Nintendo held the Grand Festival event for the third-person shooter Splatoon 3 this September, which saw its epic “grand finale" between 12th and 15th September 2024. This "in-game festival" rallied the Splatoon community in this ink-laden Splatfest event, for which the Japanese publisher had promised plenty of "surprises" in tow for players.
One such surprise that was announced towards the conclusion of the "in-game festival" was posted to their official social media accounts. Nintendo announced that "regular updates" for the third-person shooter "will come to a close"; however, when updates will end has yet to be announced.
The ink-tastic third-person shooter was first released for Nintendo Switch consoles back in 2022 and enjoyed an overwhelmingly favorable success despite some gameplay and technical issues. Over two years since its release and multiple DLC expansions, Nintendo will be ending "regular updates" for Splatoon 3 but outlined a few exceptions, which include in-game events and an upcoming balance update.
"Splatoween, Frosty Fest, Spring Fest, and Summer Nights will continue with some returning themes! Updates for weapon adjustments will be released as needed. Big Run, Eggstra Work, and Monthly Challenges will continue for the time being," Nintendo posted to their Twitter account on 15th September 2024.
"Splatoween, Frosty Fest, Spring Fest, and Summer Nights will continue with some returning themes! Updates for weapon adjustments will be released as needed. Big Run, Eggstra Work, and Monthly Challenges will continue for the time being," Nintendo posted to their Twitter account on 15th September 2024.
As support is ending for this colorful third-person shooter, it's unclear what lies ahead for the future of the Splatoon series or why Nintendo has decided to end the game's ongoing support. It has, however, fueled some theories relating to the Nintendo Switch successor, which the Japanese publisher is gearing up for its official announcement (and release) in the near future, so it may be possible that a fourth game may be on the cards for the Switch 2 console.