Splatoon Raiders: Release Date, Platforms, Price, Story Info, & Gameplay Details
By Published Apr 21, 2026, 3:53 PM EDT Kyle Gratton is an editor and writer based out of Kansas City. He received a bachelor's degree, dual majoring in English and History with a minor in Film and Media Studies, and has been a senior staff writer and reviewer for Screen Rant's Gaming section since 2026, with roles in editorial, and various freelance projects.
A terminal Midwesterner who graduated from the University of Kansas, Kyle also has knowledge and interest in literature, film, film adaptions of literature, and history.
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This summer will see the release of , the first spin-off of the . Nintendo has produced three mainline Splatoon entries thus far, each with an eclectic selection of game modes. Most enduringly popular is its casual PvP multiplayer mode, Turf War, in which players battle to cover a majority of the arena in their team's color of ink.
Splatoon Raiders is expanding on its predecessor's single-player offerings with what appears to be a more contiguous campaign, rather than the level-based story modes that came before it. shortly after the Switch 2 dropped last June, but has finally resurfaced, inking a release date in another trailer that gives us a better idea of what it's all about.
Splatoon Raiders Release Date
July 23, 2026
In a trailer from , it was revealed that Splatoon Raiders will release on July 23, 2026. This is roughly a year after the game was first revealed (alongside ) and slots Splatoon Raiders nicely into Nintendo's 2026 slate. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream just came out in April, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book will follow in May, then Rhythm Heaven Groove will sneak in at the beginning of July, three weeks before Splatoon Raiders is due.
Splatoon Raiders Platforms
Switch 2 Exclusive
Splatoon Raiders is coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch 2. This will be the series' first exclusive for the new console, though Splatoon 3 getting an update could still be considered its system debut. At the time of writing, there aren't any details on how Splatoon Raiders will utilize the Switch 2's performance capabilities nor new features.
The release date trailer was uploaded in 4K at 60 frames per second, so that resolution and frame rate combo is conceivable (when docked), but not yet confirmed. Similarly, since Splatoon Raiders is a third-person shooter, it feels ripe to , but there has not yet been any indication that this will be the case (the series is known for using gyro aiming, so mouse controls seem likely).
Splatoon Raiders Price
$50 Digital / $60 Physical
When Splatoon Raiders' release date was announced, it was given a listing on the , where it has two separate prices: $49.99 for the digital download, and $59.99 for a physical copy. This aligns with a recent , in which digital versions are discounted. This applies only to Ninteno-published Switch 2 exclusives, and will go into effect for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book in May.
It's worth noting that Splatoon Raiders' prices make it one of Nintendo's cheapest Switch 2 games to date. Discounting smaller, tech demo-like games such as Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour and Drag x Drive, Splatoon Raiders is more affordable than Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (both physical and digital), Pokémon Pokopia, Mario Tennis Fever, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Kirby Air Riders, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Mario Kart World.
Splatoon Raiders Story Info
A Trip To The Spirhalite Islands
Splatoon Raiders begins with a helicopter crash, stranding idol pop trio Deep Cut – originally from Splatoon 3 – on an archipelago called the Spirhalite Islands. Shiver, Frye, and Big Man are only accompanied by their pilot/mechanic, who is the customizable player character. The ill-fated trip appears to have been a treasure-hunting excursion, as even after the crash, finding valuables seems to be Deep Cut and the mechanic's main goal.
Per newer footage in the release date trailer, the main cast sets up a hideout ship that they travel the island chain in, and from which they set out to hunt treasure and battle Salmonids. Salmonids have long been the enemies of Salmon Run, a wave fighting game mode in Splatoon 2 and 3. Beyond Splatoon Raiders' inciting incident – the helicopter crash – virtually nothing has been revealed about the main plot or the Spirhalite Islands.
Splatoon Raiders Gameplay Details
Third-Person Shooter
Splatoon Raiders seems to carry the series' basics over – it is a third-person shooter in which the player character, the mechanic, uses weapons that fire ink. The ink both destroys enemies and coats the ground, creating a surface through which the mechanic can swim in their squid or octopus form, depending on whether you choose to make your character an Inkling or an Octoling. The mechanic appears to be joined on outings by a member of Deep Cut, who pilots a small mech and assists in combat.
Despite Splatoon Raiders being promoted as "single-player-focused," it does include cooperative multiplayer via the internet or local wireless play. Details on co-op – aside from the difficulty scaling in some way – remain scarce, though given the presence of Salmonids, it would seem Splatoon Raiders is a sort of large-scale innovation on Salmon Run. In the release date trailer, we see a shot of the Spiralhite Islands map, which appears to be freely explorable, rather than the small, bespoke levels Splatoon 2 and 3 had for Salmon Run.
There are also hints of customization and upgrade paths, namely for the hideout ship and a selection of weapons and gadgets you acquire. Rather than typical Splatoon multiplayer kits, gameplay footage suggests you get shoulder-mounted gadgets that produce various effects, which can be improved in exchange for resources gathered from the archipelago. Treasure you find may also grant new abilities – a Two-Fisted Salmonid statue in the release date trailer provides a double-jump, for instance.
More of Splatoon Raiders' gameplay and systems will likely be revealed before it releases in July. Nintendo is quite diligent about providing overview trailers or even full Direct showcases that more thoroughly explain its published titles' gameplay loops. At least we know that Splatoon Raiders is going all-in on its story mode, abandoning the wide variety of activities in its series predecessors to recontextualize their combat into an adventure shooter.
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