Splatoon 2 is a 2017 third-person shooter game created and released by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It was launched on July 21, 2017, as a direct sequel to Splatoon. Like the first game, Splatoon 2 includes online multiplayer (player versus player and player versus environment) and a single-player story mode, both featuring combat that uses ink. An expansion pack for the single-player mode, called Octo Expansion, was later released as downloadable content (DLC) on June 16, 2018.

Development of Splatoon 2 began shortly after the first game’s free content updates ended in October 2015. The team aimed to create a strong sequel by adding new weapons and changing gameplay to make it different from the original. The story takes place about two years after the first game, a choice made to make the game’s world feel more realistic.

When Splatoon 2 was released, it received mostly positive reviews. Critics praised its better graphics and improvements to gameplay features from the first game. However, some criticized the online matchmaking system and the fact that voice chat was limited to Nintendo Switch Online members. As of December 31, 2022, Splatoon 2 had sold over 13.6 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling Switch games. A follow-up game, Splatoon 3, was released on the Nintendo Switch on September 9, 2022.

Gameplay

Splatoon 2 is a video game where players control human-like octopus creatures called Inklings and Octolings. These characters use colored ink as a weapon to paint flat surfaces like floors and walls. Inklings and Octolings can change shape between a human form, where they walk and shoot ink, and an octopus form, where they swim quickly through their own colored ink to refill their ink supply.

The game introduces new weapons, including dual-wield pistols called Dualies that let players perform quick movements, shotgun-like weapons called Brellas with foldable shields for defense, and jetpacks known as Inkjets.

Splatoon 2 includes returning game modes from the first game, such as Turf War and Ranked Battles. It also adds a new mode called League Battles, which is a tournament-style version of Ranked Battles. In Turf War, players are split into two teams of four, and the goal is to cover more of the arena with their team’s colored ink after three minutes.

Once players reach level 10, they can access Ranked Battles, which are objective-based game modes that change availability throughout the day. These modes usually last five minutes, with extra time if certain conditions are met. Splatoon 2 includes four Ranked modes: Tower Control, Rainmaker, Splat Zones, and Clam Blitz. Clam Blitz is new to the game. In Tower Control, teams guide a moving tower to a goal in the opposing team’s base while completing checkpoints. Rainmaker involves carrying a large weapon to the opposing team’s base. Splat Zones requires teams to cover a specific area of the map with ink for a set time. Clam Blitz challenges teams to collect clams and throw them into the opposing team’s base to reduce a points counter. Collecting ten clams gives players a Power Clam, which can be used to break the opposing team’s goal and deposit clams. The team that reduces the opposing team’s points counter to zero or depletes it the most wins.

Salmon Run is a co-op mode where players team up to fight groups of enemy salmon called Salmonids and collect Golden Eggs to meet a quota for each of three waves. Golden Eggs are obtained by defeating large Boss Salmonid enemies, which have unique attack patterns and weaknesses. Completing Salmon Run matches increases a player’s rank in Grizzco, with each wave becoming harder due to more enemies and special challenges. If a player is splatted by a Salmonid, they must be revived by a teammate. The match ends if all four team members are splatted at the same time.

The game includes a single-player story mode called Octo Canyon, where players rescue captured Zapfish while fighting evil Octarians. Unlike the first game, players can now earn and use different weapons, some of which are needed to complete levels for the first time. Players can collect Sunken Scrolls to unlock artwork and lore, Power Orbs to upgrade Hero Mode weapons, and tickets to get temporary rewards in multiplayer matches, such as faster leveling or more in-game currency. Using one weapon to complete all Hero Mode levels grants players a Hero Weapon Replica for use in multiplayer. Players can join online multiplayer matches or play locally with multiple consoles and game copies. The game also supports LAN tournaments with an adapter accessory. Amiibo figures allow players to save their character’s custom appearance and unlock extra content. Free updates and events are regularly added to the game.

From July 2019, monthly Splatfest events allowed players to choose between two teams based on themes like heroes vs. villains or pancakes vs. waffles. These events included collaborations with Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Splatfest themes were announced two weeks in advance and were region-specific, with different times each month. Only Turf War was available during Splatfests, with options for normal or pro modes. Winning battles earned points for the winning team, and the team with the most points at the end of the event won. All players received rare rewards, with winners getting slightly better rewards. In July 2019, Nintendo announced that the final regular Splatfest would be held that month. Bonus rematches of past Splatfests occurred in May 2020, August 2020, and October 2020. A Splatfest celebrating the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. took place in January 2021.

Setting

The Splatoon series takes place on a version of Earth after humans are gone and marine life has evolved quickly, thousands of years later. Splatoon 2 happens two years after the events of Splatoon, in and around Inkopolis Square. Like the first game, Splatoon 2 includes a story where the Octarian army steals the Great Zapfish, the main power source of Inkopolis. Another event in the story is the disappearance of Callie, one half of the musical duo the Squid Sisters, which the player character must investigate.

The DLC expansion pack, Octo Expansion, takes place around the same time as Octo Canyon. It is set in an underground train station called the Deepsea Metro, where an Octoling who has forgotten their past falls in. Guided by a talking telephone and helped by Cap'n Cuttlefish, the player's guide from Splatoon who is also trapped, Agent 8 must clear testing areas in the Metro to collect four items called "thangs." Completing the expansion's story allows players to play as an Octoling in multiplayer matches.

Octo Canyon occurs about two years after the final Splatfest of Splatoon, where pop idol Marie defeated her cousin and fellow Squid Sister, Callie. After becoming distant from each other, Marie worries that Callie was hurt by the outcome. After visiting her parents, Marie returns to find the Great Zapfish missing, along with Callie. Cap'n Cuttlefish and his assistant, Agent 3, are away. Marie becomes Agent 2 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon and recruits an Inkling, the player character, as Agent 4 to investigate.

With help from Marie and weapons expert Sheldon, Agent 4 travels through Octo Canyon to fight the Octarians and recover stolen Zapfish, including those powering the Octarians' machines. They discover Callie has joined the Octarians after being controlled by their leader, DJ Octavio, who uses the Great Zapfish to power his DJ stage, the Octobot King. Marie and Sheldon rescue Callie, who then helps Agent 4 defeat Octavio. After the Great Zapfish is returned to Inkopolis and Octavio is defeated, the Squid Sisters reunite and restart their music career.

Development

The idea for Splatoon 2 started during free updates for the original Splatoon game. Full development began around October 2015, after these updates ended. During this time, Splatoon's development team, including producer Hisashi Nogami, considered making an improved version of the Wii U game instead of a new sequel. However, Nogami explained in an interview with Famitsu that the team chose to create a "real sequel" instead. This decision aimed to change how the game worked, based on fans' positive feedback. To achieve this, the team added new main and special weapons, as well as new gameplay features different from the original Splatoon. For example, the Dualie class and its dodge-roll ability were created to offer players completely new experiences. Another change involved reworking the Super Jump feature to fit the Switch's design, which does not include a second GamePad.

For the game's worldbuilding, the team wanted to show that time in the Splatoon series moves forward at the same rate as real life. Splatoon 2 takes place two years after the original game, shown through characters looking older and changes in in-game music trends. Lead sound designer Toru Minegishi made music for Splatoon 2 that sounds different from the first game, to represent how music preferences change over time. Nogami believed these changes would help players see the Splatoon world as more realistic and connected to their own lives.

Release

A limited-time online test version of the game, called the "Splatoon 2 Global Testfire," was released in March 2017. During the first session, a special version of Nintendo Treehouse Live was streamed, with members of Nintendo Treehouse participating in the demo. Like the original game's demo, this version was only available for a short time, with six one-hour sessions offered over one weekend. Another demo session showcasing the game's Splatfest events was held on July 15, 2017.

The game was released worldwide on July 21, 2017. In Japan and Europe, special neon-green and neon-pink Joy-Con controllers and Splatoon-themed Pro Controllers were sold with the game. A version without a physical game card, which included a download code inside a case, was also released in Japan. A bundle that included a Switch console and a download code for the game was released in Japan and the United States as a Walmart exclusive.

New Amiibo figures of characters from Splatoon 2, including Inkling Girl, Boy, and Squid designs, were released with the game. These figures, along with earlier Splatoon figures, allow players to unlock special in-game clothing and music. They also let players save weapon and clothing choices to the figures, which can be accessed anytime. Characters with saved choices can be displayed next to the player for screenshots. Amiibo figures of Pearl and Marina from Off the Hook were released on July 13, 2018, and had similar features. A final set of figures featuring Octoling Girl, Boy, and Octopus designs was released in Japan and Europe on November 9, 2018, and in North America on December 7, 2018.

Like the first game, Splatoon 2 received free updates after its release. At least one new weapon was added weekly, and new stages and game modes were added at irregular times. In late April 2018, the update schedule changed to include large groups of weapons added monthly, with new stages added until October 2018. Updates were originally planned to continue for about a year, with Splatfest events held for two years, but updates were extended until the end of 2018. An expansion pack for the game's single-player mode, called Octo Expansion, was released on June 13, 2018.

The game's final content update was announced in December 2018, though balancing patches and Splatfest events continued into Summer 2019. Later, smaller updates were released until July 2019.

Before Splatoon 2 was officially announced, clips from the game appeared in the Nintendo Switch's announcement trailer. This unexpected inclusion led to questions about whether the footage was from a port of Splatoon or a sequel. The game was shown in the trailer like an esports event, reflecting Nintendo's investments in Splatoon esports tournaments in late 2016.

Splatoon 2 was officially revealed during a Nintendo Switch presentation in Tokyo on January 13, 2017, with a planned release in Q2/Q3 2017. The reveal included a trailer with new maps and weapons, and a live appearance by producer Hisashi Nogami, who portrayed a scientist from the fictional Squid Research Lab, a group featured in promotional materials for the original Splatoon.

Like the first game, Splatoon 2 includes Splatfest events that feature crossovers with other brands, such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, McDonald's, Uniqlo, Nike, Sanrio, Meiji, and Pocky.

A manga series based on the game, illustrated by Sankichi Hinodeya, began in Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic magazine in May 2017. It was published in North America by Viz Media in late 2017. A motion comic adaptation was announced in July 2017 and released on YouTube the following month.

A two-disc official soundtrack called Splatune 2, featuring music from the game by Toru Minegishi, Ryo Nagamatsu, and Shiho Fujii, was released in Japan on November 29, 2017. It reached number eight on Billboard Japan's Hot Albums chart. A second album, Octotune, was released in Japan on July 18, 2018. This album included tracks from the Octo Expansion DLC and other updates, as well as a recording of the game's first live concert. It peaked at number five on the Hot Albums chart.

Like the first game, real-life concerts featuring the game's band, Off the Hook, were held in various locations. The first concert took place at Tokaigi 2018 in Japan on February 10, 2018. A second was held at Polymanga in Switzerland on March 31, 2018. A third concert, featuring a new song called "Nasty Majesty" from the Octo Expansion, was performed at NicoNico Chokaigi in Japan on April 28, 2018. A fourth concert was held at Tokaigi Game Party 2019 in Japan on January 26, 2019, and included more songs from the Octo Expansion. This was the first concert to feature only Pearl and Marina. A two-day concert featuring both the Squid Sisters and Off the Hook was held at Nintendo Live 2019 on October 13–14, 2019, with performances based on previous concerts.

Reception

Splatoon 2 received "generally favorable" reviews, according to Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews. Another site, OpenCritic, said 90% of critics recommended the game.

Critics liked how Splatoon 2 improved gameplay from its first version. Modes like Turf War and Ranked Battles were seen as fun, but some reviewers did not like the return of timed stage changes. Gabe Gurwin from Digital Trends said the game’s balance changes, such as redesigned battle areas, helped make weapons more fair. Brian Shea of Game Informer thought changes to weapons made them more useful. Rokurou Eyama of Automaton had mixed feelings about balance changes, saying some weapons were too strong and needed fixing, but he worried these changes might make the game less exciting. Splatoon 2’s visuals were praised as better than the first game, partly because the Switch console has better graphics than the Wii U. Samuel Horti of GamesRadar+ said the game did not add many new ideas, and others, like Neal Ronaghan and Mollie L. Patterson, felt it was more like a halfway point between the first game and a full sequel.

Most new features in Splatoon 2 were well-received. Mollie L. Patterson liked the new mode, Off the Hook, and said the characters worked well together. The single-player story was praised for being fun and improved from the first game. Salmon Run, a new mode, was called the best addition to Splatoon 2. It was praised for being challenging and requiring teamwork, but some critics disliked that it could only be played at certain times. Brian Shea said limiting the mode was a poor choice, and Neal Ronaghan called the time restrictions "downright awful."

Many players were unhappy that voice chat was locked behind the Nintendo Switch Online app. Andrew Webster of The Verge said the lack of built-in voice chat made multiplayer less convenient, and Kallie Plagge of GameSpot agreed. Brittany Vincent of Game Revolution and Will Greenwald of PCMag said using the app to create game lobbies was too complicated. Brendan Graeber of IGN criticized the app’s design, saying it required a smartphone to stay connected, and he thought it was worse than services like Discord or Skype.

The game’s matchmaking system also faced criticism. Players could not switch weapon setups between matches at launch, which Alex Olney of Nintendo Life called a frustrating mistake. Sam Machkovech of Ars Technica and Samuel Horti both disliked that players could not stop the matchmaking menu manually.

Eurogamer ranked Splatoon 2 17th on their list of the "Top 50 Games of 2017," and Polygon ranked it 43rd on their list of the 50 best games of 2017. The Verge included Splatoon 2 in their list of the 15 Best Games of 2017. The game was nominated for "Best Switch Game" in both Destructoid’s Game of the Year Awards 2017 and IGN’s Best of 2017 Awards. It was also nominated for "Best Shooter" and "Best Multiplayer" by IGN.

Splatoon 2 was the second-best-selling game on the UK software chart during its launch week, behind Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. It sold 59% more copies in its first week than the first Splatoon game and became the third-largest Switch game launch in the UK. In Japan, Splatoon 2 sold about 670,955 copies in its first few days. Including digital sales, it sold over 2 million copies in Japan by early 2018, becoming the first home console game to reach that number in the country since 2010’s Wii Party. The game sold 1.56 million copies in Japan and 3.61 million worldwide in its first three months. By June 30, 2020, it had sold 10.71 million copies worldwide, making it the ninth best-selling Switch game. As of December 31, 2022, Splatoon 2 had sold over 13.6 million copies worldwide, selling twice as many copies as its predecessor and becoming one of the best-selling Switch games.

Sequel

On February 17, 2021, during a Nintendo Direct, Nintendo showed a preview of Splatoon 3. The game came out for the Nintendo Switch on September 9, 2022. The preview showed gameplay similar to Splatoon 2. It also introduced new items, weapons, and a world that looks like the end of the world.