Splatoon Raiders hits Switch 2 on July 23

Splatoon is back, and this time it is going solo. Nintendo locked in a release date for Splatoon Raiders, and it is closer than you might think. The Switch 2 exclusive lands on July 23, and after that June 30 Direct plus the Treehouse deep dive, we finally know what this weird little spin-off actually is.

Short version? It is not Splatoon 4. Raiders is a single-player-focused adventure, a big swerve from the turf-war multiplayer the series built its name on. You play as a mechanic (Inkling or Octoling, your call) and you tag along with Deep Cut, the Shiver, Frye and Big Man trio from Splatoon 3. The gang sails out to the Spirhalite Islands hunting treasure, and the treasure is guarded by Salmonids. Of course it is.

So is it actually solo?

Mostly, yeah, but not strictly. You can bring friends. Up to four players can raid the islands together, online or over local wireless, and the difficulty scales with how many of you pile in. So it is single-player at heart with a co-op option bolted on, rather than the other way around. The Treehouse stream showed off a weapon upgrade system, a home base you build up, character customization, and a whole lot of Salmonid-splatting across the islands.

The Splatoon world is a good time even when Nintendo goes off-format, and honestly a story-driven Splatoon is something fans have wanted for ages. If you have been meaning to jump in, the mainline entry is still worth your time while you wait.

Price, amiibo and the extras

Word is Raiders will run $50 digitally and $60 for a physical copy, which is a touch cheaper than a full Switch 2 blockbuster. Three new Deep Cut amiibo (Shiver, Frye and Big Man in their Raiders looks) drop the same day and unlock matching outfits in-game. There are Deep Cut Joy-Con 2 controllers too, if you want to go full fan mode. And Splatoon 3 players get a tie-in Splatfest running July 10 to 12, so the hype train is already rolling before launch.

Are you sold on a single-player Splatoon, or does turf war forever have your heart? Drop it in the comments.