This acquisition shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, since Bandai Namco Studios Singapore has worked on Nintendo titles in the past, including the critically acclaimed Splatoon 3. “Considering this business record, Nintendo has made the decision to acquire shares in [Bandai Namco Studios Singapore] to strengthen the development structure of the Nintendo Group,” reads the announcement. As part of the agreement, Nintendo will acquire 80 percent of the studio’s shares on April 1, 2026, with the remaining shares being acquired at a later date after the now-subsidiary’s operations have stabilised.

The announcement of this acquisition comes just a couple of months after Nintendo had announced that it was opening a local business entity in Singapore. Dubbed Nintendo Singapore, the entity’s purpose revolved around boosting the company’s business in the Southeast Asian markets, which Nintendo had described as being still-untapped.

Alongside the opening up of Nintendo Singapore, the company also confirmed that it was considering opening up a similar branch in Thailand as well to help bolster its efforts in the market. Nintendo Singapore was opened up with a capital stock of SGD $8 million.

The announcement at the time was made on the same day as the company announcing that Doug Bowser would be stepping down from his role as president and COO at Nintendo of America. Bowser’s departure is set to happen on December 31, 2025, and he will be succeeded by gaming industry veteran Devon Pritchard alongside Satoru Shibata.

“One of my earliest video game experiences was playing the arcade version of Donkey Kong,” said Bowser in a statement announcing his retirement. “Since that time, all things Nintendo have continued to be a passion for both me and my family. Leading Nintendo of America has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am proud of what our team has accomplished in both business results and the experiences we’ve created for consumers.”

“Now, it’s time for the next generation of leadership and Devon’s track record speaks for itself. She is an exceptional leader, and her promotion is a testament to her strong performance and strategic contributions to the company’s growth. I have full confidence that she will guide the company to even greater heights.”

As for Bandai Namco Studios Singapore – now Nintendo Studios Singapore – the developer’s last major title with Nintendo was Splatoon 3, which saw quite a few expansions over the course of two years after its 2022 release. Available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, Splatoon 3 is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. For more details about the title, check out our review, where we gave it a score of 8 out of 10. Also check out our coverage of the announcement of post-launch update and expansion support ending in September 2024.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

It’s safe to say that Nintendo knocked it out of the park with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, knitting together a complex web of intertwining systems with mechanics that let you express your creativity to the fullest resulting in an experience like no other. It takes everything that worked in the original, and amps it up to eleven – be it Link’s powers, the size of the open world, or the many options for tackling a dungeon or boss fight. Despite a few technical hiccups owing to the hardware limitations, Tears of the Kingdom is easily one of the best games that you can experience on Nintendo’s hybrid handheld.

Of course, this doesn’t mean a complete lack of support going forward. Events like Splatoween, Spring Fest, Frosty Fest, and Summer Nights will continue to cycle. Big Run, Eggstra Work, and Monthly Challenges also remain, though any weapon adjustments will be released “as needed.”

Check out our review of Splatoon 3 here. It sold nearly 12 million units as of March 31st, 2024, and became the fastest-selling game in the franchise. The developer released a paid expansion, Side Order, in February, which added a new rogue-lite mode and tower for players to fight through. Head here for more details, and stay tuned for updates on the franchise’s future.

After 2 INK-credible years of Splatoon 3, regular updates will come to a close. Don’t worry! Splatoween, Frosty Fest, Spring Fest, and Summer Nights will continue with some returning themes!

Updates for weapon adjustments will be released as needed.

Big Run, Eggstra Work, and…

— Splatoon North America (@SplatoonNA) September 16, 2024

Players advance through the Spire, one floor at a time, and can choose one of three objectives. Destroy portals that spawn enemies, chase down and defeat them, guide a ball and more. Objectives grant Color Chips, upgrades which increase your firing speed, damage, and more.

There are over 60 Color Chips to choose from, and they can provide multiple options, from adjusting your Main Weapon’s features and increasing the explosion radius of bombs to spamming your Special Weapon several times. Pearl can also be upgraded to help in combat.

Venture higher into the Spire, and more challenging enemies and objectives will pop up. Failure to reach the top takes you back to the beginning. While all Color Chips are lost, they’re converted to Pearls to spend on permanent upgrades for your next run, including Max Lives, Damage Reduction, Max Armor, Drone Action Slots and more.

What awaits at the top? You’ll have to find out yourself when Splatoon 3: Side Order launches on February 22nd for Nintendo Switch. Check out our review of the base game here in the meantime.

Nintendo has announced that Splatoon 3: Side Order will be out less than a month from now, on February 22. The expansion will add a new single player campaign where players will step into the shoes of Agent 8 and return to Inkopolis Square, only to find it mysteriously abandoned and drained of all colour.

Players will be tasked with entering the ominous Spire of Order, with a drone named Pearl for company, and fight your way through challenges and enemies to climb the tower’s floors and reach its summit. Yep, it’s a roguelite.

Splatoon 3 is available on Nintendo Switch. Read our review of the game through here.

As you venture through the Spire’s various floors, you can strengthen your character’s abilities with upgrades for explosive damage, run speed and other stats by spending currency. Your highest floor is recorded, and you’ll face hordes of enemies. The mess of damage numbers can be a little disorienting, so hopefully, there’s an option to disable them.

The development team is aiming for a highly replayable experience. It’s out in Spring 2024 for Nintendo Switch, so stay tuned for more details and gameplay in the coming months. You can check out our review for the base game here in the meantime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Jjeko4wMs

Two new Main Weapons are also coming. The Painbrush is a roller-type that also works as a melee weapon that splashes Ink on surrounding foes. The S Blast ’92 is based on the Super Scope accessory and seems capable of extra damage on headshots. Tableturf Battle gets 11 new cards like the Heavy Splatling Deco, Custom Dualie Squelchers, Light Tetra Dualies, S Blast ’92 and Painbrush.

On the Salmon Run front, there’s a new stage called Jammin’ Salmon Junction. There are also new catalogs of clothing and Challenges, which appear to be modes with modifiers, like Foggy Notion, where a fog enshrouds the area, and Too Many Trizookas, where everyone has a Trizooka. Stay tuned for more details en route to the season’s launch.

It still has some way to go before catching up with Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which is currently at 6.46 million units sold. Bayonetta 3 has sold 1.07 million since launching in October 2022, while Splatoon 3 is at 10.67 million in sales. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has sold 1.86 million and Pokemon Legends: Arceus has sold 14.83 million.

Mario titles have done very well, with Luigi’s Mansion 3 at 12.82 million, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury selling 11.38 million units, and Mario Party Superstars hitting 10.17 million sold. Mario Strikers: Battle League is the only exception, with 2.54 million sold thus far. Overall, Nintendo has sold a whopping 1,036.15 million Switch titles to date.

Now, the Japanese company has confirmed when the first of those two waves will launch. Wave 1 of Splatoon 3’s Expansion Pass will release later this month on February 28. Specific details on what it bring to the game haven’t yet been shared, but Nintendo has previously revealed that the DLC will be bringing back the fan-favourite hub location of Inkopolis, and Booyah Base with it.

Meanwhile, images of some of the characters you’ll find in Inkopolis – including the Squid Sisters, who will have performances during every Splatfest – have also been released. Check them out below.

Wave 2 of Splatoon 3’s Expansion Pass will arrive next year and bring a new single player campaign.

https://twitter.com/NintendoUK/status/1625787810396381184

pic.twitter.com/aRjLjvcdxI

— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) February 15, 2023

The Splatoon 3 version of Inkopolis acts as an alternative hub for players to hang out in, featuring the same shops and activities as the base game’s hub. Splatfests at Inkopolis will feature performances by the Squid Sisters. Inkopolis is coming to Splatoon 3 in Spring.

Wave 2 of the Splatoon 3 expansion pass is Side Order, which was hinted at during the Nintendo Direct. Little in the way of details have been revealed, however, and it’s likely that Side Order will be a more narrative-focused expansion. Side Order doesn’t have a solid release window.

Splatoon 3 was released back in Septeber 2022. Since its release, the game has been quite successful, with recent sales figures revealing that the game has sold over 10 million copies.