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles andSpongeBob SquarePants-themed ones withNickelodeon,[39]McDonald's,[40]Sanrio,[41]Meiji,[42] andPocky)[43] or sponsorship with Nintendo's own properties (such asPokémon,[44]The Legend of Zelda,[45]Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,[46] andSuper Mario).[47] After picking a team, players compete in a series of Turf War matches and contribute their endgame points, accumulated in the form of the "clout" statistic, their respective side. Upon the Splatfest's conclusion, an overarching scoring system decides the winning team based on the overall clout of those who played across various categories.[48]
Due to the polarizing nature of the choices offered during Splatfests, the themes themselves tend to be the subject ofmedia attention. Professor Derek Foster noted in an article on the tendency of someSplatoon players to choose one team over another not in relation to the question being asked but rather based on which idol was backing said team. He commented that, at the time of writing in 2023, fans of idol character Frye ofDeep Cut had exhibited aggression towards those of her co-star Shiver online after the latter held a prolonged Splatfest winstreak inSplatoon 3, with some further accusing Nintendo of deliberate favoritism.[49] In the prelude to the "Spicy vs. Sweet vs. Sour" Splatfest, in which Team Sweet was supported by Frye, fans rallied support for her in acknowledgement of her past unluckiness;[50][51][52] her ultimate victory was met with warm reception among players.[53][54]
In most Splatfests, the outcome tends to only affect the player's level of in-game reward at the end of the event[55] and typically have no impact on the overall playability of the game. However, an exception is the "final Splatfest" of each game, which has traditionally marked the end of developer support.[56][57] It was insinuated that the outcome of the last Splatfest inSplatoon, "Callie vs. Marie", affected the story mode ofSplatoon 2, in which the losingprotagonistCallie became anantagonist.[58][59][60] This was later confirmed by a developer afterSplatoon 3's apocalyptic setting seemed to be based on the winner ofSplatoon 2's final Splatfest, "Chaos vs. Order", that being Team Chaos.[61][62] Nintendo's promotion ofSplatoon 3's "Grand Festival"—"Past vs. Present vs. Future"—in a similar fashion to previous games' final Splatfests gave way to fan speculation on whether its winner, Team Past, would influence a potential fourth mainline installment.[63][64]
A Splatfest-only variation of the traditional Turf War mode titled "Tricolor Turf War" was introduced inSplatoon 3. Available solely during thehalftime period of the aforementioned game's Splatfests,[65] Tricolor Turf War retains the prime objective of Turf War but instead features one team of four, named the "Defenders", who are directed to protect the rocket-like Ultra Signal in the middle of the map from two opposing teams of two, collectively known as the "Attackers". If a member of either Attacking team steals control of the Ultra Signal from the Defenders, a structure called the Sprinkler of Doom spawns on the respective Attacker's side of the map that continuously produces their colored ink for the remainder of the match.[66][67][68] If one of the two Attacking teams cover a majority of the map, the game awards a collective victory to them both.[69]
Upon its debut, players could only compete in Tricolor Turf War matches by queueing the regular Turf War mode and being selected for Tricolor at random. Additionally, whichever team had the most clout by halftime would always be designated the Defenders, while the other two sides were always the Attackers. These rules were altered in advance forSplatoon 3's "Spicy vs. Sweet vs. Sour" Splatfest, during which Tricolor Turf War became a separate offering available to all players during halftime, and any side could be selected for any role.[70][71]
Screenshot of an in-progress Salmon Run match inSplatoon 2, featuring the "Wave" and "Quota" indicators in the top left.
"Salmon Run" is a co-opplayer versus environment gamemode introduced inSplatoon 2.[72][73] Salmon Run tasks a team of four players with surviving hordes of hostilesalmon enemies, named Salmonids, while collecting Golden Eggs and depositing them to meet a designated quota.[74] Golden Eggs are obtained by splatting large Boss Salmonid enemies that periodically spawn.[29] Ordinarily, there are three waves whose Golden Egg quotas must be met to complete a match, known as a "shift". If a player is splatted by a Salmonid, their teammates can revive them.[75]
The incarnation of Salmon Run featured inSplatoon 3, titled "Salmon Run Next Wave",[76] introduces a new enemy class called King Salmonids, which appear solely during a rare fourth wave.[77] Two other additions exclusive toSplatoon 3 is are the "Big Run" and "Eggstra Work" events, both of which occur every few months. During Big Runs, players fight against Salmonids on altered versions of usual multiplayer stages, while Eggstra Work features a predetermined shift that ends after five waves.[78][79] Unlike inSplatoon 2, where Salmon Run could only be accessed at particular times of the day, Salmon Run Next Wave is always available to players.[80]
Each mainlineSplatoon installment features a dedicated story mode available only insingle-player. These campaigns borrow core gameplay elements from their parent titles, and generally have the player traverse a variety of3D platforming challenges and occasionalboss fights, with levels strewn about anoverworld.[81][82][83] Each campaign features hidden collectibles known as Sunken Scrolls, in-universe documents that provide narrative background on theSplatoon series' setting and characters. InSplatoon andSplatoon 2, they are found mostly in the levels themselves,[84][85] while inSplatoon 3 they are located solely in the overworld.[86] Additionally,Splatoon 2 and3 featuredownloadable content (DLC) expansion packs that are wholly single-player experiences, withSplatoon 3's expansionSide Order employingroguelike mechanics.[87]
Six Inklings (including one in swim form at bottom) and two Octolings (bottom left) wielding various types of in-game weapons, as seen in promotional artwork forSplatoon 3.
TheSplatoon games take place in an alternate, post-apocalypticEarth set approximately 12,000 years into the future following the eradication of thehuman race and nearly all othermammal life, suggested to be due to rampantclimate change.[88][89] Following thismass-extinction event, much of Earth's marine animals rapidly evolved to survive on land, becoming largely terrestrial creatures.[90] This includes the humanoid Inklings and Octolings, evolvedsquids andoctopuses respectively, which in the present day populate the regions of Inkadia and the Splatlands.[91]
Approximately one century before the events of the firstSplatoon, during the "Mollusc Era", a worldwide flooding event strikes civilization in Inkadia.[91] The dominant species of Inklings and Octarians, the overarching group of evolved octopuses of which Octolings are a part, become embroiled in a year-long conflict known as the "Great Turf War". Concluding with an overall Inkling victory, the Octarians are pushed into the underground domes once occupied by humans, while the Inklings reclaim the land on the surface, founding the city of Inkopolis. Meanwhile,DJ Octavio, commander of the Octarian forces since the Great Turf War, vows revenge against the Inkling race. He twice plots to steal Inkopolis' primary power source, the Great Zapfish; this plotline is the general focus of the first two games' single-player campaigns. While his attempts consistently fail, later entries see former Octoling soldiers assimilate into Inkling society.[92][93][94]
The Inklings employ a written and spokenfictional language made specially for the games. Several alphabets belonging to this language can be found scattered throughout several in-game locations and clothing.[95] While some textual elements resemble several real-world languages, the overall dialect itself is linguistically inconsistent, and its glyphs are treated more often asdiegetic design elements, unintended to be fully deciphered.[96] The Octolings also speak in a distinct language separate from the Inklings'.[97] Virtually all ofSplatoon's in-game vocal music is sung in this fictional language; according to series producerHisashi Nogami, this was done to increase the songs' worldwide appeal and to emphasize their rhythm and uniqueness.[96]
The music ofSplatoon is primarily composed byToru Minegishi, Shiho Fujii, and Ryo Nagamatsu.[f][99]Splatoon's songs are, like the Inkling language, largelydiegetic. The game's idol groups, theSquid Sisters,Off The Hook, andDeep Cut, are fictionalpopstars which create and perform some of the songs as heard within the games. Other music heard in the game's singleplayer and multiplayer modes and certain idle areas are composed by separate in-universe musicians. In an 'Ask the Developers' feature from Nintendo, series creatorHisashi Nogami, Minegishi, and graphic artist Seita Inoue explained the decision to establish the music ofSplatoon as being created by in-universe artists as a way to add to the depth of the game's world and depict the passage of time between each game. In the interview, Inoue described that "...the music can account for not only bands existing in this world, but also things like their history, the relationship between their members and how their approaches to life changed over time, it would add depth to the Inkling world."[100]
Splatoon is a 2015third-person shooter video game developed and released for theWii U.[101] The title was revealed at Nintendo'sE3 2014 digital presentation, with a playable demo available at the in-person showroom.[102] It introduces the Inklings and handful of weapon classes and gamemodes, including Turf War and Ranked Battles.Splatoon established the tradition of including asingle-player story campaign, in the first game titled "Octo Valley", that has players combat the Octarian forces and uncover the underlying narrative ofSplatoon's world.[103][104]
Octo Valley follows Agent 3, the newest member of the New Squidbeak Splatoon headed by Cap'n Cuttlefish, the now-elderly general of the Inkling military at the time of the Great Turf War. Upon learning of the surreptitious disappearance of Inkopolis' Great Zapfish, he deduces that the Octarians, more specifically his wartime arch-rival DJ Octavio, is behind the plot as revenge against the Inklings. He tasks Agent 3 with invading Octarian territory, aided occasionally by past recruits Agents 1 and 2, with the intent of reaching Octavio.
Splatoon 2 is a 2017 third-person shooter game developed for theNintendo Switch and released on 21 July.[105] It was formally unveiled in the reveal trailer for the Switch on 13 January 2017.[106] Adding new maps and weapons,Splatoon 2 includes a direct successor toSplatoon's single-player campaign, now referred to as "Octo Canyon".[107]
Octo Canyon opens with Marie of theSquid Sisters idol group informing the player that Cuttlefish, Agent 3, and the Great Zapfish have gone missing; she is particularly concerned about the contemporaneous disappearance of her cousin and co-star Callie. She presumes that Octavio is behind the Zapfish's and Callie's vanishing, as he has since escaped his imprisonment in a larger-than-lifesnow globe following his defeat inSplatoon. In lieu of Cuttlefish, Marie recruits the player as Agent 4 and once again has them intercept Octoling forces with the goal of finding Octavio, Callie, and the Zapfish.
Splatoon 3 is a 2022 third-person shooter video game released for the Nintendo Switch on 9 September. Its teaser trailer was unveiled at the end of aNintendo Direct presentation on 17 February 2021, featuring a new apocalyptic setting, weapons, and stages.[108][109]Splatoon 3 features an expanded single-player mode titled "Return of the Mammalians", which was first shown off in a dedicated trailer released in September of that year.[110]
Return of the Mammalians initially follows a now-retired Cuttlefish who recruits the player character as the new Agent 3, the latter of whom is accompanied by a miniature Salmonid named Smallfry. The party seeks to investigate the thrice stealing of the Great Zapfish, which Cuttlefish assumes Octavio is once again behind. They reach Octavio and defeat him; however, he denies responsibility for taking the Zapfish. The four are then pulled beneath the crater by a mass of Fuzzy Ooze.
Agent 3 and Smallfry awaken in a new area named Alterna, a massive domed settlement dating to the human era. There they meet Callie, Marie, and the original Agent 3, who has since been promoted to Captain of the New Squidbeak Splatoon. Heeding a distress call from Cuttlefish, the group explore Alterna with the goal of retrieving him. However, they are consistently intercepted byShiver, Frye, and Big Man,bandits-turned-idols of the Splatsville-based group Deep Cut.
Following anamnesiac Octoling given the moniker Agent 8,Octo Expansion has players complete a maximum of eighty testing trials scattered throughout a subterraneansubway station managed by a corporation named Kamabo Co. Agent 8's ultimate goal is to ascend to the surface by collecting four objects known as "thangs" at the direction of a talking telephone.
Splatoon 3: Side Order is a 2024 DLC single-player expansion toSplatoon 3, released as part of the paidSplatoon 3 Expansion Pass on 22 February.[112]Side Order utilizes aroguelike style designed to be replayable,[113] having players unlock gameplay-enhancing perks known as "color chips", attached to loadouts called "palettes", as they ascend a thirty-floor spire.[114]
Side Order follows several characters previously featured inOcto Expansion, including Pearl, Marina, and Agent 8, the lattermost of whom the player once again assumes control. It is set in the featureless "Memverse", avirtual reality concocted by Marina. Agent 8 is tasked with traveling up the thirty-floor tower to defeat Order, a rogueartificial intelligence who pulled numerous unwilling souls from the outside into the Memverse as part of its plot to instigate a sterile world of pure orderliness.
Splatoon Raiders was unveiled by Nintendo on 10 June 2025 as an exclusive for theNintendo Switch 2, with no set release date.[115] The firstspin-off game in the series,Raiders is set to followDeep Cut and an unnamed mechanic as they explore the new Spirhalite Islands region.[116]
Splatoon was developed for theWii U byNintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) with later assistance fromMonolith Soft, who would contribute to all future installments. Its earliest conceptual stage, formulated in 2013, originally consisted of a four-versus-four ink-based territory control game set in a featureless arena.[117] This version of the game was headed by Shintaro Sato andHisashi Nogami, both of whom previously worked on Nintendo'sAnimal Crossing series. The prototype was expanded to include map verticality and the mechanic of hiding in ink, but the team had difficulty trying to "filter it down" to being simple and fun, finding the experience unfocused. At this point,Shigeru Miyamoto felt the game lacked appeal.[118] The game's art director created preliminary concept sketches of various player characters, including "macho men", robots, andMario,[119] the latter of which was included at Miyamoto's suggestion.[120] Eventually, the team centered on anthropomorphicrabbits with the ability to burrow through virtually any solid surface so long as it was covered in ink. This was considered due to the game's area control-centric gameplay and the fact that rabbits are naturally territorial animals. While the team liked the idea, it was objected to by others around the company, who felt that there was a clash between the characters' appearances and the ink-based gameplay.[121][122] After internal creative struggle, the designers settled onsquid-like characters that could submerge in ink as a cephalopod,[123] but also utilize a humanoid form for the purpose of holding weaponry.[124] They were initially conceptualized as squid-human hybrids; this design was rejected out of worry such characters "wouldn't sell." They instead decided to have the squid characters, named Inklings, simply switch between a purely humanoid form and a purely cepholopodic form. This concept lended itself to more complex gameplay mechanics, such as the ability to swim through the player's own ink and sustain damage if treading through their opponent's, both of which Miyamoto approved of.[125] TheWii U GamePad was utilized as a means for players to see a real-time overhead view of the current battle to track their team's progress.[126]
In 2014,Splatoon was revealed during aNintendo Direct video presentation atE3 2014, and a playabledemo version featuring four-versus-four local Turf War matches was made available on the show floor. By this point, only 10% of the full game had been completed.[127] Subsequently, a time-limitedmultiplayer demo, the "Global Testfire", was made available for download from 8 to 9 May 2015.[128] The full game was released globally between 28 and 30 May 2015.
Work on a sequel, titledSplatoon 2, began around October 2015.[129] It was developed byNintendo Entertainment Planning & Development, following the 2015 merger of Nintendo EAD andNintendo Software Planning & Development (SPD).[130] It was announced for theNintendo Switch in January 2017.[131] Its formal unveiling came following its soft-reveal in numerous clips in the console's initial announcement trailer,[132][133] where it was promoted akin to anesport.[134][135] The full game was subsequently released on 21 July 2017.Splatoon 2 features a redesigned user interface due to the lack of the Wii U GamePad's touch screen, and includes new maps, weapons and abilities.[136]SplatNet 2, a service contained within theNintendo Switch Online mobile app was released which allows players to view their in-game statistics, earndigital wallpapers by completing challenges, and communicate with other players throughvoice chat.[137] TheOcto Expansion DLC was made available globally on 13 June 2018. On 22 April 2022,Octo Expansion was added as a benefit to members of the Switch Online Expansion Pass.[138]
Splatoon 3 was announced in a Nintendo Direct on 17 February 2021. It was released on 9 September 2022, being developed by Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development.[139] The game features an apocalyptic setting based on the winner ofSplatoon 2's "Chaos vs. Order" Splatfest; the developers had, in advance, planned for either outcome before the results were announced.[140][141] The sequel adds new maps, weapons, abilities, and movement options, along with a new mode based oncard games, known as "Tableturf Battle".[142] An early-access demo titled "Splatoon 3: Splatfest World Premiere" was held on 27 August 2022.[143] In addition, the Nintendo Switch Online app includesSplatNet 3, with in-game statistics, voice chat, and other features. In the 14 September 2023 Nintendo Direct, the paid DLCSplatoon 3: Side Order was announced, featuring a new single-player campaign, which was released on 22 February 2024.
An official soundtrack,Splatune, was released byEnterbrain in Japan on 21 October 2015.[144] The soundtrack to the sequel,Splatune 2, and another for the Octo Expansion,Octotune, released on 29 November 2017 and 18 July 2018 respectively.[145][146] The soundtrack for the third installment,Splatune 3, and another forSide Order,Ordertune, were released on 26 April 2023 and 11 December 2024 respectively.[147][148]
Games in theSplatoon series have been generally well-received, and its unique gameplay has been credited as a successful reinvention of thethird-person shooter genre.[g] Giovanni Colantonio ofDigital Trends lauded the signature Turf War mode as a "genius concept", with its simplicty allowing all players, regardless of skill level, to meaningfully contribute to victory.[162] The franchise's colorful presentation and cartoony characters, in contrast to contemporary shooters' focus on realistic graphics, were highly praised by reviewers.[90][163] However, Jordan Biordi ofCG Magazine critiqued the series' predetermined loadout system for weapons as restrictive for player freedom.[164] Additionally, a lack of built-in voice chat functionality, with later entries restricting said voice chat to theNintendo Switch Online mobile app, has been met with criticism.[165][166] The series' online matchmaking has seen a generally mixed reception. Brendan Graeber ofIGN praised later games'quality-of-life improvements such as the inclusion of a physical training room in the online lobby ofSplatoon 3, as opposed to earlier titles' static matchmaking screens.[1] However, other critics have lamented a prevalence of network disconnections and unbalanced skill pairings between teams during battles.[167][168]
The soundtrack ofSplatoon has been widely acclaimed by critics.[h] Ben Johnson ofPocket Tactics favorably compared the music ofSplatoon to that ofGorillaz,Daft Punk, andAphex Twin for its experimental nature, as well as to the soundtrack ofJet Set Radio, and praised the music as "genre fusion to the max, in the strangest way possible." Johnson further praised the series' incorporation of the soundtrack with the game as a whole, saying "The games are set in dense cities, with a hyper fixation on fashion and music... As the world itself is so focused on music, it can't be mere background noise."[99]
The aesthetic design of the Inklings has received a positive critical reception from multiple video game publications following the release of the firstSplatoon,[173][174] and have since become a popular subject forcosplay activities.[175] The integration of the Inklings' physiological characteristics into the gameplay mechanics of theSplatoon series have been praised, as it allowed players to explore a unique tactical concept.[176]Polygon staff in particular ranked two notable Inkling characters, the "Squid Sisters" idols Callie and Marie, among the 70 best video game characters of the 2010s decade, describing them as "pop sensations".[177] A seemingly-intentional decision to remove gendered language from player character customization inSplatoon 3's English localization was praised by Ana Diaz ofPolygon.[178]
Josh Broadwell ofNPR reported on howSplatoon differed from games like it in its genre and has created a more welcoming community than other shooters, due to the flexibility of its gameplay, Nintendo's approach to player communication, and the series' casual nature.[179] The more welcoming behavior ofSplatoon's playerbase, a sizeable portion of which consist ofLGBTQ+ people, was analyzed inXtra Magazine, where Jade King suggested the largequeer community ofSplatoon was largely a result of the series' emphasis on individuality, rebellion, self-expression and style, and the lack of gender-restricted styles and customization; the omission of built-in voice chat was noted as having created a more accepting environment.[180]
By September 2022, the firstSplatoon sold approximately 4.95 million copies,[181] while its sequel amassed around 13.60 million sales.[182]Splatoon 3 attracted media attention when it became the fastest-selling game of all-time in Japan from September to November 2022 when it was surpassed byPokémon Scarlet andViolet;[183]Splatoon 3 amassed 3.45 million copies three days after release.[184] By 2024, the title had sold 11.96 million copies,[154] making for an all-time series sales figure of about 30 million.
Due to the availability of competitive game modes inSplatoon, competitiveesports tournaments withsponsored prizing have been held as early as 2016 in Japan.[197]
With the release ofSplatoon 2, Nintendo established theSplatoon 2 World Championships and began hostingcompetitive tournaments in 2018.[198][199] Teams of four compete in a series of online qualifiers or live tournaments to earn invitations to play at the World Championships, which are played at theNintendo World Championships alongside other Nintendo games such asSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.[200] The event was typically held during Nintendo'sE3 events andlivestreamed.[201][202]
ASplatoon manga series illustrated by Sankichi Hinodeya began serialization inShogakukan'sCoroCoro Comic magazine in February 2016, following a one-shot published inCoroCoro in May 2015.[207][208] The licensing rights to publish the manga in North America was later acquired byViz Media in 2017.[209] In July 2017, amotion comic adaptation of the manga was announced and then released onCoroCoro's YouTube channel the following month.[210][211] As of February 2018, the manga has over 800,000 copies in print and the series is currently ongoing.[207]
In April 2017, a manga series illustrated byHideki Goto [ja] titledSplatoon: Squid Kids Comedy Show was published inBessatsu CoroCoro Comic.[212] It was also later acquired by Viz Media, who translated and published the series in North America.[213][214][215]
A series of real-lifevirtual concerts featuringholograms of the game's protagonists have been held at various locations, primarily in Japan.[216]
In 2016, aconcert tour known as "Squid Sisters Live" was held commemorating the sale of 1 million copies ofSplatoon.[217] The concerts have taken place at Niconico Tokaigi, Chokaigi and Niconico Cho Party in Japan, and theJapan Expo in Paris.[218][219][220] Similarly, concert tours featuringSplatoon 2's Off the Hook was held months after the game's release since 2018.[221][222][223] Recordings from the concerts have been made into albums.[224][225] Concerts ofSplatoon 3's Deep Cut have also been held.[226]
^Nonoka, Nishina (6 January 2023)."『スプラトゥーン3』第3回フェスが開催直前 トリカラマッチ仕様変更や新ブキ追加で環境が変わる？" [The third Splatoon 3 festival is about to begin. Will the environment change with changes to Tricolor match specifications and the addition of new weapons?].Real Sound (in Japanese).Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved2 January 2026.
^Sato, Kotaro (9 January 2023)."『スプラトゥーン3』最新フェス、上位者ブキ使用率は「シャープマーカー」1強に。変わりゆくトレンド" [In the latest Splatoon 3 fest, the Sharp Marker was the most used weapon by top players. Changing trends].Automaton Media (in Japanese).Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved2 January 2026.
^ab"「Splatoon(スプラトゥーン)」のイカしたデザインのひみつ(後編)" [The Secret Behind Splatoon's Cool Design (Part 2)].TechPlus (in Japanese). 6 August 2015.Archived from the original on 9 July 2025. Retrieved3 January 2026.
^"イイダのパートはイカと異なる言語、サーモンランはシャケを鼓舞する変拍子。『スプラトゥーン2』サウンドに迫る、サントラインタビュー" [Iida's part speaks a different language from the squid, and Salmon Run uses an odd time signature to inspire the salmon. A soundtrack interview delving into the sound of "Splatoon 2"].Famitsu (in Japanese). 6 August 2015.Archived from the original on 11 December 2025. Retrieved3 January 2026.
^"『スプラトゥーン3』のバンカラウォーカー＆サウンドトラックCD第二弾が発売決定。本日より予約開始。" [The second edition of the Splatoon 3 soundtrack CD, and the BancalaWalker book will be released; reservation begins today].Nintendo (in Japanese). 10 September 2024. Archived fromthe original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved26 December 2024.
^"Splatoonファンの作家が描く「プレイ漫画」と4コマ、コミッククリアで開始" ["Play manga" drawn by a Splatoon fan writer and 4 frames, start with comic clear].Comic Natalie (in Japanese). 12 January 2016.Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved15 March 2020.
^スプラトゥーンほのぼのイカ4コマ&プレイ漫画 (June 2017).スプラトゥーンほのぼのイカ4コマ&プレイ漫画 [Splatoon heartwarming squid 4-frame & play manga]. Kadokawa.ISBN978-4-04-734573-7.OCLC994636839.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
