Content for Splatoon 3 is still going strong with the game's Sizzle Season starting earlier this month and bringing with it new and returning stages, gear, and weapons. A new Splatfest was also announced for Splatoon 3, set to take place in from July 14-16 themed around which ice cream flavor is best: vanilla, strawberry, or mint chip. While it's great to see this new content rolling out for the game, information about one of the biggest post-launch pieces of content, the Side Order story DLC, has been remarkably scarce since its initial reveal.
Side Order was announced during the February Nintendo Direct as part of the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass that includes two waves of content. The first wave, Inkopolis, launched later that month adding the classic Inkopolis hub world from the first two Splatoon games, along with returning shops and a Squid Sisters performance during Splatfests. However, in the time since this first wave launched Side Order has been particularly quiet with a lack of updates increasing the possibility that this second wave of DLC is still a ways off from release.
The Latest Nintendo Direct Was the Perfect Chance to Showcase the Side Order DLC
If the Side Order DLC is planned to launch later this year, then the recent Nintendo Direct would have been the perfect place to showcase it. Splatoon 3 already had a segment of the Direct dedicated to announcing the July Splatfest, which was strange given that most Splatfests have been announced via Twitter. With this much attention given to Splatoon 3 for an announcement that would typically only warrant a Twitter post, it seems all the more like a missed opportunity for a bigger Splatoon 3 reveal, such as a new trailer or even release date for Side Order.
The post-launch story expansion is a highly-anticipated release for many Splatoon 3 fans given its apparent focus on Splatoon 2's idol duo Off the Hook. The group was notably absent from Splatoon 3's single-player campaign that featured both Splatoon 1's Squid Sisters and Splatoon 3's Deep Cut in prominent story roles. Side Order looks to follow up on the final Chaos versus Order Splatfest of Splatoon 2 that resulted in a victory for Team Chaos, an aspect of the series that has yet to come into play in Splatoon 3's story and could have big implications for future Splatoon titles.
A fan-favorite part of Splatoon 2 was its post-launch story content in the Octo Expansion, which expanded upon the base game by adding a brand-new single-player campaign with its own story and missions. This expansion had a much shorter gap between announcement and release than Side Order has had so far, being announced at a Nintendo Direct in March 2018 and launching only a few months later in June 2018. Side Order has already surpassed that timeline, and while the first wave of the expansion has launched, the extended length of time between announcement and launch for Side Order could suggest it will be a much bigger DLC than originally thought.
The Nintendo eShop's retail listing for the expansion notes that Side Order will release by December 31, 2024, and while this date is likely just a placeholder, the fact that it lists 2024 and not 2023 could mean Nintendo isn't planning on releasing the second wave of the Splatoon 3 expansion until next year. If this is the case, it would likely be nearly a year between announcement and launch, which is a strange timeline for a DLC to have. However, this timeline would explain why Side Order was absent at the recent Nintendo Direct and why little information has been offered about the DLC since its announcement, but it is disappointing for fans eager for more Splatoon 3 story content.
Splatoon 3 is available for Nintendo Switch.
