Pearl and Marina, aka the musical duo "Off the Hook," served as the announcers in Splatoon 2 before being replaced by the three-member group Deep Cut in the recently released Splatoon 3. However, Pearl and Marina's popularity caused them to appear in a smaller role in Splatoon 3, leading a new band called "Damp Socks." Damp Socks featured Pearl on vocals, Marina on both vocals and piano, and three unnamed members playing guitar, bass, and drums. So far, the other three members of Damp Socks have received almost no focus compared to Pearl and Marina - an issue which the upcoming Splatoon 3 story-focused DLC should rectify.
In mid-August, developer Nintendo confirmed via Twitter that "large-scale paid DLC" was planned for Splatoon 3. The Tweet featured a silhouette of Pearl and Marina performing as Off the Hook, indicating that they will play a major role in the upcoming DLC. The other three members of Damp Socks did not show up in the image at all. However, many fans hope that they will get the spotlight in this DLC, as all three are uniquely designed characters who have drawn significant fan attention despite their minimal focus.
Damp Socks' Members Introduce Greater Character Variety
The three newly added members of Damp Socks are far less humanoid and more fish-like than either Inkling Pearl or Octoling Marina. They consist of an anglerfish, an octopus, and an unidentified fish with glasses - often suspected by fans to be a bass due to playing the bass guitar. The octopus may be an Octoling, but they have never been shown in humanoid form. Nothing is known about these characters besides the instrument they play - they are not even named. Learning more about these characters would be an interesting element of a potential story-based DLC. In particular, focus on these band members could continue Splatoon 3's trend of introducing more non-Inkling and Octoling characters, such as the manta ray Big Man, an announcer and member of Deep Cut who quickly gained a large amount of popularity with fans.
Fans are especially hoping to see more of the octopus band member, who has drawn attention for their resemblance to recurring Splatoon antagonist DJ Octavio. In particular, fans have noticed that the octopus in Damp Socks has a pink octopus-shaped tattoo on the side of their head, possibly an indication that they have some affiliation with the Octarian army. How this character went from potentially serving Octavio to playing music with Pearl and Marina is an intriguing question which has drawn fan speculation ever since the game's release.
They Could Add New Playable Races To the Game
Splatoon 2's well-received Octo Expansion formally introduced the Octoling race to the game, alongside the Inklings who had been present since the original game. The Octo Expansion introduced an Octoling-focused story starring an amnesiac protagonist called Agent 8. If any of the Damp Socks members besides Pearl or Marina become the protagonists of Splatoon 3's upcoming expansion, they could similarly mark the introduction of other playable races to the game, potentially with unique abilities and play styles. The anglerfish band member could be particularly interesting to play as, as they could use the light on their forehead in unique ways in battle.
So far, little has been revealed about the upcoming Splatoon 3 DLC besides the silhouette of Pearl and Marina teased on Twitter. Hopefully, as the game enters its brand-new Chill Season, more information will be revealed. It is likely that the paid DLC will drop sometime in 2023, and fans are hoping to see all five members of Damp Socks get to share the spotlight when that time comes.
Splatoon 3 is currently available for the Nintendo Switch.
