Splatoon Raiders Scores 9.3 with Users — How Much Buzz Did It Generate on Streaming?

High Viewership Share in Japan, but Rankings Decline After a First-Week Debut

Kim Jun-su (HealT) | 2026-08-04 13:59:33

Article Link: https://www.thisisgame.com/series/428523?newsId=400081

A look at this week’s hottest title through global streaming indicators, powered by data analytics solution ContentFlux.

Today’s spotlight is on Splatoon Raiders. How did streamers and viewers respond to a spin-off that replaces intense competitive battles with PvE co-op, exploration, and loot-driven progression?

Co-op Instead of Competition: A Spin-off Earning a 9.3 User Score

Splatoon Raiders is an action shooter released by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch 2 and set in the universe of the Splatoon series.

The game follows the popular idol group Deep Cut and a mechanic after they crash-land on the Splatlands Archipelago, where they battle Salmonids and collect treasure.

Rather than focusing on the series’ traditional competitive structure, the title combines Splatoon’s fast-paced ink-shooting action with stage exploration, weapon and gadget farming, gear modification, and other progression systems, creating a looter-shooter-style experience.

The game supports both solo play and cooperative multiplayer for up to four players, making it approachable for newcomers who may have found the series’ competitive modes intimidating while still offering enough familiarity for longtime fans.

▶ Splatoon Raiders

According to global review aggregator Metacritic, as of August 4, Splatoon Raiders holds a Metascore of 82 based on 99 professional critic reviews.

Meanwhile, its user score stands at 9.3 based on ratings from 1,581 users, showing that the title has received even stronger approval from players than from critics.

▶ Splatoon Raiders currently holds a Metascore of 82 and a user score of 9.3.(Source: Metacritic)

Strong Interest in Japan, Followed by a Second-Week Decline

According to the ContentFlux Top 100 charts, which track global streaming indicators, Splatoon Raiders entered major platform rankings during its launch week before declining afterward.

The earliest available data came from the fourth week of July, covering July 20 through July 26.

During this period, Splatoon Raiders debuted at No.60 (NEW) on YouTube’s weekly cumulative viewership chart with more than 13.9 million views.

On Twitch, the title also entered the global Top 100 at No.51 (NEW), recording more than 140,900 peak concurrent viewers.

On Korea’s CHZZK platform, it entered at No.68 (NEW) with more than 5,000 peak concurrent viewers.

▶ Splatoon Raiders ranking based on weekly cumulative views and cumulative peak

concurrent viewers during the fourth week of July 2026.

In the fifth week of July, covering July 27 through August 2, the title’s indicators declined compared with the previous week.

Weekly cumulative YouTube views reached 10.5 million, pushing the game down 24 places to No.84.

On Twitch, it dropped 28 places to No.79, with 82,900 peak concurrent viewers.

No Top 100 ranking data was recorded on CHZZK or SOOP during the fifth week of July.

Meanwhile, the performance of the mainline title Splatoon 3 also drew attention.

After ranking No.57 on YouTube with more than 15.9 million views and No.88 on SOOP during the fourth week of July, Splatoon 3 rebounded in the fifth week.

Its weekly cumulative YouTube views surpassed 36.8 million, sending the game up 25 places to No.32.

▶ Splatoon Raiders ranking based on weekly cumulative views and cumulative peak concurrent viewers during the fifth week of July 2026.

Analysis of global audience distribution over the most recent 13 days, from July 22 to August 3, 2026, showed that Japan accounted for an overwhelming 71.2% of cumulative YouTube views.

It was followed by the United States (10.7%), the United Kingdom (5.9%), Germany (4.4%), Australia (1.7%), Spain (1.6%), Canada (1.4%), the Netherlands (1.4%), and Taiwan (0.9%).

Japan also ranked first in content creation volume at 49.0%, accounting for nearly half of all videos.

It was followed by the United States (15.4%), Germany (2.3%), Taiwan (2.1%), the United Kingdom (1.7%), the Netherlands (1.6%), France (1.6%), Spain (1.3%), and Italy (1.3%).

▶ Country distribution of cumulative YouTube views for Splatoon Raiders content.

▶ Country distribution of YouTube content creation for Splatoon Raiders.

Twitch language-based data also showed strong shares for both Japanese and English.

Japanese accounted for the largest share of peak concurrent viewership at 38.1%, followed closely by English at 32.4%.

It was followed by Chinese (8.9%), Spanish (7.4%), French (5.1%), Italian (4.1%), and German (3.3%).

In terms of actual streaming volume, English ranked first at 46.3%, followed by Japanese (27.3%), Chinese (7.0%), Spanish (5.3%), French (5.3%), German (3.8%), and Italian (2.3%).

▶ Language distribution of peak concurrent viewership for Splatoon Raiders content on Twitch.

▶ Language distribution of streaming volume for Splatoon Raiders content on Twitch.

Positive Reviews from Australian and Japanese Creators, Though Repetition Remains a Shared Concern

We then examined broader sentiment toward the new title through gameplay videos from global creators and viewer comment data.

First, we analyzed a review video published on July 22 by Australian variety gaming YouTube channel Skill Up, which has 1.08 million subscribers.

Skill Up explained that he had never been particularly interested in the Splatoon series, but found himself drawn into the depth and entertainment value of Splatoon Raiders after playing it.

He praised the title for moving away from the franchise’s traditional PvP-focused structure and successfully reinventing itself as a polished PvE cooperative shooter.

He also noted that the game effectively combines strengths found in acclaimed shooters such as Doom, Borderlands, and Destiny, describing the roughly 15-hour campaign as highly satisfying.

However, he pointed out that the game’s progression and customization systems feel somewhat limited, reducing its ability to encourage long-term replayability.

Key Points

• A fully PvE-focused cooperative shooter rather than a PvP-centered experience

• Short, focused mission structure optimized for handheld play

• Successful combination of elements from acclaimed shooters such as Doom, Borderlands, and Destiny

• Deep and intuitive weapon and gear customization system

• Strategic combat supported by well-balanced difficulty and varied enemy design

Low Points

• Limited progression and customization reduce long-term player retention

• Does not significantly depart from the basic structure of traditional looter shooters

• Lacks strong incentives for repeated long-term play

• Some systems could have been more experimental

• Feels more like a combination of existing systems than a completely new experience

▶ Partial summary of Skill Up’s Splatoon Raiders video by ContentFlux AI.

YouTube comment sentiment analysis showed that positive reactions accounted for the largest share at 40%, followed by negative sentiment at 32% and neutral sentiment at 28%.

▶ Comment sentiment distribution for Skill Up’s Splatoon Raiders YouTube video.

Positive Summary

Viewers praised the quality of its pure single-player and cooperative gameplay without in-game purchases.

Many also responded favorably to its reasonable pricing and recommended it as one of the stronger titles in the Nintendo Switch 2 lineup.

Neutral Summary

Viewers discussed the extent of game-sharing support and whether each player requires a separate console.

There was also debate over whether the price was appropriate for a 15–20 hour playtime, alongside comparisons with other shooter titles.

Negative Summary

Some viewers criticized inaccuracies in the review’s explanation of the game-sharing feature.

Others expressed disappointment with overly busy visual presentation in some areas and a perceived lack of content depth.

▶ Partial summary of viewer sentiment from comments on Skill Up’s Splatoon

Raiders video by ContentFlux AI.

Next, we looked at content from Japanese gaming creator Taiji / Taichanneru (たいじ/たいちゃんねる), who has 270,000 subscribers.

The creator is a former professional gamer with a history of winning Splatoon tournaments and now works as a variety gaming YouTuber.

In the video, Taiji demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the game, analyzing the highest-tier “Ippin” weapon upgrade system, boss battle strategies, and various weapon combinations through practical gameplay.

However, he also expressed disappointment with the lack of variety in enemy types and boss patterns, as well as the relatively unremarkable sound design.

Key Points

• Detailed analysis of the highest-tier “Ippin” weapon system, including ink efficiency and attack range

• Strategic weapon selection and build construction tailored to boss battles and enemy characteristics

• Experiments with varied weapon combinations using blasters, brushes, and other weapon classes

• Strong understanding of the game’s systems and mechanics, accompanied by high overall satisfaction

• Intuitive weapon upgrade and material collection systems

Low Points

• Repetitive gameplay caused by limited enemy variety and boss patterns

• Disappointment with unremarkable music and sound design

• High ink consumption and inefficiency of certain weapons

• Visual structures and camera systems that can obstruct visibility

• Missing side features such as minigames and shortcomings in the interface

▶ Partial summary of Taiji / Taichanneru’s Splatoon Raiders video by ContentFlux AI.

Viewer comment sentiment analysis showed that neutral reactions accounted for the largest share at 47%, followed by positive sentiment at 39% and negative sentiment at 15%.

▶ Comment sentiment distribution for Taiji / Taichanneru’s Splatoon Raiders YouTube video.

Positive Summary

Viewers praised the game’s varied weapon customization and smooth optimization.

They also expressed strong satisfaction with the way the game connects to the broader series universe and with the overall quality of its cooperative gameplay.

Neutral Summary

Viewers discussed Nintendo’s signature level-design philosophy and genre characteristics such as roguelike elements.

Comments also mentioned changes in soundtrack composers and offered various suggestions for future updates.

Negative Summary

Some viewers expressed disappointment over the absence of a wave-based mode similar to the existing “Salmon Run.”

Others criticized repetitive stages, limited story mode depth, and a lack of innovation compared with previous entries.

▶ Partial summary of viewer sentiment from comments on Taiji / Taichanneru’s Splatoon Raiders video by ContentFlux AI.

Although Splatoon Raiders did not achieve especially large overall streaming numbers or rankings, Japan accounted for a noticeably higher share of both YouTube views and Twitch viewership than other markets.

This suggests that the Splatoon IP continues to maintain a particularly strong fanbase in Japan.

The game also serves as an example of how a lower-barrier spin-off can appeal to both existing fans and newcomers.

For longtime players, it offers an opportunity to enjoy cooperation and farming without the fatigue of competitive play. For newcomers who may have hesitated because of the series’ control demands or competitive nature, it provides a more approachable way to enter the franchise.

Its user score, which currently exceeds its critic score, further suggests that actual players are highly satisfied with the experience.

It will be worth watching whether this positive reception leads to a new series of Raiders-style spin-offs, inspires other forms of Splatoon spin-offs, or even influences the direction of Nintendo’s next mainline entry.