Splatoon Raiders Review Roundup: Critical Reception, Pricing, and Key Details for Nintendo Switch 2's First Spinoff

Selected Individual Scores

• IGN: 9/10
• Nintendo Life: 9/10
• Pocket Tactics: 10/10
• TechRadar Gaming: 5/5
• Game Informer: 8.75/10
• Giant Bomb: 3.5/5
• The Guardian: 2/5

The 10-to-2 spread is striking because reviewers largely describe the same game—a solo-focused PvE spinoff with deep gadget-driven buildcrafting—but diverge sharply on how much its repetitive farming loops detract from the experience .

What Critics Praised

Common praise for Splatoon Raiders centers on:

• Co-op gameplay and seamless single-player integration
• Gadget-driven buildcrafting and progression systems
• A fresh PvE take on the franchise

What Critics Criticized

The dominant criticism was repetitive farming loops and mixed opinions on grind versus reward . The Guardian's outlier 2/5 review specifically cited frustration with the grind .

Pricing & Platform

• Digital edition (Nintendo eShop): $49.99
• Physical edition (retail): $59.99
• Platform exclusive: Nintendo Switch 2

The $10 gap between digital and physical reflects Nintendo's new Switch 2 pricing strategy, where digital versions of first-party exclusives are priced lower .

Day-One Patch: Version 1.1.0

Nintendo's official support pages confirm that a software update (version 1.1.0, released July 22, 2026) must be applied to use the game's online features, including online co-op . The patch also adjusts music in some cutscenes and includes gameplay adjustments to improve the player experience .

Nintendo Music Special Release

On launch day, nine tracks from Splatoon Raiders were added to the Nintendo Music app as a "Special Release"—a curated sample rather than a full soundtrack . It is not yet confirmed when or if the complete OST will follow .

Monolith Soft Contribution

Xenoblade Chronicles developer Monolith Soft officially assisted with Splatoon Raiders, contributing artwork and development support, continuing its history of helping on major first-party Nintendo projects .

Commercial Reception & Post-Launch Plans

Confirmed details: The game launched July 23, 2026, features a 15–18 hour campaign set on the Spirhalite Islands with Deep Cut, and supports up to 4-player online or local co-op with a single-player-first raid structure .

Not found in current sources: No widely reported sales figures are available yet (the game launched only about a day ago). The "four content waves" post-launch plan was not confirmed by any of the sources retrieved—if you have a specific Nintendo Direct or announcement for that detail, it would be worth pointing to directly.

Key Takeaway

Splatoon Raiders delivers a solid, if slightly divisive, first spinoff for the franchise. Its Metacritic 81 score matches the original Splatoon and proves the PvE looter-shooter formula works on Nintendo Switch 2—even if its grinding loops and $10 physical premium give cautious buyers reasons to wait for more concrete sales data and post-launch content plans.