The Splatoon franchise does not have a playable mascot akin to other Nintendo franchises like The Legend of Zelda's Link. As competitive third-person shooters, each entry opens up limited character customization for users to make their own Inkling (or Octoling), who adorns unique outfit pieces in the hunt for powerful skills. While generic renditions of old player characters like Agent 3 have appeared in story content, auxiliary characters and NPCs are the face of the series. Splatoon 3 will be no different.
Callie and Marie, cousins who performed as the Squid Sisters and hosted Inkopolis News in the original Splatoon, are undoubtedly its most recognizable characters. Not only has the duo returned in both sequels, they've also appeared as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and performed "live" concerts as holograms alongside their Splatoon 2 successors Pearl and Marina from Off the Hook. Today's Splatoon 3 Direct revealed the new band which will take over as announcers on Splatsville's Anarchy Splatcast: Deep Cut.
Deep Cut: The Big Three
Unlike the Squid Sisters and Off the Hook, Deep Cut is notable for featuring three members. During daily broadcasts that announce stage rotations and Splatoon 3's returning Splatfest events, players will get to know Octoling Shiver the shark tamer, Inkling Frye the eel master, and Big Man the dancing manta - the first non-humanoid character to hold a newscaster role. While the series has been centered on punk/hip-hop aesthetics since it began in 2015, Deep Cut appears to add a more distinctly East Asian tinge; first appearing with fish-themed kabuki masks, and performing Splatfest concerts on festival floats that travel through a nighttime Splatsville covered in paper lanterns with stalls serving dango.
Despite early trailers showcasing the Splatlands setting of Splatoon 3 being somewhere in post-apocalyptic France, the description on Nintendo's video for the Deep Cut Splatfest song "Anarchy Rainbow" says the popular trio is "deeply rooted in Splatsville's culture." While not much about their backstories has been unveiled, the Direct promises large-scale paid DLC content is coming to Splatoon 3, which brings to mind the larger role Pearl and Marina received in Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion.
Fans get a brief look at the members of Deep Cut interacting at the end of the Splatoon 3 Direct when a pre-launch Splatfest World Premiere is announced for August 27. However, one of the most important reveals is that Inklings and Octolings use "Sea-Cucumber Phones" in Splatsville, which act as an excuse to give players important Anarchy Splatcast news like map rotations without having to cut to Deep Cut's broadcast every time. These kinds of quality-of-life changes will truly help Splatoon 3 stand out.
How Deep Cut Affect Splatoon 3's Splatfests
On the subject of Splatfests, three hosts mean all of these events will feature a competition between three teams rather than two - fitting for the third entry in this franchise. For the World Premiere event this month, players can choose to support Shiver on Team Rock, Frye on Team Paper, or Big Man on Team Scissors. Splatfests will also be split into two halves, with the first featuring traditional four vs. four Turf War matches among all three teams.
However, the second half of the event shakes things up with new Tricolor Turf Wars, in which four members of the leading team as of a Halftime Report will go up against two members of both opposing teams. The winning team acts as "defender," and must stop the attackers from charging an Ultra Signal in the middle of the multiplayer map. This sends a signal out to the members of Deep Cut, who use the "Sprinkler of Doom" to cover extra turf on behalf of the trailing teams. While Callie, Marie, and other NPCs have taken part in story-based combat as part of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, this may be a broadcast team's most active role in competitive content yet.
The Splatoon 3 Direct revealed plenty more information across its 30-minute runtime, with Deep Cut playing just a small part. Yet this trio will no doubt become a major name for Nintendo if past groups like Off the Hook are any indication. Time will tell how they stack up to their predecessors, but luckily fans of the series won't have to wait long for the game's September launch - and Splatfest World Premiere later this month.
Splatoon 3 launches September 9, 2022, for Nintendo Switch. A pre-launch Splatfest will take place on August 27.