Splatoon Raiders launches tomorrow as Switch 2's first solo exclusive

Nintendo's Splatoon Raiders launches on Nintendo Switch 2 tomorrow, Thursday 23 July 2026, marking the first time the ink-flinging franchise has stepped away from its competitive multiplayer roots for a fully standalone release. Reviews are already out, the amiibo are already listed, and — unusually for 2026 — there is no deluxe edition, no season pass and no collector's box to navigate. Here is everything UK buyers need to know before it goes live.

What is Splatoon Raiders?

Developed and published by Nintendo EPD, Splatoon Raiders is a third-person shooter in which players take on the role of a mechanic — either an Inkling or an Octoling — and explore a region called the Spirhalite Islands. The familiar faces of Deep Cut from Splatoon 3 (Shiver, Frye and Big Man) accompany the player throughout, and the game features more animated cutscenes than any previous entry in the series, giving it what Nintendo describes as a grander and more dynamic feel.

Players equip mechanical Gadgets alongside conventional ink-flinging weapons and take on waves of Salmonid enemies. There is a cooperative mode for up to four players, available locally or online, with difficulty scaling depending on how many players join. Crucially, Nintendo Switch Online is only required for online co-op — the entire single-player campaign can be played without a subscription.

Why a spin-off rather than Splatoon 4?

Nintendo addressed this directly in its Ask the Developer Vol. 22 interview series, published on 21 July 2026. Producer Seita Inoue, who has been involved with the Splatoon series since the original Wii U game, explained the thinking plainly.

"We've been going full speed ahead for over 11 years since the series' launch, developing and updating three titles along the way. We thought it might be interesting to create something with a slightly different approach to gameplay, where you can really savor the action on your own."

Inoue was also clear that competitive Splatoon is not going anywhere. "One of our motivations for developing this game was our desire to create a new entry point into the series by releasing these non-competitive elements not just as a secondary feature, but as a standalone spin-off. That said, we will continue to develop competitive gameplay going forward. That's why we developed this game as a spin-off and not as Splatoon 4."

Director Yoshihiko Ito, who previously worked primarily on Salmon Run within the series, leads the project, with sound director Shu Tamura — sound design lead on Splatoon 3 — overseeing the game's music and audio.

How has it been received?

Early critical reception places Splatoon Raiders comfortably in line with the mainline series. The game holds a "Generally Favorable" score of 80 on Metacritic and a Strong rating of 81 on OpenCritic, where 71% of critics recommend it. IGN and Nintendo Life both awarded it 9 out of 10. For context, Splatoon, Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 scored 81, 83 and 83 on Metacritic respectively — so the spin-off is not far behind the numbered entries despite its different focus.

What does it cost in the UK?

UK buyers will pay £41.99 on the Nintendo eShop or £49.99 for a physical copy. That digital price sits notably below the top tier of Switch 2 first-party pricing — titles such as Mario Kart World and Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave occupy a higher price bracket. According to Nintendo's pricing structure for Switch 2 exclusives, this lower digital tier was introduced first with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book; Splatoon Raiders is only the second game to carry it.

There is no deluxe or collector's edition, and no season pass — something Nintendo itself has flagged as a deliberate choice, and one that is increasingly uncommon in the current market.

Accessories launching alongside the game

Three new amiibo release on the same day — Shiver, Frye and Big Man, each in Raiders-specific designs. Each figure unlocks outfit options for your Mechanic character in-game. All three are available as a triple pack from Nintendo UK for £49.99.

A blue and light-yellow Joy-Con 2 pair, designed around Shiver and Frye's colour schemes, also launches on 23 July. A UK price for the Joy-Con 2 pair had not been confirmed at the time of writing.

Switch 2 only — no exceptions

Splatoon Raiders is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. It will not come to the original Nintendo Switch, and there is no PC or other console version. If you do not own a Switch 2, there is currently no way to play it. The game was first revealed via a trailer on the Nintendo Today! app on 10 June 2025, alongside the announcement of Splatoon 3's version 10.0.0 update. A release date was confirmed in a second trailer on 21 April 2026, and a dedicated Splatoon Raiders Direct on 30 June 2026 revealed the game's complete design ahead of launch.

Splatoon Raiders is available to pre-download now on the Nintendo eShop and releases on 23 July 2026.