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Nintendo shares tons of Splatoon Raiders gameplay during dedicated Direct

The latest broadcast has shined a spotlight on combat, exploration, upgrading, Amiibos, and more.
Ben Lyons Senior Editor 30 June 2026

Today has already been a rather crazy one for Splatoon fans. We've just been able to share our impressions after going hands-on with Splatoon Raiders, with this happening just as the dedicated formerly promised Direct for the game began being broadcasted.

With that latter point in mind, Nintendo has now just finished showing off around 20 minutes of Splatoon Raiders gameplay, including complex glimpses at the combat, exploration, treasure hunting, Amiibos, multiplayer, upgrading, base customisation, and more.

We get to meet the different kinds of Salmonids players will fight, including Lesser, Boss, and Seasoned enemies, all while learning of the different tanks at your disposal, ranging from Speed, Power, and Tactical and which change the dynamic of play.

This is then on top of the difficulty options on offer, spanning the most casual of the bunch known as Tourist, the medium experience of Raider, and the toughest variant of Survivalist. Lastly, the show concluded by revealing Salmonid Relics, which are rare treasures that unlock "strange, hidden powers".

While you can see the majority of this in action in the full Direct video below, as per those wondering what the Amiibos offer and who they look to reflect, each will bring new outfits for the respective characters of Shiver, Frye, and Big Man, with separate Amiibos for each that can be arranged to look like one complete diorama.

As for the launch date for Splatoon Raiders, the Switch 2 exclusive title will debut on July 23 with pre-orders now available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrfFGxN9sWY

Senior Editor Ben was a Senior Editor at Gamereactor UK. When he wasn’t writing, editing or filming for Gamereactor, he could usually be found playing an FPS or getting lost in a sprawling RPG.
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