Nintendo has announced a free crossover DLC for Splatoon 3, allowing players of the Switch 2 launch title Splatoon Raiders to unlock a special weapon in the older game at no cost. The offer has sparked some confusion among fans due to its unusual cross-game nature.

The crossover DLC grants Splatoon 3 players a plastic-bottle Splattershot, a weapon themed after the recycling-focused mechanics of Splatoon Raiders. To unlock it, players must own both Splatoon 3 and Splatoon Raiders, then complete a specific in-game task in the newer title. The reward is delivered entirely for free, with no additional purchase required beyond the games themselves.

The announcement comes as Splatoon Raiders has quickly become a hit for Nintendo and the Switch 2, filling a gap for fans awaiting news of a traditional multiplayer-focused Splatoon sequel. The crossover has left some in the community puzzled, as the two games are distinct: Splatoon Raiders is a single-player action game centred on environmental cleanup, while Splatoon 3 is the established competitive shooter. The free DLC appears designed to bridge these audiences, though details on how the unlock process works remain sparse.

Nintendo has not yet clarified whether the offer is time-limited or permanent, nor whether it applies to all regional versions of the games. The plastic-bottle Splattershot is a cosmetic variant, not a new weapon class, and is expected to function identically to the standard Splattershot in gameplay. Siliconera first reported the news, with coverage spreading over the following 22 hours.

This synthesis was derived and curated on the fly by TDGN’s newsroom from 2 outlets’ breaking reports, and updates automatically as coverage develops. It may contain errors — the outlets’ original reporting is linked below.