Splatoon 2 has only been available for a little over a week, but players are already seeking out evidence of a possible single-player DLC. A suspicious image uncovered by reddit’s OatmealDome might possibly tease developments with Marina in the future.
While messing around with the SplatNet API for his own personal tests, OatmealDome reverse engineered its code to reveal the image shown below. It’s grouped with the stage rotations, has a stage ID number of 9999 and translates to English as Shifty Station. What we’re visibly able to see is a black-and-white representation of Marina’s logo surrounded by DJ Octavio’s takoyaki balls. Those who’ve played through the full Splatoon 2 campaign will likely know what we’re talking about.
The question on everybody’s mind, of course, is what this image might possibly mean. It’s listed amongst the stages, but why would Marina be involved? As we’ve seen in the sequel’s single-player mode, pop duos in Splatoon are typically the focal point of offline play just like the Octarians. Is Marina getting her own multiplayer map, or is this a hint of something greater? Given that the Splatoon 2 campaign does end with one very tiny cliffhanger, there’s clearly more to be developed. Why on Earth is Marina associated with the Octolings? DLC could answer that question.
As interesting as that sounds, however, those who’ve analyzed the picture closely have come up with plenty of less exciting ways to explain why it exists. While everything about it looks purposefully designed, it may be a scrapped piece of concept art that SplatNet engineers now use as a placeholder for future map rotations. Its TV-like filter and Shifty Station name suggest that maybe this was an early idea for what would later become Off The Hook. Maybe at one point in development Marina had her own show for the Octolings and that premise was eventually disregarded.
While all reddit findings should be taken with a sizeable grain of salt, we elected to share this one given the pedigree of its source. Prior to his ventures in Splatoon, OatmealDome also worked on a port of the GameCube Dolphin emulator for iOS. His past accomplishments and statements in the linked thread suggest this poster knows what he’s talking about. He’s offered up real-deal results before, so that’s what we assume we’re getting here.
If Splatoon 2 were to get some single-player DLC in the months ahead, it would be the first for a series that has otherwise been strongly supported by extra multiplayer content. Since the game’s release, players have already received several new weapons with many more on the way. Additional stages are also planned for the future as well.
One thing that would be consistent with tradition, however, is Nintendo’s history of teasing future single-player developments inside the current game. The infamous final Splatfest of the original Splatoon is essentially what caused Callie to go missing in the sequel. This image-based hint is a bit more covert than that, but it could serve a similar function.
Splatoon 2 is available now for Nintendo Switch. Read our review of the game here.
Is this a tease for Splatoon 2 single-player DLC? Would you like to see more from Marina? Tell us in the comments section!
