Splatoon 3 might be getting a host of new modes within Salmon Run for the very first time.
Unveiled last week by Nintendo Switch dataminer OatmealDome on Twitter, various Splatoon 3 files reference new Salmon Run modes not yet in the game itself. These new modes are called "Pair," "Underground," and "Contest," each expanding on the horde mode in new ways.
[Splatoon 3]There are three possible new Salmon Run modes coming in a future update: “Pair”, “Underground”, and "Contest".Pair and Underground will have their own pay grades and titles.In addition, Underground will have higher quotas (per wave: +3 / +5 / +7) than normal.September 16, 2022
From the wording of the tweet above, it sounds like the Underground mode is designed to be harder than your average Salmon Run experience. Players will have to obtain a bigger haul of Salmonid Eggs than usual - apparently needing three, five, and seven more eggs in each respective wave.
As for the Pair and Contest modes, there's much less information to go on right now from the in-game Splatoon 3 files. However, it's worth noting that both modes apparently make reference to their own exclusive pay grades and titles, meaning they should both come with new unlockable extras.
You'd be forgiven for assuming these are the first new modes to come to Salmon Run since it first debuted back in Splatoon 2. However, as Nintendo announced last month in a special Splatoon 3-dedicated Nintendo Direct, we've also got the new Big Run mode still to come at some point in the future.
All we know about this mode is that the Salmonids will invade Splatsville, and it'll occur every few months. Combining this with the three supposed new modes for Salmon Run, and it looks like the excellent PvE mode is bulking up in the near future.
In other recent news, Splatoon 3's online connections should have stabilized after a new patch was deployed last week.
