While it didn't change the formula much, Splatoon 3 was still a huge hit across the world, and fans of the series found plenty to love with the new entry, from its plethora of game modes to its new customization features to its wealth of new weapons and abilities. Splatoon 3 was a major hit, and only makes sense that Nintendo wants to squeeze every drop from it before moving on, but thankfully the recently announced DLC expansions look far from cheap, with wave one adding Inkopolis and wave two adding a whole new single-player campaign mode.
Titled Side Order, this new campaign mode was revealed during Nintendo's last Direct. Though the trailer itself was fairly cryptic, showing a bleached world devoid of all color, fans were left with one lingering shot of a character's silhouette. Many believe that character is none other than Agent 8, Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion protagonist.
Agent 8 - Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion Protagonist
Agent 8 was introduced in Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion single-player campaign mode as the player-character. Agent 8 was originally simply known as Octoling 10,008, denoting their position in the Octarian Army. The Octarian Army is an antagonistic force led by DJ Octavio who act as the main enemies in the Splatoon series. The Octarian Army's main goal is to defeat the Inklings and steal Inkopolis' Zapfish. While Agent 8 used to be an Octarian soldier, they turned their back on the army after hearing the mysterious Calamari Inkantation after the final battle in the original Splatoon.
After hearing the Inkantation, Agent 8 yearned for freedom and strived to reach the Promised Land, which refers to the surface world. Along their journey, they meet Cap'n Cuttlefish, who gives them the nickname Agent 8, loosely modeled after the first Splatoon's protagonist, Agent 3. To reach the surface world, Agent 8 must first traverse the Deepsea Metro, and collect four items known as "thangs." After a run-in with a sentient AI built by the last humans, Agent 8 finally finds their way to Inkopolis, where a group of Inklings happily welcomes them to their new home.
While players can customize Agent 8 in a number of ways, including their gender, the character will mostly look the same for all players. Agent 8 wears black leather clothing, and has eyes similar to an Inkling, albeit with a number 8 etched into one eye's surface. While it hasn't been officially confirmed, all signs are pointing toward Agent 8 being the character fans saw in the latest Splatoon 3 DLC trailer.
Splatoon 3's second DLC expansion, Side Order, was announced with a very cryptic trailer. Fans are given a lingering shot of an Octoling's back as they stare at the stark white world around them, drained of all color. This area appears to be Inkopolis Square, albeit an otherworldly one. As the character continues to stare forwards, the trailer is inter-spliced with surprisingly dark images of brains and blood-like spatters, along with images of Pearl and Marina, two fan-favorite characters. Some fans have theorized that this DLC will see players once again take control of Agent 8, but this time as they're exploring the memories of Marina. These memories could follow Marina's initial escape from the Octarian Army and her first meeting with Pearl. If the eerie imagery and tone of this trailer is anything to go by, this Side Order DLC expansion could end up being one of the franchise's most intriguing.
Splatoon 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch.