Splatoon 3

Splatoon 3 is Nintendo's third entry in the squid-kid shooter franchise — a colorful, creative, and deeply satisfying competitive shooter that has no real equivalent anywhere in gaming. Set five years after Splatoon 2 in the sun-baked Splatlands, the game's core premise remains as inventive as ever: teams of four Inklings and Octolings compete to cover the map with more of their team's ink than the opposing team, with painting the ground serving the dual purpose of claiming territory and enabling Inkling swimming movement. The expanded single-player Return of the Mammalians campaign is the best in the series. Salmon Run co-op mode reaches new heights with escalating Boss Salmonid encounters. Over three years of seasonal content updates added new weapons, stages, and gear with impressive regularity. The Splatfest live events create genuine community energy unlike any other Nintendo franchise. Splatoon 3 is a uniquely joyful competitive experience.