Splatoon Raiders borrows Monster Hunter's SOS system for co-op rescue

Splatoon Raiders, the first Splatoon spin-off and the debut Switch 2 entry in the series, launches July 23 — and Nintendo has detailed a co-op help mechanic that should feel familiar to anyone who's played Monster Hunter World or Monster Hunter Wilds.

Before starting a raid, solo players can send out a call for help. Other players browsing the map can hit a "Go Help" option and get matched into that person's lobby. The stakes are real: failing a raid means losing all the loot collected during that run, so having backup matters. Helpers who stick it out through a successful raid earn a "help bonus" in the form of in-game rewards. There's a cooldown on calling for help after a successful clear, so you can't lean on it indefinitely. The mechanic closely mirrors Monster Hunter's SOS Flare system, with the main difference being that Monster Hunter fires an actual in-game flare during a quest, while Splatoon Raiders handles it through a menu.

Beyond the rescue system, Splatoon Raiders supports up to four players via online or local wireless co-op, with difficulty scaling to match the group size. The game is built around challenging raids against waves of Salmonids, and GameSpot's hands-on preview noted that different player builds can synergize meaningfully — calling multiplayer "a fertile ground for high-level raids against tough opponents."

Splatoon Raiders hits Switch 2 on July 23, landing in what's shaping up to be a packed month for the platform.