<s>
is	O
a	O
third-person	O
shooter	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
third	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Splatoon	B-Application
series	O
following	O
Splatoon	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
its	O
predecessors	O
in	O
the	O
Splatoon	B-Application
series	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
consists	O
of	O
online	O
multiplayer	O
(	O
player	O
versus	O
player	O
and	O
player	O
versus	O
environment	O
)	O
alongside	O
a	O
single-player	O
campaign	O
,	O
all	O
featuring	O
combat	O
based	O
around	O
ink	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
30	O
December	O
2022	O
,	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
has	O
sold	O
10.13	O
million	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
fastest-selling	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best-selling	B-Device
Switch	I-Device
games	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
its	O
predecessors	O
in	O
the	O
Splatoon	B-Application
series	O
,	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
a	O
third-person	O
shooter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
expands	O
upon	O
this	O
by	O
adding	O
new	O
main	O
,	O
sub	O
,	O
and	O
special	O
weapons	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
basic	O
weapons	O
from	O
the	O
prior	O
Splatoon	B-Application
games	O
return	O
in	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Clam	B-Application
Blitz	O
sees	O
players	O
collect	O
golden	O
clams	B-Application
and	O
deposit	O
them	O
in	O
the	O
opponent	O
's	O
goals	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
team	O
who	O
deposited	O
the	O
most	O
clams	B-Application
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
match	O
declared	O
the	O
winner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Rainmaker	O
game	O
mode	O
functions	O
similarly	O
to	O
capture	B-Application
the	I-Application
flag	I-Application
,	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
attempt	O
to	O
carry	O
a	O
weapon	O
called	O
the	O
Rainmaker	O
from	O
the	O
center	O
of	O
the	O
stage	O
to	O
various	O
checkpoints	O
until	O
they	O
reach	O
the	O
opponent	O
's	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
map	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
a	O
new	O
"	O
Tricolor	O
Turf	O
War	O
"	O
can	O
occur	O
by	O
the	O
second	O
half	O
of	O
a	O
Splatfest	O
,	O
where	O
one	O
team	O
of	O
four	O
players	O
aims	O
to	O
defend	O
the	O
"	O
Ultra	O
Signal	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
center	O
of	O
the	O
map	O
from	O
two	O
teams	O
of	O
attacking	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salmon	O
Run	O
Next	O
Wave	O
uses	O
the	O
same	O
basic	O
gameplay	O
as	O
it	O
does	O
in	O
Splatoon	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
,	O
employed	O
by	O
Grizzco	O
Industries	O
,	O
teams	O
up	O
with	O
three	O
other	O
players	O
to	O
fight	O
waves	O
of	O
enemies	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
Salmonids	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
addition	O
to	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
"	O
Big	O
Run	O
"	O
,	O
an	O
event	O
where	O
Salmonids	O
invade	O
the	O
city	O
of	O
Splatsville	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
mode	O
present	O
in	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
is	O
Tableturf	O
Battle	O
,	O
a	O
digital	B-Application
collectible	I-Application
card	I-Application
game	I-Application
based	O
on	O
Turf	O
War	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
build	O
a	O
deck	O
composed	O
of	O
collected	O
trading	O
cards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Splatoon	B-Application
games	O
take	O
place	O
on	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
Earth	O
set	O
far	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
after	O
the	O
extinction	B-Application
of	O
humanity	O
and	O
almost	O
all	O
mammal	O
life	O
,	O
suggested	O
to	O
be	O
due	O
to	O
climate	O
change	O
,	O
where	O
much	O
of	O
oceanic	O
life	O
has	O
evolved	O
to	O
live	O
on	O
land	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
five	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Splatoon	B-Application
2	I-Application
in	O
the	O
Splatlands	O
,	O
a	O
sun-scorched	O
desert	O
inhabited	O
by	O
battle-hardened	O
Inklings	O
and	O
Octolings	O
,	O
and	O
Splatsville	O
,	O
a	O
city	O
of	O
chaos	O
that	O
seems	O
to	O
have	O
developed	O
rapidly	O
since	O
the	O
last	O
Splatfest	O
,	O
Chaos	O
vs.	O
Order	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
mode	O
of	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
titled	O
Return	O
of	O
the	O
Mammalians	O
,	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
a	O
new	O
location	O
called	O
Alterna	O
,	O
a	O
large	O
,	O
snowy	O
area	O
littered	O
with	O
incomplete	O
structures	O
and	O
hazardous	O
Fuzzy	O
Ooze	O
,	O
an	O
ink-like	O
substance	O
mostly	O
covered	O
in	O
brown	O
fur	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
rocket	O
at	O
its	O
center	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
focuses	O
on	O
the	O
reappearance	O
of	O
mammals	O
,	O
which	O
have	O
been	O
long-extinct	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
following	O
the	O
elderly	O
squid	O
Craig	O
Cuttlefish	O
into	O
a	O
crater	O
covered	O
with	O
lethal	O
Fuzzy	O
Ooze	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
recruited	O
by	O
Cuttlefish	O
into	O
the	O
New	O
Squidbeak	O
Splatoon	B-Application
as	O
Agent	O
3	O
along	O
with	O
their	O
pet	O
Salmonid	O
Smallfry	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
Little	O
Buddy	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Alterna	O
,	O
Agent	O
3	O
meets	O
Callie	O
and	O
Marie	O
of	O
the	O
New	O
Squidbeak	O
Splatoon	B-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Captain	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
protagonist	O
of	O
the	B-Application
first	I-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
and	O
realizes	O
that	O
Cuttlefish	O
has	O
gone	O
missing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
are	O
approached	O
by	O
the	O
idol	O
group	O
Deep	O
Cut	O
,	O
who	O
are	O
searching	O
Alterna	O
for	O
treasure	O
and	O
believe	O
the	O
Squidbeak	O
Splatoon	B-Application
is	O
there	O
for	O
the	O
same	O
reason	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aided	O
by	O
an	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
named	O
O.R.C.A	O
they	O
explore	O
the	O
city	O
in	O
search	O
of	O
Cuttlefish	O
,	O
but	O
are	O
repeatedly	O
led	O
to	O
signals	O
from	O
the	O
members	O
of	O
Deep	O
Cut	O
and	O
forced	O
to	O
fight	O
them	O
over	O
the	O
"	O
treasure	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
appears	O
to	O
be	O
junk	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
all	O
members	O
of	O
Deep	O
Cut	O
are	O
defeated	O
,	O
they	O
explain	O
their	O
intention	O
to	O
sell	O
the	O
treasure	O
for	O
charity	O
,	O
and	O
team	O
up	O
with	O
the	O
Splatoon	B-Application
to	O
defeat	O
Mr.	O
Grizz	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
EPD	O
,	O
with	O
additional	O
work	O
done	O
by	O
Monolith	O
Soft	O
,	O
who	O
also	O
assisted	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
previous	O
Splatoon	B-Application
games	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
SRD	O
and	O
Bandai	O
Namco	O
Studios	O
Singapore	O
&	O
Malaysia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
makes	O
use	O
of	O
NLPN	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
in-house	B-Application
server	B-Application
system	O
,	O
which	O
supports	O
expanded	O
lobby	O
features	O
and	O
better	O
matchmaking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
E3	O
2019	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
announcement	O
of	O
Splatoon	B-Application
2s	I-Application
final	O
Splatfest	O
,	O
"	O
Chaos	O
vs.	O
Order	O
"	O
,	O
Splatoon	B-Application
producer	O
Hisashi	O
Nogami	O
stated	O
that	O
a	O
third	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
was	O
not	O
in	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
"	O
Ask	O
the	O
Developer	O
"	O
interview	O
on	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
website	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
revealed	O
that	O
the	O
direction	O
of	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3s	I-Application
world	O
was	O
decided	O
after	O
Team	O
Chaos	O
won	O
Splatoon	B-Application
2s	I-Application
final	O
Splatfest	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
developers	O
planning	O
for	O
both	O
outcomes	O
before	O
the	O
Splatfest	O
winner	O
was	O
decided	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
Direct	O
on	O
10	O
August	O
2022	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
confirmed	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
receive	O
two	O
years	O
worth	O
of	O
updates	O
releasing	O
every	O
three	O
months	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
feature	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
more	O
stages	O
and	O
weapons	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
large-scale	O
paid	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
Nintendo	O
Direct	O
released	O
on	O
8	O
February	O
2023	O
,	O
two	O
waves	O
of	O
DLC	B-Protocol
were	O
announced	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
first	O
wave	O
including	O
Inkopolis	O
(	O
the	O
main	O
hub	O
from	O
the	B-Application
first	I-Application
game	I-Application
)	O
and	O
the	O
second	O
wave	O
including	O
a	O
new	O
single	O
player	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
with	O
a	O
teaser	O
trailer	O
in	O
a	O
Nintendo	O
Direct	O
on	O
17	O
February	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
details	O
were	O
revealed	O
later	O
that	O
year	O
in	O
September	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
single-player	O
mode	O
,	O
Return	O
of	O
the	O
Mammalians	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
trailer	O
for	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
co-op	O
mode	O
"	O
Salmon	O
Run	O
"	O
premiered	O
in	O
a	O
Nintendo	O
Direct	O
on	O
9	O
February	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
22	O
April	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
uploaded	O
a	O
video	O
to	O
its	O
YouTube	B-General_Concept
channel	I-General_Concept
showing	O
gameplay	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Turf	O
War	O
"	O
game	O
mode	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
providing	O
an	O
exact	O
release	O
date	O
of	O
9	O
September	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
Splatoon	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Octo	I-Application
Expansion	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
to	O
be	O
included	O
with	O
the	O
Expansion	O
Pack	O
tier	O
of	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
Online	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
announced	O
a	O
special	O
edition	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
OLED	O
model	O
themed	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
release	O
date	O
of	O
26	O
August	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
announced	O
a	O
Splatoon	O
3-themed	O
Pro	B-Device
Controller	I-Device
and	O
carrying	O
case	O
,	O
which	O
released	O
alongside	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
have	O
amiibo	B-Device
support	O
,	O
with	O
several	O
new	O
figurines	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
take	O
photos	O
with	O
the	O
characters	O
in-game	O
and	O
receive	O
special	O
gear	O
items	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
past	O
Splatoon	B-Application
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
announced	O
in	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Direct	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
set	O
to	O
receive	O
both	O
large-scale	O
paid	O
DLC	B-Protocol
and	O
two	O
years	O
of	O
support	O
via	O
free	O
updates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
trailer	O
on	O
11	O
October	O
2022	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
amiibo	B-Device
would	O
launch	O
on	O
November	O
11	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
Nintendo	O
Live	O
2022	O
on	O
9	O
October	O
,	O
a	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
concert	O
was	O
held	O
starring	O
Deep	O
Cut	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
he	O
criticized	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
lack	O
of	O
a	O
"	O
huge	O
addition	O
"	O
similar	O
to	O
Splatoon	B-Application
2s	I-Application
Salmon	O
Run	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
single-player	O
mode	O
,	O
he	O
appreciated	O
the	O
new	O
take	O
on	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
hub	O
world	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
returning	O
ideas	O
from	O
Splatoon	B-Application
2s	I-Application
Octo	B-Application
Expansion	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
he	O
called	O
the	O
Splatoon	B-Application
series	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
polished	O
,	O
playable	O
and	O
impeccably	O
executed	O
series	O
"	O
from	O
Nintendo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
compared	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
story	O
mode	O
to	O
the	O
Mario	B-Application
franchise	I-Application
,	O
saying	O
that	O
while	O
it	O
evoked	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
parts	O
of	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Sunshine	I-Application
,	O
the	O
abstract	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
levels	O
failed	O
to	O
meet	O
the	O
best	O
Mario	B-Application
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
movement	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
"	O
few	O
games	O
match	O
the	O
smooth	O
,	O
intuitive	O
mobility	O
Splatoon	B-Application
gives	O
you	O
while	O
submerged	O
and	O
cruising	O
through	O
a	O
map	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
12	O
September	O
2022	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
reported	O
that	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
3.45	O
million	O
copies	O
domestically	O
within	O
the	O
first	O
three	O
days	O
of	O
launch	O
,	O
becoming	O
the	O
fastest-selling	O
video	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
in	O
Japan	O
(	O
surpassing	O
the	O
previous	O
record	O
holder	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Black	I-Application
and	I-Application
White	I-Application
)	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best-selling	B-Device
games	I-Device
on	I-Device
the	I-Device
Nintendo	I-Device
Switch	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
debuted	O
at	O
the	O
top	O
spot	O
on	O
the	O
UK	O
boxed	O
charts	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
remained	O
for	O
three	O
weeks	O
until	O
being	O
pushed	O
to	O
second	O
place	O
by	O
FIFA	B-Application
23	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
18	O
October	O
2022	O
,	O
Splatoon	B-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
reported	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
highest-selling	O
video	O
game	O
of	O
2022	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
just	O
over	O
one	O
month	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
