Today's Splatoon Direct washed the ink off of Splatoon 3, the coming sequel that takes Octolings and Inklings to the Splatlands. Splatoon 3 will have tons of new features, new weapons, and new maps, and it'll also have a brand-new story mode to get new players familiar with their strange inky powers. It'll also be the "epic finale" to the saga that began way back on the Wii U.
Called "Return of the Mammalians," Splatoon 3's story will star a new Agent 3 as the newest recruit to the New Squidbeak Splatoon. The fight against the Octarian Army continues beneath Splatsville in a strange place called Alterna. Here, relics of the old world are twisted upon themselves, with floating artifacts of an ancient civilization proving that the Octolings and the Inklings weren't the only people to inhabit this planet. With the seas dried, the Octarians have adopted some bizarre mutations that add brown fur and purple eyes to their tentacled bodies.
As with previous Splatoons, Splatoon 3's story will be a sort of tutorial before the player tries any of the multiplayer game modes. You'll be taught how to move, how to shoot, what each weapons can do, and what your special abilities can accomplish, like the new Squid Surge or the Squid Roll.
Fans of the franchise will likely note a few familiar faces in Splatoon 3, including Callie, Marie, Craig Cuttlefish, and the Captain. What are they doing in Alterna, and what are these Octarians doing with fur? We'll find out when Splatoon 3 arrives on the Nintendo Switch September 9.
Of course, there's plenty more in Splatoon 3 than just an epic conclusion to the trilogy. Splatoon 3 brings 12 multiplayer stages, including three from Splatoon 1, four from Splatoon 2, and five all-new maps made just for Splatoon 3. Those include Hagglefish Market, a pier-based bazaar where denizens of Splatsville come to hock their wares or to take part in ink-based combat, or Mincemeat Metalwork, an abandoned cargo ship that now serves as ground zero for the turf war between Octolings and Inklings. There will even be massive "tricolor" Splatfests to take part in. And don't forget to check out the Splatoon 3 Invitational coming with PAX West on September 5.