It’s the End of an Era for Splatoon 3

It’s the end of an era for Splatoon 3, as the game is ending its regular updates. Splatoon 3 first hit the scene in 2022, a whopping five years after Splatoon 2. With more weapons, maps, game modes, and various other improvements at its disposal, Splatoon 3 is considered by many fans of Nintendo’s family-friendly shooter franchise to be the best the series has had to offer to date.

Splatoon 3 is one of the closest things that Nintendo has to a proper live-service on the Switch. Plenty of free updates have been released for Splatoon 3 over the last two years, adding fresh content for players to check out alongside paid DLC like the Side Order expansion. Now Nintendo has confirmed that regular updates for Splatoon 3 have wrapped, marking the end of an era for the hit game.

Splatoon 3 ending regular updates certainly marks the end of an era for the shooter game, but Nintendo has promised that more content is still on the horizon. Splatoon 3 will continue hosting its seasonal events, which includes Splatoween, Frosty Fest, Spring Fest, and Summer Nights. And while regular updates for Splatoon 3 are done, that doesn’t mean that the game is totally done getting new updates.

Splatoon 3 Regular Updates Are Coming to a Close

In fact, Nintendo has left the door wide open for more Splatoon 3 updates. It concluded its confirmation that regular updates are coming to an end by saying that weapon balance changes could still make their way to the game. Additionally, Big Run, Eggstra Work, and Monthly Challenges will continue to be featured in Splatoon 3 “for the time being.”

What Does the Future Hold for the Splatoon Franchise?

With Nintendo shifting focus away from Splatoon 3, fans may be wondering what the next step is for the franchise. Splatoon 3 was a huge sales success, and has remained popular years after its release, so chances are good that Nintendo has already started work on the eventual Splatoon 4. In fact, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Nintendo has decided to end its regular updates for Splatoon 3 so it can double down on Splatoon 4 and ensure the game is available for its next console.

The next Nintendo console is expected to be announced in the relatively near future and released at some point in 2025. Getting Splatoon 4 on the next Nintendo console as soon as possible would be huge for both the system and the franchise, and so hopefully fans don’t have to wait too much longer to learn what’s next for Splatoon.