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Splatoon 3's character options appear to be gender-neutral

It looks like in Splatoon 3, players won't be locked into boy or girl sets when it comes to customizing their Inkling however they please.

TJ Denzer

February 17, 2021 5:30 PM

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By far, one of the most high-profile reveals of the entire February Nintendo Direct presentation was the announcement of Splatoon 3. The fan-favorite squad-based arena shooter will once again challenge players to grab their ink slinger of choice and engage in battle for map superiority. Splatoon 3 is looking as lush and vibrant as the series has ever been, but a unique feature might have slipped under the radar during the reveal. It would appear that players will no longer be locked into boy or girl options when choosing how to customize their Inkling’s look.

This reveal was spotted by Splatoon fans following the reveal of Splatoon 3, notably @_SapphicSenpai_ on Twitter. During the full trailer in which Splatoon 3 was revealed, it seemed as though Inklings could be customized with whatever options you want. Hairstyles and legwear, usually confined to either boy or girl inkling styles, didn’t seem to feature any such barrier. You’ll be able to equip all of those customization options no matter what.

Notice how there’s no more “boy or girl” option and that all leg-wear and hairstyles are available to you no matter what pic.twitter.com/OvcQDkzJ3x

— ⚢ Senpai ⚢ (@_SapphicSenpai_) February 17, 2021

The potential changes to Splatoon 3 cosmetics will likely come as a welcome surprise to those who don’t like being locked into binary gender choices and customizations. Splatoon 1 and 2 were wonderful games, but it looks like Splatoon 3 is going into even the finest details to cater and invite a fuller audience to play and have fun in its competitive environment. As one of the undaunted stars of the full February Nintendo Direct lineup, it’s great to see the possibilities that Splatoon 3 holds.

Splatoon 3 is currently slated for a launch sometime in 2022 on the Nintendo Switch. As we await further details on the game, stay tuned for more reveals and information such as features, modes and concrete launch dates in the coming year. And if the above reveals are true, look forward to dressing and styling your Inkling without barriers when the game launches.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.