BODY: Nintendo has found a novel way to reward players who venture beyond the main game: on August 14 the company revealed the PET Shooter Replica, a new weapon coming to Splatoon 3 — and the only way to claim it is to have already finished the spinoff Splatoon Raiders.
The weapon recreates the look of the PET Shooter, a signature blaster from Splatoon Raiders and its Uzushio Islands setting. Under the hood, though, it's familiar territory: the Replica shares identical stats with the existing Splatoon Shooter Collab, so this is a cosmetic and thematic reward rather than a shift in the competitive meta. What players get is the distinctive PET Shooter silhouette dropped into Splatoon 3's arsenal.
Getting it is refreshingly straightforward once the prerequisite is met. Players who have cleared the main story of Splatoon Raiders simply visit the lobby terminal to receive the weapon. Crucially, there's no limited festival window attached — once the Replica goes live, eligible players can pick it up whenever they like.
That live date is August 22, 2026, timed to coincide with the "Summer Nights" Splatfest. A game update patch will be required to access the new content, so players should expect a download before heading to the lobby terminal.
The insider take
Nintendo has quietly leaned on cross-title unlocks before, but tying a Splatoon 3 weapon to a completed Raiders save is a pointed nudge for the Tokyo-centric fanbase that treats the series as a lifestyle brand as much as a shooter. Here, Splatoon isn't just a game — it's the engine behind seasonal Splatfest hype, fashion collabs, and Nintendo Live events. Gating the Replica behind Raiders completion is a low-key way to funnel the competitive online crowd into the story-driven spinoff, boosting engagement across both titles ahead of a Summer Nights Splatfest that's already shaping up to be a domestic event.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).