Salmonids May Get the Octoling Treatment in Splatoon 3

gamerant.com:

Splatoon 3 fans have spent months waiting for more news about the upcoming game, and Nintendo delivered during its latest Direct. Aside from affirming a summer 2022 release window for Splatoon 3, it showed off Splatoon 3's take on the Salmon Run PvE mode. Salmon Run: Next Wave looks like a polished version of Splatoon 2's PvE, pitting fans against new Salmonid bosses while giving them an Egg Throw ability that ought to make securing the objective easier. Salmon Run was a beloved part of Splatoon 2, so Nintendo is wise to include an enhanced version of the mode in Splatoon 3.

However, pitting players against Salmonids once again raises some questions about a central concept in Splatoon 3. Ever since the game was first revealed, players have known that they'll be accompanied by a Smallfry Salmonid whose talents will be crucial in Splatoon 3's story mode. Fighting Salmonids while traveling with a Smallfry seems strange, but it wouldn't be the first time that Splatoon turned enemies into friends. Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion DLC turned the tables on Octolings in the Splatoon world, so it's possible that Salmonids will get the same treatment by the end of Splatoon 3.

Splatoon 3 Bosses Revealed for Salmon Run: Next Wave in February 2022's Nintendo Direct

While Nintendo often emphasizes the PvP side of Splatoon, the franchise has always held story campaigns for players to progress through. As a general rule, Splatoon's central antagonists are the Octarians, a group of tentacle-like cephalopods who try to conquer the Inklings' territory. They've also been assisted by Octolings over the years, who resemble Inklings more than Octarians do. While they seem wholly villainous in the original Splatoon, Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion reveals