New Nintendo patent implies veteran Splatoon developers are behind that mystery Minecraft-like game playtested last year

We finally have some clue as to what Splatoon's creative leads are working on behind Nintendo's well-secured doors.

Last year, the company recruited fans themselves to test a "mystery" Nintendo Switch Online feature with a Playtest Program that filled up within seven minutes. The publisher was then quickly reminded of why it doesn't usually let anyone peek behind the curtain as leaks started flooding the internet almost immediately, describing what sounds like a playtest for a Minecraft-esque game about building entire planets with a much heavier emphasis on social elements.

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What's more interesting is that the patent lists some Splatoon veterans as the creators. Splatoon 1 directors Yusuke Amano and Tsubasa Sakaguchi are both named, which would make sense as Amano hasn't been credited since 2020's Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Sakaguchi's last project was Labo. Masaki Wada and Shinya Yano, two other names attached to the patent, were also programmers on fitness RPG Ring Fit Adventure.

With so much veteran talent who seem like they've been attached to the game for years, this galactic-building game might be further along than anyone expects. The Nintendo Switch 2 is also right around the corner, and there's a Nintendo Direct incoming next month, so we might even find out about the project then. Since the playtest announcement first referred to the game as a Nintendo Online "feature," I'm most curious to find out how Nintendo's going to price this damn thing or whether it'll be a subscription add-on.