There doesn’t appear to be a lot of unique new content coming in Splatoon 3, despite being an enumerated sequel rather than DLC like Splatoon 2’s Octo Expansion. Splatoon 3 features a new setting called the Splatlands, story content, multiplayer maps, and abilities, as one would expect from this kind of multiplayer shooter. However, there doesn’t appear to be a new game mode akin to Splatoon 2’s Salmon Run. Hopefully this lean focus on improving the existing formula means Splatoon 3 will avoid the stigma of incomplete content that has plagued other Nintendo outings in recent years.
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Post-Launch Content in Nintendo’s Multiplayer Games
The shooter genre was something of a predecessor to the modern live-service format. Activision’s Call of Duty franchise is just one example in which developers supplied ongoing support through weekly map and mode rotations, but titles like Epic Games’ Fortnite have taken it a step further by evolving their contents to ensure fans can play forever. Both Splatoon games have fit the prior formula well, but other Nintendo releases struggle to strike the right balance.
Many sports games in particular have gotten flak. Super Mario titles including Mario Tennis Aces, Mario Golf: Super Rush, and Mario Strikers: Battle League received less-than stellar reviews for their post-launch support models. All three were undoubtedly polished at a mechanical level, some would even argue they’re among the best of their respective series. However, a dearth of content meant there was hardly a reason to keep playing, which dropped off player numbers in games where there was little beyond competing online.
Part of the issue is that new additions often feel like content from the base game that got pushed to hit a release deadline, or so Nintendo can create hype for the introduction of characters like Daisy in Mario Strikers. Mario’s sports games aren’t the only offenders, as Nintendo Switch Sports similarly announced post-launch additions such as golf before the title hit shelves. One could argue this mentality even hit popular games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which received criticism for re-implementing content from older entries and little more for months after release.
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Splatoon 3 Should Seek the Right Balance
As a multiplayer-focused shooter, Splatoon 3 needs to avoid the woes of its contemporaries. Its rotating selection of Turf War maps, Salmon Run content, and narrative that hopefully takes cues from the Octo Expansion rather than the standard Octo Canyon should give it a head-start with diversity. But Nintendo should avoid putting out huge new modes and other features so close to launch that they feel like delays rather than fresh additions.
Past Splatoon games featured a lot of post-launch content, from new weapon types and gear with different skills to unique stages and game modes - such as Splatoon 2’s Clam Blitz mode released in December 2017. However, these additions were small and doled out consistently, so they typically felt like reasons to keep playing and adapting one’s strategies rather than a static sports game trying to keep itself relevant after drying out. Splatoon 3 is bringing back all basic weapons, so it has a good baseline to build upon.
Ultimately there’s nothing wrong with post-launch content; everyone wants a reason to keep playing something they enjoy, and the modern era of updates and patches can facilitate that. DLC content like Octo Expansion is among the best-regarded stuff in Splatoon 2, and it released nearly a year after the base game. Yet Nintendo titles - particularly with brand names like Super Mario or Splatoon - are a serious $60 investment, so they should be content complete at launch to ensure early investors get as much value as those coming in for the sixth or seventh Splatfest.
Splatoon 3 releases September 9, 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
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