Introduction
Splatoon Raiders arrives as Nintendo’s first standalone single-player-focused entry in the Splatoon franchise, expanding a series that began as a new IP on the Wii U and later solidified on Nintendo Switch with Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3.
Developed and published by Nintendo, the title shifts emphasis away from the series’ signature online multiplayer to deliver a primarily solo experience on the Switch 2.
The game is scheduled to launch July 23 and was played using a review copy provided by Nintendo UK.
Setting and Story
The game opens on the Spirhalite Islands, where idol trio Deep Cut members Shiver, Frye and Big Man join the player-character for a treasure-seeking expedition.
After a storm and a crash, players assume the role of a customizable mechanic — an Inkling or Octoling pilot — who must upgrade a mobile Hideout Ship and raid islands to collect Spirhalite Shards and other materials.
The narrative is delivered through concise dialogue, animated cutscenes, and collectible Briny Scrolls that expand franchise lore for established fans.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Splatoon Raiders retools familiar Splatoon systems while introducing new mechanics for single-player raids.
Core movement and shooting mirror Splatoon 3: ink-based traversal, motion-aiming options and returning weapon archetypes such as Dualies.
New systems include:
- Exploration bot and Bot Buddy ultimates: an AI bot accompanies raids, locates crystals and enables a bot hop for vertical movement.
Filling a Showstopper Gauge with Power Eggs allows unique ultimate attacks tied to the chosen Bot Buddy (Shiver, Frye or Big Man).
- Ink tanks and Gadgets: players select one of three ink tanks (speed, power, tactics) before raids; each tank provides reusable Gadgets that replace the series’ traditional Sub Weapons.
- Customization and progression: Skill Points earned through experience upgrade health, weapon and gadget stats.
Gadgets accept parts that alter performance; parts are crafted from Spirhalite Shards and Salmonid Drops.
Stage Structure and Difficulty
Contrary to early impressions, Raiders is level-based rather than open-world.
Island areas are split into stages accessed from the Hideout Ship.
Stage types include linear raids focused on crystal mining and relic retrieval, larger open-area crystal raids, timed Den challenges focused on Power Egg collection, Buried Ruins that chain multiple sublevels, and Sampler Dungeons that restrict gear for targeted challenges.
Three difficulty presets — Tourist, Raider and Survivalist — scale enemy strength, and later "Spicy" variants raise the stakes further.
The game preserves materials and progression between runs, reflecting a rougelite-leaning loop.
Multiplayer, Amiibo and Performance
While single-player is the focus, Raiders supports online and local co-op for raids; online play requires an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
Co-op completion grants bonus materials.
Amiibo support unlocks additional outfits, and outfits are delivered as one-piece cosmetics with 32 base options plus four amiibo-linked bonus outfits.
Visually, Raiders targets smooth performance on Switch 2 with a dynamic resolution aimed at 60 FPS, maintaining clarity even with dozens of enemies and ink on-screen.
Verdict
Splatoon Raiders repurposes franchise staples into a single-player raid structure that emphasizes upgrades, gadget tuning and combat flow.
For players invested in Splatoon’s world and for those seeking a polished solo experience on Switch 2, Raiders represents a notable extension of the brand’s design language and progression systems.
Splatoon Raiders arrives as Nintendo’s first standalone single-player-focused entry in the Splatoon franchise, expanding a series that began as a new IP on the Wii U and later solidified on Nintendo Switch with Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3.
Developed and published by Nintendo, the title shifts emphasis away from the series’ signature online multiplayer to deliver a primarily solo experience on the Switch 2.
The game is scheduled to launch July 23 and was played using a review copy provided by Nintendo UK.
Setting and Story
The game opens on the Spirhalite Islands, where idol trio Deep Cut members Shiver, Frye and Big Man join the player-character for a treasure-seeking expedition.
After a storm and a crash, players assume the role of a customizable mechanic — an Inkling or Octoling pilot — who must upgrade a mobile Hideout Ship and raid islands to collect Spirhalite Shards and other materials.
The narrative is delivered through concise dialogue, animated cutscenes, and collectible Briny Scrolls that expand franchise lore for established fans.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Splatoon Raiders retools familiar Splatoon systems while introducing new mechanics for single-player raids.
Core movement and shooting mirror Splatoon 3: ink-based traversal, motion-aiming options and returning weapon archetypes such as Dualies.
New systems include:
- Exploration bot and Bot Buddy ultimates: an AI bot accompanies raids, locates crystals and enables a bot hop for vertical movement.
Filling a Showstopper Gauge with Power Eggs allows unique ultimate attacks tied to the chosen Bot Buddy (Shiver, Frye or Big Man).
- Ink tanks and Gadgets: players select one of three ink tanks (speed, power, tactics) before raids; each tank provides reusable Gadgets that replace the series’ traditional Sub Weapons.
- Customization and progression: Skill Points earned through experience upgrade health, weapon and gadget stats.
Gadgets accept parts that alter performance; parts are crafted from Spirhalite Shards and Salmonid Drops.
Stage Structure and Difficulty
Contrary to early impressions, Raiders is level-based rather than open-world.
Island areas are split into stages accessed from the Hideout Ship.
Stage types include linear raids focused on crystal mining and relic retrieval, larger open-area crystal raids, timed Den challenges focused on Power Egg collection, Buried Ruins that chain multiple sublevels, and Sampler Dungeons that restrict gear for targeted challenges.
Three difficulty presets — Tourist, Raider and Survivalist — scale enemy strength, and later "Spicy" variants raise the stakes further.
The game preserves materials and progression between runs, reflecting a rougelite-leaning loop.
Multiplayer, Amiibo and Performance
While single-player is the focus, Raiders supports online and local co-op for raids; online play requires an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
Co-op completion grants bonus materials.
Amiibo support unlocks additional outfits, and outfits are delivered as one-piece cosmetics with 32 base options plus four amiibo-linked bonus outfits.
Visually, Raiders targets smooth performance on Switch 2 with a dynamic resolution aimed at 60 FPS, maintaining clarity even with dozens of enemies and ink on-screen.
Verdict
Splatoon Raiders repurposes franchise staples into a single-player raid structure that emphasizes upgrades, gadget tuning and combat flow.
For players invested in Splatoon’s world and for those seeking a polished solo experience on Switch 2, Raiders represents a notable extension of the brand’s design language and progression systems.
