WMG / Splatoon 3

The series in general
Splatoon | Splatoon 2 | Splatoon 3

Unmarked spoilers for the whole franchise ahead.

Pre-release

Idol guesses

The musical duo of this game will be...

A pair of brothers

In the first game we had the Squid Sisters, while the second gave us Pearl and Marina (all of them are girls). It would be an interesting change of pace if one or both of the new idols are boys.

• Jossed: While the idol group of 3 features one male idol in Big Man the Manta Ray, the others are girls as per tradition.

Virtual Youtuber-esque idols, and there'll be a campaign revolving around the mystery of their non-virtual identities.

As VirtualYouTubers are becoming popular due to the proliferation of several talent circles specializing in such, there may be a reflection of that trend in Splatsville's idol duo. While they won't be the focus of the main Hero Mode campaign like in Splatoon 2, there may come along a DLC story mode which revolves around them disappearing under mysterious circumstances and the player character conducting an investigation.

• Bonus points if one of the idols is a clear pastiche of a certain Vtuber heavily associated with octopi and art.
  • This is completely Jossed - Deep Cut are not virtual idols at all.

Punk rock based.

The splatland's arid climate covered in rusty metal is slightly evocative of The Apunkalypse, and could have two punkish stars to fit the theme.

• Supported by the fact that the Splattack theme played in the trailer sounds rock-like.
  • Given the style of the trio appears to be, I think this may be Jossed.

A Country or Cowpunk band.

This is to tie in to the Splatlands resembling the southwestern United States.

• Jossed: see punk rock.

Staffed by a lteast one humanoid Salmonid.

Or SalmonKID

• Alternatively, there could be an Idol who is an Urchin.
• Jossed: None of the Splatsville idols are humanoid Salmonids or Urchins.

Not a duo, but a trio

Considering that the first two games both had two idols, having something like a trio instead of a duo could provide an interesting change to the formula where there's an extra person to complement the other two. Another, less likely possibility is a quartet, or even just a single person doing everything.

• Three might be difficult to handle because there has to be two separate sides for Splatfest (unless if they include a Neutral option). Four might be more reasonable, but they'd have to be juggling so many characters at once with their different personalities.
  • Could potentially be remedied by having the potential third person not take any sides, having them stand in the center instead (akin to Sheldon, Judd and Mr. Grizz in the Splatocalypse art who are between the other characters who each sided with either Chaos or Order). So there could still be exactly one person per side, and the last one would either be neutral or the "I like both" type, or they could in fact even have a preference but choose not to take their preferred side to maintain a neutral bias.
• Confirmed! Deep Cut consists of three members, and Splatfests have been modified to take three sides as well, with a special three-way Turf War where four members from the current winning team have to defend against attacks from two members each from the other two teams taking part during the second day.

Not idols at all, but an actual news program.

Besides this format potentially adding a new flavor to the series (where so far, all the news were dropped by 2 people right there and then), it can also open up space for more characters to narrate the news with a lesser chance for overcrowding. So for instance, the first news sequence can have 2 new characters and then they move to where the Squid Sisters are (with them as news anchors) who tell a little bit about the story mode, for example "The Octarians have mysteriously grown mammalian fur... But how? Mammals are extinct! Unless our two Judds have something to do with it..." to try and draw the player in. This can also open up to one of the characters saying something like "Now here's [name here] with the stages" and then, on another screen, they introduce the stages like a weather report.

• Jossed: Series tradition has held true again with a new group of idols introducing the stages.

Both Squid Sisters and Off the Hook.

Which Duo is hosting will depend on the day of the week. Both duos will simultaneously host the show when there's an update, Splatfest or when starting up the game for the first time.

• Very likely jossed. As it stands, Off the Hook is on a world tour and also part of a new band called Damp Socks, nixing the chances of the duo being idols again.
  • Definitely jossed: A brand new idol group is getting the focus this time. Besides, the Squid Sisters are with Agent-turned-Commander 3, and Off the Hook is waiting to appear in the paid DLC.

DJ Octavio and Cap'n Cuttlefish will be the hosts this time.

• It'll also directly tie into the chaos theme.
  • Jossed: The Splatlands may be chaotic, but not nearly that much.

Shiver is missing her left eye.

Either that, or her face is scarred in some way, hence why she hides it with her bangs.

• Looks like this is already jossed. When Deep Cut introduce themselves, Shiver's bang moves in such a way that it briefly reveals their other eye - from the small glimpse, the eye looks completely fine and there seems to be no sign of scarring.

Shiver is nonbinary.

• As others have pointed out, Shiver is never referred to by any gendered terms, even in languages that would require them to be gendered (such as how they refer to themself in the Japanese version). It seems like the dialogue and any official social media posts are going out of their way to not gender Shiver in any way. It could also possibly tie into the "three" theme by giving a male, female and nonbinary idol rather than a male one and two female ones.
  • It's been confirmed that Shiver identifies as female and uses she/her pronouns in game, so that's Jossed.
  • Maybe in America, but the translation teams for Nintendo, especially NOA, have a habit of scrubbing any mention of trans or genderless characters in the games(Vivian, Kirby, the Beauty Nova who used to be a Black Belt, etc.). For now it's likely jossed, but it very well could have been a deliberate choice in the Japanese version that was censored in the NOA translation.
  • The game has been out for a few weeks now, and since no one has said anything about Shiver being non-binary in the original Japanese, I think this is safely jossed internationally. (Also, Nintendo hasn't handled the translation for Pokémon games since the mid-2000s. The Pokémon Company does it themselves.)

Single Player Campaign/Hero Mode

About the final boss of the Hero Mode Campaign.

As the game will be taking place away from Inkopolis and surrounding environs, DJ Octavio will not have as heavy a presence in Hero Mode (barring any potential fringe corps from the Octarian Army). Hence, the major villain of the campaign will be one of the following:

• Mr. Grizz, who's begun engaging in highly unethical scientific experimentation as a side job apart from Grizzco (or perhaps because Grizzco went belly-up before this game is set);
  • This may be a real possibility, as at the end of the second trailer, it briefly plays the Grizzco guitar riff as it namedrops the name of the story mode, likely indicating the involvement of Mr. Grizz.
  • Perhaps Grizzco was just the cover operation to fuel the real goal.
    • Confirmed! Mr. Grizz is behind it all.
• Pearl, who's let the victory from the Splatocalypse go to her head;
  • Likely jossed. As of Splatoon 3, Off the Hook pair is still alive and well and shown forming a new band with other members.
• Marina, who's been captured and brainwashed or worse and begun antagonizing everyone; or
  • Likely jossed for the same reason as Pearl.
• Commander Tartar, who's been revived by unknown means and is seeking revenge for its defeat.
  • As Tartar is an AI, it can be backed up and loaded onto another machine. Agent 8 may have destroyed its telephone body, but it may have copied itself elsewhere prior.
    • Considering its last line of dialogue and the goop that seeped out possibly being one of its forms (alongside the fact that it seems to explode after its defeat), there's implication that its core was probably blown to pieces and thus destroyed for good. That is, unless someone manages to piece it back together...
• Some sort of Salmonid leader intent on claiming the Splatlands either out of desperation or pride.
• Octavio again, either directly or via Hijacked by Ganon. However, he'll retire the Octobot King for something dramatically more powerful/imposing, likely using Golden Eggs.
  • Surprise! Octavio is not the final boss, but the FIRST boss this time! And Mr. Grizz is indeed the final boss, so that's Confirmed.

DJ Octavio's going to be an ally this time

Either he'll be pleased to know that Inklings and Octolings are coexisting peacefully now and would thus be more willing to help the protagonist on their adventure, something will happen to provoke an Enemy Mine situation, or both.

• May be confirmed. In the second trailer, he's briefly shown piloting what looks like the Octobot King or a variation of it as he descends down a cliff and he's also prominently shown in the official artwork for the story mode of Splatoon 3. The trailer also features furry Octarians which may or may not indicate they're being controlled against their will, making it more unlikely that he will be a villain as it wouldn't make much sense for him to do that to his fellow Octarians.
  • [It's more of an Enemy Mine situation, but Octavio does help out for the final phase of the final boss, so Confirmed!

The singleplayer campaign will be a mix between Hero Mode and Octo Expansion styles of progression.

Where the player is given a good variety of levels to play through, but must complete a specific amount (not all) before taking on a boss battle for a progression item necessary to access the final set.

• While the concept itself hasn't been confirmed yet, a few screenshots do offer a glimpse of the goal point (in its disassembled state) and the Octoling checkpoint, which are both found in Octo Expansion and may be a sign that the singleplayer mode is a mix of both Hero Mode and Octo Expansion at least in some manner.
• Some levels do have Octo Expansion-style missions, so it's seemingly more likely to be Confirmed.
• Going to make my own guess on top of this and say that the first half of the campaign will be structured like the Hero Mode of the last two games, then a twist happens that causes the second half to play out like Octo Expansion. That's why New Agent 3 has both a normal Hero Suit and a tattered, beat-up one in promotional material, with the Splatoon 3 Direct also showing her lose her gear.
  • From some footage from a press release event, it seems like missions are more based on their Octo Expansion style, but thankfully some missions won't have a fee to enter. It may be that we do have a few missions based on the original Splatoon style before we get transferred to the underground.
    • The first area, set in the Crater, is more or less classic Hero Mode stuff, while after the first boss, we dive into Octo Expansion-style gameplay, so Confirmed.

We'll find out more about the mastermind behind Grizzco

In Splatoon 2, Salmon Run missions are described as being "pretty sketch" and the most we know about Mr. Grizz is that he communicates using a bear-shaped radio/walkie-talkie device and wants to collect as many golden eggs as possible. Splatoon 3, especially with the presence of a Smallfry as the player's "little buddy", may very well involve the revelation of the truth behind Mr. Grizz and his company - he could be an insidious Inkling, Octoling, or someone else we don't know about. For all we know, Mr. Grizz may even be a Salmonid himself, working in secrecy under the aforementioned alias to veil his true identity; possibly an outcast or truly villainous Salmonid whose primary directive is to collect as many golden eggs as possible to raise his own army to strike back at the other Salmonids, and using Inklings and Octolings to aid him.

• One piece of official Splatoon 2 artwork has the words "Save Our Salmons" hidden in the waves of the ocean, lending this WMG more credence.
• If Mr. Grizz is indeed a Salmonid, his real name may also be a pun on something relevant or similar-sounding, as is the tradition with various other characters - the word "salmonella" comes to mind, both having the word "salmon" in it and being the name of a foodborne illness, possibly making for just the right kind of a particularly nasty, rotten Salmonid.
  • Inching towards confirmed but not quite yet. The end of the second trailer has a small hint of the Grizzco theme (namely the laugh-like guitar riff), making it even more likely that Mr. Grizz will play a major part in the story.
    • And fully Confirmed in that Mr Grizz is the final boss, and we learn what his grand plan was all along: to cover the world with Fuzzy Ooze!

The main singleplayer campaign will prominently feature friendly Salmonids

Considering the Smallfry companion and the "Save Our Salmons" picture, this game's "Hero Mode" could have some Salmonids asking the player for help and filling the same role that Cap'n Cuttlefish and Marie have in Splatoon and Splatoon 2 respectively. Likewise, it may also be about rescuing captured Salmonids (in the same vein as saving the Zapfish) from a threat that is not yet known. The Smallfry may also play a prominent role in helping the player.

• Appears to be jossed so far. The second trailer, which shows off some of the story mode, features the Squid Sisters (which appear to be reprising their role from first Splatoon's story mode) and it also offers a look at more Octarians and a glimpse at a Zapfish. The Smallfry, however, does seem to still play a key role as the player's helper, and there is still a potential chance that Salmonids in general may be involved due to lack of concrete info.
  • Fully jossed now, as the Smallfry companion is the only Salmonid that makes an appearance.

Adding to the above, the Salmonid Mothership from 2 will pull a Gunship Rescue during the singleplayer campaign.

• Jossed. The Mothership does not make an appearance.

The Smallfry will be controllable

In the singleplayer campaign at least, the player may be able to switch between their Inkling/Octoling and the accompanying Salmonid to help achieve some goals, with each character having their own advantages; for example, the regular player character could do everything they were able to do before (like run and shoot), while the Salmonid could be a bit faster and go in spots that the player character will be too big to fit into and enable the other character to advance if, for instance, there's a gate blocking the player from making progress with a switch that can only be reached by a Smallfry.

• Partly confirmed? While there's no showcase of the Smallfry being controlled like a player character, the second trailer does seem to show the player Inkling throwing it like a splat bomb to get rid of an object (possibly an obstacle or enemy).
  • Based on the Splatoon 3 Direct, it appears that the player's Smallfry functions like any other sub-weapon, so in that regard it's confirmed to be controllable - just not directly.
  • This blog post from Nintendo (dating to when the Return of the Mamammlians trailer was released, so how'd we miss that) confirms that this is exactly the case.

The furry Octarians are infected by a mind-controlling disease

The second trailer shows a blob of fuzzy ooze engulfing an Inkling and covering them all over with fur. An official article says that when this happens, they lose all sense of self. So chances are that the furry Octarians were affected by the same substance and now do someone's bidding, probably that of the main villain and in a similar vein to the Sanitized Octarians from Octo Expansion.

• Mutagenic goo brought forth by experimentation on fossilized remains under a misunderstanding of the term "fossil fuel" by the energy rationing octarians!
• Sapient colonies of extracellular mammalian mitochondria mutating octarians into more comfortable forms!
• A backup weapon of spite released in the event Commander Tartar fell!
• A prototype of the Judd immortality drug the octarians breached the containment of!
• Microscopic mammals resulting from humanity's nuclear wars that hijack octarian cells!
  • The Squid Research Lab has revealed furry Octolings - besides clearly having been affected by Fuzzy Ooze, they also seem to be sporting goggles that are filled with the stuff, implying that there is indeed some sort of mind control at work.

The story mode will take us to space.

The second trailer gives us a suspiciously long shot of a rocket in ice. And honestly, with Splatoon's penchant for puns, it wouldn't surprise me that the Mammalians are actually Mamm-Aliens in the end. Perhaps this could also, in a sense, explain the Judds' origins, as perhaps mammals have been in cryopods in space for so long that the world forgot about them, thus giving Inklings and Octolings alike of the Splatoon 3 world the impression that they're aliens. As for the rocket, I believe we'll use that to reach the final level, which could take place on the Mamm-Alien mothership, perhaps revealed to be a forgotten human-made space station, where we fight the final boss.

• The idea of using the rocket to reach the final level is Jossed... because the rocket IS the final level, which takes place in space, meaning the rest of the WMG is Confirmed for regarding heading into space.

The Returning Mammalians are...

Marine or aquatic mammals who attempted to colonize the lands but were driven back by octarians.

• Whales!
• Seals!
• Sea Lions!
• Otters!
• Beavers!
• Muskrats!
• Polar Bears!
• Walrus!
• Voles!
• Manatees!
• Tigers!
• Water Shrews!
• Fishing Cats!
• Dugongs!
• Nutria!
• Hippopotami!
• Minks!
• Capybaras!
• Platypuses!
  • I'm surprised no-one suggested dolphins, as O.R.C.A, whose role pulls from both Tartar and C.Q., has a dolphin as it's icon.

Subterranean mammals who survived the rising waters in the air pockets of tunnels or caves. The octarians Dug Too Deep.

• Moles!
• Bats!
• Gerbils!
• Brown Bears!
• Pangolins!
• Mice!
• Gophers!
• Aardvark!
• Prairie dogs!
• Groundhogs!
• Meerkats!
• Foxes!
• Armadillos!
• Rabbits!
• Raccoons!
  • Pretty much all of these are jossed. There is Mr. Grizz, who is grizzly bear, but he's the only one. His goal is to jump start the return of mammals by using fuzzy ooze to mutate/kill off all the current species.

Human domesticated mammals who outlived their masters but were oppressed by octarians.

• Elephants!
• Sheep!
• Donkeys!
• Camels!
• Cats!
• Alpacas!
• Dogs!
• Horses!
• Goats!
• Cattle!
• Hamsters!
• Llamas!
• Ferrets!
• Pigs!
• Guinea pigs!
• Reindeer!
• Yaks!
• Lab Rats!

Cryptids who evaded human detection until ready to strike.

• Yeti!
• Michigan Dogman!
• Jersey Devil!
• Sea Ape!
• Trunko!
• Ningen!
• Barmanou!
• Dobhar-chú!
• Yeren!
• Igopogo!
• Manipogo!
• Almas!
• Beast of Bodmin Moor!
• Beast of Exmoor!
• Bigfoot!
• Unicorn!
• Jackalope!

A mammal thought to be extinct back for revenge.

• Tasmanian Tiger!
• Giant Tapir!
• Giant aye-aye!
• Short Faced Bear!
• Woolly Rhinoceros!
• Caribbean Monk Seal!
• Basilosaurus!
• Don Hare!
• Steppe Bison!
• Stegodon!
• Mastodon!
• Georgiacetus!
• Dire Wolf!
• Emperor Rat!
• Saber Toothed Cat!
• Australopith!
• Pelagiarctos!
• Livyatan!

Agent 3's appearance will be affected by Splatoon 2's save data

To be precise, if the player has played Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion on their console and starts up Splatoon 3 on the same one, the customization options for Agent 3 might carry over from the older game's save file to the new one (perhaps as a bonus for those who have played the DLC beforehand) and make them match once introduced. On the other hand, if the player doesn't have the relevant save data (either because they didn't play the game or didn't make it to the point where they can customize Agent 3), then the customization options may be randomized, preset to something default, or made available to the player at the start of the game.

• As there's save data bonuses for having Splatoon 2 save data, this seems more likely to be part of that.
• Confirmed. If a player purchased Octo Expansion, their chosen design for Agent 3 will carry over. The part about being able to customize them regardless is also true, with the exact same sketchpad being present at the start of the campaign.

The Octarians aren't the main threat

Sure, the second trailer shows the furry Octarians and Zapfish, apparently setting them up as the biggest part of the new story. But maybe this is a Red Herring - the Octarians look like they are playing a role of being evil minions, but perhaps they are not as prominent in the campaign as they seem and may get paired with or even replaced by something else later down the line, that being the real enemy. As for the Zapfish, they may have been stolen by a totally new entity for a purpose that is much more sinister than in the first two games. Bonus points if DJ Octavio comes in and says he hasn't done it!

• Some screenshots from the singleplayer mode feature elements from Octo Expansion, and given that Octavio originally stole the Zapfish to provide electrical power to the Octarians, this might mean that the Zapfish are being used for something else or even a decoy to distract the main character.
  • The Direct confirms that some stages will work akin to stages in Octo Expansion - we get to see Agent 3 popping balloons while avoiding fail balloons, and trying to get to the goal before a timer runs out.
  • There is a glimpse of what appears to be a school of golden salmon-like fish, which may or may not be Salmonids.
    • Confirmed. The Octarians are still the main minions, but the actual main threat is Mr. Grizz, though the player also must content with DJ Octavio (who is looking for his troops) and Deep Cut (who thinks you're rival treasure hunters).

Judd is the central point of the story

There's a brief snippet showing a drawing of Judd in the second trailer. Considering that he's a cat and that the title of the story is "The Return of the Mammalians" alongside the existence of Fuzzy Ooze, this could mean Judd is a major part of it. Perhaps he has been kidnapped and his mammalian essence is being used to create the Fuzzy Ooze and furry Octarians, or maybe he or even Li'l Judd is behind it all himself. The only question however is who would be left to judge the matches in Judd's stead if he's indeed gone (possibly Li'l Judd).

• Jossed as far as Judd's kidnapping is concerned: the official blog's digest of the August 10th Direct shows him in the Battle Lobby no worse for wear.
  • It could be Little Judd though - note how he looks fuzzier in the results screen?
    • And fully Jossed now, as neither of them play any role in the story mode. That said, it is implied that Lil' Judd is aware of what happened and is now in charge of Grizzco.

Commander Tartar will be revealed to still be active, or perhaps even The Man Behind the Man

Commander Tartar's fate was left unknown at the end of Octo Expansion, apart from the screen fading to white. However, the manga indicates Tartar wasn't "killed," it only went offline - what if Tartar was able to reactivate at some point before 3? Furthermore, the colorful sections of the Fuzzy Ink shown in the trailer bear a striking resemblance to Sanitized Ink. With what we know now, the connections between the Fuzzy Ink and Kamabo Co. are unmistakable.

• Possibly jossed. The Splatoon 3 Direct showcases, among other things, DJ Octavio and some golden fish - with that, there is next to no indication of Tartar's involvement unless it's doing a great job not exposing itself.
• Fully Jossed - there is absolutely no mention or hint of Tartar.

One or more of the NPC characters will be turned fully into humans in the story mode

• The fuzzy substance affects Inklings as well as the Octarians. The player Inkling is seen being engulfed in the fuzzy substance and coming out looking like Captain Caveman. It's not shown how the player is able to change back, but presumably there is a way. However, while the player is probably mostly immune and will only become that form, one or more of the NPC Inkling characters could be affected differently for dramatic effect, and turn into a human version of themselves. If one of the Squid Sisters turns, the other will either remain unaffected or turn later on in the story.
  • Might be jossed. Art showing furry Octolings was released, which depicts Octolings with fur on their tentacles and goggles that seem to be filled with Fuzzy Ooze, possibly dashing any idea of any Inklings or Octolings turning into humans.
  • Not counting the bad ending of the final boss, this is basically Jossed.

Mr. Coco will be at least mentioned in Hero Mode.

• Octarians growing hair is a major plot point from what's been seen in trailers, and Mr. Coco just so happens to have a Carpet of Virility despite being a crab. If the reason for that isn't explained in the main story, a Sunken Scroll may reveal it to be some sort of anatomical quirk that only *looks* like a tuft of chest hair.
  • Technically confirmed? Mr. Coco is mentioned via the Sunken Scrolls by way of his species being highlighted, but the scroll focuses on how large crabs in the Splatlands get, rather than acknowledge that part of his shell looks like hair.

Deep Cut will have at least a minor appearance in singleplayer mode

With the Squid Sisters already being heavily involved in Hero Mode and Off the Hook getting their own campaign in the future, Deep Cut may or may not end up being relevant in either one or the other (or both) assuming they don't receive a DLC too. Otherwise, they might not get the same amount of development and lore as the other two groups. A probably safe bet is the Sunken Scrolls providing some background information about them, but all the same it would make sense if the members of Deep Cut were part of an in-game story instead of serving as stage announcers only.

• Backing this up is that the masks that the trio wears in their Splatoon 3 Direct reveal and have in their 2D key art◊ are the same exact masks shown in the poster for Return of the Mammalians◊.
  • It appears that there is a likely chance that the idol reveal at the end of the Direct was not just a reveal, but a cutscene. Upon closer inspection, it's shown that the surroundings in said reveal are actually Alterna, or more specifically the location with the giant rocket (which can be seen in the background as it zooms in on the group), and the general look of this sequence feels as though it was lifted straight from the game itself instead of merely animated and pieced together with video editing software. So all things considered, it would actually be quite surprising if this wasn't part of the main story and was indeed created just for the Direct.
  • Given that a recent Japanese trailer does show a clip of the Deep Cut introduction cutscreen from the Direct, this seems to be all but confirmed now.
    • Confirmed. And, minor? How about a MAJOR role in the story - with all three of them being Boss Battles, and them even helping out for the final boss with regards to getting up to them and singing Calamari Inkantation in the last phase!

Instead of DJ Octavio or some other obvious threat, Deep Cut will be the bad guys even if temporarily

Assuming the idol reveal is indeed a cutscene of some sort, then it paints a picture of idols who, unlike Off the Hook or the Squid Sisters, are quite territorial and probably aren't as keen on befriending the main characters. They will however switch to the player's side sooner or later - since they have a news program and therefore almost certainly aren't actual villains - but until then, Deep Cut may actually try to put a stop to New Squidbeak Splatoon instead of helping without realizing NSS is trying to save the world, or will at least be unappreciative of their presence.

• Well, they do claim that "Only we may loot here" - but that all depends on if Deep Cut really are in Hero Mode or not.
  • Which as the recent trailer seems to confirm they're in Hero Mode seems to be more likely now.
    • Confirmed - they're after the treasure of the land, which is what leads to their boss battles during the story.

Depending on the race you choose to be, certain dialogue in Hero Mode will be altered

For example, Cuttlefish's introduction cutscreen would possibly reference the events of Octo Expansion as to why he'd allow an Octoling to be the new Agent 3.

• Jossed, surprisingly. Despite the series' penchant for throwing in bits of new or special dialogue for some of the actions you can do, this isn't one of them. Your Octoling thankfully doesn't take the rant about "octojerks" personally if you chose to play as one.

This game serves as the end of the main trilogy

It's been mentioned in the Nintendo Direct leading to the game's release that it's the end of a saga. Maybe this could be the Grand Finale to the trilogy (or maybe even the whole series?).

• No way is it the end of the series. Splatoon is just too big of a franchise.
  • Yeah, after beating the game's main campaign, this was definitely just referring to the current story arc that was set up in Splatoon 2 regarding a deeper dive into humans and what led to the current state of the world.

Miscellaneous

The ship they were building at Sturgeon Shipyard will show up in completed form as a stage

• This may be possible in a future update. After all, the Splatoon 3 Direct did show that Hammerhead Bridge has finally been completed, so it's not out of the question that the Shipyard's current-at-the-time project is also ready to sail.

The Splatlands are in Europe, rather than Japan.

Hence the wrecked Eiffel Tower and the repurposed espresso machines.

• Jossed - according to the Direct, the Splatlands are just across a bridge from Greater Inkopolis.

Alternatively, it's in Las Vegas

Explaining both the Eiffel Tower and the desert setting.

• Likely to be Jossed for the same reason.
  • A map of the region matches that of a Japanese prefecture, so yeah, jossed.

Potential New Weapons

• A whip like weapon.
• Melee weapons.
  • These are confirmed.The Direct revealed the Splatana class, weapons that functions just like a sword (complete with Sword Beam, so they can still ink turf).
  • Technically. In practice, most players you see wi\ll be using the sword beam far more than trying to get up close for a OHKO.
• A Charger-like weapon that functions more like a charge shot in Mega Man or Metroid, where charging results in a bigger, more powerful shot rather than a longer shot.
• Weapons based on the Super Scope, Wii Zapper, and/or Toy-Con Blaster.
• A stringer that trades the charge function for fully automatic fire.
• Nunchaku-like weapons.
• A shuriken sub-weapon.
• Gauntlets of some kind.
• A spear-like weapon based on a pen or pencil.

Stages from the previous games will return, but not exactly the way they were in Splatoon 2.

Rather than battling in the very same location, there will be Splatsville locations, establishing some of these locations as chains. Examples might include the Splatsville branches of MakoMart, New Albacore Hotel, Flounder Heights, and Arowana Mall. In addition, Manta Maria might be the very same stage as before—as its a vehicle, it can travel to Splatsville, provided there is a body of water nearby big enough for it to dock at.

• Appears to be supported by a piece of news that announced the development team is looking to hire a level designer, and one of the jobs listed is labelled as "renovating existing stages" — this likely means that some stages from the previous games will indeed return, in different forms.
  • Well, there are levels set in Greater Inkopolis, which may indeed be revamped since the last game.
  • Basically confirmed: the redesigns aren't as drastic on some stages as they are on others (Hammerhead Bridge has a new layout, while MakoMart just expanded a few platforms near spawn), but most returning maps we've seen so far in promotional material (both from Splatoon 1 and 2) have gotten revamps of some kind.

The bow in the trailer is the game's featured new weapon, like the Splat Dualies in Splatoon 2.

It will be a prominent icon for Splatoon 3, appearing in the box art and being featured as a selectable weapon in demos and/or potential global testfires.

• Inching towards confirmed (but not quite yet). The Switch OLED trailer features a brief snippet of Splatoon 3's gameplay and its main focus is a player using the bow, making it more likely that this weapon will be the game's main icon and one of several choices in testfires when/if any are held.
• The theory being confirmed is becoming extremely likely - at the end of the turf war demo, the screen showing the release date has artwork that has the bow weapon and its user as the most prominent element, putting huge emphasis on them as a result. Said screen may even end up being the box art itself.
  • Confirmed. The official box art was also released, and it uses the aforementioned artwork and puts the bow (now confirmed to be called a "stringer") and the Inkling using it straight up front and center, making the idea of the weapon being prominently featured entirely undeniable.

There will be more romantic subtext between Pearl and Marina

What with Nintendo having done away with gender-restricted character customization options, as well as doing away with gender altogether in the character customization screen, similarly to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it seems reasonable to surmise that they wouldn't skimp on other LGBTQ+ content in Splatoon 3. Plus, snippets of dialogue between the two, both in 2's Octo Expansion and outside of it, have already hinted at their devotion to each other.

• The upcoming DLC will possibly either confirm or deny this, as it's been hinted to heavily involve Off the Hook.

If Salmon Run returns, it will be slightly different from Salmon Run in Splatoon 2

Because it appears as though Salmonids may not be a threat anymore, the players may face a new one that they must fight and take their version of the golden eggs from. Said new threat may be another form of sea life (like sharks or mantas) or a different species of fish such as pike or trout.

• Jossed in the 9.2.2022. Nintendo Direct. Besides new bosses and mechanics, Salmon Run is exactly the same - with Salmonids and Golden Eggs and all.

By the time 3 takes place, Off the Hook will have officially joined the NSS.

As such, you will likely be playing as Agent 7, rather than 5.

• While Off the Hook's entry hasn't been confirmed, the player is instead referred to as New Agent 3 (with Agent 3 likely being the new NSS captain).
• Potentially jossed. Off the Hook are on a world tour and performing as part of a new band called Damp Socks, so they've most likely been Demoted to Extra.
  • Looks to be Jossed, even though they will return in paid DLC content.

We will get to see Octavio outside of his octopus form.

I just think it would be cool...

• Not in the main story, not, but we may see it in the DLC story

A Nautilus race serving as a Neutral Party in Splatfests.

• Half-confirmed. Splatfests do have a third option this time, but the third idol representing it is a manta ray instead (and the third side isn't necessarily neutral).

The large Salmonid shown at the end of the 9.2.2022. trailer is...

• A Giant Mook/Cohock.
  • The look and name (Cohozuna) of the showcased King Salmonid imply that it's indeed a giant Cohock.
• The mother/leader of the Salmonids.
• A Boss Salmonid of some sort.
  • This part is confirmed. The Splatoon 3 Direct reveals that it's a boss indeed - what makes it different from the other bosses, however, is that it has a chance to appear at the end of a shift and takes a lot more to be brought down. Losing to it also doesn't invalidate the previous three waves.
• The main villain of Hero Mode.
• The main villain's creation.
• Little Buddy, grown to a huge size.
• Mr. Grizz's real self, dragged out of hiding.
• Something else entirely, possibly even just a background character.

Off The Hook operates Grizzco now

The third trailer shows the Inklings and Octolings jumping into a brand new Salmon Run stage from a helicopter resembling those from Octo Expansion. This makes it possible that Off The Hook is the new boss of Grizzco, with Mr. Grizz having been removed somehow; perhaps the company's objective now is to defend from the Salmonids that are now going all out and attacking the Inkling and Octoling civilization while collecting eggs that are getting left behind in the process so that they don't die and are used to help preserve the Salmonids.

• Possibly jossed; an official image shows Mr. Grizz's statue, implying that he's still in charge of Grizzco. Off the Hook being employees at Grizzco are still possible, though.
  • The idea seems to have been jossed altogether, with the duo now being part of a newly formed band instead.

Little Buddy is not a friend of the Salmonids

Given that the story mode involves having a little Smallfry ally with Salmon Run also being available (as revealed by the third trailer), it seems rather strange and jarring because you'd be fighting its friends... Except what if they're not its friends? What if Little Buddy is a defector that chose to abandon the other Salmonids and side with the player Inkling/Octoling for whatever reason? Or what if Little Buddy was born in captivity and raised without its kind's influence? That would likely explain why Salmon Run is coming back despite having a Salmonid friend, because in that case it would either not mind or even straight up go against its own species, and this scenario would also avoid making the player out as a monster by having a Smallfry pet but destroying the others for monetary gain.

• Partially confirmed. Sunken Scroll 08 explains that young Salmonids, on rare occasions, get lost during a run without a way home. Little Buddy doesn't show any antagonism towards other Salmonids (it's only around during single-player, which doesn't have any enemy Salmonids - it's never around during Salmon Run), but the Sunken Scroll essentially confirms that Little Buddy was raised without Salmonid influence.

There will be a new mode that will serve as teasing for a potential Splatoon 4

While it's way too early to tell, the Salmon Run mode introduced in 2 looked like it set up things that would be addressed in 3 (which wasn't officially developed until after the game's final updates). Come 3, and not only do we have a Salmonid as a companion during the single-player campaign, but Mr. Grizz could also be involved, if the focus on the "Mammalians" and the Fuzzy Ooze are any indication.

If the pattern persists, 3 could add a new game mode that could serve as a tease of the future just as the Salmon Run did (whether it's in the base game or part of DLC).

• The first new mode we've gotten, courtesy of the Splatoon 3 Direct, is... a Card Battle Game. Splatoon 4 getting Yu-Gi-Oh! up in here?

Going with the Off the Hook working for Grizzco theory above, the Princess Cannon will be used to defeat the King Salmonid

• The aforementioned Salmonid is too big to be taken down by regular weapons, so a weapon as potent as the Princess Cannon could be enough to take it down.
• Jossed; everyone is instead given egg cannons to launch Golden Eggs at it.

Octavio and Cuttlefish will reconcile and become friends again.

They used to be good friends, up until the Great Turf War where they had to fight each other for land. Now that the Inklings and Octolings seem to be good allies, it's probably high time for the two to ally as well and restart their friendship.

• Given how Octavio helps New Agent 3 during the final boss of Hero Mode? I think they've put aside their differences - or at least enough to stop the Fuzzy Ooze.

Related to the above, we'll finally find out what drove a wedge between the two besides the Great Turf War.

Given that the Splatoon 3 Direct claimed that Return of the Mammalians is the "epic ending of this splat-astic saga" previously set up by the previous games' Hero Modes, there's the important matter of tying up as many loose ends as possible. One of the loosest ends so far is the exact cause of Cuttlefish and Octavio's falling out. We know that Octavio's side lost the war and were forced to live in substandard conditions—and the thefts of the Great Zapfish were desperate ploys to improve their life—but what if there was something more to the rift than what the Sunken Scrolls had implied? Perhaps the true cause was one of the following:

• Cuttlefish had previously wronged Ocatvio over something trifling and the latter never learned to move on from it.
• They were both rivals for a lover, and said lover chose Cuttlefish.
• Another close friend of Octavio had left him for Cuttlefish, and the fallout came from Octavio misinterpreting the situation as Cuttlefish "stealing" them away.

By "finale of the saga," they just mean the end of the story arc(s) started in the previous two games, a la Metroid Dread, or even just the end of Splatoon 3's story mode(s).

Splatoon is WAY too popular for them to just end the franchise. It's more likely that:

• This game will show the end of the war between the Squidbeak Splatoon and DJ Octavio, with Octavio either making a Heel–Face Turn or being defeated once and for all, freeing the Octarians from his control
• This game will be the last one to focus on the greater Inkopolis area, with future games focusing on other areas around the world

Or

• This game will reveal the secrets behind the Salmonids.

It doesn't seem like they'd just end a huge money-maker like Splatoon.

Deep Cut are Splatoon's counterparts to the Planet Express crew

A purple haired woman (or feminine-looking person) with only one visible eye, a redhead called Fry, and a grey, bulky Non-Human Sidekick. Is this referring to Shiver, Frye and Big Man, or Leela, Fry and Bender?

• Alternatively, they are counterparts to Team Rocket.
  • Well, they certainly do go blasting off again when you defeat them...

Potential Splatfests

2 Factions

NOTE: Due to Splatfests in Splatoon 3 now pitting three sides against each other, compared to two in the previous games, all of the following have been jossed unless they have a third faction added.

• Old ones, like Cat vs. Dog or Cake vs. Ice Cream or Family vs. Friends, may return.
• Chicken vs. Beef (or something similar)
• Classical music vs. Modern music
• Ninja vs. Samurai
• Something involving other media (like the Spongebob vs. Patrick splatfest in Splatoon)
  • Satori vs. Koishi
  • Miracles vs. Certainty
  • Wind-Up vs. No Wind-Up
  • Hope vs. Despair
  • Avengers vs. X-Men
    • Rocket vs. Groot
    • Cyclops vs. Wolverine
    • Captain America vs. Iron Man
    • Marvel Comics vs. DC Comics
  • Maximals vs. Predacons
    • Jetfire vs. Jetstorm
    • Whirl vs. Shockwave
    • Soundwave vs. Blaster
    • Rodimus Prime vs. Ultra Magnus
    • Cyclonus vs. Scourge
    • Shockwave vs. Soundwave
    • Bumblebee vs. Cliffjumper
    • Sideswipe vs. Sunstreaker
    • Superion vs. Menasor
  • Mario vs. Luigi
    • Wario vs. Waluigi
  • Pokemon vs Digimon/Yo(u)-Kai Watch/(Insert Mons game here)
• 2-D vs. 3-D
  • 2-D Animation vs. 3-D Animation
  • 2-D Art vs. 3-D Art
  • 2-D Platformers vs. 3-D Platformers
• City vs. Farm (alternatively, Urban vs. Rural)
• Summer vs. Winter
• Playing games vs. Watching TV
• DJ Octavio vs. Commander Tartar
• Cyberpunk vs. Steampunk
• Ghosts vs. Zombies
• Ketchup vs. Mustard
• Shapeshifting vs. Telekinesis
• Peanut Butter vs. Jelly
• Kaiju vs. Mecha
• At Home vs. On The Go
• Chocolate vs. Gummy Bears
• Homemade Food vs. Restaurant Food
  • Alternatively, Homemade Food vs. Takeout
• Wealth vs. Fame
  • Confirmed in the form of Money vs. Fame vs. Love
• Board Games vs. Card Games
• Fall vs. Spring
• Extroversion vs. Introversion
• Coffee vs. Tea
• Ice Hockey vs. Field Hockey
• Land animals vs. Sea animals
• Fruit juice vs. Soda
• Studying vs. Playing
• Pencil vs. Sword (based on "the pencil is mightier than the sword")
• Vegan vs. Meat
• Chocolate vs. Vanilla
• Pokémon Scarlet vs. Pokémon Violet
• Corn Tortillas vs. Flour Tortillas
• Ice Cream in a Cup vs. Ice Cream in a Cone
• Spicy Food: Yes vs. No
• Shopping Online vs. Shopping in Person
• Unpleasant Things: Deal with Them First vs. Save for Later
• Bagels vs. Doughnuts
• Breakfast Menu vs. Lunch/Dinner Menu
• Digital Art vs. Traditional Art

3 Factions - Tie-In

Splatoon

• Shiver vs. Frye vs. Big Man
• Inklings vs. Octolings vs. Salmonids
• Turf War vs. Anarchy Battle vs. Salmon Run
• Turf Battles (Turf Wars and Anarchy Battles combined) vs. Salmon Run vs. Tableturf Battle
• DJ Octavio vs. Commander Tartar vs. Mr. Grizz
• Squid Sisters vs. Off the Hook vs. Deep Cut
• Story Mode vs. Turf Battles vs. Salmon Run
• Octo Expansion vs. Return of the Mammalians vs. Side Order
• Headgear vs. Clothing vs. Shoes, each represented by their respective Gear vendors. Winning faction gets a discount for the week.
• Squid Squad (includes Front Roe and Diss-Pair) vs. Wet Floor vs. C-Side
• Main Weapon vs. Sub Weapon vs. Special

Pokémon

• Grass vs. Fire vs. Water
• Bulbasaur vs. Charmander vs. Squirtle
• Sprigatito vs. Fuecoco vs. Quaxly, to tie in with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
  • Confirmed as part of the aforementioned Grass vs. Fire vs. Water, with the Paldea starters featured on the T-shirts.
• Articuno vs. Zapdos vs. Moltres
• Raikou vs. Entei vs. Suicune
• Kyogre vs. Groudon vs. Rayquaza
• Regirock vs. Regice vs. Registeel
• Dialga vs. Palkia vs. Giratina
• Uxie vs. Mesprit vs. Azelf
• Reshiram vs. Zekrom vs. Kyurem
• Cobalion vs. Terrakion vs. Virizion
• Tornadus vs. Thundurus vs. Landorus
• Xerneas vs. Yveltal vs. Zygarde
• Solgaleo vs. Lunala vs. Necrozma
• Okidogi vs. Munkidori vs. Fezandipiti
• Gold vs. Silver vs. Crystal
• Physical vs. Special vs. Status
• Jessie vs. James vs. Meowth
• Mega Evolution vs. Z-Moves vs. Dynamax/Terastal
• Fighting vs. Psychic vs. Dark
• Ice vs. Steel vs. Ground
• Keldeo vs. Meloetta vs. Genesect
• Forces of Nature vs. Tapu Quartet vs. Swords of Justice/Treasures of Ruin
• Mew vs. Celebi vs. Jirachi
• Pikachu vs. Eevee vs. Clefairy
• Catching Legendaries/Path of Legends vs. Challenging the League/Victory Road vs. Fighting Evil Teams/Starfall Street
• Normal Meowth vs. Alolan Meowth vs. Galarian Meowth
• Flareon vs. Vaporeon vs. Jolteon
• Hitmonlee vs. Hitmonchan vs. Hitmontop
• Diancie vs. Hoopa vs. Volcanion
• Weather Trio vs. Creation Trio vs. Tao Trio/Aura Trio/Light Trio
• Legendary Birds vs. Legendary Beasts vs. Regis

Sonic the Hedgehog

• Sonic vs. Tails vs. Knuckles
• Sonic vs. Shadow vs. Silver
• Shadow vs. Rouge vs. Omega
• Amy vs. Cream vs. Big
• Vector vs. Espio vs. Charmy
• Jet vs. Wave vs. Storm
• Fang vs. Bark vs. Bean

Transformers

• Autobots vs. Decepticons vs. Unicron
• Maximals vs. Predacons vs. Vok
• Starscream vs. Thundercracker vs. Skywarp
• Megatron vs. Starscream vs. Soundwave
• Optimus Prime vs. Rodimus Prime vs. Ultra Magnus
• Arcee vs. Moonracer vs. Chromia
• Jetstorm vs. Tankor vs. Thrust
• Ramjet vs. Thrust vs. Dirge
• Metroplex vs. Fortress Maximus vs. Omega Supreme
• Superion vs. Computron vs. Defensor/Volcanicus
• Devastator vs. Menasor vs. Bruticus
• Combiners vs. Headmasters vs. Triple Changers
• Starscream vs. Shockwave vs. Soundwave
• Astrotrain vs. Blitzwing vs. Octane
• Broadside vs. Springer vs. Sandstorm
• Jetfire vs. Silverbolt vs. Windblade
• Bumblebee vs. Jazz vs. Sideswipe
• Rodimus Prime vs. Galvatron vs. Unicron
• Autobots vs. Maximals vs. Terrorcons
• Galvatron vs. Cyclonus vs. Scourge
• A tournament-styled Splatfest revolving around Headmasters from each faction (The Autobots would have Chromedome, Hardhead, Brainstorm, and Highbrow and the Decepticons would have Scorponok, Mindwipe, Skullcruncher, and Weirdwolf)
• Armada vs. Energon vs. Cybertron

Superhero Comics

• Captain America vs. Iron Man vs. either Hulk or Thor
  • Avengers vs. X-Men vs. either Inhumans, Guardians of the Galaxy, or Fantastic Four
  • Cyclops vs. Wolverine vs. Storm
  • Hulk vs. Thing vs. Colossus
  • Magneto vs. Dr. Doom vs. Ultron
  • A tournament similar to the TMNT and Sanrio ones, this time focused around the Infinity Stones, with maybe the one that did the second best in both first rounds combined (not counting the winners of the first rounds) going on to be in the finals.
  • Peter Parker vs. Gwen Stacy vs. Miles Morales
• Superman vs. Batman vs. Wonder Woman/Flash

Misc.

• A tie-in with Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Keves (featuring Callie and Marina, team color bright blue) versus Agnus (Marie and Pearl, team color yellow-green), versus Noah's party/Ouroboros (team color purple).
  • Or it could be that the third team could be Mobieus instead.
• Animal Crossing:
  • Mabel vs. Sable vs. Labelle
  • Bugs vs. Fish vs. Fossils
  • Rover vs. Tom Nook vs. Isabelle
• Brawler vs. Swordfighter vs. Gunner
• Sailor Uranus vs. Sailor Neptune vs. Sailor Pluto
• Link (Courage) vs. Zelda (Wisdom) vs. Ganondorf (Power). Bonus points if it's held around the same time that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gets released.
• Fire Emblem:
  • Blue Lions vs. Golden Deer vs. Black Eagles
  • Byleth vs. Shez vs. Alear (Who's the best Switch avatar in Fire Emblem?)
• Pearl vs. Garnet vs. Amethyst
• Frogs vs. Toads vs. Newts/Anne vs. Sasha vs. Marcy
• Hello Kitty vs. My Melody vs. Pompompurin/Cinnamoroll
• Super Mario Bros.:
  • Peach vs. Daisy vs. Rosalina
  • Mario vs. Luigi vs. Wario
  • Bowser vs. King Boo vs. King K. Rool/Captain Syrup
  • Donkey Kong vs. Wario vs. Yoshi
  • F.L.U.D.D. vs. Luma vs. Cappy
• Kris vs. Ralsei vs. Susie
• Star Wars:
  • Jedi vs. Sith vs. Mandalorians
  • Luke vs. Leia vs. Han
• Persona:
  • SEES vs. The Investigation Team vs. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts
  • Makoto/Kotone vs. Yu vs. Joker
• Kingdom Hearts:
  • Sora vs. Kairi vs. Riku
  • Ventus vs. Aqua vs. Terra
• Larry vs. Moe vs. Curly
• Luz vs. Eda vs. King
• Garfield vs. Jon vs. Odie
• Kirby vs. King Dedede vs. Meta Knight
• Dante vs. Vergil vs. Nero
• Mega Man:
  • Mega Man vs. Proto Man vs. Bass
  • X vs. Zero vs. Axl
• Goku vs. Piccolo vs. Vegeta
• Ed vs. Edd vs. Eddy
• Slifer vs. Ra vs. Obelisk
• Genji vs. Hanzo vs. Kiriko
• Shinji vs. Rei vs. Asuka/EVA-01 vs. EVA-00 vs. EVA-02
• Tanjiro vs. Zenitsu vs. Inosuke
• One Piece vs. Bleach vs. Naruto (the Shonen Jump big three!)
• Creeper vs. Zombie vs. Enderman
• Jenny Wakeman vs. Danny Phantom vs. El Tigre
• Ben 10: Original Series vs. Alien Force/Ultimate Alien vs. Omniverse
• Strong Bad vs. Strong Sad vs. Strong Mad
• Donkey Kong Country:
  • Donkey Kong vs. Diddy Kong vs. Dixie Kong
  • Kremlings vs. Tikis vs. Snowmads
  • Donkey Kong vs. Cranky Kong vs. Donkey Kong Jr.
  • Bananas vs. Barrels vs. Red Balloons
• Cactuar vs. Chocobo vs. Moogle

3 Factions - Other

Animal Themes

• Lions vs. Tigers vs. Bears (Oh my!)
• Dinosaurs vs. Pterosaurs vs. Plesiosaurs
• Shrimp vs. Lobster vs. Crab (may also double as food; see Squid vs. Octopus Sushi from 1)

Concept Themes

• Beauty vs. Brains. vs. Brawn
• Fire vs. Ice vs. Electricity
  • Wave Beam vs. Ice Beam vs. Plasma Beam
• Steampunk vs. Cyberpunk vs. Dieselpunk
• Skill vs. Luck vs. Strength
• Heights vs. Bugs vs. The Dark (What is the scariest?)
• Octopuses vs. Octopi vs. Octopodes ("What's the right plural for 'octopus'?").
• Fire Rate vs. Power vs. Accuracy (What do you prefer in a weapon?)

Food Themes

• Dark Chocolate vs. White Chocolate vs. Milk Chocolate
• Chocolate vs. Vanilla vs. Strawberry
  • Confirmed as Vanilla vs Strawberry vs Mint Chocolate Chip.
• Ramen vs. Soba vs. Udon
• Similar to the Salsa vs. Guacamole Splatfest from 2, we'll get Tacos vs Empanadas vs Arepas
• Breakfast vs. Lunch vs. Dinner
• Ice Cream:
  • Ice Cream vs. Frozen Yogurt vs. Gelato
  • Ice Cream vs. Popsicles vs. Ice Cream Bars
• To rework one from when we only thought it would be two teams: Homemade vs. Restaurant vs. Takeout
• Peanut Butter vs. Jelly vs. Marshmallow/Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
• Beef vs. Chicken vs. Pork
• Normal Milk vs. Coconut Milk vs. Almond Milk/Soy Milk
• Lemon vs. Lime vs. Orange
• Gum vs. Mints vs. Jawbreakers
• Burgers:
  • Burgers vs. Pizza vs. Tacos
  • Burgers vs. Hot Dogs vs. Subs
• Shake vs. Soda vs. Smoothie
• Donuts vs. Cookies vs. Cupcakes
• Chips vs. Popcorn vs. Pretzels
• Spicy vs. Mild vs. Plain
• Appetizer vs. Main Course vs. Dessert
• Rare vs. Medium vs. Well Done
• Meat vs. Veggies vs. Extra Cheese (What do you want the most on your pizza?)
• Fresh vs. Frozen vs. Pre-prepared

FrostyFest Themes

• Sugar Cookie vs. Gingerbread Cookie vs. Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Heat Miser vs. Snow Miser vs. North Wind
• Holiday Music vs. Holiday Lights vs. Holiday TV Specials
• Eggnog vs. Hot Chocolate vs. Spiced Apple Cider/Juice

Gaming Themes

• Fighter vs. Mage vs. Thief
• Fighter vs. Mage vs. Rogue
• Shooters vs. Fighting Games vs. RPGs
• Pixels vs. Low-Poly vs. Voxels/Vectors
• Handheld gaming (includes mobile) vs. Console gaming vs. PC gaming
• Tabletop games vs. Video games vs. Field games (includes Sports)

Group Themes

• Animals vs. Vegetables vs. Minerals
• Ghosts vs. Zombies vs. Skeletons/Mummies
  • Confirmed as Zombies vs. Skeletons vs. Ghosts for the 2023 Splatoween Splatfest
• Knights vs. Dragons vs. Princesses
• Aliens vs. Robots vs. Kaiju
• Tom vs. Dick vs. Harry
• Gas vs. Liquid vs. Solid
• Music vs. Art vs. Literature
• Katakana vs. Hiragana vs. Kanji
• Knight vs. Samurai vs. Viking

Location/Climate Themes

• Sunshine vs. Rain vs. Snow
• Jungle vs. Desert vs. Tundra
• City vs. Suburb vs. Country
  • Inkopolis Plaza vs. Inkopolis Square vs. Splatsville if keeping to Splatoon locales
• Land vs. Sky vs. Sea
  • Armies vs. Navies vs. Air Forces
• Desert Pyramid vs. Underwater City vs. Jungle Temple (Where would you want to go on an adventure to?)
• Temperate Seasons vs. Chill Season vs. Sizzle Season

Music Themes

• Guitar vs. Bass vs. Drums
• Percussion vs. Wind vs. String instruments
• Vocals vs. Lyrics vs. Instrumental

Mythical and Folklore Themes

• Zeus vs. Poseidon vs. Hades
• Amaterasu vs. Tsukuyomi vs. Susanoo

Sports Themes

• Surfing vs. Skateboarding vs. Snowboarding
• Bowling vs. Mini-Golf vs. Laser Tag
• Punching vs. Kicking vs. Wrestling

Transportation Themes

• Driving vs. Walking vs. Biking
• Motorcycles vs. Jet Skis vs. Snowmobiles
• Limos vs. Yachts vs. Private Jets
• Bikes vs. Skateboards vs. Skates
• Train vs. Bus vs. Taxi

Revisited Themes

• Toilet Paper facing inwards vs Toilet Paper facing outwards + Roll dispensers that has the paper come out of the middle (or not using a roll hanger at all)
• Harmony vs Chaos + Spectator
  • Order vs. Chaos vs. Both/Balance
• A sort of redux of the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Splatfests, only with new gimmicks such as a third brother being added and the fourth and final brother replacing the loser in the final round.
• Ketchup vs. Mustard vs. Mayonnaise
• Cars vs. Boats vs. Airplanes
• Pancakes vs. Waffles vs. French Toast
• Action vs. Comedy vs. Romance/Drama
• Roller Coasters vs. Water Slides vs. 3D Rides
• Baseball vs. Soccer vs. Football/Basketball
• SpongeBob vs. Patrick vs. Squidward/Sandy
• Movies vs. TV vs. Books
• Heroes vs. Antiheroes vs. Villains
• Super Mushroom vs. Fire Flower vs. Super Star
• Money vs. Power vs. Fame
  • Confirmed in the form of Money vs. Fame vs. Love (instead of Power)
• Offense vs. Defense vs. Support
• Past vs. Present vs. Future
  • If used as a FrostyFest theme, it gets tied to A Christmas Carol.
• Pirates vs. Ninjas vs. Cowboys
• Fam(ily) vs. Friend vs. Lover
  • Confirmed as Friends vs. Family vs. Solo for the 2024 FrostyFest
• Salsa vs. Nacho Cheese vs. Guacamole (What do you prefer with tortilla chips?)
• Cake vs. Ice Cream vs. Cookies
• Action vs. Comedy vs. Horror (For movie genres.)

Misc.

• 2D animation vs. 3D animation vs. Stop-Motion
• A hairstyle-themed Splatfest
• Sun vs. Moon vs. Earth
• Sitcom vs. Drama vs. Reality Show
• A school subject-themed Splatfest
• Digital tools vs. Painting vs. Drawing ("Which method creates the best art?")
• Fork vs. Spoon vs. Knife
• Pet Name (from friends/loved ones) vs. Nickname (self-applied) vs. Callsign/Red Baron (from enemies) ("How would you rather get a name for yourself?")

Post-release

DLC

The DLC campaign will have a a Cyberpunky Team Order aesthetic.

• Possibly confirmed, as the February 2023 Direct called it "Side Order" and it prominently showed Inkopolis Square in a pure white aesthetic.
• Fully confirmed due to the digital theming.

There will be two major DLC expansions

It's been confirmed that the game will be supported for two years. 2 was supported for one year, with the Octo Expansion released near the end of that cycle. If they're doubling up the support, then they could double up the DLC as well. And since Off the Hook's been all but confirmed to play a role in the DLC expansion announced, Deep Cut could appear in the second potential expansion.

• The Direct confirmed DLC for the game, but how much content there will be is still unconfirmed.
• For the record, 2 was supported for two years as well (Final Fest and Ver. 5 was released July 2019, though we've gotten regular balance patches ever since), so the premise is totally flawed. But I agree with this WMG, if only because multiple DLC campaigns would be sick.
• We might get two DLC campaigns simply because two more DLC campaigns would add up to 3 total across the series so far, keeping in line with Splatoon 3's Rule of Three and Arc Number.
• Confirmed or half-confirmed, depending on what "major" entails. The DLC actually releases in 2 waves - one half basically brings Splatoon 1 back, and the other is the actual campaign.

The DLC campaign will have you play as Agent 4 and/or Agent 8

Rather than yet another new agent, the new campaign will have Agent 8 once again teaming up with Off the Hook to do... whatever it is the DLC will be about. Agent 4 tags along, since New Agent 3 and Captain 3 have things handled in Splatsville.

• As another option, you can play as either Agent 4 or Agent 8, acting as the option to play as an Inkling or Octoling respectively.
• The Side Order reveal trailer focuses on an Octoling who is implied to be the protagonist, but it is not explicitly clear yet whether they are Agent 8, Marina, or a new character.
• Confirmed! Eight is the protagonist once more.

The DLC will set up the next plotline the series will follow.

With Return of the Mamallians labeled as "The end of the Octarian saga", this DLC will introduce new plot threads that the series will follow.

• A new enemy faction to replace the Octarians will appear.
• Something will drive a rift between Pearl and Marina (temporarily or permanently), despite their deep and seemingly unending friendship.
  • Conversely, Marina and Pearl will become an Official Couple due to the events of the DLC.
• A whole new race, possibly playable, will be introduced into the franchise.
  • I'm thinking either Salmonid equivalents of Inklings or Octolings looking to escape the militaristic Salmonid society and have fun with everyone else, or, given Big Man's status, a manta ray version of the same.
• DJ Octavio will become playable somehow. Perhaps he could command an army of Octarians a la Pikmin or assume humanoid form and play more conventionally.

• Only a new enemy faction appears, but they are limited to the Order Sector, so most likely Jossed fully now.

The DLC campaign will take us on a world tour of the splatoon world

Off the Hook, who are implied to be the stars of the DLC, are in the middle of a world tour. Not to mention after the end of Story Mode, both Deep Cut and the Squid Sisters make reference to planning to have one themselves. It's likely we will be visiting new areas in the world of Splatoon as a result, such as:

• The Squid Sisters home of Calamari County.
• Jossed. The reveal calls the DLC "Side Order", which most likely means it instead explores what could've been if Team Order won instead of Chaos.

For the DLC campaign, "Ebb and Flow" will get a remix during the Final Boss

The final boss of the game's base campaign featured another remix of "Calamari Inkantation" performed once again by the Squid Sisters (albeit with Deep Cut joining them). If that's the case, then the game's DLC, with Off the Hook stated to join, could follow suit with a remix of "Ebb and Flow".

• Confirmed! The second phase of the final boss gives us "Spectrum Obligato ~ Ebb and Flow (Out of Order)", a remix of Ebb and Flow.

There will be a second DLC campaign with Deep Cut as the central idol group

The Squid Sisters were the main guides in the base campaign, with Deep Cut not sharing that spotlight until the game's climax. The confirmed DLC all but confirms that Off the Hook will play that role instead. This leaves Deep Cut to be the only idol group to not play the role of central idol group in the game's campaigns. However, a second DLC expansion could change that, not only giving Deep Cut a more central role, but also giving them their own song similar to "Calamari Inkantation" and "Ebb and Flow".

• Deep Cut already has their own song in the form of "Anarchy Rainbow".
• Let me rephrase, then: Deep Cut could get their own Triumphant Reprise of "Anarchy Rainbow", just as Off the Hook had theirs for "Ebb and Flow".

Non-campaign DLC will be released that will give Salmon Run an expansion

Given the mode's presence in 3's Story Mode, it'd make sense, although whether it will be paid DLC or a free update is unknown. It could introduce new Boss Salmonids, new King Salmonids, new stages, new special waves, even playable Salmonlings as another WMG above mentioned. Salmonlings could additionally appear as new Boss Salmonids, functioning similarly to enemy Octolings in various single-player modes.

The DLC will include a new playable race... rabbits.

This will be due to Li'l Judd attempting to bring back mammals, as it's heavily implied he was working with Grizz. His version of fuzzy ooze will be much more successfull and create an actual species of rabbit-like creatures instead of mere fuzzballs. Where the rabbit element actually comes from in-universe I can't say, but this would add to the meaning of "Return of the Mammalians": Not only do they indeed return from extinction, but they return from scrapped plans to be the playable characters during Splatoon's development.

• Alternatively, they'll have Came Back Wrong and instead of being full-on rabbits, be a humanoid fusion of rabbits and #sea hares.
  • Jossed - completing Side Order doesn't unlock a new species.

One of the DLC campaigns will feature the return of Agent 4.

Considering the last game introduced Agent 3 as a non-player character in its DLC expansion, perhaps the same will happen for the second game's protagonist.

• Somewhat Jossed with Side Order, as Agent 4 doesn't return... but their Palette does appear, and one of the bosses do look a lot like them.

Li'l Judd will be the Big Bad of one of the DLC campaigns, and his plan is to try and take Judd's place.

While definitely a step down from the world-ending stakes of the base game and Octo Expansion, Li'l Judd's plan is likely to cause turmoil (intentional or not) in Inkling society with the sudden replacement of an influential figure. And at the end of the campaign, he'll be Easily Forgiven by Judd.

• Jossed for Side Order - Li'l Judd doesn't even appear.

The DLC story will have little to nothing to do with the plot of the main story.

That way, it can be completed before the main story, similarly to how Octo Expansion could be completed before Hero Mode in 2.

• Confirmed. Side Order is self-contained.

Characters that could appear in the campaign, either returning from the previous games or from Splatoon 3.

• Jelonzo, explaining why he's disappeared since the first game.
  • Half-confirmed. He doesn't appear in the campaign itself, but he does appear as part of the first wave of the DLC, still being a clothing shopkeeper in Inkopolis Plaza.
• Iso Padre, who left the Deep Sea Metro in order to make a new life on the surface, possibly as a collector of sorts.
  • Half-confirmed - he appears in Inkopolis Square after Order is beaten.
• DJ Dedf1sh, who escaped the metro an unknown amount of time after 2 and is now trying to rebuild her life.
  • Confirmed; she appears in the September 14th trailer for Side Order, now named Acht.

DJ Octavio will start his own version of the New Squidbeak Splatoon

• Whether it's a full Face–Heel Turn or just a way to compete with Cap'n Cuttlefish all friendly-like, Octavio will realize that there are bigger fish to fry than getting revenge on the Inklings. He'll use his tech and his resources to outfit a band of heroes, to protect Inklings and Octolings alike- and show up that poser Cuttlefish.
  • Off The Hook may return to assist with the mission, similar to Callie and Marie. But they'll be reluctant at first, since Marina remembers full well what Octavio's capable of, and it will be Pearl who talks her into giving him a second chance.

The Jellyfish Hivemind will be the focus of the DLC.

The jellyfish species as a whole will get the spotlight, and the Hive Mind they apparently belong to will either be the Big Good or Big Bad, depending on the circumstances. Jel La Fleur, Jelonzo and Jelfonzo will have prominent roles as a result, since they're the only talking, independently-thinking jellyfish in the series thus far. Reaching a certain point in the DLC story may cause Splatsville and other stages to become eerily quiet as all the jellyfish NPCs vanish.

• Not quite. While the enemies of Side Order have some jelly theming, the Big Bad is a Digital Abomination called Order that Marina accidentally created/allowed to be created, who tends to manifest its will via octopus tentacles.

The aftermath of Splatoon 3's story will be responsible for the creation of Salmonlings in the DLC story.

Mr. Grizz needed Golden Eggs for the creation of Fuzzy Ooze as a means of restoring mammalian life on Earth, but despite his efforts, his rocket was destroyed and he was sent into space. But that just leaves all the ink that was distributed in Earth's orbit from the final battle. I think that may be responsible for the creation of Salmonlings: any Golden Eggs that will return from orbit will most likely be covered in ink, creating a new sort of "Splat Ooze" thanks to the Sun's rays doing something to the inked Golden Eggs. Once it reaches deep underwater, a Salmonid will come into contact with this Splat Ooze, creating the first Salmonling and kicking off the DLC story.

• Jossed - no Salmonlings appear in Side Order.

There will be a Tricolor Turf War-based boss fight where the player faces off against two enemies.

Much like how the final boss of the Octo Expansion was styled after a Turf War.

• But instead of the player being the defender like the middle team is in normal Tricolor, maybe they become an Attacker instead, and both opposing factions are Defenders?
  • Jossed - there's no such thing that happens in Side Order.

In the DLC featuring Pearl and Marina, they will be revealed to have an antagonistic relationship with Deep Cut, due to a Noodle Incident that happened between Splatoon 2 and 3.

This would then justify rematches with the Deep Cut members, with varied tactics and increased difficulty.

• Jossed - Deep Cut doesn't have any relation to the DLC barring the news reports.

The theme of the DLC is clones

With evidence pointing towards the topic (The earily identical Staff, Lil' Judd's nature as a clone, and that appearance of a Clone Jelly in Tableturf), the DLC will involve clones.

• The rematches against the Hero Mode boss fights will be against clones of Deep Cut and DJ Octavio.
  • We could also end up with new bosses, this time against clones of Off the Hook and the Squid Sisters.
    • Marina and Pearl could end up taking DJ Octavio's place as first boss, battling you together in a hijacked/bootlegged Octobot King L3.Gs.
• The enemy faction will be made up of clones of other creatures.
  • Either Inkling clones made from the part timers working at Grizzco.
  • Or clones of the NPC's of the series, like the shopkeepers and the Idol Groups.
• As a potential bonus, there will be a villain who created these clones as an attempt to "improve" upon the originals because he's a clone himself (Lil' Judd being a possible candidate) and sees either the originals or himself as inferior, being a nod to Mewtwo as a result.
  • Double bonus points if the next Splatfest after this DLC releases is a follow-up to the Pokemon Red vs Pokemon Blue Splatfest from Splatoon 1, such as Red vs Blue vs Yellow or the originals vs the GBA remakes vs the Let's Go games.
    • Jossed - turns out the main theme is memories instead.

Someone's gonna end up Brainwashed and Crazy

It seems like the team making the stories really enjoys this trope.

• From what we've seen so far, it's probably going to be Marina.
• Confirmed! Marina ends up Brainwashed and Crazy as the game's first boss battle and corrupted by Order.

We will travel through time in the DLC

The clothing rewards at Grizzco have all been references to Back to the Future, which gives the feeling Grizzco may be working on something related to time travel:

• We will get to see humanities extinction, and also see exactly how the Eiffel Tower ended up all the way in the Splatlands.
• Unfortunately, time travel does not factor into Side Order, unless you count roguelike meta-progression.

Inkopolis will have its own two-faction Splatfests.

With the first two-idol group dancing there, why'd there be a third team, in a place that doesn't have that many idols at once?

• Jossed. Preparations for the cryptid Splatfest are in both major cities, with the Squid Sisters having randomized colors every time you enter the city.

Agent 8 and Marina are Artificial Humanoids of the same origin.

One Side Order trailer still has two feminine Octolings of the same hairstyle and different skin tones. It looks as if they're some sort of clones from somewhere...

The character seen in the first Side Order trailer is neither Marina nor Agent 8, but a clone of the latter

Akin to the above WMG, our player character this time would be an clone created from Agent 8's DNA, or another Octoling from the same mold. One of the Freeze-Frame Bonus images we see in the trailer shows a line of identical Octolings on a conveyor belt, as if they were being mass-produced. It's possible Agent 8's high ranking as an Octoling soldier made them a valued asset before going missing/defecting, and clones were made in their likeness. Alternatively, Agent 8 themselves were a clone, and our player character in Side Order is an identical clone made from the same source DNA.

• Jossed. It's the real Agent 8.

If Side Order's player character is not Agent 8 themselves, then the latter will become a Superboss

Carrying the torch from Inner Agent 3, Agent 8 will give players looking to 100% complete the Side Order campaign hell. Bonus points if the reward is the same Golden Toothpick you win for beating Agent 3 in Octo Expansion, and/or if Agent 8 themselves wears it at any point.

• Basically jossed, with a trailer revealing that 8 is the main character through the dialogue of Pearl (who is now a robot).

Wave 1 will bring back more than just the hub

It's been said that it will provide players with a functional version of Inkopolis Plaza. This possibly means that it won't be just a reskin, but will bring back other things related to Splatoon 1:

• The campaign could be a big one. If the manhole isn't sealed or otherwise inaccessible, the player could "listen in" and somehow relive memories of Agent 3 rescuing the Zapfish, with 3 taking the design that was decided on in RotM (or Octo Expansion via the Old Save Bonus function). This would allow Nintendo Switch players to play the original story mode without having to own the first game and a Wii U.
• The Inkopolis Tower could have its own training lobby, and playing online matches through this could have its own unique features such as playing Splatoon 1 music or a judge other than Judd (under the assumption that he can't monitor both places at once).
• With Spyke's return, it's possible he'll function the same he way did in Splatoon 1 and allow players to reroll gear slots by paying him money instead of using Super Sea Snails, although this could introduce a slight Bribing Your Way to Victory element for purchasing Wave 1.
  • Jossed. Spyke works just like Splatoon 3's Murch; the Octo Valley manhole is blocked off; and Inkopolis's lobby is just like Splatsville's, except with different standard music.

Inkopolis Square looks like that due to it being destroyed by something chaos related and the player is trying to restore order

Just because Chaos won the Final Fest doesn't mean it can't still be a bad thing sometimes, and two of the images we saw in the trailer were Pearl, the leader of Team Chaos, looking down in a somewhat menacing way wearing sunglasses and Marina, the leader of Team Order, looking concerned, seeming to suggest that this will be a reverse of 2's story, where the WINNER of the previous game's final Splatfest becomes or is used by the story's villain (perhaps she let the victory go to her head). In addition, the name "Side Order" could sort of describe that, in this campaign, the player will be on the SIDE of ORDER.

• Jossed. The Inkpolis Square is a virtual simulation created by Marina and corrupted by Order.

Alternatively, Pearl and Marina are still fighting with each other on the whole order/chaos issue and the message will be that order and chaos should be balanced

I saw a fan-made concept for Splatoon 3 that came out before Nintendo officially announced it that did something similar, but I can't fully remember the details. I think the gist of it was that Off the Hook broke up, Pearl started ruling this sort of post-post-apocalyptic wasteland and Marina started ruling this totalitarian cyberpunk dystopia and the goal was to take both of them down and get them back together again.

• Jossed. Marina is fought as a boss, but was merely grayscaled by Order and has no animosity towards Pearl.

As an inversion of Splatoon 2's campaigns, while the base game's campaign has a new threat, the DLC campaign Side Order will have the Octarian Army as the main threat again.

This doesn't mean the Final Boss will be DJ Octavio, however. It's possible this campaign takes place before the events of Return of the Mammalians and the player fights Octavio's second in-command, or the player will fight a Dragon Ascendant following his potential Heel–Face Turn after RotM. Further more, the Octarians sided with Order during the Final Fest, and with the militaristic dystopia the Octarians live in and Marina having close ties to them as a former child soldier, they're the perfect candidate for being an antagonistic force that embodies Order.

• Seems jossed, though this isn't certain yet. A new trailer showed off living fish skeletons trying to attack the player, making it less likely that the Octarians are involved.
• Jossed. A type of mechanical enemy named Jelletrons are the main threat.

Inkopolis Plaza will include some Foreshadowing for Side Order.

If Inkopolis Square has been completely bleached, presumably this'll be on the minds of people inhabiting the rest of Inkopolis. Shopkeepers or staff may have some brief dialogue discussing this, or at least some bleached architecture will be visible from the Plaza. This not being the case would indicate either that Side Order is an Imagine Spot as some have theorized or that the Square would not be bleached until just before Side Order begins.

Side Order will eschew levels connected to a hub — for an open-world, Metroidvania-esque environment.

Something refreshingly different from both Octo Valley/Canyon and OE/RotM: we could be given a real feeling of getting lost, maybe grabbing various main/sub/special weapons throughout.

• Most likely jossed; it's a roguelite with sets of levels to choose from as you try to ascend the tower.

The Side Order DLC takes place in a simulation.

Inkopolis Square looks outright surreal, along with the other images we see during the trailer, giving the impression that we are not in the real world. And what screams Order more than a simulation of the real world? One that has gone wrong.

• So far implied, though not guaranteed. One part of the trailer released on the 14th of September 2023 has what appears to be 8 spawning in as a low-poly model before turning into their real form, with their weapon being surrounded by TRON-style particles.
• Confirmed! Side Order takes place in a virtual reality created by Marina called the Memverse (or more specifically, "Dramatic Days in Orderland").

We are delving into the memories of Agent 8 in the DLC

One title you could obtain in the Chill Season catalogue is called Monochromatic Recollection. As the pallette for Side Order is Deliberately Monochrome, with nary a color other than the player in sight, we are likely going to be delving into memories of the past.

• Appears to be jossed. It takes place in an alternate reality with 8 and Pearl in robot form front and center.
  • But also somewhat confirmed, in that said reality was made in order to help restore the memories of those who were trapped in the Deepsea Metro, including Eight.

There'll be a second expansion pass

Super Smash Bros. did it, and an unexpected third and fourth wave (with said fourth wave possibly setting up Splatoon 4) would fit well with the game's chaos theme.

Completing Side Order will be rewarded with access to Inkopolis Square

The first shot of the Side Order trailer shows the place turned into a dead coral reef. What if the player can actually use it as the quiet, quaint hub it was in Splatoon 2 once the threat is cleared from it?

• CONFIRMED! After clearing the Tower of Order for the second time and defeating Order for the first time, Inkopolis Square becomes a new hub area.

Side Order will feature at least one Octoling based on the blanket octopus.

At least one shot in the first Side Order trailer depicts a cephalopod with the hairstyle of an Octoling, but without the external suction cups. This could be a new kind of humanoid character, but with new hairstyles that can either accomodate or compromise the webbing between certain tentacles in kid form.

The enemies in Side Order are undead fishes

The new Side Order trailer shows off the player fighting some giant fish that are white, red-eyed, positively skeletal, and surrounded by some strange grey substance. They might be reanimated fish skeletons, with no clue yet what brought them to life - possibly the Salmonids (since they're also fish), a previously seen character, or a totally unknown entity. They might also either be real or simulated.

Side Order is a roguelike

The description of the September 14 2023 trailer says it challenges the player to ascend the Spire of Order - bringing to mind Slay the Spire - in "an experience that’s designed to be replayed over and over". There are also "color chips" and a "palette" that boost the player's abilities, also implying rouge-like elements.

• Half-Comfirmed. Side Order is an action roguelite - it does allow for permanent unlocks to improve future runs, which is a feature not in full rougelikes, but in roguelites.

Side Order weapons can be upgraded to attain the strengths of less balanced members of the respective class.

Assuming the new campaign doesn't have the weapon variety offered by Octo Expansion and RotM, more powerful upgrades could alter how the weapons work in unusual ways (e.g. a Slosher with Tri-Slosher firerate, Bloblobber bounces to all blob parts, and Explosher range and explosions).

Agent 4 will appear!

There are a whole bunch of reasons why Agent 4 MUST appear in the DLC:

• They're the ONLY member of the Squidbeak still missing!!!

Agent 8 has been confirmed as the Player Character for Side Order and the rest of the Squidbeak — even Octavio — were all in "Return of the Mamalians"! The only one still missing in this game is Agent 4!

• While we're at the topic of other characters, every recurring Character that has appeared in the trailers until now first debuted in Splatoon 2, but none of them have made any onscreen appearances in Splatoon 3 yet — in other words, until now they've been Splatoon 2 exclusive characters! Agent 8 and Dedf1sh never appeared in Splatoon 3 up until the trailers came, and Off the Hook's only appearance until now was through artwork and music! Pearl and Marina haven't physically appeared yet, but are all but confirmed to do so in the actual DLC!

Infact, Pearl seems to be controlling a little flying drone that seems to be "Side Order"'s counterpart of "Return of the Mamalians"' Lil Buddy!Pretty much the only significant Splatoon 2 character that has yet to appear in Splatoon 3 is Agent 4 — except for commander Tartar, but that guy is already dead so he doesn't count!

• Agent 4 is actually mentioned in the Official Splatoon 3 World Map!

Therefore, it's clear Nintendo has not forgotten about them, but wouldn't it still be weird to mention them there if they were not relevant to the game in some way?Especially because Agent 4 was the ONLY other Agent appart from New Agent 3 that was mentioned on the map and the ONLY one who was mentioned DIRECTLY! For New Agent 3, the map just says "You Live here" but for Agent 4 it says "Agent 4's home"!

• Also, Lil Judd is implied to be the new boss of Grizzro Industries after you complete "Return of the Mamalians" — a plot point which might actually become relevant to the DLC, considering the implications that cloning is involved! And it's confirmed that Agent 4 did or might even still work at Grizzro industries!
• The Official DLC's Webpage confirmed that Side Order indeed takes place in Inkopolis Square — the setting of Splatoon 2!
• Also, if they return, they might actually return as a boss!

I know the game already did that before, but I think this could only be all the more reason why it should happen!There have already been, not one, but TWO instances where a member of the Squidbeak Splatoon became antagonistic! We saw it in Splatoon 2, with both Callie and the Original Agent 3/Cap'n! And remember how much this game loves applying the Rule of Three! It seems like a golden opportunity (and a good excuse :3) for the devs to pull that trope a third time!They already did it with the "Great Zapfish gets stolen plot"! And considering the rest of the Squidbeak is busy in Alterna, Agent 4 is pretty much the only option available!

• Sorry, but only their Palette appears, unless you count the fact that one of the bosses looks a lot like them.

Glen Fiddler will be the main antagonist of Side Order

Glen Fiddler, seen in Sunken Scroll 6, is a fiddler crab CEO who is behind the Battle Tower in Splatsville. Despite appearing in just one Sunken Scroll, a lot of evidence points to him being more significant in the long run:

• The Battle Tower stands out in Splatsville for how sleek it appears compared to the rest of Splatsville, matching the aesthetic of Side Order more than that of the main game.
• The Copy Machine in the lobby (which is also his creation) is colored similarly to the robotic enemies seen in the Side Order trailer.
• Fiddler has a 3D model despite only appearing in one Sunken Scroll, and his design, what with having a lab coat and a bleached larger claw, fits with the theme of Side Order.
• The company he runs is unspecified. Maybe he took over Kamabo Co. after Octo Expansion?
  • Jossed. The final boss is an entity named Order.

The final battle is titled "Turf War: Round 3"

Similar to the final boss of Side Order which is an amped up Turf War between Agent 8 and Commander Tartare, the final battle involves fighting the spiralling GLaDOS-like Octowhirl which eventually breaks out of the Spire of Order and the final objective is to paint the entirety of the bleached Inkopolis Square with an unlocked vibrant ink palette which gradually restores the desolate city to its former glory.

• The Final Boss of Side Order is not a Turf War, but stealing all the palette chips back from Order, similar to Mithrix's final phase.

Similar to how Splatoon 3's main story has motifs revolving around the number 3, and Octo Expansion has motifs revolving around the number 8, Side Order will have a motif revolving around the number 2.

The announcement for Side Order's release on the 22nd of February 2024 (or 2/22/2024) makes me wonder if it will also have a motif revolving around this number (the date of some section of the media can be symbolic as seen in Octo Expansion's announce date).

• Nope, it keeps the 8 motif from Octo Expansion.

Like with Big Man being the third member for the Squid Sisters during Splatfests, the third member for Off the Hook will be Acht

The Order entity was initially benevolent but became evil

because it got hacked by some sort of fanatic]]

• And someone on either side could have done it!
  • Chaos: They can't imagine any sort of order being a good thing, so they set out to make sure that this Order entity would turn out just as evil as they thought it was and possibly inspire people to turn against order as a whole, essentially turning it into a strawman version of itself.
  • Order: They weren't happy that their team lost, so they decided to hijack the Order entity so it'd have a zero-tolerance policy against anything "chaotic."

Miscellaneous

The new owner and operator of Grizzco is...

• DJ Octavio, having gotten over his hatred of Cuttlefish and no longer feeling like he needs the Salmonids' assistance
• Cap'n Cuttlefish, seeking to continue helping defend against invaders in retirement
• The New New Squidbeak Splatoon, seeking to continue defending the Inkopolis area and/or looking for new agents
• Deep Cut, who see the Golden Eggs as some kind of treasure
• Judd and/or Li'l Judd, given how cats like fish and the Salmonids are apparently okay with being eaten
  • Given that Lil' Judd gains a headset after you complete the story, and his Tableturf Battle deck has Grizzco-themed card sleeves, it's possible he's the one who has taken over.
  • There's also the unexplained change to his fur, implying he might have some connection to the fuzzy ooze.
• Another mammal who survived, but is more sympathetic towards the Inklings and Octolings
  • Perhaps Li'l Judd's "mother" (you need egg cells to make clones, after all)
• Sheldon, seeking more test data for his weapons
• O.R.C.A., who'd see some merit in Mr. Grizz starting a company that fights Salmonids but would be too sympathetic to Inklings and Octolings to want to wipe them out
• A renegade Salmonid (maybe even a Salmonling and/or a whole resistance movement) who dislikes the other Salmonids' militant, aggressive ways
  • Alternately, a Salmonid who is sympathetic to Inkling society but is also interested in giving the Salmon Runs their desire to be eaten deliciously, even if only metaphorically.
  • Perhaps it's even your Smallfry buddy, given the post-story carving of a salmon with a bear in its mouth that appears at the GrizzCo office after Hero Mode.
• Pearl's parents, who'd definitely be rich enough to buy out a huge company
• One of those Staff guys
• One of the jellyfish of the type that runs the Shoal
• Iso Padre or another one of the Deepsea Metro passengers
• Glen Fiddler (the CEO of the company that built the lobby tower, mentioned in a Sunken Scroll)
• C.Q. Cumber, somehow.
• Agent 4, due to having some experience with Salmon Run themselves. It will be a plot twist, but could tie up the ending with DLC. Bonus point if it was via brainwashing and they ended up as DLC boss.
• Agent 8, who'd also have some experience with Salmon Run
• Barry C., the owner of Hotlantis mentioned in a Sunken Scroll
• The subject mentioned in Sunken Scroll 24
• Bisk, similarly to how Crusty Sean changed jobs in Splatoon 2
• Spyke, who, by this point, is DEFINITELY rich enough to buy the company
• Some sort of aquatic and/or fish-eating bird that evolved into a sapient being somehow (penguin, pelican, seagull, albatross, cormorant, puffin, auk, osprey, bald eagle, gannet, etc.)
• Commander Tartar, who survived somehow and is planning his return
• No one, with the company continuing on due to being automated

If Order had won instead of Chaos, the Splatlands and Alterna would've swapped

Alterna was the spawning grounds for marine life as we know it in the Splatoon universe, and the first inklings of modern marine society appeared in the surrounding Splatlands. If Order had won 2's Final Splatfest, this troper proposes that 3's hub would've been a Crystal Spires and Togas Utopia built in the ruins of Alterna, while the Story Mode would've taken place in the Splatlands, among the buried remains of humanity's other achievements. The developers may or may not confirm or joss this in a future interview, once enough time has passed that they aren't afraid to mention Story Mode spoilers.

• Jossed. The "Ask the Developer" interview released around the game's launch has them reveal that they didn't start doing any serious planning for the third game until after they got the results for Chaos vs. Order. The artbook also backs this up, featuring no artwork depicting such an environment.

Big Man is somehow related to Phantamanta.

Given how his boss fight is basically a remake of the Phantamanta boss fight, he might be:

• A descendant of Phantamanta, possibly one of the smaller rays that split off the big one
• Possessed by Phantamanta, given how the latter is a ghost
• Phantamanta itself, reincarnated somehow
• Just a huge Super Mario Sunshine fan who thought that Phantamanta was cool and somehow figured out how to perform the techniques it used. After all, the current sea life society definitely knows about Mario given that there was a Splatfest about it.

Adding to the above, Gadd Science Inc. was involved with the Alterna crystals somehow.

The Magic Paintbrush in Super Mario Sunshine is capable of creating creatures made of paint that are damaged by water. The Inklings and Octolings are creatures that seem to be made of ink and are also damaged by water. Perhaps some of the same technology used in the paintbrush was used in the crystals, which could explain:

• How the Inklings and Octolings' ink changes color along with them
• Why they dissolve in water
• How they can swim in ink
• How Big Man, a member of a species that doesn't use ink, can use it

The Squid Research Lab does exist in the Splatoon In-Universe

And they are the very last human group to survive the human extinction event. They survived through a secret cryogenic lab and have only woken up very recently, hence why they're obsessed with studying the Inklings and Octolings and why they act so excited upon seeing something that would otherwise be considered mundane after thousands of years. The reason why no one encounters them in the games is because the Squid Research Lab have an Alien Non-Interference Clause to newly evolved sentient beings. Only a lab coat that was carelessly left behind and found by Mr. Grizz is the only evidence the Inklings and Octolings have of their human observers.

• The SRL might be more involved in Inkling society than one would think, as there is an advertising sign for them in Inkopolis Plaza (from Splatoon 1). However, the only Squid Researchers actually seen in-game (developers who joined matches during the first game's Testfire) are Inklings. It could be that the Squid Researchers only interact through Inkling agents, or have somehow figured out how to disguise themselves as Inklings.

There's a reason the song the Salmonids flying around the Fish Stick sing sounds similar to the Blender Complete theme from Octo Expansion

Either:

• The Salmonids did some research on Octolings now that there are more of them in the society that's attacking them and found out the trauma Kamabo Co. put them through, found out about the song associated with the source of most of the trauma, and decided to model a battlefield song after that, either to mess with the Octolings' minds and bring up traumatic memories, provoke them into attacking (Inklings would probably be provoked into attacking just because it's annoying), whether to distract them or just because they're Death Seekers, or just to taunt them

Or:

• The Salmonids have some sort of connection with Kamabo Co. and/or Commander Tartar. Even though they were on different sides of the Chaos vs. Order Splatfest, Tartar might like how the Salmonids are more single-minded, militaristic, and don't care as much about things like pop culture and fashion, and they both hate Inklings and Octolings, so perhaps they have/had an Enemy Mine thing going. Also, notice how the Salmonids in this game use a more bluish-green ink, similar to the ones the Sanitized Octarians use.

Assuming that Li'l Judd has in fact taken over Grizzco, it's because he wants to use it to usurp Judd somehow

Given how Salmonids are apparently okay with being eaten and the fact that IRL salmonids are particularly fatty fish, perhaps LJ thinks being more like Judd physically would (somehow) help him overthrow his "dad" and, to that end, is trying to plump himself up to Judd's weight. Alternatively, he just wants to use the energy from Power Eggs/Golden Eggs for something

The last Splatfest will feature the Squid Sisters, Off the Hook, and Deep Cut

Given the game's constant theme with the number 3, what better way to cap it off than to have the idol groups of all 3 games together for the last Splatfest? They could even add Cap'n Cuttlefish to the Squid Sisters and someone from Off the Hook's new bandmates Damp Socks so each group has 3 people.

There will be other King Salmonids

Considering that the King Salmonid has a specific name, rather than simply being called King Salmonid, this troper believes that more will be added later, and they will also be based on other famous Kaijus. Feel free to add more Kaiju for them to be based on.

• King Ghidorah
• Mothra
• Gamera
• Rodan
• Destroyah
  • Already confirmed, since Horrorboros exists now and there is precedent for other kinds of King Salmonids.

Mr. Grizz talking about the sea is in reference to a greater evil.

Mr. Grizz makes several off-hand comments about the sea, referring to it with ferocity and reverance, almost as if referring to a deity. This may be intentional foreshadowing to a new antagonist - either in future DLC or another installment in the series - which harnesses water powers and is looking to wipe out Inklings/Octolings with floods of biblical levels. After all, cleansing floods could wash away ink and act as a perfect foil to the playable species all vulnerable to Super Drowning Skills. A couple possibilities:

• They are a Physical God, if not an actual god (or at least asserting their self as such) that insists sapient life altogether shouldn't exist anymore after the Rapture-level floods that ended humanity. Mr. Grizz possibly knew of them beforehand, but had no interest in working with them or figured his plans would knock out two birds with one stone.
• They were once human, subject to human experimentation in the deepest recesses of Alterna's laboratories meant to create a new breed of man that could survive in the newly flooded world. Mr. Grizz found the experiment, but only wanted to save it as a contingency plan in case his fuzzy ooze scheme failed. In his absence, the experiment escapes the ruins of Alterna thanks to the New Squidbeak Splatoon digging too deep.
• They are some form of marine mammal, like a whale or narwhal, distorted into an Animalistic Abomination as a result of the warheads that melted the ice caps and doomed humanity mutating their ancestors. They possibly had some form of Big Bad Duumvirate with fellow mammalian Mr. Grizz, looking to carry on his plans if he failed.

The Calamari Inkantation is over 12,000 years old.

The Calamari Inkantation is stated in earlier games to be etched into the DNA of Inklings and Octolings. Y'know, the stuff that intermingled with all the liquid crystal with humanity's desires in them. Perhaps the original melody emerged in an epiphany one fateful day, resulting in it being transcribed into "Chorus of Calamari County," the original version before the Squid Sisters remixed it into the Inkantation. What the original version was is impossible to tell, but given the Chorus originally celebrated and respected the bounty of the sea, it would more easily come to its composer's mind if it was about something similar.

The Ruins of Ark Polaris Salmon Run stage will either not return or have a notable change.

Given how much relevance that location turned out to have in the story mode's backstory, it's highly unlikely it'll be ported over as-is into Splatoon 3. It either won't return, or some part of the stage will be changed aesthetically, like cargo ships coming to salvage the remains of the shuttle, or something even smaller like the bear tracks and bear warning signs being altered or removed.

• It's not returning to Splatoon 3, as the final map for Next Wave has been confirmed, and Ark Polaris is not one of them.

More Splatband members will appear in the game, either in post-release updates, or in the DLC

• Sashimori could make an appearance in DLC, largely due to their implied connection to Pearl as their old leader, and Paul being friends with Marina according to Japanese dialogue.
• The rest of Chirpy Chips, Harmony's band, periodically replacing her as the clerk of Hotlantis to give her breaks.
• Confirmed to an extent, as Dedf1sh from Octo Expansion appears to appear in-game in Side Order.

Post-release updates will introduce a bunch of Annaki-branded weapon kits, akin to the Kensa collection from 2.

The brand currently has no weapons associated with it, but wouldn't it be fitting to give a bunch of weapons to the brand that sounds pretty similar to "anarchy" in the game all about chaos?

The Three Lights referred to for the final boss are in fact...

• Inklings, Octolings and Salmonids - the Inklings being Frye and the Squidbeak Splatoon; the Octolings being Shiver, DJ Octavio and the New Agent 3 if they are an Octoling; and the Salmonkind is obviously little Buddy (with Big Man, despite not being a Salmonid himself, acting as a representative of them in a sense)
• The Squid Sisters, DJ Octavio and Deep Cut - due to them being the three bands who contribute to the 3Mix which is used as a conduit for Little Buddy to become Hugefry
• The three potential races that New Agent 3 can be - Inkling, Octoling or a new race which will be released during the DLC

Big Run will be announced in-game as an EAS notice.

• The news cast will run as normal at first, until suddenly the screen will go to static before playing an EAS-like notice appears on-screen, warning residents that a Salmonid horde is incoming.
  • Jossed: instead, like Splatfests, it's announced at the start of the news that Grizzco is hiring in preparation for the Salmonid invasion.

C-Side will get to appear in-game as NPC's.

Compared to the previous main bands, Squid Squad and Wet Floor, the game makes very little reference to C-Side. A developer interview, however, mentions them as being "one of the bands who's characters appear in-game". While this likely refers to Off the Hook, there's a good chance C-Side are the ones it's referring to.

Future Big Run stages

Most likely, Wahoo World won't be the only stage that gets used for Salmon Run, so what are some other possible options?

• Hammerhead Bridge
• Undertow Spillway, considering that people found soundbytes of the Salmonids in the sewers....
  • Confirmed—the Big Run held in June 2023 took place in Undertow Spillway.
• Splatsville itself-would have to be the final Big Run, but it would make for an epic finale to the mode.
  • In additionally, in-universe, it would be a Last Stand for the Salmonids and the citizens of Splatsville, being the Salmonids' most powerful invasion and the Inklings and Octolings fighting them after having breached the city's last defenses. The Salmonids will have taken a big enough loss that they'll have to regroup and halt their invasions for a while, at least until the time of Splatoon 4. Set in the hub where the shops, the lobby, Grizzco, and the Splatfest performances are, you won't have time to hang out in the hub area because it's under attack—you'll be tasked to suit up and fight immediately.
• Museum d'Alfonsino
• Sturgeon Shipyard
• Mincemeat Metalworks
• Manta Maria
• Camp Triggerfish (if it returns)

The first title gained at the beginning of each season after the first will be a hint of things to come.

For many players, their first title gained during Chill Season was "Monochrome Recollection." Compared to other fixed titles, this title doesn't make much sense...until the first preview for Side Order, which depicts a younger Marina standing in a version of Inkopolis that's completely white. In other words, a literal monochrome recollection. Perhaps the first title gained in Fresh Season 2023 will be another hint as to what Side Order will be like.

• The Octoling in the trailer more closely resembles Agent 8 than Marina, and their identity either way is unconfirmed at the time of writing. Still, if the Octoling in the trailer is Agent 8, the connection still works, as Side Order could involve Agent 8 revisiting their memories in Inkopolis after reaching the surface at the end of Octo Expansion.

Big Man's real name is Ian.

"Liquid Sunshine" contains vocals from someone named Ian BGM who sounds exactly like Big Man. "BGM" is undoubtedly an abbreviation of "Big Man," so logically, if "Big Man" is simply a stage name, Ian would refer to his actual given name.

New King Salmonids will make use of past and present specials Salmonid-style (that other bosses don't already use)

Cohozuna and Horrorboros are already showing a pattern of doing this - Cohozuna has an attack that is clearly the Salmonid equivalent of Splashdown, while Horrorboros produces bombs that turn into its own version of the Booyah Bomb. Other possible candidates include King Salmonids that:

• Scream as an attack, producing a Killer Wail to splat players with.
• Lob multiple Steelhead bombs at once, akin to the Bomb Rush/Launcher.
• Blow up giant bubbles that eventually pop on their own, like the Bubble Blower but without shooting the resulting bubbles to make them pop.
• Launch an Inkstrike (not the Triple Inkstrike variant), like Octostrikers.
  • Megalodontia is functionally very similar to this, as it's an enormous Maws, splatting any Inklings or Octolings it catches as it pops out of the ground.
• Suck up the players' ink and then spit out a giant projectile akin to the Ink Vac.

The last stage to be added to this game will be Urchin Underpass.

The eighth and last season will be Sizzle Season 2024. Urchin Underpass would be a way to come full circle, with it being available in the base game for Splatoon 1 as the series's first stage and most iconic location, as well as the last stage in Splatoon 3.

• Are you sure it'll be the last season? You're also making it sound like 3 will be the last game in the series, and there's no way it will be with how successful it is... I hope.

Side Order intentionally plays up Pearl and Marina's Ambiguously Gay interactions because it's the last we'll see of them.

Its possible that they've always been an Official Couple to the creators of the series, but some real life restriction was keeping them from outright confirming it. Perhaps Nintendo feared that it'd raise the game's age rating? Whatever the case, Splatoon 3 has been confirmed to be "the finale of the splat-tastic saga". So, what if the game's writers saw this as their last chance to hammer home "Yes, they are lesbian and in love, we're just not allowed to say it outright"? This is certainly reflected in their dialogue, given how much more overt it is than Splatoon 2's.

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