Nintendo has no immediate plans for Splatoon 4. Instead, the company is rolling out Splatoon Raiders, a single-player action RPG exclusive to Switch 2 that marks a deliberate shift away from the franchise's signature competitive multiplayer formula.
The decision reflects a strategy to expand the series' appeal beyond its core audience of ink-slinging battlers. Seita Inoue, the game's producer, explained the reasoning in a behind-the-scenes Nintendo interview. After more than 11 years of continuous development and updates across three mainline titles, the team wanted to explore gameplay possibilities beyond competitive arenas.
Raiders strips away the frantic team-based combat that defines Splatoon and replaces it with boss battles, story missions, and deeper exploration of the shooter mechanics. The game unfolds across the Spirhalite Islands and centers on the Deep Cut gang as they confront the Salmonids once again.
Inoue framed the spinoff as an intentional entry point for newcomers. "Splatoon isn't just about competitive play," he said. "It also includes cooperative modes like Salmon Run and a single-player Story Mode." Rather than relegating these elements to bonus features, Nintendo elevated them into a standalone product.
The move signals that competitive Splatoon will continue. Inoue confirmed the team remains committed to developing "competitive gameplay going forward," suggesting that when Splatoon 4 eventually arrives, it will build on the core formula fans know. For now, that mainline sequel remains unannounced.
Early reception for Raiders has been positive. The game earned a 9 out of 10 from IGN, which praised its "deep customization, challenging battles, and sheer variety," calling it "the best Splatoon campaign yet and one of the top games on Switch 2."
Author Emily Chen: "Nintendo's willingness to experiment with Splatoon shows confidence in the franchise, but fans hungry for the next competitive chapter will have to wait."
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