Salmon Run, Turf War and Card Game: Everything We Learned During the Splatoon 3 Nintendo Direct

Nintendo revealed 30 juicy minutes of Splatoon 3 details last night, covering everything from new Turf War stages and weapons to character customisation options and story details. There’s also the next iteration of the co-op game mode Salmon Run and a brand new 1v1 card game called Tableturf Battle to look forward to in Nintendo’s upcoming team shooter.

There’s a lot of news, so let’s get into it! Here’s everything that was announced during the Splatoon 3 Nintendo Direct.

New Turf War Stages In Splatoon 3

Splatoon 3 will have 12 stages at launch, including the return of fan favourites like Wahoo World and MakoMart. Here’s the full list of confirmed stages so far:

• Scorch Gorge
• Eeltail Alley
• Hagglefish Market
• Undertow Spillway
• Mincemeat Metalworks
• Hammerhead Bridge
• Museum D’Alfonsino
• Mahi-Mahi Resort
• Inkblot Art Academy
• Sturgeon Shipyard
• MakoMart
• Wahoo World

New Weapons In Splatoon 3

Every weapon from Splatoon and Splatoon 2 will be available again, alongside a new bow and arrow weapon type called Stringers and the Splatana, which sends blades of ink flying and can be charged for a powerful, close range shot.

A new Special Weapon called the Tacticooler spawns a mini-fridge stocked with drinks that give your character power-ups and buffs. The Wave Breaker is an area-of-effect Special Weapon that unleashes waves of ink and marks opponent’s locations, and the Reef Slider lets you quickly cover large distances and deal damage on arrival.

The Tenta Missiles, Inkjet, Ink Storm, Ultra Stamp and Booyah Bomb Special Weapons will also return.

Customisation In Splatoon 3

You’ll have lots of new styles to dress your Inkling and Octolings up in, including headgear, clothing and shoes.

You buy new clothes from in-game shops like Naut Couture, which sells only the trendiest hats, masks and glasses; Man-o’-Wardrobe, run by the jellyfish Jel La Fleur; and the sneaker shop Crush Station.

Each piece of clothing has its own set of abilities which can change the way you play, and you can always swap an ability out for a new one if you love the style but not the stat.

Tableturf Battle

The new 1v1 card game is a mini-game twist on Turf War battles. The objective is still to paint more of the stage than your opponent, but you do this by playing cards that have Tetris-like shapes painted onto them in your colour. There are more than 150 cards to collect, so it sounds like there’ll be lots of different metas you can build a deck around.

Salmon Run: Next Wave

The wave-based co-op mode Salmon Run is returning with new Boss Salmonids, including the UFO-like Slammin’ Lid and Big Shot, who launches cannonballs across the map.

For players who want even more of a challenge, new King Salmonids will make you think twice about celebrating a successful run too soon. These elite bosses will occasionally spawn in just before you complete a job, giving you a timed window to deal enough to damage to drive them back and clear your escape path.

A special Salmon Run event called Big Run will also happen every few months, shaking up the regular gameplay and offering players a unique co-op challenge.

Return of the Mammalians Story Mode

Splatoon 3 will feature a new single-player campaign that plunges you underground to battle the Octarian army. Nintendo is keeping the story under wraps for now, but have said it will be the perfect way for new players to get acquainted with the new weapons and abilities.

There’s more coming and more to do in Splatoon 3, but these are the highlights so far. You can watch the full Nintendo Direct below to learn even more, and check out our pre-order guide here to find the cheapest copy of Splatoon 3 ahead of its September 9 release date on Nintendo Switch. Pre-orders are also live for the special-edition Splatoon Switch OLED, which features graffiti and artwork inspired by the game.