Splatoon 3 was first announced with a teaser trailer in a Nintendo Direct on 17 February 2021.[9] The teaser trailer revealed gameplay similar to Splatoon 2, and revealed new items, weapons, and abilities, including an Ink Bow and a new apocalyptic design.[10] More details were revealed later that year in September, including the name of Splatoon 3's single-player mode, "Return of the Mammalians." The game is planned to release on the Nintendo Switch on 9 September 2022.[1]