In the February 2023 Nintendo Direct, it was announced that Splatoon 3 will be getting the returning hub world of Inkopolis as part of the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass. Since then, Nintendo has shared more details on what changes have been made to Inkopolis' shops.Each Splatoon game has its own hub world that players can explore to access the game's different modes and shops by entering certain buildings such as Salmon Run through Grizzco Industries, local multiplayer via The Shoal, and buying gear through various shops. The Inkopolis hub world from the original Splatoon will be included in the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass which will also give players access to a new single-player DLC called Side Order. When Inkopolis was shown in the latest Nintendo Direct, fans were able to see some changes made to the hub world such as those made to accommodate modes like Salmon Run which was not present in the original Splatoon.A quick look was also shown at who would be running the in-game shops, and Nintendo would share more details on these shopkeepers on the official Splatoon Twitter account. Ammo Knights, the weapon shop in Splatoon, was originally run by a horseshoe crab named Sheldon who would return to run the shop in Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3. The returning Inkopolis shop is instead run by his two proteges named Shelly and Donny whose designs and relation to Sheldon have prompted fans to compare them to Timmy and Tommy from the Animal Crossing series.
Additionally, the Cooler Heads hat shop was revealed to still be run by returning characters Annie, a sea anemone, and Moe, a clown fish who lives in Annie's hair. Annie is featured in Splatoon 3 as an offscreen character who runs the Splatoon 3 SplatNet shop accessible through the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app. Annie's appearance has been updated from a colorful aesthetic to an all-black outfit to express her love of gothic metal while Moe's design remains the same. As was previously stated in the Direct, all shops in Inkopolis will carry the same stock as their Splatsville counterparts.
Splatoon fans clearly have a lot to look forward to in terms of new content, but the inclusion of Inkopolis appears to only be a cosmetic change of environment which calls into question its value as DLC. This is exasperated by the fact that the Splatoon 3 expansion pass will not be included in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. This comes across as a missed opportunity to not only add value to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack but also to help justify the value of the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass. Fans will thankfully not have to wait much longer to see how the Expansion Pass will justify its price.
Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass Wave 1 will launch in Spring 2023 on Nintendo Switch.
