Splatoon Raiders: Everything the New Trailer Reveals

After almost a year of not sharing updates, Nintendo released a new trailer for Splatoon Raiders on April 21, 2026, and finally announced the game’s release date. The three-minute trailer shows actual gameplay, giving fans the best look yet at the game, which will be exclusive to the Switch 2. For a quick rundown of the release date and price, check out our other article. This piece will focus on what the trailer itself revealed.

How the Splatoon Raiders Announcement Was Made

Nintendo recently revealed a new trailer for Splatoon Raiders, highlighting how players can customize their characters and the game’s focus on using gadgets in battles. News of the trailer came through the Nintendo Today app, and wasn’t part of a larger Nintendo Direct presentation or scheduled event.

Splatoon Raiders Story Setup

Okay, so remember that first trailer for the game? It starts with Deep Cut flying in a helicopter – looks like the Mechanic was the pilot. Then, bam! A crazy beam of light hits, causing this huge cyclone over the Spirhalite Islands, and they crash. After that, we see them looking pretty roughed up, hanging out on what looks like the Mechanic’s base – it’s kinda like a ship. Shiver’s chilling and fishing, and Frye is just messing around with spare parts, looking restless.

Shiver, Frye, and Big Man discovered a map to the Spirhalite Islands while exploring a basement. Their pursuit of the treasure marked on that map is what caused their crash, and it sets the entire story of the game in motion.

Splatoon Raiders Gameplay Loop

The trailer begins with a quick glimpse of the character customization options, showcasing the cool hairstyles available for your Inkling. It then dives into the main gameplay of Splatoon Raiders: players battle colorful enemies, unlock new areas on a world map, and build helpful tools using what they earn in combat.

In Splatoon, you’ll create a character and equip them with cool gadgets and weapons that shoot ink. Then, you’ll battle waves of enemies called Salmonids. A member of Deep Cut will join you in a special robot called the Exploration Bot to help fight and collect rewards. After each battle, you bring your loot back to camp to upgrade your equipment and prepare for the next treasure hunt.

The trailer shows players gathering resources while exploring. Reports indicate these materials are used to create new tools and find hidden collectibles. We see a weapon called the Splatchet and what looks like a place to build or craft items. Notably, Big Man fights alongside the player, demonstrating that members of Deep Cut will actively help in battles, not just through conversations.

Weapons and Tools in the Splatoon Raiders Trailer

The new Splatoon Raiders trailer reveals a vast, open world where players, as the Mechanic, will search for treasure and build unique weapons. We see glimpses of an axe and a paint turret, along with other tools like a sniper turret, a shark-shaped projectile, and a spinning ink shield. The trailer also highlights customizable ink tanks with various attachments, suggesting players will have a lot of options for creating their perfect loadout.

The trailer hints at some exciting new gameplay features, including riding a Stingray into battle and customizing your character’s voice. It also seems like players will face off against bigger, tougher Salmonid bosses.

What Nintendo Has Officially Confirmed for Splatoon Raiders

In this new Nintendo game, you’re a mechanic who teams up with Deep Cut – a cool band of three musicians – to explore the strange Spirhalite Islands. You can customize your character with gadgets and weapons, then battle waves of enemies called Salmonids while searching the islands for valuable items. The game is primarily a solo adventure, but one member of Deep Cut will assist you as a robot companion. You can also team up with up to three other players online or through local wireless connections.

Splatoon Raiders Pricing, File Size, and Technical Details

Splatoon Raiders costs $49.99 digitally in the US and £41.99 in the UK, according to Nintendo’s official online stores. It will need about 20GB of storage space on your Nintendo Switch. You can play the game on your TV, in tabletop mode, or handheld, and an online membership is required for online multiplayer. Your save data will be backed up to the cloud. The game is rated for Fantasy Violence. You can pre-order it now from the Nintendo eShop and My Nintendo Store.

Splatoon Raiders Deep Cut Amiibo

The trailer for Splatoon Raiders briefly showed new amiibo figures of Frye, Shiver, and Big Man, each featuring the Deep Cut members in their latest in-game looks. These figures have connecting bases that can be combined to create one display stand. Nintendo has listed each amiibo individually, with a release date of July 23, 2026. While it’s not yet known what the amiibo will do in the game, pre-orders will soon be available on the My Nintendo Store.

Splatoon Raiders Series Context

The first Splatoon game came out in May 2015 and was only available on the Nintendo Wii U. Splatoon 2 was then released on the Nintendo Switch, followed by Splatoon 3 in September 2022. Nintendo has announced that Splatoon Raiders will be the first spin-off game in the series, and also the first Splatoon title to be released on the new Nintendo Switch 2 console.

What Is Still Unknown

Nintendo hasn’t shared details about how players will progress through Splatoon Raiders, how many missions there will be, or what there is to do after finishing the main story. They also haven’t revealed what advantages the new amiibo will offer in the game. It’s currently unknown if Nintendo will host a dedicated presentation or Direct focused on the game before its release on July 23rd.

Splatoon Raiders will be available on July 23, 2026, and will only be playable on the Nintendo Switch 2. You can pre-order the digital version now through the Nintendo eShop and My Nintendo Store.

2026-04-22 01:31