Nintendo's answer to multiplayer shooters, the Splatoon series sees a bunch of squid kids use quirky weapons to spread brightly colored ink all over the ground (and their opponents). Splatoon 3 was recently announced for 2022, and much fan discussion following the reveal has focused on the setting of the third game. It seems the Inklings in Splatoon 3 are in a different location than Inkopolis, the primary locale of the first two games, and the game's reveal trailer hints at the series' post-apocalyptic world.
What appears to be the ruins of the Eiffel Tower can be seen upside down in the background of the trailer, suggesting France has been destroyed and replaced by a desert wasteland in the Splatoon's world. While a recent Splatoon 3 job posting hints at returning stages from the previous games, the new location is sure to bring new levels for multiplayer matches.
Thanks to a recent Nintendo of America Twitter thread following the February 2021 Nintendo Direct announcements, some light has been shed on this unexplored region of the Splatoon universe. The Inklings have traveled far from Inkopolis and begun populating a new city called Splatsville, located in the desert biome of the Splatlands. The denizens of Splatsville still partake in the squid kids' favorite pastime, Turf War, but they've got a few new tricks to freshen up the game.
The Story Of Splatoon 3's Post-Apocalyptic World
The history of the Splatoon universe is mainly found in collectibles from the first game called Sunken Scrolls. Most Sunken Scrolls deal with the biology and habits of the Inklings, but a few make reference to Splatoon's grim history. One scroll depicts a skeleton of a human - entombed with their Wii U - from 12,000 years before Splatoon takes place.
A climate crisis and rising water levels caused a mass extinction event on Splatoon's version of Earth, wiping out the human race and allowing squids and octopuses to evolve into Inklings and Octarians, respectively. Flooding continued, causing the Inklings and Octarians to fight over the remaining habitable land in a conflict known as The Great Turf War, with the Inklings barely achieving victory and banishing the Octarians to the Octo Valley. Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion DLC introduced Octolings, as well, Inkling-like octopus beings who were brainwashed to fight in the Octarian army. Octolings have assimilated into Inkling culture, where the tradition of Turf War is kept alive as a competitive sport.
There isn't much known about Splatoon 3 just yet, but it seems Splatoon 2's final Splatfest may have had some influence on the narrative of the series, going forward. Chaos prevailed over Order, and now it looks like the world of Splatoon is descending further into anarchy.