Splatoon Raiders Launches July 23 as a Switch 2 Exclusive

We have waited almost four years for a new Splatoon game, and the one we are getting is not the one anyone predicted. Splatoon Raiders launches on July 23, 2026, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2, and it trades the series' usual turf-war focus for a story-driven treasure hunt. The digital version is listed at $49.99 on Nintendo's US store.

What Splatoon Raiders actually is

Raiders is a spin-off, not Splatoon 4. You play as a customizable Inkling or Octoling called the Mechanic, who crash-lands on the mysterious Spirhalite Islands. From there you team up with Deep Cut, the trio of Shiver, Frye, and Big Man from Splatoon 3, to explore the islands, fight Salmonids, and haul treasure back to your ship. Each Deep Cut member pilots a large Exploration Bot that fights alongside you on raids.

The loop Nintendo describes is familiar loot-game territory: raid for weapons and materials, upgrade your gear and your ship, then take on tougher enemies for better rewards. There are three ink tank types (Speed, Power, and Tactical), over 100 weapon variations, and customizable gadgets to collect.

It is single-player focused, but not single-player only. Up to four players can raid together, online or via local wireless, and there is an asynchronous option where you can call for help from other players over the internet or answer someone else's call.

Date, platform, and price

The release date is July 23, 2026, which is under three weeks away. It is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, with no version listed for the original Switch. Nintendo's US store shows the digital edition at $49.99.

Our take on the spin-off direction

We think this is a smarter move than it first looks. Splatoon's PvP multiplayer is still alive and well on Splatoon 3, so a spin-off that leans into the series' underrated single-player side fills a real gap instead of splitting the online player base. Salmon Run proved that Splatoon's co-op PvE has legs, and Raiders reads like that idea expanded into a full game with progression, loot, and a story.

The open question is depth. Loot loops live or die on whether the upgrades feel meaningful and the enemy variety holds up over dozens of hours, and a trailer cannot tell us that. The $49.99 price, ten dollars under Nintendo's usual first-party line, suggests Nintendo itself sees this as a mid-size adventure rather than a flagship. That is not a knock. A focused twenty-hour treasure hunt in the Splatoon universe sounds pretty good to us. We will know for sure on July 23.