Splatoon Raiders releases on July 23, 2026, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. It is a single-player spin-off featuring a new mechanic protagonist, exploration-based gameplay, and Salmonid enemies.
Nintendo just ended nearly a year of radio silence on one of its most talked-about Switch 2 titles.
Splatoon Raiders, the first spin-off in the Splatoon series, is launching on July 23, 2026, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. The news came through the Nintendo Today app today, alongside a brand new trailer and a confirmed price tag.
A Long Wait Finally Pays Off
Nintendo first showed Splatoon Raiders in June 2025. There was a trailer, a wave of excitement, and then nothing. No updates, no previews, not even a teaser for months on end.
Today, that changed.
The release date dropped alongside fresh details about what the game actually looks like, and it is a bigger departure from the main series than most people probably expected.
So What is Splatoon Raiders?
The core Splatoon games live and breathe on competitive multiplayer. Raiders is doing something different. Nintendo describes it as a single-player-focused action shooter, an obvious push to pull in players who never clicked with the online turf wars the series built its name on.
You play as the Mechanic. Not a random Inkling or Octoling soldier. A mechanic with gadgets, tools, and a reason to be on the island.
Your job is to raid the Spirhalite Islands, a location that has never appeared in any Splatoon game before. You explore, fight enemies, and collect loot while piecing together whatever is going wrong out there.
The main enemies are Salmonids, the fish-like creatures longtime fans will know from Salmon Run in Splatoon 3. This time, they are not a wave defense minigame. They are the main threat standing between you and the treasure you are after.
The Story Kicks Off With a Bang
Deep Cut, the idol trio from Splatoon 3, are on a helicopter heading to the Spirhalite Islands when a beam of light explodes out of a vortex above the archipelago. A cyclone forms almost instantly and takes the helicopter down.
That is the opening scene.
What follows is your Mechanic character trying to survive and figure out what is actually happening on these islands. Frye, Shiver, and Big Man are not just along for the ride either. Nintendo has confirmed all three Deep Cut members will be playable in combat, which is a nice bonus for fans of the trio.
Build Your Own Weapons
One of the more interesting wrinkles in Raiders is that your Mechanic can actually craft weapons and tools from scratch. It fits the character concept well and adds a layer to combat beyond just picking a loadout from a menu.
The weapon pool still includes the ink-splattering guns and rollers the series is known for, but the crafting system looks like it gives you more control over what you bring into a fight.
You Can Play With Friends Too
If solo play is not your thing, Raiders has you covered. The game supports co-op for up to four players, both online and locally. Nintendo calling it “single-player focused” does not mean multiplayer was an afterthought. It sounds like a full experience either way.
Three New Amiibo Are Coming
Nintendo confirmed that three new amiibo will launch on the same day as the game, one for each member of Deep Cut. Frye, Shiver, and Big Man are all getting figures, which will make a lot of collectors very happy.
Pre-orders for both the game and the amiibo are going live later today.
Price and What It Will Cost You
The digital version of Splatoon Raiders is priced at £41.99 in the UK. US and other regional pricing has not been officially confirmed yet, but an announcement is expected soon given pre-orders are opening today.
This is a Real Reason to Buy a Switch 2
Splatoon Raiders is a Switch 2 exclusive. No Switch 1 version, no cross-gen compromise. If you want to play it, you need the new hardware.
That matters because Nintendo has been building out the Switch 2 library since the console launched earlier this year, and a fully original Splatoon title carries more weight than another port or remaster. For anyone still deciding whether the Switch 2 is worth it, this is the kind of game that tips the scales.
For fans who already own the console, July 23 is now the date.
What Comes Next
With pre-orders going live today and the game three months out, expect Nintendo to keep the updates coming. The Nintendo Today app is where this announcement broke first, so that is worth keeping on your radar.
Are you pre-ordering Splatoon Raiders today? Let us know in the comments, and pass this along to a Splatoon fan who might have missed the news.
