Of all the video games you might expect to have NSFW scandals, would you ever have expected Splatoon 3 to be the recipient of them? Certainly not me, since this is the first I’ve heard of it. And certainly not Nintendo, given the rather harsh (and appropriately so) response to it they recently posted.
Splatoon 3: The AV Scandal No One Expected?!
For you all to properly appreciate this scandal though, you all need some context. See, back on October 8, 2022; a Japanese VTuber streamer group called Sinsogumi (led by Tomeru Ikinone), along with a bunch of Japanese VTubers such as Kimiko Kikaze, Sigure, Hinachun, Kudoa Tatsuki, Sofia Sapphire, Teriteri Bouzu, and Ryotaro; livestreamed Splatoon 3 on YouTube in a most unorthodox and NSFW manner.
According to Automaton (who first reported on this story), the group somehow managed to chroma key the opposing team’s ink so as to make it transparent to viewers, thus turning the colored ink into a green screen. The group then played pornographic videos in the background of their stream, basically allowing the group to cheat and violate YouTube’s community guidelines at will by having those porn videos be playing wherever the opposing team had painted. It seems the whole incident was part of a game (that was not how Splatoon 3 was meant to be played) the group was playing. Basically: to see which one would get banned first.
Well, they all got their wish. YouTube issued bans and account deletions to all the VTubers involved in this Splatoon 3 scandal. Heck, Sigure’s YouTube account was actually deleted by YouTube themselves mid-stream. In fact, this scandal is getting so much publicity that Nintendo themselves have issued a response via Twitter. The post is entirely in Japanese, but a translation of the text reveals that Nintendo basically state that any user who violates their rules or “significantly damage the value of the game or characters and the world” will have Nintendo take action against them. Either through deletions or legal action. Granted, Nintendo don’t actually say that this is in response to the whole Splatoon 3 scandal. However, given the timing, it’s hard to see this as anything else.
Splatoon 3: Details
Splatoon 3 is the third game in the Splatoon series of third-person shooter games developed by Nintendo EPD and published by Nintendo as well. Seita Inoue and Shintaro Sato return as the directors for this third game. Hisashi Nogami also returns as the producer, with Inoue also serving as the artist. Toru Minegishi, Shiho Fujii, Ryo Nagamatsu, Toshiyuki Sudo, Yumi Takahashi, and Sayako Doi are composing the music. This game is a Nintendo Switch exclusive, so you’ll need that to play.
As for what Splatoon 3 is about? Well, if the above trailer didn’t tell you, then Nintendo’s official synopsis of the game on the Nintendo eShop might tell you more. Check it out below:
“Enter the Splatlands, a sun-scorched desert inhabited by battle-hardened Inklings and Octolings. Splatsville, the city of chaos, is the adrenaline-fueled heart of this dusty wasteland.
Even in this desolate environment, Turf War* reigns supreme and battles rage in new stages located in the surrounding wilds. Dynamic new moves help these fighters dodge attacks and cover more ground, along with a new bow-shaped weapon to sling ink.
Join Agent 3 in a fight against the unruly Octarians in story mode. Discover the secrets of Alterna, the Fuzzy Ooze, and how they connect to the mode’s theme, “Return of the Mammalians.”
Team up and fend off waves of dangerous Salmonid bosses in the next iteration of Salmon Run*, a co-op mode with fresh new features. ”
Splatoon 3 released on September 9, 2022. You can purchase it in digital or physical form on the Nintendo eShop or from the game’s official website.
