As Nintendo Direct rumors swirl, updated Splatoon Raiders trademark releases copium that we may hear about the upcoming Switch 2 exclusive soon

A new trademark for Splatoon Raiders has sparked hopes that the series spinoff will re-emerge soon, perhaps even as part of a Nintendo Direct.

Splatoon Raiders was announced on a random day last June via the Nintendo Today app – marking the first time Nintendo used it to confirm the existence of a brand new game. And despite a massive September 2025 Nintendo Direct taking place in the time since, we actually haven't heard anything about the first Nintendo Switch 2-exclusive Splatoon game since it was announced.

A Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase is already pegged to be coming this week if the rumor mill is to be believed, and there has been talk of Nintendo following it up with a proper Nintendo Direct soon after – albeit, from less reliable sources – possibly as soon as the third week of February. However, a recent Splatoon Raiders trademark listing has given some hope that this may actually happen.

As spotted by MikeOdysseyYT on Twitter, the US Patent and Trademark Office has released updated trademark information for Splatoon Raiders with a publication date of February 17, 2026 – the third week of February. They note that trademarks have previously heralded this sort of thing, specifically noting the Virtual Boy trademark being updated last March.

However, trademarks also get routinely updated by companies, and this happening doesn't necessarily mean news about Splatoon Raiders – or a Nintendo Direct – is on the way, but it's a nice bit of copium that we can either celebrate or get bummed out about in a few weeks time.

Nintendo president reportedly teases new games for popular series are in development, which I hope means we're getting a 3D Mario title for Switch 2 sooner rather than later