Everything We Learned About Splatoon 3 From the Nintendo Direct [IGN]

To help you catch up on all the latest news from Splatsville, here’s a recap of all the biggest, freshest tidbits from the Splatoon 3 Direct:

Octolings are playable again

Though it seemed fairly obvious based on the footage we’ve seen so far, Nintendo confirmed that Octolings are indeed playable, and they appear to be available alongside Inklings from the start of the game. Both characters have all the same features and can wear the same fashions – from what we can tell, the main difference is purely a visual one in terms of their hairstyles and a few other small visual differences.

Many familiar NPCs return…

A lot of very familiar NPCs are making a comeback, including Turf War judges Judd and Li’L Judd as well as Ammo Knights proprietor Sheldon. We also got a glimpse of Cap’n Cuttlefish (who appears to once again beckon players toward the story mode), and Splatoon 1 hosts Callie and Marie. And it appears that once again, the elusive Mr. Grizz will be enlisting players to help with Salmon Run, while Murch will return to let you swap abilities on gear.

…alongside several new friends.

A ton of new NPCs were debuted today, too. Headgear is now sold by Gnarly Eddy at Naut Couture, and clothing can be bought from Jel La Fleur at Man o’Wardrobe. Shoes, meanwhile, come from the beefy Mr. Coco at Crush Station, and a number of new customization items are available through Harmony at Hotlantis.

Most notable, though, are the brand new Splatlands news hosts: Frye, Shiver, and Big Man the stingray. They’re taking the place of Callie and Marie/Pearl and Marina from the previous games, though we’re likely to see those duos crop up elsewhere in the game.

Turf War is still the main game mode, but it’s not the only one

As in past Splatoon games, Turf War is the main mode of play if you just want to jump into the lobby for a casual match. The rules of it remain the same as before: two teams of four try to ink the most turf before three minutes are up.

However, there are plenty more modes of play. Anarchy Battles are the new Ranked mode where players can compete for rankings in rotating match types, including returning Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz. It appears that in Splatoon 3, rankings may work a bit differently though, with text in Anarchy Battles indicating that players can “win five and triumph” or “lose three” to be out.

We’ll also see the return of Salmon Run with brand new boss salmonids Slammin Lid and Big Shot, alongside new King Salmonid Cohozuna. The Direct also teased a new mode called Big Run where salmonids invade the city of Splatsville – an event that apparently will occur once every few months.

And finally, there are two other modes that were teased for sometime after launch: League Battle, which returns from past Splatoon games, and a new mode called X Battle which is available only after obtaining a very high rank in Anarchy. More on those to come.

Play on new and returning stages…

We got brief glimpses of a lot of brand new stages joining the Splatoon 3 rotation, with names like Scorch Gorge, Eeltail Alley, Mincemeat Metalworks, Undertow Spillway, and Hagglefish Market.

And a number of stages return from prior games as well, including Museum D’Alfonsino, Hammerhead Bridge, Mahi Mahi Resort, Inkblot Art Academy, Sturgeon Shipyard, MakoMart, and Wahoo World. More stages are planned to be added later in free, post-launch updates.

…with new and returning weapons…

Just like the stages, weapons will see a mix of new and familiar types and styles. All basic weapons from previous Splatoon games will once again be available, alongside brand new weapons including the windshield wiper-like Splatanas and the bow and arrow-style Stringers.

We’ll also see brand new special weapons attached to regular weapons such as the Tacticooler (a fridge that can feed stat boosting beverages to an entire team) and the Wave Breaker (which sends out damaging waves that can be jumped over), and returning weapons including the Reefslider, the Tentamissiles, the Inkjet, the Ink Storm, the Ultra Stamp, and the Booyah Bomb.

Weapons can be purchased from Sheldon at Ammo Knights as in the past, but it looks like they’re now attached to a currency called Sheldon Licenses. One license gets you one weapon that you already have unlocked by being at the appropriate level to use it; or you can spend more licenses to unlock weapons before you’ve leveled up high enough.

…and brand new abilities.

Separate from weapons are two new movement abilities that haven’t existed in previous games. Squid Surge allows you to swim up a wall in a rapid burst, while Squid Roll lets you execute a quick turn around to move in the opposite direction while popping you into the air fro the ink. Squid Roll glows momentarily, during which time it slightly repels an opponent’s ink, adding an extra layer of movement strategy to Splatoon 3.

Meet me in the lobby

While previous Splatoons have included match lobbies that were no more than glorified waiting screens with minigames, Splatoon 3’s lobby is an entirely different beast. It’s an actual, physical space you can run around in and includes a test range for weapons where you can warm up while waiting for a match to fill up.

While Anarchy Open Battle and Private Battle modes offer different ways to play with your friends, the lobby will also display “ghost” versions of your friends who are online and in matches allowing you to see what they’re doing, all them to join you in battles, or hop into an existing match that they’re already in. You can also view replays of battles you’ve already finished with fast forward and skip options, view them from different player perspectives, or even upload those replays to share with others.

What’s more, there’s a wonderful new feature called the Locker Room where you can view your own locker, as well as the lockers of other players you’ve played with recently. Lockers are customizable spaces you can deck out with gear, stickers, and photos you take in the game’s photo mode, and then share with friends to show off your personal style.

The latest catalog

Lockers aren’t the only new option for customization. You can also now save gear combos as “fits” in-game, allowing you to quickly swap between builds without using amiibo like in previous games. And there are a number of other visible customization options, including a customizable emote for when you win a match, and “splashtags” that appear at the start of battle with banners, badges, and titles. All these can be obtained through gameplay, and new ones will surface every three months or so with the appearance of a new “catalog” in game.

Splatoon, the TCG

Ever think to yourself, ‘Hey, Splatoon should be a trading card game?’ Well, it is now. An in-game TCG called Tableturf Battle allows you to play in a competitive 1v1 card game spinoff of turf war. There are over 150 collectible cards, and you’ll get an in-game starter deck as part of regular play. It’s unclear if you’ll be able to play against friends or online yet or not, but we do know you’ll be able to play against NPCs.

The new story mode has a title

It’s called “Return of the Mammalians,” and it focuses on discovering the secrets of “The Fuzzy Ooze,” set within an area called Alterna. You’re recruited as Agent 3 to the New Squidbeak Splatoon, and battle the Octarian Army alongside a Smallfry friend. We don’t know much else as of yet, except that Cuttlefish, Callie, and Marie will all make appearances.

SplatNet returns

Yes, the trusty app from previous Splatoon games is also coming back. Available at launch, you’ll be able to access SplatNet 3 through the Nintendo Switch Online app to check battle records, order in-game gear not available outside of the app, and voice chat with your teammates in matches. There’s also a new feature called Crusty Sean’s Wander Crust where you help a character named Crusty Sean on their journey by inking more turf in battles to earn points.

Yes, illustrations are back

And vertical designs are supported now as well as horizontal, so you can cover the billboards around Splatsville with your artistic creations. Let the memes begin.

We’re getting new amiibo

Three, to be exact: Octoling Blue, Inkling Yellow, and Smallfry – your companion in story mode. The three new amiibo are slated for release this holiday, and in the meantime, all past Splatoon series amiiibo are scannable in-game to obtain special gear and to save fits to for quick swapping your loadout.

There are serious long-term content plans

Not only are we expecting free post-launch updates to the catalog, more weapons and stages, and game modes coming down the line, Nintendo has also teased “large-scale paid DLC” for Splatoon 3, with more details coming at a later time.

We also got a ton of new details around the return of Splatfests, which now include three teams to choose from instead of the traditional two. The first of these Splatfests is coming on August 27 as a pre-release event, and the theme is Rock, Paper, Scissors. More details can be found here.

Phew. That was a lot of Splatoon 3! Keep your eyes here on IGN for all the latest updates surrounding the game as it nears its September 9 launch.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.