Splatoon 3 confirms an essential change to one of its best modes
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There’s a big change coming to Splatoon 3’s co-operative Salmon Run mode. One that’ll make it a lot more accessible.
Splatoon 3 isn’t out until September 9, but a recent presentation showcased a deep dive on what we can expect from the Nintendo Switch multiplayer shooter. That included more info on the horde mode-esque Salmon Run which is returning from Splatoon 2.
But Nintendo went one better with a post-Direct update on the official Splatoon website (opens in new tab), confirming that Salmon Run will be playable “at any time.” For context, Salmon Run’s first iteration in Splatoon 2 was a limited time mode, and could only be played on certain days of the week during select time periods.
Run the salmon
I can’t stress enough how welcome of a change this is to Splatoon 3’s Salmon Run mode. It means that squids and octolings both will be able to access Mr. Grizz’s shady part-time gig whenever they feel like it. No longer are they shackled by a schedule that dictates when they can and can’t play the mode.
I do somewhat understand why Nintendo time gated Salmon Run in Splatoon 2. The developers perhaps thought it might sway the playerbase away from the meat of the game. That being those moreish Turf War multiplayer battles. At the time, though, that decision ended up backfiring due to Salmon Run’s popularity.
As a result of the change, we might be spared any more FOMO (fear of missing out) over Salmon Run. In Splatoon 2, Salmon Run rewards were locked to specific time periods just like the mode itself. This hopefully won’t be an issue now, if players are simply able to jump into the mode whenever they feel like it.
It should also help Splatoon 3 players feel like they have more options in general. The game will offer the usual suite of competitive multiplayer modes along with a new single-player campaign (not to mention the fantastic-looking Tableturf Battle card game). But it’s great to see Nintendo has been confident enough to elevate Salmon Run to one of Splatoon 3’s pillars, as opposed to a novel distraction.
We won’t get to play the new Salmon Run until launch, but Nintendo is offering players the chance to try out Splatoon 3 before its release with the game’s inaugural Splatfest. These special competitive events will differ in Splatoon 3 by offering three choices of teams instead of just two.