It seems we’ve got some more new information about the upcoming Switch rele ase, Splatoon 3
As explained by the well-known Nintendo dataminer OatmealDome, Splatoon and Splatoon 2 had “unique versions” for each region – to facilitate regional data delivery for matchmaking and events such as Splatfests.
This means there might not be regional restrictions in place for Splatoon 3 – such as region-specific unlocks and events. As a result, you could also potentially buy future DLC from any Switch eShop and it would still work. Language settings wouldn’t be a concern, either. Here’s the full rundown:
[Splatoon 3] Splatoon 3 will have *one version* worldwide. Nintendo will not be shipping individual versions for North America, Europe / Oceania, and Japan like they did for Splatoon 1 and 2. (with many thanks to @thomasnet_mc)
Splatoon 1 and 2 both had unique versions for each region. This was used to facilitate regional data delivery for things like Splatfests and matchmaking parameters. (Unfortunately, this also caused confusion when copies of regional versions “escaped” their intended areas.)
So, what does this mean? 1. You can buy any potential Splatoon 3 DLC from any region’s eShop. 2. You can play Splatoon 3 in any supported language (EN / JP / FR / etc), regardless of where your copy came from. 3. It remains to be seen how regional Splatfests work (if at all).
Also: If Nintendo continues the practice of distributing gear unlock codes as “DLC”, then yes, regional gear will no longer be a thing.
This decision sounds like it’ll make the game even more accessible around the world and (again) it could mean Splatfests are potentially just one themed event globally. How would you feel about Nintendo releasing just “one version” of Splatoon 3 without as many regional barriers or differences? Leave your thoughts down below.
