Inklings can dab and do the Macarena in Splatoon 3

Wednesday’s Splatoon 3 Direct revealed a plethora of new details about the upcoming shooter game, from new weapons and stages to the unique effects of cosmetic items. But, perhaps the biggest announcement was the fact that Inklings and Octolings can dab and do the Macarena in Splatoon 3.

The playable characters’ fresh dance moves seem to be available through Splatoon 3’s various customization options. Players can select different banners, badges and titles to appear on their splashtags at the beginning of matches. In addition, players can pick emotes to change the animation their character performs after winning a battle.

While not explicitly shown in the Splatoon 3 emote menu, it is likely that this is how players can unlock the dab or Macarena for their character. Every three months for the first two years after the game launches, players can obtain a new catalog in the in-game Hotlantis store. Then, players can obtain new customization options from the catalogs using points earned from battle.

Last tweet today, promise! You really should check out the website. It's filled with confidential-ish research that we couldn't fit within the #Splatoon3 Direct, including info about new lobby features, multiplayer modes, system information, and more.https://t.co/nOQWe31sGq

— Splatoon North America (@SplatoonNA) August 10, 2022

Splatoon 3 shows off new gameplay alongside dance moves

Outside of customization options like the dab and Macarena, the Splatoon 3 Direct also highlighted new gameplay details. The game will launch with five new stages and seven returning stages. In addition, all of the weapons from the previous games are coming back, plus two new weapon types: bow-like stringers and sword-like splatanas.

A new gameplay mode is also coming to Splatoon 3. The in-game card game Tableturf Battle is based on the Turf War mode. In Tableturf Battles, players can select a deck of cards. Each card will cover a certain number of squares in the game’s grid with the player’s color. Like in Turf War, players win by covering the greatest amount of space with their color by the end of the match.

While Nintendo previously announced the return of Salmon Run in Splatoon 3, the company provided additional details during the Direct. Sometimes, boss-like King Salmonids will show up just before the end of a round of Salmon Run. In addition, Salmonids can even invade the city of Splatsville during an occasional in-game event called Big Run.