Splatoon 3: Side Order

What is the core premise of this expansion?

The narrative thrust centers on Agent 8, who awakens to find Inkopolis Square mysteriously drained of color and its inhabitants vanished. Dominating the cityscape is the imposing Spire of Order. Players must ascend this structure, battling waves of enemies floor by floor, to uncover the secrets held within.

Players are accompanied by a drone claiming to be Pearl from the musical duo Off the Hook, who assists Agent 8 on this perilous journey to the top.

How does the gameplay loop function?

This expansion introduces a distinct gameplay mechanic centered around replayability and persistent progression through randomized challenges. As Agent 8 navigates the floors of the Spire, success hinges on acquiring and utilizing Color Chips.

The Role of Color Chips

These chips function as temporary power-ups or modifiers, boosting Agent 8's abilities and altering gameplay dynamics for the duration of a run. Because the challenges are structured floor-by-floor, the strategic selection and combination of these chips are central to overcoming increasingly difficult encounters.

Roguelike Structure

The experience is explicitly designed to be replayed repeatedly. Each attempt to conquer the Spire presents a fresh configuration of enemies and challenges, encouraging players to experiment with different chip combinations and strategies to achieve a successful ascent.

What new content is added to the experience?

This expansion introduces a dedicated, self-contained story campaign focusing on the mystery of the Spire of Order and the colorless state of Inkopolis Square. It features new enemy encounters specific to the tower environment and introduces the Color Chip system as its primary progression mechanic.

As an expansion, it does not introduce additional standalone DLCs or remakes; its content is integrated solely into this new single-player challenge.