In a pretty hefty Nintendo Direct (below), Nintendo has revealed a tonne of details about the upcoming Splatoon Raiders, the first single-player story-driven game in the franchise. In Splatoon Raiders, players step into the tentacles of a mechanic working with Deep Cut.

Deep Cut is a “trio of swashbuckling musicians named Shiver, Frye and Big Man”. Players will need to explore the mysterious Spirhalite Islands to hunt for treasure. Along the way, you’ll be able to customise your character, equip a range of weapons and gadgets and fight against armies of Salmonids.

Players won’t always be alone either, as a member of Deep Cut can come along for the ride in an Exploration Bot. The bot can help you find treasure and much more.

Splatoon Raiders

The Treasure Hunting in Splatoon Raiders is fraught with difficulty and danger. Players will face numerous enemies and challenges in their quest and will need to overcome them to be victorious. Nintendo has advised that “here are areas with Spirhalite crystals to mine, dens swarming with aggressive creatures called Salmonids, strange facilities where only certain equipment is allowed, and dungeons in which you’ll dig deeper underground.”

In Splatoon Raiders, the Salmonids will stand in your way and try to stop you from getting your hands on the treasure. There are multiple kinds of Salmonids including;

Lesser Salmonids: These enemies aren’t much of a threat on their own, but they attack in hordes that can overwhelm you if you’re not careful.

Boss Salmonids: These creatures present a beefier challenge, with their own strengths and weaknesses to uncover. Defeat Boss Salmonids, and they’ll drop a Mega Power Egg, a great energy source for the Bot.

Seasoned Salmonids:These tough foes are the peak of Salmonid evolution. They are like Boss Salmonids but they’re well-seasoned with salt, and it seems like the saltier the Salmonid, the tougher they are to overcome. Good thing you’ll have the mechanic’s tools of the trade at your disposal, including lots of weapons and gadgets to secure your treasures.

To deal with these enemies, players will need to use every weapon at their disposal. As this is Splatoon, weapons shoot ink from a refillable tank, and there are over 100 weapon variations on offer. New weapons and variations can be dropped by Salmonids when they die, and Nintendo promises that “you might even find some rare weapons with special powers, too”.

When choosing which weapon to use, players will also need to decide which Ink Tank suits them best. There are three to choose from: Speed, Power and Tactical. The Speed Tank allows you to move more quickly and evade attacks. The Power Tank is good for fighting swarms of enemies, while the Tactical Tank allows you to play strategically. Each tank can be fitted with two Gadgets (initially) to customise your play style and Gadgets include things like the Blast Boot, Dash Bomb, Splatchet, Shot Pot and Bombloons.

Gadgets can also be customised, with Nintendo explaining, “Collect gadget parts during island excursions and add them to available slots to upgrade your gadgets in several ways, like increased damage, fire rate, duration, or adding effects like ink explosions or knockback gas, and more. Plus, Shiver can help you craft new gadgets in the Gadget Workshop”.

As you play Splatoon Raiders, your character will level up and keep any weapons and items collected. You’ll get to keep hold of what you find even if you die during a raid. By using the items to upgrade your kit, your character’s attack and HP will improve, allowing you to fight more difficult enemies and encounters.

Splatoon Raiders is primarily a single-player experience, but Nintendo has confirmed you can play with up to three other players to tackle the game in co-op. While playing solo, players can request temporary help from other players online. “Once you’ve requested help and finished a raid, you’ll have to wait to use this feature again. You can also lend a helping tentacle to answer someone else’s request and receive rewards in turn.”

For more information and everything revealed about Splatoon Raiders, check out the Direct above. Splatoon Raiders will launch for Switch 2 on 23 July 2026.