Splatoon 3 Launches September 9, Which Is Technically Still Summer

Splatoon 3 is indeed going to release this summer (in North America), at least if you're going by the very technical definition of the season. Nintendo announced Splatoon 3 launches September 9, once again including competitive multiplayer alongside a campaign mode and cooperative Salmon Run.

The post-apocalyptic weirdness Splatoon is known for continues in the latest campaign, once again seeing the Inklings facing off against the Octarians.

"In the single-player mode, you'll join Agent 3 in a fight against the unruly Octarians and discover the secrets of a mysterious place called Alterna and the Fuzzy Ooze," Nintendo said in a press release. Sounds normal.

As previously announced, Splatoon 2 features the sequel to Salmon Run, with players working together to defeat waves of increasingly challenging enemies. Of course, the game series is best known for its Turf War multiplayer matches, which are back in Splatoon 3 and feature a mix of returning maps and all-new ones. You'll be able to use a new bow weapon called the "stringer" for strategic ink placement, as well.

Splatoon 3 is available to preorder now. Anyone who purchased a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership can also play the Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion DLC right now.