{"id":2056206,"date":"2026-07-22T14:55:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T11:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2056206"},"modified":"2026-07-22T14:55:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T11:55:16","slug":"splatoon-raiders-developers-reveal-it-originally-was-like-a-base-defence-game-before-evolving-into-a-faster-spin-off-with-a-strong-sense-of-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2056206","title":{"rendered":"Splatoon Raiders developers reveal it originally was &#8220;like a base defence game&#8221; before evolving into a faster spin-off &#8220;with a strong sense of action&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/splatoon-raiders\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Splatoon Raiders<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">Splatoon Raiders developers reveal it originally was &#8220;like a base defence game&#8221; before evolving into a faster spin-off &#8220;with a strong sense of action&#8221;<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Rethinkling the approach.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/NSwitch2_SplatoonRaiders_Mechanic_02.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Splatoon Raiders - Inkling player character\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"NSwitch2_SplatoonRaiders_Mechanic_02.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"321\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Nintendo<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fran Ruiz avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/fran-j-ruiz-author.png?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Fran Ruiz avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"fran-j-ruiz-author.png\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/fran-ruiz\">Fran Ruiz<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Contributor<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-07-22T14:55:16+00:00\">July 22, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mypop-header-wrapper\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"4b3675d7-99c6-4bf3-84ae-69b6e070d942\" data-name=\"Splatoon Raiders\" data-follow-text=\"Follow Splatoon Raiders\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following Splatoon Raiders\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow Splatoon Raiders\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following Splatoon Raiders\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow Splatoon Raiders\" title=\"Follow Splatoon Raiders\"><br \/>\n  Follow Splatoon Raiders<br \/>\n<\/button>          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/splatoon-raiders\">Splatoon Raiders<\/a> will attempt to make a splash tomorrow, 23rd July, and Nintendo is celebrating its launch on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/platforms\/switch-2\">Switch 2<\/a> with a surprisingly in-depth chat with four key Nintendo EPD developers.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/us\/whatsnew\/ask-the-developer-vol-22-splatoon-raiders-part-1\/\">Ask the Developer Vol. 22: Splatoon Raiders &#8211; Part 1<\/a>&#8216; is a thoroughly good read, but some bits stand out. After a decently sized intro with comments on what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/splatoon\">Splatoon<\/a> Raiders actually is and what players can expect from its looter shooter-inspired formula, producer Seita Inoue, director Yoshihiko Ito, art director Koji Sonoyama, and sound director Shu Tamura elaborated on its key innovations and how they first envisioned it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We thought it might be interesting to create something with a slightly different approach to gameplay, where you can really savor the action on your own,&#8221; Inoue said. &#8220;That said, we will continue to develop competitive gameplay going forward. That&#8217;s why we developed this game as a spin-off and not as Splatoon 4.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Splatoon Raiders \u2013 Overview Trailer \u2013 Nintendo Switch 2\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/x3pE9YRCM2g?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/x3pE9YRCM2g\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Splatoon Raiders \u2013 Overview Trailer \u2013 Nintendo Switch 2<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Splatoon Raiders \u2013 Overview Trailer \u2013 Nintendo Switch 2<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=x3pE9YRCM2g\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Splatoon Raiders is focused on solo and co-op action, giving more importance to weapon progression and repeatable missions that task players with defeating hordes of Salmonids and bigger bosses. Initially, however, Nintendo EPD wanted to create a solo-oriented experience with base defence elements. &#8220;The first thing we tried was building gameplay around placing traps. The idea was to place traps all over the place and to fight alongside them,&#8221; Ito revealed. An early development video was also shared as part of the article to show those original tests.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The developers eventually moved away from that core idea, as they thought players were &#8220;just building a fortress with lots of traps and then watching it play out&#8221;, which led to the game losing its &#8220;Splatoon-ness&#8221;. For Inoue, at first, &#8220;the fun came from the sense of unity between the player and the character through gyro controls on the Wii U GamePad, combined with the ink-shooting mechanics&#8221;. Across competitive and non-competitive modes, the team felt there was a &#8220;strong sense of action&#8221; and dynamic encounters, and they wanted to preserve that.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We focused instead on expanding the range of actions available to the player to be more dynamic, so they can actively take down enemies themselves,&#8221; Ito added. This led to the creation of gadgets, which give players new abilities that heavily alter how they battle the Salmonids or move across Splatoon Raiders&#8217; levels. Similarly, the team looked for ways to better support a PvE loop that could hold up for tens of hours with more weapons, enemies, loot, and objectives. &#8220;By strengthening both their equipment and their own skill in this way, we believe players will eventually become what we call the ultimate multitasker,&#8221; Ito concluded.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/splatoon-raiders-review\">Eurogamer&#8217;s four-star review of Splatoon Raiders<\/a> called it &#8220;a hectic, often overwhelming delight&#8221; even if it mostly boils down to &#8220;blasting something and trying to stay alive&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/splatoon-raiders\">Splatoon Raiders<\/a> will attempt to make a splash tomorrow, 23rd July, and Nintendo is celebrating its launch on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/platforms\/switch-2\">Switch 2<\/a> with a surprisingly in-depth chat with four key Nintendo EPD developers.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/us\/whatsnew\/ask-the-developer-vol-22-splatoon-raiders-part-1\/\">Ask the Developer Vol. 22: Splatoon Raiders &#8211; Part 1<\/a>&#8216; is a thoroughly good read, but some bits stand out. After a decently sized intro with comments on what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/splatoon\">Splatoon<\/a> Raiders actually is and what players can expect from its looter shooter-inspired formula, producer Seita Inoue, director Yoshihiko Ito, art director Koji Sonoyama, and sound director Shu Tamura elaborated on its key innovations and how they first envisioned it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We thought it might be interesting to create something with a slightly different approach to gameplay, where you can really savor the action on your own,&#8221; Inoue said. &#8220;That said, we will continue to develop competitive gameplay going forward. That&#8217;s why we developed this game as a spin-off and not as Splatoon 4.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Splatoon Raiders \u2013 Overview Trailer \u2013 Nintendo Switch 2\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/x3pE9YRCM2g?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/x3pE9YRCM2g\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Splatoon Raiders \u2013 Overview Trailer \u2013 Nintendo Switch 2<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Splatoon Raiders \u2013 Overview Trailer \u2013 Nintendo Switch 2<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=x3pE9YRCM2g\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Splatoon Raiders is focused on solo and co-op action, giving more importance to weapon progression and repeatable missions that task players with defeating hordes of Salmonids and bigger bosses. Initially, however, Nintendo EPD wanted to create a solo-oriented experience with base defence elements. &#8220;The first thing we tried was building gameplay around placing traps. The idea was to place traps all over the place and to fight alongside them,&#8221; Ito revealed. An early development video was also shared as part of the article to show those original tests.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The developers eventually moved away from that core idea, as they thought players were &#8220;just building a fortress with lots of traps and then watching it play out&#8221;, which led to the game losing its &#8220;Splatoon-ness&#8221;. For Inoue, at first, &#8220;the fun came from the sense of unity between the player and the character through gyro controls on the Wii U GamePad, combined with the ink-shooting mechanics&#8221;. Across competitive and non-competitive modes, the team felt there was a &#8220;strong sense of action&#8221; and dynamic encounters, and they wanted to preserve that.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We focused instead on expanding the range of actions available to the player to be more dynamic, so they can actively take down enemies themselves,&#8221; Ito added. This led to the creation of gadgets, which give players new abilities that heavily alter how they battle the Salmonids or move across Splatoon Raiders&#8217; levels. Similarly, the team looked for ways to better support a PvE loop that could hold up for tens of hours with more weapons, enemies, loot, and objectives. &#8220;By strengthening both their equipment and their own skill in this way, we believe players will eventually become what we call the ultimate multitasker,&#8221; Ito concluded.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/splatoon-raiders-review\">Eurogamer&#8217;s four-star review of Splatoon Raiders<\/a> called it &#8220;a hectic, often overwhelming delight&#8221; even if it mostly boils down to &#8220;blasting something and trying to stay alive&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Splatoon Raiders Splatoon Raiders developers reveal it originally was &#8220;like a base defence game&#8221; before evolving into a faster spin-off &#8220;with a strong sense of action&#8221; Rethinkling the approach. Image credit: Nintendo News by Fran Ruiz Contributor Published on July 22, 2026 Follow Splatoon Raiders Splatoon Raiders will attempt to make a splash [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-2056206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2056206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2056206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2056206\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2056206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2056206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2056206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}