Splatoon 3

Splatoon 3 is a third-person shooter. Players choose to be either an "Inkling" or "Octoling" as their player character. Both wield weaponry that shoots colored ink. Weapons are diverse in ability and imagery, with most resembling household objects. For example, Rollers are large paint rollers that can cover large amounts of area in ink but are generally limited to close-range combat. At the same time, Chargers are sniper rifle-like weapons with a long range for sniping opponents but are less effective at painting the ground. Splatoon 3 expands upon this by adding new main and special weapons to the game. Inklings and Octolings also have the ability to morph into squid or octopus form, referred to as the "swim form" which can be used to climb ink-covered walls or swim through ink faster than the humanoid forms can walk. Weapons have a finite amount of ink ammunition, and submerging in ink via the swim form replenishes it quicker than in humanoid form. All basic weapons from the prior Splatoon games return in Splatoon 3.

Returning from its predecessor as a playable online multiplayer game mode is Regular Battle, known as Turf War. In Regular Battles, two teams of four players compete to cover the most amount of the map's area in their respective ink color. Each team can cover over an area covered by the opponents with their color in return, and the opposing team's ink slows movement, gradually deals damage and prevents the use of the player's swim form. Each player is equipped with a weapon set, chosen before each match, and each set comes with additional secondary and special weapons in addition to its main weapon. Secondary weapons provide alternate forms of attacking the other team and inking the ground; for example, Splat Bombs that explode a second after contact with a surface and Burst Bombs that explode upon impact. When enough ground is covered in a player's ink, they may use a special weapon, which are primarily used to attack the opposing team. Weapons and other forms of attack can deal damage to opposing players; when enough damage is given, they will "splat" their opponent, forcing them to restart from their starting location. Matches last three minutes, and whichever team covers a higher percentage of the field at the end of the match is declared the winner.

The game also features monthly "Splatfests", where players choose to join one of three teams (compared to two in the previous two games) over a particular theme and over two days engage in matches to gain the most points for victory. The Salmon Run co-op mode is also returning, being titled "Salmon Run Next Wave".

The main hub of Splatoon 3 is known as "Splatsville", nicknamed "the city of chaos", and is located in a different region from the previous two games' hub of "Inkopolis" known as "the Splatlands".

The story mode of Splatoon 3, titled Return of the Mammalians is set in a new location called "Alterna". It focuses on the reappearance of mammals, which have been long-extinct.