New Temporary Pinned! (Splatoon Raiders related -- lengthy, but I'd love it if you read it)
Heyo, and welcome to my blog!
I'm a huge Splatoon fan, and I'm very much looking forward to Raiders. Salmon Run, Deep Cut, and a single-player based game? Dreamy.
What's not so dreamy, to put it lightly, are the anti-Indigenous implications the game has, intentional or not. I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, and I'm still going to play and enjoy the game. However, because I'm white, I know that I have the privilege not to feel harmed or targeted by the game's undertones.
As such, leading up to Splatoon Raiders, I'm going to be reblogging posts from Indigenous Splatoon fans and their allies about their perspectives on these harmful implications. They can do a far better job explaining it than I can. While I'm not asking that you cancel your preorder or boycott the game (unless you want to, of course), I do encourage you to read and listen to these perspectives. Ignoring them and pretending the themes are 100 percent fine is wrong.
There's not many sounds greater than silence in the face of a problem.
Again, my goal is not to be a hype killer, and I'll not-so-respectfully ignore anyone who tries to tell me "I must be fun at parties" or try to claim that people should not feel harmed by Raiders. I get it, you probably don't want to support media with racist under/overtones, since you don't want to be racist. I'm of the belief, however, that calling out those tones and uplifting the voices of others calling them out is far more supportive than ignoring and enabling it. Be an ally, not an enabler!
Poll based on the second boss of Splatoon Raiders under the cut. You've been warned!
So like, if you were a living, sentient train, going in and out of ovens your whole life and spewing bombs, seemingly unable to move from the roundabout tracks you've been put to, and you see death as an honour, would killing you be an act of mercy?
Final Splatoon Raiders Thoughts Before I Disappear From the Internet Until I Finish It
I saw snippets of the interview, and... I'm not sure what to think regarding the whole discourse? Aside from the stance I've taken thus far, that is. Under the cut to be polite.
On one hand, I'm glad the developers at least seemed to realize the issues with the story, even if they didn't explicitly name it in terms of colonialism. "Oh, shoot! These Salmonids were minding their own business and the player's going off and looting them!" So I appreciate that degree of self-awareness. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'm so keen on their solution being, "So let's make them ACTUALLY monstrous to assuage the guilt!" Then again, as others have pointed out, this could be an issue of something reducing the autonomy of these specific Salmonids, and whether or not the developers are making the same connections to Indigeneity and colonialism that WE are is up in the air. As I said in my first post about this, I don't want to assume anyone is actively racist or bigoted, but I do hope the devs see this backlash and reconsider their approach toward Salmonids in the future, since I personally am already seeing some signs of it now. But I am talking from a privileged experience, so take what I say with a spoon of salt.
Furthermore, as the post I reblogged earlier stated, this has always been a problem with Splatoon's story modes. We weren't exactly in the right by going and splatting all the Octarians when they took the Zapfish, especially when it's implied (and outright confirmed in the Splatoon manga, of all places) that it was motivated by necessity rather than pure greed. I guess the reason we questioned it less (or at least, more quietly) back then was that A) a lot of us were kids, and B) the Octarians stealing the Zapfish (and kidnapping Callie) were done BEFORE we went after them, so it kind of gives that childish appeal of "they started it!" Then from Octo Expansion on, we had fellas that didn't really have any autonomy, so as far as we're concerned, our only option IS to kill them (;-;). So I think the reason a lot of people are a lot more uneasy about this is that we're the ones starting it AND it has imperial connections, intentional or not.
I'm very much looking forward to Thursday on, and I so can't wait to play Raiders! I don't want to get spoiled, so this is probably the last I'll be on here for a while.
While I know I don't have a lot of influence in this community (not yet, anyway. Mwahahaha >:D), if you've read this post the whole way through, no matter which stance of the discourse you're on, I'd like you to consider this: don't get so caught up in being right that you forget to do right by others. I've seen a lot of harassment, ad hominem attacks, and invalidation from many different fronts, and I've seen people worry they'll be bad people if they enjoy a game with potentially racist or colonialist undertones. Say your mind, by all means, but direct your anger toward the impersonal corporation, not your fellow netizens looking forward to playing a game (and do so very mindfully toward the developers; they're people too, and we can't really have a good idea of what's going on behind the scenes at Nintendo).
In conclusion: hear no spoilers, see no spoilers, hear no spoilers, but I WILL pop off if any of my predictions come true. I know prediction nine will be, anyway. Did you lot hear the snippet of a new Deep Cut song at the end of the overview trailer released today? EEEE!
i don’t think raiders will end with Deep Cut no longer pilfering from the salmonids only bcuz it’s a part of the game loop.
maybe they simply won’t sell the treasure in the end, i can see that happening bcuz so far money doesn’t seem to b a part of the game loop.
canonically salmonids honor dying for their species which explains their continued dedication. i can see Deep Cut and the salmonids coming to a consensus OR, worse, we continue to pilfer from the salmonids and the salmonids see it as deserved bcuz they failed to protect their treasure???
on a bright side, i guess, it doesn’t look like Deep Cut plan to colonize the Spirhlite islands 😭 yayy they’re not colonizing?…that’s a low bar 😵💫. Racism is a thing in the splatoon lore between Inklings and Octolings. Over time across games that racism has dwindled. I’m assuming the same can happen for the salmonids.
Now that I think about it I think that there may be miscommunication between the two species. They likely don’t speak the same language and inklings have been taking their young (phew) for AWHILE to help Mr. Grizz (unknowingly) mammalfy the world.
It’s likely something like this is happening again.
We are definitely not in the right in this game like we weren’t fully in the right in Octo Valley and previous Splatoon single player campaigns.
Splatoon Raiders Predictions I Feel It In My Bones
Under the cut to be polite.
Starting with my least hinged one, Deep Cut will go through the whole dies-and-comes-back-to-life thing, or severely-injured-in-a-deathlike-state-but-wakes-up-fine. Like, during the whole final portion of the game, Deep Cut's in critical condition and the Mechanic has to go in on their own (no Bot Buddies), finds a treasure or medicine that will heal them, and does so. Then the four of them all go in together.
The bonding mechanic will determine who's cool song thing you see first, and the more you bond with each member of Deep Cut, the more you'll know about them. Shiver might get slightly more attention due to A) winning the Leader Splatfest and B) being the more mysterious in terms of her home life and backstory compared to Frye and Big Man, but it hopefully won't be as bad or noticeable as Marina compared to Pearl in Side Order, if that makes any sense.
The mechanic will build a boat or restore the helicopter to get off the islands I can't spell for the life of me.
Marine life energy (from ROTM? Remember that?) will make an appearance again and create some kind of eleventh-hour superpower for Deep Cut and the Mechanic during the final boss. Or something like marine life energy.
Deep Cut will do something INCREDIBLY queer at some point. But then again, I think they do this just by existing.
None of Deep Cut will have particularly tragic backstories, but will still have gone through some crap in their lives. Maybe some discussion of how labeling kids as "delinquents" creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The POWER OF FRIENDSHIP will be used at some point, somehow. GOSH I hope it is.
Squid Sisters and Off the Hook will get passing mentions, but won't play a huge role in the story.
Splatoon fans will draw the obvious parallels between treatment of octolings and black people ,(GOOD, BTW) but will refuse to do that for the parts of the game that is regressive, i.e. salmon and its treatment of indigenous people OR Splatlands and its treatment of subaltern
The music you'll hear in the underground of the Spirhalite Islands comes from a Salmonid group called DHA. Their setup is similar to ω-3, using instruments that fit the natural environment to boost morale. Perhaps the cello & timpani resonate with the Salmonid nervous system?
splatoon raiders seems neat and all mechanically (it seems like if ideas from side order were actually developed at all) i Like the salmonids ok i Like them i Like deep cut. But holy fuck it literally cannot be ignored how fucking racist this shit is. The explicitily colonial action of going to another people's home and literally stealing their fucking 'relics' and 'treasure' is such a fucking deeply insidious, historically loaded thing to put in your 2026 video game without any hint of selfawareness. What the fuck are we doing. The series went out of its way to state the sentience and personhood of the salmonids in the first place (they have art they have culture they have TRADE with octarians they have the fucking appropriated formline art (🫥)) only to at every fucking turn unthinkingly turn you back to murdering them and now Literally plundering their homes for fucking 'Treasure.' One would have hoped that at the very least in Splatoon 4 or whatever they would revamp Salmon Run after at least their cartoon villain leader is kicked but instead before that can even happen we have to reaffirm that Yes we HAVE to kill natives for no fucking reason.
Look anyone who is going to play it like whatever its not the end of the world but at least be like, aware of what you are looking at. the concept of 'Treasure Hunting' is not a neutral concept.
Note: The only reason I'm posting these concerns on their own is because there is SO MUCH about the game that's hype to me, I don't even know where to begin. I love Salmon Run (as a gamemode, to clarify; don't love the implications, which I will get into), the story modes, lore, and Deep Cut, so this is basically my dream Splatoon game in concept alone.
But, if Splatoon's taught us anything these past 11 years, a strong concept isn't enough -- it needs to be executed well to be memorable. While I'm not sure either of the two potential issues I'm going to comment on would ruin the game for me if they're in there, they would tank my overall impressions on it.
The first one, as one of the whitest white girls to ever white, I'm going to discuss as mindfully and carefully as I can lacking the lived experience necessary to fully take in the implications of this. I... do not like that we're stealing Salmonid artifacts. To give a very, VERY brief lesson, theft from Indigenous land and cultures for profit, and even the act of watering down culturally significant items to "artifacts," has done harm I can't even begin to outline in a single blog post. The fact that these Salmonid "artifacts" are based off actual Indigenous tangible culture (particularly the totem pole) makes it all the harder to stomach. Several others have made far more elaborate and better-explained posts than I have, one of which I've already reblogged and I highly encourage you to read it, but as soon as that scene popped up for me, I was like "Oh. Oh, no. Surely SOMEBODY on the team saw the connection? Anybody?" Or worse, they saw the connection and simply didn't care.
Now, here's where I hope I make my point carefully: I do not want to automatically assume that the people making the game are racist, nor do I want to claim that anyone looking forward to and getting ready to play the game are racist. However, whether you're getting Raiders or not or you're Indigenous or not, I DO encourage you to speak up if this makes you feel uncomfortable or disgusted, and to uplift Indigenous voices about this. Silencing them or claiming that no harm is done because "it might not be intentional!" doesn't help matters. As a non-Indigenous person, I say play the game, have fun, and enjoy everything else it has to offer, but don't try to deny or ignore the colonialist implications the main objective has, especially if you yourself are not Indigenous (caveat: if you genuinely did not know any better or are Indigenous and don't see the problem personally, that's another thing). It might not always feel like it sometimes, and corporations are not our friend, but they DO listen and pay attention to these sorts of things when people are loud and clear. Look what happened with Tomodachi Life and queer representation!
That's all I personally feel like I can say about the matter from my current position. If there's anything you think I got wrong, misread, or that I'm ignoring or generalizing, please don't hesitate to let me know! I'm always open to learning, and I'd rather correct myself now than have this post bite me in the butt ten years down the line because of something stupid I said.
The next issue I'm going to discuss is milder compared and in a far more lighthearted tone compared to "new Splatoon game from one of the most influential companies in gaming is leaning heavily into colonial and anti-Indigenous ideology and we should speak out about it," so I'm going to put it below the cut so it's hopefully less of a tonal shock.
Okay, that Shiver scene in the trailer? Where she's singing and surrounded by all those floaty bits that look like what comes out of the floating stages at Splatfests and looking so darn mystical? My women-whimsy-and-lore-loving little heart skipped like twenty beats. Sure, hand me a scene that looks straight from a fairy tale on a silver platter, why don't you??
That said, the fact that it was only Shiver makes me worry that she's going to take the spotlight and sideline Frye and Big Man. This sort of happened with Off the Hook: we learned so much about Marina's backstory and where she's coming from, but we didn't get too much about Pearl and what she makes sense of the world and Off the Hook. We get bits and pieces of it, sure, but Marina was the main emotional focus of Side Order (at least, as focused as it can be for a rather unfocused story). You could argue the Squid Sisters kind of got this treatment, but they've appeared so often and function so strongly as a unit that it's easier to digest (that's kind of their whole thing :P).
Of course, especially compared to the issue discussed above, this may not be an issue at all. They could have just picked Shiver to show off in the trailer since she won the "Who's the best leader?" Splatfest, and Frye also got plenty of lines and screen time in the direct. Big Man so far has kind of been poked to the side like usual, but him being a lorekeeper of sorts and the bot buddy system letting him onto the field should hopefully reduce this in the game proper.
As such, it might have simply been too much of a spoiler to show either A) each individual's mystical song moment, or B) a potential mystical song moment where they all sing together like faes or something. With the bonding system where you bond with each Deep Cut member, it could also be based on how much you've bonded with them. Maybe that's even how you progress the story -- once you've fully bonded with each, you get their cutscene!
The only reason I'm not writing this off as a complete non-issue is just because Splatoon has had a problem with this in the past, so I don't want to assume it'll be fine and end up totally disappointed if/when Shiver gets the most focus. But again, it could be that showing each member's or the full-groups song would have been to spoiler-y. I'll manage my expectations here, but I don't think it's a guaranteed issue like the above one is.
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Oh, hey! If you made it to the bottom, thank you for reading! I should quickly clarify that I'm still VERY much excited for Raiders, since what we've seen already looks incredible. Deep Cut getting the chance to shine alone is amazing, so I hope they each get their fair share, that's all. And while I don't want to be a hype killer or "sensitive snowflake," I do ask that you listen to what Indigenous peoples and allies have to say about the looting and "artifact" mechanic and treatment of Salmonids in the game. I don't like to assume the worst in people, and I WANT to believe that this is unintentional, but a stabbing being an accident doesn't make the bleeding stop, nor does closing your eyes as a bystander and pretending it didn't happen. Play the game, have fun, but at the very least don't be wilfully ignorant -- that's my take on it, anyway.
Okay im a splatoon fan ive loved the games since they came out when i was a teen but i watched the raiders direct with some apprehension to start and i am now left with nothing but a pit of dread and disgust in my stomach.
I just need to say something about this. Are we really doing mega anti-indigenous shit in splatoon raiders? Really? Okay sorry but okay can we talk about this? Can we please fucking talk about this?
What the fuck is wrong with you. That is a totem pole. That is a totem pole you are stealing from the territory of salmon people whom you demonize and have created a whole game mode and now game about killing and pillaging from endlessly. Salmon are sacred to the Coast Salish people whose art you've flattened and shredded to pepper your "savage salmonid territory" with. I say again that Salmon are sacred to many indigenous groups. They provide life for the people and bring life to the waters and you're going to spew out a game entirely premised around destroying and pillaging and killing salmon? Okay.
I'm frankly just incredulous about this but probably more shocked that i havent seen anyone bring this up. Maybe it's because I have lived all my life in so-called greater Vancouver on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish, and I know that the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest have dealt with immeasurable and wide reaching cultural loss under colonialism. It's not a fucking joke. literal actual real culturally significant totem poles in history have *literally* been stolen from the people of this land. To do something in a game that is this symbolically malicious is...jesus fuck. I feel like I'm losing it. This game wants to portray indigenous art as an aesthetic overlay for their colonialism simulator? Can we talk about this? Can we please talk about this?
Hot take: I don't think the dialogue between Steven and Wallace at the end of ORAS has anything to do with Steven giving Wallace the champion title. In fact, I daresay that Steven didn't give Wallace the champion title at all, not even in Emerald. (Explanation and poll under the cut!)
First and foremost, Steven wasn't the champion when the dialogue took place -- the player is! As such, how would Steven have the authority to name someone else as a successor/fill-in champion? Wouldn't that, by all rights, go to the player? Steven does say he'll stick around to fulfill his duties to the Pokemon League, but that could very well be any post-champion/technical responsibilities.
So what does Steven actually say? He goes on a triad about wanting to explore the world, and when he does, he wants Wallace to be "behind him to lend a hand." That does NOT necessarily mean becoming the champion so Steven can run off to do what he wants! If anything, it could very well mean he wants Wallace to accompany him on his journeys!
Wallace DOES mention becoming champion in the post-game, but he says that he would need to defeat the player to do so (and that it would be "quite amusing," which I find so funny. Stop bullying a ten year old Wallace, I say affectionately). Again -- he frames it in terms of having to defeat the player to become the champion, which is the standard in the Pokemon world.
"But... but what about Emerald? Wallace is the Champion in Emerald because Steven went off to do his own thing!"
Except he didn't! (This isn't meant to sound condescending, more excited)
Steven is very much present in Hoenn in Emerald! Arguably he plays a greater role in the story than Wallace does. He says that you might even be able to "surpass Wallace" when you meet him in the Cave, and Wallace only says that he used to be the gym leader of Sootopolis City, but "something came up." This line COULD indicate that Steven stepped down from his champion duties and stuck around in Hoenn to help with the above post-champion matters... or it could also be a vague term to hide the "plot twist" that Emerald has an entirely new champion compared to Ruby and Sapphire. And the line where Steven says you may even be able to surpass Wallace? That could very well indicate that Wallace won the champion title fair and square by defeating Steven.
Still not convinced? Allow me to go in for the kills -- the manga and the anime! (Since the manga contains some killer plot twists, I'll keep it spoiler-free for anyone who hasn't read it).
In the manga, Steven gives Wallace the Champion's Cape after wearing it himself during the battle. Wallace is confused, but Steven says he's only giving it to the rightful owner... because Wallace had won the Pokemon League Championship. WALLACE chose to relinquish the title to remain a gym leader! Again, this wasn't Steven handing the Champion title over to Wallace -- this is him telling Wallace to step up and claim what's his.
And in the anime? The two of them don't even seem to get along that well. The only time they ever mention each other is in Wallace's (atrociously characterized) appearance in Journeys, where, even if he doesn't hate Steven, he still doesn't seem to be too keen on him (side note: imagine being close with someone everywhere except for one dimension. ;-;). Furthermore, his (excellently characterized) appearance in Diamond and Pearl simply has him as the Champion, and it's implied that Steven won the champion title after defeating Wallace. In the anime AND the manga, Wallace was actually the champion before Steven -- and, therefore, Steven couldn't have given him the title! I know people will say the manga and anime aren't canon to the games, but the fact that the two instances where we know/see the champion transition has Wallace winning it fair and square is quite telling.
At this point, you may wonder: what's the big deal? It's a cute headcanon! And to be fair, it absolutely is. However, I fear it reduces Wallace's character to his relationship with Steven and assumes that he's only the champion because Steven named him as such, creating a sort of nepotism/favouritism complex. And I've seen this to be a major source of hate for Wallace, even if this hate could be entirely baseless. I also think it's a bit unfair for people to claim that Wallace doesn't deserve the champion title, since, in the canon at least, all signs point to the fact that he very much does.
Again, my goal here is not to claim that you can't interpret the dialogue as such. I just find it a bit irking that most people jump to that conclusion without really considering any other possibilities or what the previous media has to say.
Your turn! Do you think Steven gave Wallace the championship title?
Yes, Steven gave Wallace the title
No, Steven didn't give Wallace the title
Voting ended onDec 14, 2025
End note: I know that Bulbapedia claims that the dialogue at the end of ORAS is meant to foreshadow their roles in Emerald, but please bear in mind that Bulbapedia is written by fans, for fans. What they say on there isn't cut-and-dried true and is still based on how the page writers interpret the games.
I still can't believe that Splatoon Raiders is real. A lot of the circumstances around it are not. Ideal. The nearly thousand dollar paywall (where I live -- game prices have always been higher here, so I'm always a little confused when I hear people complain about 80 dollar games, and I'm like, "that's how they've always been? Oh right, Americans.") is the main issue, really.
But on the other hand... the developers could have given up on Deep Cut. Part of the reason I was so upset about no Deep Cut DLC was that it seemed like some team or other forgot that Off the Hook totally flopped when they were first introduced! Literally the only reason they weren't totally loathed was because of Marina for some... very shallow reasons, let's say. But then Octo Expansion came out, OTH got characterization and backstories and depth, and Pearl saved the world by screaming at the weapon. I have watched countless commentary playthroughs of the OE final boss, and I can always tell the EXACT moment the player goes from hating/being ambivalent towards Pearl to absolutely adoring her, in the span of like three seconds. Because, how can you not love someone who solves problems by screaming at them, and succeeding? Don't we all wish we could do that? She's living the dream, that she is.
But I digress. I was worried that Nintendo had given up on Deep Cut. Like, "ah well, game's done, tough luck! Let 'em go, scrap them, we'll try again next time, make an old couple the next idols (coping)." As if they had forgotten that Off the Hook became so beloved in the fandom because Nintendo gave them a second chance, despite -- or, more likely, because of -- the hatred they initially received. Deep Cut isn't even all that hated -- opinions range from "I'll protect them with my life and love them forever and ever and I want more of them quit shoving them off to the side justice for the sillies" to "meh. Whatever. They're the idols ever." No hatred, just care or no care.
And what do the developers do?
Make a spinoff game, and make Deep Cut the main characters. What's more, they make them three of FOUR known characters in the game! No Squid Sisters or Off the Hook cameos, no sharing the spotlight with people whose stories are mostly done and character arcs concluded (if somewhat messily). Just them, a mechanic, a silly little robot, and The Horrors. As all good adventures should have.
Do I wish they had gotten a DLC for Splatoon 3 instead that would be 30 bucks max? Yes. Do I understand there were likely a ton of circumstances that prevented this? Also yes. Do I wonder if they were originally going to get DLC, but it was repurposed into a spinoff game to fend off time, resource, and hardware constraints? Absolutely!
And, if nothing else, I'm glad there isn't a release window yet. Hopefully this means that everyone will have the time they need to flesh out the gameplay, story, and lore... and the time I need to save up for a Switch 2 :P (or decide if I'm going to get one or not, but my dad already offered to help save up! :D)
So yes, I am so very happy Splatoon Raiders is real, and I still can't believe it. And despite all of the non-ideal circumstances surrounding it, I'm grateful for the Splatoon developers for doing what they do best -- not giving up just because things flopped the first time.
