Update: Nintendo of Australia has just confirmed the Western release – announcing that the same physical package will be released locally July 25, 2024 at selected retailers.
Original: Nintendo has announced that it will release a new physical version of Splatoon 3 in Japan next month July 18, 2024.
This new bundle comes bundled with a copy of the game, the Expansion Pass (including the Inkopolis update and Side Order DLC) as well as a three-month Switch Online subscription. It’s not specifically stated if everything is actually on the game card, but Nintendo did this with the previous Switch game and DLC packs.
For now, this physical bundle is only confirmed for Japan, but if we hear any updates, we’ll let you know. If you haven’t experienced the Splatoon 3 DLC yet, be sure to check out our previous coverage. In Inkopolis, the Squid Sisters returned and Side Order added a brand new single player experience.
Here’s a small sample of our Side Order review:
“We noticed that we keep coming back to try just one more run which turned into five, so that should speak for itself. Splatoon fans rejoice, that’s another good one.”
Again, this isn’t the first time Nintendo has released update packs containing expansion content and DLC. This was previously done for Switch games such as Splatoon 2, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Pokémon Sword + Shield and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.