BODY: Nintendo just handed Splatoon 3 players a reason to fire up their spinoff save file. On August 14, 2026, the company announced a new weapon for the ever-expanding shooter: the PET Shooter Replica, a firearm ripped straight out of Splatoon Raiders, the series' very first spinoff.
The weapon is exactly what its name suggests — a "replica" of the shooter wielded in Raiders. In-universe, the PET Shooter is a scrappy, improvised blaster styled after a PET bottle (the plastic drink bottles ubiquitous across Japan), fitting the salvage-and-survive vibe of the spinoff. Now that aesthetic makes the jump into the mainline multiplayer.
Mechanically, though, don't expect a wildcard. Nintendo confirms the PET Shooter Replica performs identically to the Splattershot's collab variant (スプラシューターコラボ) — the reliable, all-rounder frame that competitive players already know inside and out. In other words, this is a cosmetic and thematic prize rather than a new tactical option, wrapped around a proven, tournament-tested kit.
The catch is the unlock condition. To claim the weapon, you'll need clear data from Splatoon Raiders on your system. Finish the spinoff's campaign, and the replica becomes available in Splatoon 3 — a neat piece of cross-title connective tissue that rewards players who bought into the new entry.
The insider take
From Tokyo, this looks like classic Nintendo cross-promotion, executed with characteristic tidiness. Splatoon Raiders was a gamble — the franchise's first venture outside its ranked-multiplayer comfort zone — and tying an in-game reward to its completion is a low-friction way to nudge lapsed Splatoon 3 diehards into actually playing it. By keeping the stats identical to an existing weapon, Nintendo sidesteps any balance complaints from the notoriously stat-obsessed Japanese competitive scene while still dangling a fresh skin for collectors. Expect this to become a familiar playbook if Raiders finds its audience.
Originally reported by 4Gamer.net − 最新記事 (Japanese).