Nintendo has published the latest installment of its Ask The Developer series, this time spotlighting Splatoon Raiders, the franchise’s first official spin-off.
The feature explains why the development team opted for a spin-off instead of naming the project Splatoon 4, and how familiar mechanics like Salmon Run influenced the game's design.
Background and franchise context
Splatoon debuted in 2015 on Wii U and has since grown into a multi-title franchise with Splatoon 2 (2017) and Splatoon 3 (2022) on Nintendo Switch.
Over the past 11 years the series has focused largely on competitive multiplayer, while also offering cooperative and single-player modes such as Salmon Run and Story Mode.
Splatoon Raiders represents the first time Nintendo has released a title pitched primarily as a non-competitive spin-off.
Why a spin-off, not Splatoon 4
Nintendo producer Seita Inoue told readers the team wanted to take a different approach after more than a decade working on the same core concept.
Inoue explained that the studio aimed to create an experience where players could savor the action solo, elevating cooperative and single-player elements from secondary features to the centerpiece of a standalone game.
He emphasized the studio’s continued commitment to competitive play even as they diversify the series with spin-offs.
Design roots in Salmon Run
Director Yoshihiko Ito described how Salmon Run, the series’ cooperative wave-based mode in which teams of up to four players fight Salmonids to collect Golden Eggs, served as a design springboard.
Ito said the team explored adapting Salmon Run into a single-player format that would feel hectic and exhilarating, and that some early experiments included increasing enemy numbers to create an “ultimate multitasker” experience.
He also noted internal discussions about next-generation hardware—specifically whether a future Nintendo Switch model could enable expanded performance—shaped certain design experiments, though the feature frames those as exploratory considerations during development.
The Ask The Developer article also covers environmental and character design choices for the deserted islands setting and offers a deeper look at the team's development process.
Nintendo published the full piece on its official site as part of the Ask The Developer series, providing direct commentary from the creators behind Splatoon Raiders.
The feature explains why the development team opted for a spin-off instead of naming the project Splatoon 4, and how familiar mechanics like Salmon Run influenced the game's design.
Background and franchise context
Splatoon debuted in 2015 on Wii U and has since grown into a multi-title franchise with Splatoon 2 (2017) and Splatoon 3 (2022) on Nintendo Switch.
Over the past 11 years the series has focused largely on competitive multiplayer, while also offering cooperative and single-player modes such as Salmon Run and Story Mode.
Splatoon Raiders represents the first time Nintendo has released a title pitched primarily as a non-competitive spin-off.
Why a spin-off, not Splatoon 4
Nintendo producer Seita Inoue told readers the team wanted to take a different approach after more than a decade working on the same core concept.
Inoue explained that the studio aimed to create an experience where players could savor the action solo, elevating cooperative and single-player elements from secondary features to the centerpiece of a standalone game.
He emphasized the studio’s continued commitment to competitive play even as they diversify the series with spin-offs.
Design roots in Salmon Run
Director Yoshihiko Ito described how Salmon Run, the series’ cooperative wave-based mode in which teams of up to four players fight Salmonids to collect Golden Eggs, served as a design springboard.
Ito said the team explored adapting Salmon Run into a single-player format that would feel hectic and exhilarating, and that some early experiments included increasing enemy numbers to create an “ultimate multitasker” experience.
He also noted internal discussions about next-generation hardware—specifically whether a future Nintendo Switch model could enable expanded performance—shaped certain design experiments, though the feature frames those as exploratory considerations during development.
The Ask The Developer article also covers environmental and character design choices for the deserted islands setting and offers a deeper look at the team's development process.
Nintendo published the full piece on its official site as part of the Ask The Developer series, providing direct commentary from the creators behind Splatoon Raiders.
