Announced in February of 2021, Splatoon 3 is the much-anticipated sequel to Splatoon 2 and will continue the inky splatfest that makes one of Nintendo's most popular, recent IPs stand out among the crowd. With a release date coming some time in 2022, fans weren't expecting anything much for the backend of 2021, yet thanks to a well-timed leak, it appears Splatoon 3 fans might be getting something after all.
Leaked by user @SamusHunter2 on Twitter, there aren't many details of what we could see in the short time before 2021 comes to a close. SamusHunter stated only that "Splatoon 3 will get some updates later this year, I know there is at least one artwork scheduled to be released by the end of the year." With the last general Nintendo Direct occurring in September, it is possible that the Splatoon news will be part of another of the platform's online presentations. Usually, Nintendo Directs are used to announce or discuss upcoming titles, and so far there have only been three general Nintendo Directs this year, so another one is possible before 2022.
The last piece of news for Splatoon 3 arrived on September 23, 2021, where two new special weapons were revealed for the game, along with details for the multiplayer mode. The famous Splat Roller was given a new sub-weapon, though the new special weapons are quite a bit more exciting than an attachment to a paint roller. One is known as the Crab Tank, and is a vehicle which fires either a rapid-fire gun or a cannon. Secondly, there is the Zipcaster suit which allows an Inkling to stretch out tentacles and stick to walls.
There were also some details revealed on Splatoon 3's story mode, which is titled "Return of the Mammalians," and suggests mammals are going to be bringing some big changes to the world of the Inklings and Octolings. Mammals have already appeared in the painting-squid crossover game, in the form of Judd, the cat who judges all Splatoon's PvP matches, alongside his clone Li'l Judd. The Octarians, the major antagonists of the game, will return, but as trailers have shown, there's some strange changes going on as the Octarians seem to be growing fur.
What we'll see if the leak turns out to be true is up for debate. Something many fans are hoping for is a definitive release date for Splatoon 3, as 2022 is the only date we've been given so far. Debuting in a year alongside Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Kirby and the Forgotten Land and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 - which may feature at this year's Game Awards - Splatoon 3 has its work cut out to stand out among the crowd, though the series has been doing so consistently since its own debut.