Nintendo’s announcement comes two years after Splatoon 3, a third-person team-based shooter that revolves around firing ink-based weapons, launched on Nintendo Switch. As of the end of March 2024, Splatoon 3 had sold an impressive 11.96 million copies.

Over the weekend, Splatoon 3's Grand Festival took place - its most important Splatfest, which is essentially a popularity contest in which players fight for their chosen teams by winning points in Turf War battles. While the third game is by no means shutting down for good, this event still marks the end of an era for the game.

As many fans assumed, Splatoon 3's Grand Festival was its final Splatfest, so regular updates for the game are coming to an end.