Nintendo explains why it’s coming out with Splatoon Raiders instead of Splatoon 4 - Nintendo Everything

What the report says

Nintendo Everything reported on July 21, 2026, that Nintendo has explained why the next Splatoon release is the spin-off Splatoon Raiders rather than a numbered Splatoon 4. The article cites a new interview with producer Seita Inoue and director Yoshihiko Ito, who described the project as a way to explore a different side of the franchise after years of work on the main competitive series.

According to Nintendo Everything’s account, Inoue said the development team wanted to build a Splatoon experience that puts non-competitive play at the center, rather than treating it as an extra mode alongside online battles. He pointed to existing elements such as Salmon Run and Story Mode as evidence that Splatoon has long included cooperative and solo play. He also indicated that Nintendo still intends to keep developing competitive Splatoon gameplay, which is why Raiders is positioned as a spin-off instead of Splatoon 4.

Ito added that the idea took shape as work on Splatoon 3 updates was winding down. The team considered whether Salmon Run’s structure could be adapted into a single-player format, with one player facing large numbers of Salmonids and managing the mode’s usual chaos alone. He also said the move to Nintendo Switch 2 gave the team room to test more demanding scenarios.

The development matters for Splatoon fans because it signals Nintendo is using Raiders to broaden the series’ format without presenting it as the next mainline sequel. Nintendo Everything also noted that reviews for Splatoon Raiders had begun appearing the same day.