The first wave of Splatoon 3 DLC surfaces February 28

Spring has spranged

Nintendo of Europe has announced via Twitter that the first wave of the previously announced Splatoon 3 DLC will arrive on February 28, 2023. Previously, Nintendo stated that this wave would arrive in Spring, and unless you listen to ground-dwelling marmots, that isn’t until late March.

The first of Splatoon 3’s paid DLC will be coming in two waves. As far as I can tell, this first wave contains the Inkopolis Plaza first seen in the original Splatoon. You’ll be able to see what’s happened in the past 7 or 8 Springs, catch up with the shopkeepers, and even see the Squid Sisters perform when Splatfest rolls around.

That’s cool. That’s weird. I’ve never really thought of a lobby as paid DLC material, but maybe this is just the appetizer. There’s a second wave that will be coming along eventually, and that includes a story campaign that involves Inkopolis Square, the Splatoon 2 hub. I’m going to assume that’s where the meat of this DLC is really going to be, but Nintendo hasn’t done a super-great job of communicating that. Hopefully, we’ll finally get the ability to play as Salmonids.

Splatoon 3 is available right now on Switch. The first wave of DLC hits February 28, 2023, with the second wave coming before the end of the year.