Nintendojustannouncedthat on August 03, 2025, they’ll be hosting aSplatoon 3Direct live stream which will feature “roughly 30 minutes of updates.” The direct will take place at 6AM PT/9AM ET on Nintendo’s officialYouTube channel.
Splatoon first launched on the Nintendo Wii U back in 2015, and despite the console’s generally poor reception, the title was a success; the original instalment of a series that would go on to become a flagship for Nintendo. 2017’s Splatoon 2 on theNintendo Switchproved an even bigger success, so it’s no surprise the game’s third iteration has garnered so much attention. Nintendo itself has given Splatoon 3 a lot of prestige, announcing a uniqueSplatoon-3-themed Switch OLED modelset to release on August 26.
Nintendo has already released a decent amount of footage for Splatoon 3, including three minutes of uninterrupted in-game footage in their most recent release date trailer, as seen above. A reasonable prediction would be more footage of what appears to be the game’s single-player mode called “Return of the Mammalians”. Anolder trailerhad a montage of short clips from it, but not much is known about this mode.
It featured quick shots of what looked to be large explorable areas, with your main character moving about them. Many are curious whether this mode will expand upon the series' prior single-player content, both in terms of length and gameplay variety. This could drive the more uninterested Switch owners to give the title a shot.
This announcement also creates curiosity regarding Nintendo’s future showcase plans. Though mainline Nintendo Directs previously had a fairly set schedule, this all changed in 2020, with them now occuring in a sporadic unpredictable manner. Nintendo recently unexpectedly sat out the Summer Game Festival announcement-heavy period.
Fans are wondering if there will be another mainline Direct this year. This announcement spawns some doubt, as the Splatoon 3 Direct will reveal information that could have been included in a mainline Direct. However, given this presentation’s stated length, it’s likely something that wouldn’t have fit well as part of a larger show. Furthermore, given Splatoon 3’s imminent release date, Nintendo may prefer to have people’s undivided attention on that.
Splatoon 3 releases on June 06, 2025, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
