Nintendo finally stopped blue-balling the Splatoon fans and dropped the release date for Splatoon Raiders — July 23, exclusively on Switch 2. This single-player-focused raid shooter puts you in the boots of a mechanic raiding the mysterious Spirhalite Islands for treasure, splatting Salmonids with ink weapons and mechanical gadgets while looting everything that isn't nailed down. It's the first-ever Splatoon spinoff, and from the trailer it looks like a proper adventure instead of the usual turf war chaos.

What actually matters for us whales is the Deep Cut integration. Frye, Shiver, and Big Man are front and center as swashbuckling musicians who raid alongside you — one of them even jumps in a powerful bot. New amiibo dropping same day means easy in-game rewards if you preload your wallet. Pre-orders are already live on the eShop and My Nintendo Store, priced around 50 euros in some regions according to early listings. The game supports up to three friends online or local wireless if you want to share the loot, but the focus stays on that solo campaign experience.

Community on X and Reddit has been hyped since the announcement, with plenty of chatter about it being the reason to finally grab a Switch 2. After months of radio silence following the initial reveal and PEGI rating leaks, this date drop feels like Nintendo remembered the game exists. Veterans and newcomers both get fed, but let's be real — the real test is whether the raid loop and treasure hunting actually deliver or just ends up another mid spinoff that gets forgotten faster than last season's banner.

Either way, July 23 is circled. My gacha account is safe for another couple months while I prep the credit card for this one.