Splatoon 3 continues where Splatoon 2 left off, bringing back the world of Inklings, Octolings, and Turf War. Players duel with ink through a variety of PVP and PVE modes, with new additions Big Run and the tweaked three-team Splatfests providing an extra bit of freshness in the game.

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Now, in a poll conducted by Japanese publication Anime Anime, Splatoon has taken the number one spot for games that fans most want to see turned into an anime. It’s immediately followed by Xenoblade and The Legend of Zelda. It’s not only interesting to see that fans want an anime adaptation of the series that much, but that it’s capable of beating a massive long-lived franchise like The Legend of Zelda. It’s also interesting to note that the top three titles are all Nintendo franchises, and have had their most recent releases on the Switch.

Of course, one poll won’t sample from many people, but it’s an interesting reveal nonetheless. Splatoon 3 sold extraordinarily well, especially in Japan, and the poll notes that the majority of its responses came from those in their 20s or younger. Since Splatoon is intended to be a kid-friendly shooter, this demographic makes sense, as many of these players likely grew up with the franchise when it launched for the Wii U back in 2015.

While more games have been receiving anime in the recent past, including some non-Japanese franchises like Cyberpunk 2077, it remains to be seen if Nintendo will create an adaptation of its games into anime. There have certainly been general adaptations ranging from the retro Legend of Zelda cartoons to the upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie. With Splatoon’s massive popularity, it would make a lot of sense to expand its universe into an anime, but Nintendo is likely also cautious to do anything that might undermine the popularity of the games.

Fans will have to keep dreaming about a Splatoon anime for now, but at the very least, the series does have an ongoing manga that occurs alongside the games. With Splatoon’s lore continuing to expand and cemented popularity, there are a lot of good reasons for Nintendo to consider a Splatoon anime, but fans will have to wait and see if it’s in the cards.

Splatoon 3 is available now for Nintendo Switch.

MORE: Splatoon 3: Big Run’s Tone Feels Like a Poor Fit for the Franchise

Source: AnimeAnime (via GoNintendo)