Splatoon 3: Side Order DLC and Fresh Season 2024 now live

February is shaping up to be a particularly fresh month for Splatoon fans. Last week, Nintendo uploaded a recording of the Splatoon 3 concert that was meant to take place at Nintendo Live 2024 Tokyo in January. And today, the company shared a new trailer for the Side Order DLC and confirmed that the next Season (Fresh Season 2024) will kick off on March 1st.

First: the Side Order DLC. As previously announced, it will be released on February 22nd worldwide (technically, North America should get it on February 21st). And the overview trailer shared today gives us a good, long look at everything the expansion has to offer (including the rogue-like gameplay).

Here’s the overview trailer for the Side Order DLC:

Want more footage? Here you go:

And here’s some additional details and screenshots from Nintendo’s press release:

What do you do when you wake up in a world devoid of color? Well, if you’re a resident of Inkopolis, you do whatever you can to paint the town pink (or blue or yellow or … ). That’s the kind of spirit you’ll need to ascend the Spire of Order and brighten up your world in the single-player DLC* Side Order, the second wave of the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass for Splatoon 3 on the Nintendo Switch family of systems, arriving Feb. 22.

In Side Order, you play as Agent 8, a resident of Inkopolis who wakes up in a new “world of order,” where the color spectrum goes from white to … a little less white to … kinda gray to … well, that’s pretty much it. What’s an Octoling to do? Figure out how to bring a little color back into the picture, that’s what! Alongside a drone who claims to be Off the Hook member Pearl, Agent 8 must battle to the top of the Spire of Order against hordes of surprising enemies and obstacles.

On each floor of the Spire there are objectives that change each time you make an attempt, and they get harder the higher you climb. Objectives may include defeating enemies, securing specific areas for a set amount of time, and overcoming other skill-testing challenges. Use the color chips you receive to customize your Palette to your liking with enhancements such as increased firing speed, raised damage output and more. Fail to reach the top and you’ll have to start over – but the color chips you collect will be converted into a currency that can be exchanged for some permanent and helpful upgrades. Those upgrades might just give you a fighting chance of reaching the top next time around.

Designed to be replayed over and over as you update Agent 8 with powerful (and colorful) abilities, Side Order is a fun, challenging way to level up your Splatoon skills, for newcomers and vets alike.

As for the Fresh Season 2024, it will kick off on March 1st. Here’s a trailer showcasing what’s in store:

This new Season brings the following to the game:

• new stage: Marlin Airport
• new Salmon Run stage: Bonerattle Arena (this will be the final Salmon Run stage!)

• new weapons
  • Recycled Brella 24 Mk I
  • Douser Dualies FF
  • .52 Gal Deco (Sub: Curling Bomb / Special: Splattercolor Screen)
  • New Squiffer (Sub: Autobomb / Special: Zipcaster)
  • Dread Wringer D (Sub: Squid Beakon / Special: Wave Breaker)
  • Foil Flingza Roller (Sub: Suction Bomb / Special: Splattercolor Screen)
  • Nautilus 79 (Sub: Suction Bomb / Special: Triple Splashdown)
  • Glooga Dualies Deco (Sub: Point Sensor / Special: Trizooka)
  • Custom E-liter 4K (Sub: Squid Beakon / Special: Kraken Royale)
  • Custom E-liter 4K Scope (Sub: Squid Beakon / Special: Kraken Royale)
  • Custom Explosher (Sub: Splash Wall / Special: Triple Splashdown)
• new item: Fizzbang (Splatfest)
• new music tracks: “Shifting Stars” and “No Plan Survives” by Riot Act (a side project by C-Side’s guitarist Kiki)

• new Salmon Run rewards: new work clothes, unusual Gear, banners, stickers, and more

• new event: SpringFest (to be held in April). It will feature bright and colourful decorations! More details about the Splatfest to be shared at a later date. As part of SpringFest, exclusive Gear will be distributed via the News feature of the Nintendo Switch!

• Tableturf Battle: adds 7 stages, including some with special squares, giving rise to new tactics. Also, the number of decks you can save will increase from 16 to 32! And finally, no less than 20 new cards will be added (based on the Side Order DLC!)

• new Locker decorations

• new Catalog including new Gear, new emotes, new stickers, and more. Included is “Square Show-Off”, the victory emote from Splatoon 2 (each weapon type gets a different pose)

• returning Gear: over 150 pieces of Gear from Splatoon 2 are returning. They will appear in the shops daily!

Source: Nintendo PR (13/02/2024)