Splatoon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Splatoon
Genre	Third-person shooter
Developers	Nintendo EAD (2015) Nintendo EPD (2017–present)
Publisher	Nintendo
Creators	Hisashi Nogami Shintaro Sato
Composers	Toru Minegishi Shiho Fujii Ryo Nagamatsu
Platforms	Wii U Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2
First release	Splatoon 28 May 2015
Latest release	Splatoon 3: Side Order 22 February 2024

Splatoon is a super fun video game series from Nintendo. It's a third-person shooter where you use ink to battle! The games are set far in the future on Earth, after humans were gone. Now, evolved sea creatures like Inklings and Octolings live there. These characters are like human-squid or human-octopus hybrids. They can switch between a human-like form and a squid or octopus form whenever they want.

In the game, Inklings and Octolings often fight in "Turf War" battles. They use cool weapons that shoot colorful ink. In their human form, they spread ink. In their sea creature form, they can swim quickly through their own team's ink and even hide in it!

The first game, Splatoon, came out for the Wii U on May 28, 2015. Then came Splatoon 2 for the Nintendo Switch on July 21, 2017, with an expansion called Octo Expansion in 2018. The third game, Splatoon 3, was released on September 9, 2022, and its expansion, Side Order, followed on February 22, 2024. A spin-off game, Splatoon Raiders, was released on July 23, 2026, for the Nintendo Switch 2. The Splatoon series is loved for its unique style, exciting gameplay, and awesome music. It has sold over 30 million copies worldwide!

Splatoon has also teamed up with other companies and even has its own esports tournaments. There's a manga series and cool holographic music concerts, especially popular in Japan.

How to Play Splatoon

An overhead view of a Turf War match in Splatoon 3. Players use ink to control the map and move around quickly.

The Splatoon games are third-person shooters where you play online with other people. The main goal is often to cover the most ground with your team's ink. You choose from many different weapons that look like water guns or painting tools. You use these to spread ink and splat (defeat) enemies.

You control characters called Inklings and Octolings. They can change between a human-like "kid" form and a "swim" form (squid or octopus) with just a button. In human form, you shoot ink. In swim form, you dive into your team's ink to move fast and refill your ink tank. You can also send quick messages to your team like "This Way!" or "Booyah!" If you need to get back into the action quickly, you can "super jump" to a teammate or your starting point.

The first Splatoon game had many weapon types like Shooters, Chargers, and Rollers. Splatoon 2 added Dualies and Brellas, and Splatoon 3 brought in Stringers and Splatanas. Each main weapon comes with a "sub weapon" (like a bomb) and a powerful "special weapon." You charge your special weapon by inking the ground.

You can also equip "abilities" that give you special boosts. These abilities are found on your gear: headgear, clothing, and shoes. They can help you respawn faster, use less ink, or make your special weapons stronger. You can even customize your gear's abilities!

Turf War: Ink the Most Ground!

"Turf War" is a main game mode in Splatoon. Two teams of four players battle to cover as much of the map's floor with their team's ink color as possible. The match lasts three minutes. While the main goal is inking, you can also "splat" enemy players to temporarily remove them from the game. This stops them from inking for a short time until they respawn.

Ranked Battles: Compete for the Top!

"Ranked Battles" are another online mode for players level 10 and up. These are more competitive and teamwork-focused, lasting five minutes. There are four different Ranked modes: Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz. These modes rotate throughout the day. In Ranked Battles, you play against others who have a similar skill level, shown by a letter-based "rank."

• Splat Zones is like "king of the hill." Your team needs to control one or two special areas, called "splat zones," by covering them with your ink. If your team controls the zones for a certain time, you win!
• Tower Control challenges teams to ride a moving tower to the enemy's base. The tower starts in the middle of the map. If your team stays on the tower, it moves forward. The team that pushes the tower furthest wins, or if you reach the goal, you get a "knockout" victory!
• Rainmaker is similar to "capture the flag." Teams try to grab a powerful weapon called the "Rainmaker" and carry it to a pedestal in the opponent's base. You have to break its shield first. If you get splatted while carrying it, the Rainmaker reappears where you fell.
• Clam Blitz is a game where you collect golden clams scattered around the map. You need to throw these clams into baskets in the enemy's base to lower their score. If you collect eight clams, you get a "Power Clam" which can break the enemy's basket shield, letting you score more points!

Splatfests: Join a Team and Party!

"Splatfests" are special, limited-time events in Splatoon. Players choose a team based on a fun question, like "cats vs. dogs" or "bread vs. rice vs. pasta." Each team is supported by a famous in-game idol character. You then play Turf War matches, and your points (called "clout") help your team. At the end, the team with the most clout wins!

Splatfests often give you in-game rewards. Sometimes, the outcome of a "final Splatfest" can even affect the story in the next game! For example, the "Chaos vs. Order" Splatfest in Splatoon 2 influenced the apocalyptic setting of Splatoon 3.

Tricolor Turf War: Three Teams Battle!

Splatoon 3 introduced a special Splatfest mode called "Tricolor Turf War." This happens during the middle of a Splatfest. One team of four (the "Defenders") protects a special "Ultra Signal" in the middle of the map. Two other teams of two (the "Attackers") try to steal it. If an Attacker team grabs the Ultra Signal, a "Sprinkler of Doom" appears on their side, continuously inking the area. If one of the Attacking teams covers most of the map, both Attacker teams win together!

Salmon Run: Co-op Against Salmonids!

A screenshot of a Salmon Run match in Splatoon 2. You can see the "Wave" and "Quota" indicators.

"Salmon Run" is a cooperative game mode where four players team up against computer-controlled enemies. You fight waves of hostile salmon-like creatures called Salmonids. Your goal is to collect Golden Eggs from bigger "Boss Salmonids" and put them into a basket to meet a quota. There are usually three waves. If you get splatted, your teammates can revive you!

Splatoon 3's version, "Salmon Run Next Wave," added "King Salmonids" that appear in a rare fourth wave. It also has special events like "Big Run" (fighting Salmonids on regular multiplayer stages) and "Eggstra Work" (a special five-wave challenge). Unlike Splatoon 2, Salmon Run in Splatoon 3 is always available to play.

Single-player Mode: Explore the Story!

Every main Splatoon game has a story mode you can play by yourself. These adventures use the same ink-shooting gameplay but focus on platforming challenges and boss fights. You explore different areas and find hidden "Sunken Scrolls" that tell you more about the Splatoon world and its characters. Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 also have paid downloadable content (DLC) expansions that offer new single-player stories, like Side Order which has a roguelike style, meaning each playthrough is a bit different.

The World of Splatoon

Inklings and Octolings with various weapons in promotional art for Splatoon 3.

The Splatoon games take place on Earth, about 12,000 years in the future. Humans and most other mammals are gone, possibly due to big changes in the climate. After this, many sea animals evolved to live on land. This is how the human-like Inklings (evolved squids) and Octolings (evolved octopuses) came to be. They now live in places like Inkadia and the Splatlands.

About a hundred years before the first game, there was a big flood. Then, the Inklings and Octarians (a group of evolved octopuses) fought a long war called the "Great Turf War." The Inklings won, pushing the Octarians underground into old human domes. The Inklings then built their city, Inkopolis, on the surface. DJ Octavio, the Octarian leader, wanted revenge. He tried to steal Inkopolis's main power source, the Great Zapfish, multiple times. This is the main story for the first two games' single-player modes. Later, some Octoling soldiers even joined Inkling society!

Fictional Language and Music

The Inklings in the game have their own written and spoken language. You can see their unique alphabet on buildings and clothes in the game. It's not a real language you can fully translate, but it adds to the cool style of the world. Octolings also have their own distinct language. Almost all the music in Splatoon is sung in this fictional language. The creators did this to make the songs appeal to everyone and sound unique.

The music in Splatoon is very important. The game has fictional pop groups like the Squid Sisters, Off The Hook, and Deep Cut. These groups perform many of the songs you hear. The creators wanted the music to feel like it was really part of the game's world, showing how bands and their music change over time.

The Splatoon Games

Main Adventures

Splatoon (2015)

The first Splatoon game was released for the Wii U in 2015. It was first shown at Nintendo's E3 event in 2014. This game introduced the Inklings, the different weapon types, and game modes like Turf War and Ranked Battles. It also had a single-player story called "Octo Valley."

In "Octo Valley," you play as Agent 3, a new member of the New Squidbeak Splatoon. Your leader, Cap'n Cuttlefish, discovers that the Great Zapfish (Inkopolis's power source) has been stolen. He believes his old enemy, DJ Octavio, is behind it. Agent 3's mission is to go into Octarian territory and stop Octavio, sometimes with help from Agents 1 and 2.

Splatoon 2 (2017)

Splatoon 2 came out for the Nintendo Switch on July 21, 2017. It was first shown in the Switch's reveal trailer. This game added new maps and weapons. It also continued the story with a new single-player campaign called "Octo Canyon."

In "Octo Canyon," Marie of the Squid Sisters tells you that Cap'n Cuttlefish, Agent 3, and the Great Zapfish are missing. She's also worried about her cousin, Callie. Marie thinks DJ Octavio, who escaped after his defeat in the first game, is responsible. Marie recruits you as Agent 4 to find Octavio, Callie, and the Zapfish.

Splatoon 3 (2022)

Splatoon 3 was released for the Nintendo Switch on September 9, 2022. Its first trailer showed a new, more apocalyptic setting, new weapons, and stages. The game features a bigger single-player mode called "Return of the Mammalians."

In "Return of the Mammalians," a retired Cap'n Cuttlefish recruits you as the new Agent 3. You're joined by a small Salmonid friend named Smallfry. You investigate the Great Zapfish being stolen again. You find and defeat DJ Octavio, but he says he didn't take the Zapfish. Then, you and your friends are pulled into a mysterious Fuzzy Ooze.

You and Smallfry wake up in a new place called Alterna, an ancient human settlement. There, you meet Callie, Marie, and the original Agent 3 (now the Captain). Following a distress call from Cuttlefish, you explore Alterna. Along the way, you encounter Shiver, Frye, and Big Man, who are popular idols from the group Deep Cut.

Expansion Packs for More Fun

Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion (2018)

Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion is a DLC (downloadable content) story for Splatoon 2, released in 2018.

You play as Agent 8, an Octoling who has lost their memory. You complete up to eighty challenging trials in an underground subway station. Your main goal is to collect four special objects called "thangs" to reach the surface, guided by a talking telephone.

Splatoon 3: Side Order (2024)

Splatoon 3: Side Order is a single-player DLC expansion for Splatoon 3, released on February 22, 2024. It has a roguelike style, meaning you can replay it many times. You unlock special "color chips" to boost your abilities as you climb a thirty-floor tower.

In Side Order, you play as Agent 8 again, joined by Pearl and Marina. The story takes place in a virtual world called the "Memverse," created by Marina. Agent 8 must climb the tower to defeat Order, a rogue artificial intelligence that wants to create a perfectly orderly, but sterile, world.

Spin-off Game

Splatoon Raiders (2026)

Splatoon Raiders was announced by Nintendo on June 10, 2025, and was released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2 on July 23, 2026. This is the first spin-off game in the series. In Raiders, you follow Deep Cut and a new mechanic character as they explore the Spirhalite Islands.

How Splatoon Was Made

Series producer Hisashi Nogami in 2018.

The first Splatoon game was developed for the Wii U. When they first started thinking about the game in 2013, it was a simple game where four players would ink a plain arena. The creators, Shintaro Sato and Hisashi Nogami, wanted it to be fun and easy to understand.

At first, the team tried different player characters, including "macho men," robots, and even Mario! They eventually thought about using rabbits that could burrow through ink, because rabbits are territorial. But others felt that rabbits didn't quite fit with the ink-based gameplay.

Finally, the designers decided on squid-like characters. These characters, called Inklings, could switch between a human form (to hold weapons) and a squid form (to swim in ink). This idea led to many cool gameplay features, like swimming through your own ink and taking damage in enemy ink. The Wii U GamePad was used to show players an overhead map of the battle.

Splatoon was revealed at E3 2014, and a demo was available. A special online demo, the "Global Testfire," was held in May 2015 before the full game was released globally between May 28 and 30, 2015.

Work on Splatoon 2 started in late 2015. It was announced for the Nintendo Switch in January 2017 and released on July 21, 2017. Splatoon 2 had a new look for its menus because the Switch didn't have the Wii U GamePad's touch screen. It also added new maps, weapons, and abilities. A mobile app called SplatNet 2 let players check their stats and chat. The Octo Expansion DLC came out in June 2018.

Splatoon 3 was announced in February 2021 and released on September 9, 2022. The game's creators had planned its apocalyptic setting based on the winner of Splatoon 2's "Chaos vs. Order" Splatfest. Splatoon 3 added new maps, weapons, movement options, and a new card game mode called "Tableturf Battle." An early demo, "Splatoon 3: Splatfest World Premiere," was held in August 2022. The SplatNet 3 app also came out with the game. The paid DLC Splatoon 3: Side Order was announced in September 2023 and released on February 22, 2024.

The music from the games has been released as official soundtracks, like Splatune, Splatune 2, Octotune, Splatune 3, and Ordertune.

Splatoon Beyond the Games

Characters from Splatoon, especially the Inklings, have appeared in other Nintendo games. You can see them in Super Mario Maker, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There was even a special event where Splatoon 2 teamed up with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp in September 2018. In July 2019, a Splatoon 2 theme was added to Tetris 99. On January 16, 2026, an update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons added Splatoon-themed furniture and characters.

Real-life water guns that look like the weapons from the games have also been sold as toys!

Esports: Competitive Splatoon

Because Splatoon has competitive game modes, there have been esports tournaments since 2016 in Japan.

With Splatoon 2, Nintendo started the Splatoon 2 World Championships in 2018. Teams of four players compete in online or live tournaments to earn a spot at the World Championships. These big events are often held alongside other Nintendo game tournaments like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and are streamed live for everyone to watch.

Comics and Books

There have been several comic series based on Splatoon. Two webcomic series, Honobono Ika 4koma and Play Manga, appeared in a Japanese magazine between 2016 and 2017.

A popular Splatoon manga series by Sankichi Hinodeya started in a magazine called CoroCoro Comic in February 2016. This manga was later published in North America by Viz Media. A motion comic (an animated comic) based on this manga was also released online. As of February 2018, over 800,000 copies of the manga have been printed!

Another manga series, Splatoon: Squid Kids Comedy Show, also started in 2017 and was translated for North American readers.

Live Concerts

There have been real-life virtual concerts featuring holograms of the game's idol characters, mostly in Japan.

In 2016, a "Squid Sisters Live" concert tour celebrated 1 million copies of Splatoon sold. These concerts have been held at various events in Japan and even in Paris. Later, concert tours for Splatoon 2s Off The Hook started in 2018. Recordings from these concerts have been made into albums. More recently, concerts for Splatoon 3s Deep Cut have also been held.

See also

In Spanish: Splatoon para niños