Splatoon Raiders doesn’t launch until July 23, 2026. But you can start playing it today. Nintendo dropped a free demo on the Switch 2 eShop this morning, and unlike most demos that wall off your progress behind a “thanks for playing” screen, this one lets you carry everything forward into the full release.
Eight days of uninterrupted treasure hunting, base building, and Deep Cut banter — all of it counts. And if you know where to look, there’s a hidden weapon mod tucked inside the first dungeon that the tutorial never mentions.
The Demo: What’s Included and What Carries Over
The demo covers the entire first island of the Spirhalite archipelago, including its central dungeon, all side paths, and the full introductory story arc with Deep Cut. Nintendo estimates this represents roughly three to four hours of content, though completionists who hunt down every salvageable material and hidden cache will likely spend closer to six.
Here is what transfers to the full game on July 23:
| Progress Element | Transfers to Full Game? |
|---|---|
| Story progress (first island cleared) | Yes |
| Salvage and crafting materials | Yes |
| Weapon upgrades and mods | Yes |
| Base building progress | Yes |
| Character customization (Styles) | Yes |
| Bot Buddy affinity with Deep Cut members | Yes |
The only thing that does not carry over is the demo’s tutorial pop-ups, which makes sense — you will not need them twice.
How to ensure your save transfers:
- Complete the first island’s story objective (the demo will prompt you when you reach the endpoint).
- Save your game manually at the hideout’s workbench.
- Purchase Splatoon Raiders digitally or insert the physical cartridge on July 23.
- The game will detect your demo save and offer to import it automatically.
Nintendo has confirmed that the demo save works with both the digital and physical versions of the game. You do not need to pre-order to keep your progress.
The Hidden Upgrade: Ink Siphon Mod
The demo’s tutorial teaches you how to upgrade your Splattershot Jr. with basic damage and range mods. What it does not tell you is that there is a rare weapon mod hidden behind a breakable wall in the first dungeon, and it changes the way you manage ink in combat.
The mod is called the Ink Siphon. Its description reads: “Restores a small amount of ink on successful hits against inked enemies.”
This is not a minor quality-of-life perk. In Splatoon Raiders, ink management is more constrained than in the mainline multiplayer games. You cannot simply submerge and refill at will during combat — you need to find puddles, use gadgets, or retreat. The Ink Siphon mod lets you sustain firefights by rewarding accuracy, turning every landed shot into a trickle of ink recovery.
How to find it:
- Enter the first dungeon (the Saltspray Vault) after completing the initial surface exploration.
- Progress until you reach the second large chamber — the one with the collapsed pillar in the center.
- On the left wall, look for a section of stone with faint cracks. It is easy to miss because the dungeon’s lighting is dim and the cracks do not glow or pulse like standard interactive objects.
- Use the Splatchet gadget (mapped to the L button by default) to break the wall.
- Inside the hidden alcove, you will find a salvage crate containing the Ink Siphon mod blueprint and enough materials to craft it immediately at the hideout workbench.
The upgrade costs 12 Scrap Metal and 4 Glow Crystals — both of which the demo provides in abundance if you explore thoroughly.
Why This Mod Matters for the Full Game
The Ink Siphon is not just a nice early-game bonus. Its value scales as enemy health pools increase and firefights grow longer. A weapon that can sustain its own ink supply without forcing the player to disengage and find a puddle is a weapon that can handle the game’s later difficulty spikes without needing to retreat.
Early hands-on previews from outlets like VGC and Nintendo Life noted that Splatoon Raiders can be punishing for players who treat it like a run-and-gun. The combat rewards patience, positioning, and resource management. The Ink Siphon tilts that balance slightly in the player’s favor, but never feels overpowered — the ink return per hit is modest, and it only triggers on enemies already coated in your ink color, which means you still need to land the first few shots cleanly.
If you plan to tackle the full game on its harder difficulty settings, or if you just want to spend less time retreating and more time looting, the Ink Siphon is worth the detour.
What Else the Demo Reveals
Beyond the hidden mod, the demo provides a clear picture of how Splatoon Raiders differs from the series it spun off from.
| Element | Mainline Splatoon | Splatoon Raiders |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 3-5 minute multiplayer matches | Hour-long expeditions with base camps |
| Combat Flow | Constant movement and ink coverage | Deliberate, cover-based, resource-driven |
| Progression | Rank and gear unlocks | Salvage collection, crafting, and upgrades |
| Story Delivery | Background lore and Splatfest dialogue | Fully voiced cutscenes with Deep Cut |
| Failure State | Respawn after being splatted | Return to camp, lose some salvage |
The Bot Buddy system — where one member of Deep Cut pilots an Exploration Bot to accompany you — is fully functional in the demo. Each member has a distinct combat style and a unique Showstopper ability on a cooldown. Shiver’s Showstopper freezes enemies in a cone in front of her. Frye’s deploys a swarm of small seeker drones. Big Man’s creates a large ink puddle that slows enemies and heals the player.
You can switch between Bot Buddies at the hideout between expeditions, and affinity levels earned with each member carry over to the full game. The demo does not reveal whether maxing out a character’s affinity unlocks anything specific, but the UI clearly tracks it, and the smart bet is that it does.
The Road to July 23
The Splatoon Raiders demo arrives as the third major Switch 2 release of the summer, following Star Fox on June 25 and Rhythm Heaven Groove on July 2. It is the last first-party demo before the console’s U.S. and European price hike takes effect on September 1, which will push the Switch 2 to $499.99 and €499.99 respectively.
For anyone still on the fence about the console, the demo is a free, no-commitment way to test drive one of the year’s most unusual first-party offerings. It is a single-player Splatoon game. It is a salvage-and-survival adventure. It is a Deep Cut delivery vehicle. And as of today, you can play the opening hours without spending anything.
The full game launches July 23. Your demo progress will be waiting.
Have you found any other hidden mods or secrets in the Splatoon Raiders demo? Let us know in the comments.
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