Splatoon Raiders, Nintendo's new Switch 2 exclusive, has launched to an unexpectedly strong reception from players, with user reviews pushing it into the top 10 highest-rated games of all time on Metacritic. This is notable because the title generated less pre-release hype than other major Nintendo releases and departs from the series' traditional focus on competitive multiplayer in favour of a single-player-led experience, yet fans have responded enthusiastically since it launched last week.

At the time of writing, Splatoon Raiders sits in seventh place on Metacritic's all-time user-rated list with a score of 9.3 out of 10 from more than 700 ratings, ahead of every other Nintendo game on the platform and behind only Resident Evil Requiem among 2026 releases. A Nintendo Life reader poll found similarly positive sentiment, with nearly half of respondents rating it 9/10 and almost a quarter giving it a perfect score, while the site's own review awarded it 9/10, praising its visuals, performance, price and robust co-op options.