Splatoon Producer Hasn't Thought About The Future Of The Series Just Yet

Well, at least continue the story based off the final FINAL Splatfest results like in the first Splatoon... And this Splatfest’s outcome has room for trickery in storytelling, and Im anticipating it.

Very hyped for the last splatfest but also incredibly sad as it’s coming to an end. I have high hopes that rumors of splat3 and possibly an announcement of it will come in the middle of next year. The game hasn’t gotten anywhere close to dead to my knowledge and people are still playing splat1 so I don’t see how there would be a question of this IP dying out anytime soon... but then again... **cough** **cough** F Zero, mother... star fox... oh my

I'd personally like to see a spin-off before a Splat 3. Something to help this franchise grow even further. Something like an RPG or action game that takes place within Inkopolis so we can experience the daily lives and conflicts of the squid/octo kids and their turf competitions. The first two games have just been about an Agent handling things behind the scenes away from the direct city itself. I wanna see more of the inner goings-on of their lives. And since these people also make Animal Crossing, I mean, who better to make a social single-player Splatoon story?

How about a Mii Mode? I mean sure playing as a Squid or Octoling is nice but nothing really beats a good old fashioned human vs human battle royal.

Nintendo is pretty careful about iterating their multiplayer games. I don’t expect another Splatoon until the Switch’s successor is released. And considering just how massive Splatoon 2 became over time, I can’t say we will be needing another game in that series for a good while.

hot take:
Splatoon 3 will not be on Switch,
we'll be lucky if we even see a spin-off on Switch.

@thesilverbrick Still, I’d like it if they started development as soon as possible. Give them a couple years to make a big leap of some kind.

@JR150 I wouldn't mind seeing a Persona styled RPG in the Splatoon universe. Either that or a stealth shooter spin off with a focus on single player.

In other words they are waiting on the splatfest outcome. Team Order!!!!

I don't think we'll be seeing Splatoon 3 for awhile which is fine cause 2 still has a pretty active playerbase...I would however love a Splatoon spinoff to happen. There's so many directions that they could go with a spinoff.

Splatoon 3 will definitely come to Switch. I think Nintendo wants to buck the trend of one entry per console. Zelda is getting a second one and I bet this does, too. Loved SP2, a really fun game. I just don't play much anymore because a billion other games have come out for the Switch. Team Order!

One of my top 10 favorite franchises; it can't possibly end here. Gimme 3.

@AxeltheCorvikni As much as I can't say I'm a fan of Persona, I'll admit, that's a pretty cool idea. Or maybe the stealth idea could be done like Metal Gear.

@Zoda_Fett None of those series have ever been successful on the same scale as Splatoon. Splatoon sold close to 5 million copies and Splatoon 2 is approaching 9 million. For a comparison, all the Mother, F Zero and Star Fox titles combined fail to outsell Splatoon's two games.

Splatoon will almost definitely continue.

@Nintendofan83 I'm not sure what you're getting at. Nintendo usually only limits multiplayer games like Mario Kart and Smash Bros to one-per-system, with the WiiU not even lasting long enough for Splatoon 2 to be finished. Splatoon 3's console of choice will come down to how long Nintendo wants to wait before showing off the next big console.

Nintendo would be making a big mistake if they let this franchise fade away. Even if they don't want to do a Splatoon 3 on Switch, they should at least try for some kind of spin off game. Maybe a Splatoon platformer, RPG or even something like an X-com style tactical game or Fire Emblem style tactics game.

Splatoon is the most successful totally new IP they have had in decades! They'd be nuts not to keep pumping content out. Maybe a spin off game next year and Splatoon 3 in 2021.

It feels like Famitsu asked Hisashi Nogami about Splatoon, and he said, "What? That old thing?".

I hope they can promise Something eventually.
Something that goes even beyond what was achieved in Splatoon 2. Something like, well... maybe a completely new experience that differentiates it from the previous Splatoon games while keeping the core gameplay intact.
By the way, choosing either side in this Splatfest was harder than you might think...

@kalosn
For me, I saw that chrome Eye of Justice helmet with LED screen face and knew that was my team

I'm still surprised they're only letting league battles or private matches use the Splatfest shifty stages. Basically means, I'll never get to use them again. That's so much content!

I’m confused why people are suggesting this might be the last entry. It’s one of their most popular franchises worldwide.

Always be skeptical of these interview translations and what may have been lost, as well as just how guarded Nintendo is in general.

They will almost certainly start development immediately on the next release at the conclusion of two.

@Heavyarms55
Yes! Totally! My only gripe with this game is that we never get to see the daily lives of the kids and what they do in their spare time. Maybe a social single-player game where you build connections and it's a tactical RPG where the "advanced turf kids" splat each other directly for even bigger prizes than normal Turf War--as for an in lore explanation anyway.

@Nehalem Which is why we haven’t seen a new entry in (arguably) Nintendo’s biggest franchise in 5 years (not counting MK8DX)...

@thesilverbrick successor? That will be 4-5 yrs. Nintendo will release splat3 by 2021.

@JR150 It's a rich world with loads of possibilities. I could see almost any genre being done in the Splatoon universe! When Nintendo really wants to, they have creative genius at their disposal. I hope they use it for this.

@Dirty0814 I think the Switch successor will be in 2022. And I think Splatoon 3 will be a launch title. (And it might be a multi gen game, so also on the Switch)

Next year we'll have Animal Crossing, and I'm guessing Mario Kart 9 on the Switch. Bayonetta 3 will also hit in 2020, but around december. Metroid Prime 4 will be in 2021.

I also wonder what the successor of the Switch would be like. I'm guessing like the Switch it's going to be a handheld. But maybe one that doesn't need a dock and can stream games wirelessly to a TV (with a dongle) to give Wii U like 2 screen play. (But games are required to allow 1 screen in handheld mode as well)

How about an Arkham Asylum style 3D MetroidVania? You see an HP upgrade on a wall that's too high to reach with your Splattershot. So you go into the next area and defeat a boss who drops a Charger. Now you can use your charger to paint the wall and climb up and get that sweet HP upgrade. Plenty of cool stuff you can do with this franchise. I'd also just take Splatoon 3 with new maps, modes, weapons and expanded Salmon Run.

It's a no brainer! You make Splatoon 3!

With a more fleshed out Grizzco mode too please!

I imagine we'll get it eventually. Splatoon 2 is still highly played and bought though, so I can't imagine either Nintendo or the main player base is itching for an immediate turn around here.

I also believe that the Animal Crossing and Splatoon team are one in the same (at least to an extent) so Splat3 likely wouldn't start development till after New Horizons.

It's not an original idea, but battle royale Splatoon with a huge map would be amazing. And some good ol' death match. Most players seem to go for the kills any way.

Another reason why the team should not have abandoned Splatfests. Go to bi-monthly or quarterly and recycle Shifty Station stages from older Splatfests to cut down on development resources but to outright cancel was shortsighted and wrong. Sure the first game on Wii U had a similar fate but that system was dying after its first year and Splatoon on that system, while popular, never reached the user-base that Splatoon 2 has. I would be more forgiving if I knew Splatoon 3 was incoming but if development hasn't even started now, then we are looking at several years before a new one releases. And even then, it's likely not coming out until the Switch's true next-gen successor. There's not a whole lot you can do to improve the game past Splatoon 2. The whole point of the game really is online multiplayer, with the offline single-player as more a bonus than a true equal mode. And Splatfests have a tendency to increase the game's online traffic and was a good justification for keeping Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo should have handed off the Splatfest management to a small, dedicated team. Really all that needed to happen was some dialogue drafting. Otherwise Splatfests pretty much take care of themselves. Again switching to bi-monthly or quarterly instead of monthly would have freed up Nintendo developers to work on other projects (like ACNH) but they would also keep the Splatoon community happy and engaged. For now, it feels like a slap in the face to the fans for no good justifiable reason. End rant.

@HumanDog I could definitely see that approach! Here's to hoping a spinoff won't be in the form of mobile.

I want Splatoon 3!!!!!

I suspect we likely get an reveal at e3. Maybe during the annual splatoon cup. So likely late next year or 2020.

Now in the meanwhole I would not mind an spin off for the franchise. As one idea that comes to mind is an rhythm game like hatsuna miku. Also nintendo please release the splatoon music on Spotify

Splatoon 3 won't be out for a while as the team is focused on the new Animal Crossing game coming out on Switch I don't expect a new Splattoon for at least 2-3 years while they work on Animal Crossing but I hope they won't leave you guys hanging for ages like they did Animal Crossing fans.

"After this, though, future support will be limited to balance adjustments and monthly league matches." What do they mean by "monthly league matches?" Something to do with Ranked Battles? I only play Turf War and Salmon Run.

These Splatfests are so simple, it's odd that they don't continue them indefinitely. Just have someone make a list of x vs y things and draw some pictures for it, with a couple sentences for the idols, and that's it. They could have done that back when the game came out, and scheduled it once every couple months or so and it would just keep going until the Switch 2 comes out.

@Nintendofan83 Not really true when you considered how the Zelda games were put out. They released the first BOTW with the WiiU in mind just like when they released Twilight Princess with the Gamecube. But before that the WiiU got Skyward Sword. So releasing two Zelda games (or more) on Nintendo consoles has always been a thing. Even back then with Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. So you can't really lump that logic in with Splatoon

@Supaguy There are lots of examples where Nintendo works on one entry of a franchise per console. Super 64 and Mario Sunshine were the only big Mario 3D games for those consoles. Technically BOTW was for Wii U originally and the other games are ports not originals so again just one developed for it. Multiplayer games like the sports titles, Forza, Call of Duty and others come out regularly on one console, why does Nintendo limit theres? Donkey Kong usually gets one game per console and for Switch it's just a port so far! Usually one sports entry like Mario Golf, Mario Tennis etc. Nintendo often gives us "1" of a game per console with a few exceptions here and there. I really hope Splatoon 3 doesn't have to wait until the next console.

@JereJK I think ports and original games are vastly different in my opinion. Skyward Sword, Windwaker and TP are all ports to Wii U and not originally made for it. The original TP was made for GC and then ported to Wii. BoTW was the one new game released for the WII U. Anyway, read my comment directly above. Ports don't count in my books.

@DarthFoxMcCloud agreed,there was no reason to stop

@Nintendofan83 Sorry i think I got mixed up in my previous comment. SS was for Wii, not WiiU. But there’s still cases of Nintendo releasing two zelda games on systems before. Like Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks on the DS. And OoT and Majora’s Mask for 64. The only thing about that is Zelda is a story heavy game so you can do a lot with a new story. Splatoon seems more gameplay/online heavy and Splatoon 2 looks like it already reaches the current Switch’s limitations. If they wanted to add anything new they could just put it in an update. There really isn’t any reason to make a completely new game at this point. The smart thing to do would be developing the Splatoon 3 for their next upcoming console/switch upgrade

Splatoon 3 should be inevitable.

Splatoon sales = 5 million
Splatoon 2 sales = 9 million

It must be a decent profit earner for them surely... They would probably like to launch it with Switch 2 but that is some way off so a spinoff could happen....
I don't think Switch 2 will release till 2022 so if I was them I would have kept the Splatfests going another year & re-released Splatoon 2 with the Octo Expansion at retail to keep the momentum going.....