Splatoon 3's Splatsville hub will be bigger and more robust than ever

Gamers got their first extensive look at Splatoon 3 in a 30-minute Nintendo Direct Wednesday focused solely on their popular squid-based ink-shooting series, unlike other directs that show off multiple games. Splatoon 3 releases on Nintendo Switch on September 9, and new Amiibo will release this holiday season.

While many fan-favorite features return, it's clear there will be plenty of new content to enjoy. First of all, Splatoon 3 already looks quite polished. Nintendo showed off a much bigger version of Splatsville, the centralized hub for Splatoon 3. The campaign mode promises to bring the three-part story to a conclusion.

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Multiplayer modes are Splatoon's bread and butter, and that isn't changing. Turf War returns as the standard match mode. Replacing Ranked Battles are two similar modes called Anarchy Battles. You can play Anarchy Series (for solo players) or Anarchy Open (for playing with friends). Splat Zones, Tower Control, Clam Blitz, and Rainmaker modes all return for Anarchy play.

Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz all return in the new Anarchy mode.

Salmon Run, a four-player co-op mode introduced in Splatoon 2, returns with suped-up battles and bosses.

Some in-game changes seem subtle but have the potential to be quite significant. New techniques while swimming in the ink were introduced, including the Squid Surge, which allows you to swim up vertical walls much quicker, and the Squid Roll, which improves maneuverability while jumping out of the ink. Squid Roll even gives you a brief defense against enemy ink.

Several new stages were presented. New stages in the Splatlands theme include Scorch Gorge, Eeltail Alley, Mincemeat Metalworks, Undertow Spillway, and Hagglefish Market. Stages in the Greater Inkopolis theme include Museum D'Alfonsino, Hammerhead Bridge, and Mahi-Mahi Resort. Returning stages include Inkblot Academy, Sturgeon Shipyard, Makomart, and Wahoo World.

One of the coolest reveals is the new weapon called Splatana Wiper. It's an ink-shooting katana-like wiper blade that looks effective from both short and long ranges. Another new weapon reveal is a bowcast called the Stringer. All basic weapons from previous Splatoon games return.

New special weapons were revealed, as well. The Tacticooler is a portable drink dispenser that gives you and your entire team a temporary stat buff. Other new specials include the Wavebreaker, Crab Tank, and the Reefslider, which works like a small Sea-doo.

The lobby is getting a much-needed overhaul that will make playing in the same match with friends much easier than previous entries. Nintendo added a test range to practice your weapon while waiting for the match to start. You also can rewatch battles with a new replay mode, which also allows you to share clips on social media.

Though the in-battle content proves to be as robust as ever, Nintendo leaned into the rest of the game outside of battles. Shops return with a new type of currency. Players have new lockers they can customize with stickers and fashion gear. Splatoon 3 will have enough fresh new fashion content that Nintendo will dole out these items in new catalogs, which will release as free updates every three months. These in-game catalogs include customization badges, emotes, and banners your character will sport at the beginning of every battle.

Splatoon 3 will offer customization options for new tags, emotes, and banners.

A fun side event is a new minigame called Table Turn Battle, a 1-versus-1 deck-battling card game that mimics Turf War, but with tactical card placement. More than 150 cards can be acquired.

As with previous Splatoon entries, Nintendo promises regular content updates for two years, including the aforementioned catalogs every three months. League Battle and X Battle will release later, and Splatoon 3 also will get large-scale DLC, which could include other new game modes, gear, and other new content. No word yet on whether the DLC will follow Mario Kart 8’s rollout plan in the Nintendo Switch Online service.

Returning in Splatoon 3 is Splatfest, a timed event where players pick a team based on the announced them. The team that finishes with the higher score wins the overall Splatfest. This edition of Splatfest includes a new twist: Tri-Color Turf War. Normal battles are fights between two teams, but during Splatfests, the team that is leading the overall score will fight against two squads representing the other theme. The 16-player battle will be a record for Splatoon games in Turf War. The first Splatfest for Splatoon 3 will be available via an online demo on Aug. 27. The theme is "Rock-Paper-Scissors."