Splatoon 3 remains active through seasonal events and merchandise, with a Splatoween Splatfest running 48 hours from October 31 to November 2 and a third Ichiban Kuji lottery wave launched August 22. The game also introduced the PET Shooter Replica, a weapon tied to save data from the spin-off Splatoon Raiders.
Splatoon 3's current state is defined by cross-promotion and seasonal maintenance rather than new core content. The most recent story is the return of Splatoween, the game's Halloween Splatfest, which Nintendo announced on September 25 will run for 48 hours from 9:00 a.m. on October 31 to 9:00 a.m. on November 2. The theme is "Which would you choose for a fantasy world? Wizard vs. Knight vs. Ninja," and the city takes on a Halloween atmosphere. The event reuses a theme Nintendo already ran for Splatoween in 2024.
Before that, the game's merchandise pipeline moved through three stories about the third Ichiban Kuji lottery, which Bandai Spirits launched August 22 at Seven-Eleven, Ito-Yokado, and Nintendo TOKYO/OSAKA/KYOTO/FUKUOKA stores. Draws cost 750 yen. The A prize is a Splattershot Light that shines ink-shaped beams in the dark, the B prize is a 50 cm Squid Bunker plush, and a Double Chance Campaign offers an 80 cm version. Earlier coverage of the same lottery also listed an Inkling cushion, a Gachi Hoko tote bag, a Salmon Run gold egg laundry net, and a Smallfry donburi bowl as the Last One prize.
In-game additions connect Splatoon 3 to the spin-off Splatoon Raiders. Nintendo announced on August 14 that the PET Shooter Replica would be added for the Nintendo Switch, reproducing the PET Shooter from Splatoon Raiders. Its performance matches the Splattershot Collab, with the Splat Bomb as sub weapon and Triple Tornado as special. Players need a future update and save data from clearing Splatoon Raiders' main story. The weapon was scheduled ahead of the Summer Nights festival, which ran August 22 to August 24. Splatoon Raiders itself launched for the Switch 2 on July 23, and its manga adaptation by Sankichi Hinodeya appeared in Coro Coro Comics on July 15.
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Nintendo announced on September 25 that Splatoon 3 will hold its Halloween Splatfest, Splatoween, for 48 hours from 9:00 a.m. on October 31 to 9:00 a.m. on November 2. The theme is "Which would you choose for a fantasy world? Wizard vs. Knight vs. Ninja." Players pick one of the three sides for Splatfest battles, and the city takes on a Halloween atmosphere. Splatoween is one of the game's seasonal Splatfests.
BANDAI SPIRITS revealed the full lineup for Ichiban Kuji Splatoon 3 Volume 3, launching August 22 at Seven-Eleven, Ito-Yokado, and Nintendo TOKYO/OSAKA/KYOTO/FUKUOKA. The A prize is a Splattershot Light that shines ink-shaped beams in the dark, with a 50 cm Squid Bunker plush as B prize and an 80 cm version in the Double Chance Campaign. Draws cost 750 yen.
Bandai Spirits will release Ichiban Kuji Splatoon 3 Volume 3 from August 22, 2026, at Seven-Eleven, Ito Yokado, Nintendo TOKYO/OSAKA/KYOTO/FUKUOKA, and other stores. The lottery's A-Prize is a Splat Shooter light that projects an ink-shaped beam, while the B-Prize is a 50cm Squid Bunker plush. The Last One Prize is a Smallfry donburi bowl, and a Double Chance Campaign offers an 80cm Big Squid Bunker.
Bandai Spirits revealed the full lineup for Ichiban Kuji Splatoon 3 Third Wave, a no-loser prize lottery themed on the Nintendo shooter. Prizes include an ink-shooting Splattershot light, a 50cm Inkling cushion, a Gachi Hoko tote bag, a Salmon Run gold egg laundry net, and more. The lottery launches August 22, 2026, at 750 yen per draw.
Nintendo announced on August 14 that a new weapon, the PET Shooter Replica, will be added to Splatoon 3 for the Nintendo Switch. The weapon reproduces the PET Shooter that appears in the spin-off title Splatoon Raiders. Its performance matches the Splattershot Collab, with the Splat Bomb as the sub weapon and Triple Tornado as the special weapon. The PET Shooter Replica is scheduled to be implemented ahead of the Summer Nights festival, which runs from August 22 to August 24. To obtain it, players must apply a future update and have save data that has cleared the main story of Splatoon Raiders. The weapon is not tied to the festival, so players who meet the save data condition can receive it from the lobby terminal at any time after implementation. The announcement also noted that gear distributed during past Summer Nights events remains available through the in-game news feature, the Squid Research Lab, by launching Splatoon 3 from the relevant news articles.
The July issue of Shogakukan's Coro Coro Comics magazine announced that Splatoon Raiders, a new single-player spinoff game in the Splatoon series, will receive a manga in the magazine's next issue on July 15. Sankichi Hinodeya, the writer and artist of the Splatoon and Splatoon 3: Splatlands manga, will also work on this manga. The game launches for the Switch 2 on July 23.
Nintendo's Splatoon 3, approaching its fourth anniversary, has seen a sharp rise in Twitch viewership, placing it alongside long-running hits like League of Legends and Counter-Strike 2. The surge is linked to upcoming community tournaments and in-game events leading to the July release of Splatoon Raiders on Nintendo Switch 2.