Nintendo has announced Splatoon 3, the third installment in their hit third-person shooting franchise, today during their Nintendo Direct. Splatoon 3 was definitely unexpected, but a pleasant surprise to close out the Direct. The game seems to utilize a brand new setting and new gameplay mechanics, which aren’t clear at this point. Splatoon 3 is coming out five years after Splatoon 2, which launched shortly after the Nintendo Switch came out. If sales tell a story of anything, Splatoon 3 will sell very well, especially in Japan. Given the Switch is in the middle of its life cycle according to Nintendo President, Shuntaro Furukawa, it has plenty of time to push units. That’s beside the point though. Splatoon 3 looks intriguing and isn’t simply a clone of its predecessor, like many shooters. It has brand new mechanics and a brand new setting. This is refreshing and should add to the franchise’s already stellar quality. Splatoon 2 is still going strong, so Splatoon 3 won’t be coming out until 2022. A release timeline has not yet been established beyond that. If it’s anything like its predecessor though, it will not disappoint. Splatoon was one of the surprise hits for the Nintendo Wii U, and continued its success on the Nintendo Switch. There’s no reason to think the third installment of the series, which releases in 2022, should let fans of the series down.