The official Splatoon Raiders comic is called Deep Cut's Island Misadventures, and Nintendo publishes it through the free Nintendo Today! app. Install the app on a compatible iOS or Android phone, sign in with a Nintendo Account, then look for the series in the News feed. Nintendo describes the comic as exclusive to Nintendo Today!, so there is no official browser reader or downloadable PDF listed as of July 28, 2026.
This guide shows the legitimate reading route, the correct countdown order, and what to try if older entries have disappeared from your personalized feed. It does not reproduce the strips or point to unauthorized PDF copies.
Where the official Splatoon Raiders comic is available
Nintendo announced Deep Cut's Island Misadventures as a run of official daily comics leading into Splatoon Raiders. The important part of that announcement is the distribution method: the series is exclusive to the Nintendo Today! smart-device app. The Nintendo website and game page advertise it, but they do not serve as a full comic reader.
| Place | What it provides | Can you officially read the complete strips there? |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Today! app | Official daily entries and older-series navigation | Yes—the designated official reader |
| Nintendo game/news pages | Announcement, title, promotional art, and app link | No |
| Fan wikis and indexes | Dates, titles, and timeline information | Not Nintendo's official reading location |
| Reposted images or PDF listings | Unofficial copies with uncertain completeness and provenance | No |
The app is free, but it is not anonymous or offline. Nintendo says you need a Nintendo Account, a compatible smart device, and a persistent internet connection. Its current U.S. requirements list iOS 16.0 or later or Android 9.0 or later. You do not need to own Splatoon Raiders merely to install the app and read Nintendo's published content.
How to find Deep Cut's Island Misadventures
The feed is personalized, which means the comic may not occupy the same position for every reader. Use the full series title instead of searching only for “Splatoon comic,” because that phrase also surfaces the unrelated long-running manga and other Splatoon stories.
- Download Nintendo Today! from the official App Store or Google Play listing linked by Nintendo.
- Open the app and sign in with your Nintendo Account.
- Allow the feed to refresh over an active internet connection.
- Open the app's Nintendo news content and look for Deep Cut's Island Misadventures.
- Open an installment, then use the series or older-entry navigation shown around that post to move through the archive.
- Begin with DAY -30: Crash Landing, not the newest entry at the top of the feed.
The exact button labels can change as Nintendo updates the app, so focus on the content name and its News placement. Player reports from the July rollout indicate that opening one older installment can reveal a route to the full series, which is more reliable than scrolling through every unrelated daily post.
If the comic is missing from your feed
A missing entry does not necessarily mean Nintendo removed the series. Nintendo Today! is designed around personalized daily content, and a newer announcement can push an older comic lower in the News backlog. Try these checks:
- Confirm the spelling of Deep Cut's Island Misadventures.
- Check News and older-news/backlog areas rather than relying only on the first home-screen cards.
- If you can open any installment, inspect the bottom and nearby navigation for older entries or the complete series.
- Refresh the feed on a stable connection, then fully close and reopen the app.
- Install the latest Nintendo Today! update available for your device.
- Confirm that you are signed in and that the app is available for your account's country or region.
Do not confuse the app's general viewing history with a permanent comic library. Community reports during the rollout found that the strips behaved like News items, so an entry a reader opened earlier might still be easier to reach through the News backlog or another installment's series link.
If the app will not install, check the operating-system version before repeatedly searching the store. Nintendo currently lists iOS 16.0 and Android 9.0 as the minimum versions, but a device must also be compatible with the storefront build. A Nintendo Switch 2 cannot substitute for the phone app, and the comic is not opened from the game's title screen.
The correct reading order
The negative chapter numbers are a countdown. Start at DAY -30, titled “Crash Landing,” then read DAY -29, DAY -28, and onward as the number moves closer to zero. Nintendo Life reported that the first entry arrived on June 23, 2026 and that the run was planned as 30 daily issues leading toward the game's July 23 launch.
If you open the newest card first, you are reading the end of the countdown rather than chapter one. The safest order is:
- DAY -30: “Crash Landing”
- DAY -29 through DAY -21
- DAY -20 through DAY -11
- DAY -10 onward toward the start of Splatoon Raiders
The DAY labels describe time before the adventure, not conventional volume numbers. That format makes sense once you know the comic bridges the period between the opening accident and the point where the playable story settles into its raid loop.
What the comic covers, without spoilers
Deep Cut's Island Misadventures follows Shiver, Frye, Big Man, and the Mechanic on the Spirhalite Islands before the main playable adventure. Nintendo calls it the story leading up to Splatoon Raiders. It gives the stranded group more character time and shows how their island situation develops during the countdown.
You can read it before starting the game without learning endgame outcomes, bosses, or late unlocks. It is best treated as a short character-focused prequel, not a replacement for the game's tutorial. For a spoiler-light overview of the setting and cast, visit the site's Splatoon Raiders Wiki. The video library is a better next stop if you want official trailers and gameplay rather than story strips.
Spoiler note: The comic's basic premise overlaps with the game's opening setup, but this guide does not summarize individual strip events.
Is there an official PDF, website, or print edition?
No official PDF, desktop web reader, or printed collection appeared on Nintendo's pages as of July 28, 2026. Nintendo's Direct recap specifically calls the comics exclusive to Nintendo Today!, and regional Splatoon Raiders pages send readers to the same app. That is why a normal web search may show announcements and indexes without showing an official “read chapter” page.
Searches such as “read online free” or “PDF” often surface reposts. Those pages may omit entries, rearrange panels, disappear, or package downloads in misleading ads. This guide does not link to them. If Nintendo later publishes a browser or print edition, look for an announcement on Nintendo's own Splatoon news, game page, or Nintendo Today page before trusting a marketplace title.
For families sharing one device, the cleanest official setup is to use the Nintendo Account already authorized in the app and read the entries there. A screenshot collection, fan transcription, or social-media thread may be useful for discussion, but it is not an official substitute and may remove the order and presentation Nintendo intended.
Deep Cut's comic is not the Splatoon manga
Two different works can appear under nearly identical searches. Deep Cut's Island Misadventures is Nintendo's short Raiders prequel delivered through Nintendo Today! The separately published Splatoon manga is a longer series about other characters and Turf War adventures. Buying a manga volume will not give you the DAY -30 Raiders strip sequence.
| Work | Main connection | Official format discussed here |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Cut's Island Misadventures | Direct prequel to Splatoon Raiders | Nintendo Today! daily comic |
| Splatoon manga | Broader Splatoon adaptation | Published manga volumes |
Splatoon Raiders comic FAQ
Is Nintendo Today! free?
Yes. Nintendo describes it as a free smart-device app. A Nintendo Account, compatible phone, and persistent internet connection are required, and normal data charges can apply.
Do I need a Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch Online membership?
Nintendo does not list either one as a Nintendo Today! requirement. The comic is phone-app content. You need the supported app and a Nintendo Account, not an active game session.
Can I read the comic on a PC?
Nintendo has not provided an official desktop reader for the series as of the check date. The official route is the iOS or Android Nintendo Today! app.
Where is chapter one?
Start with DAY -30: Crash Landing. The numbers count down toward the beginning of the game, so the entry closest to zero is later, not earlier.
Is the comic a prequel?
Yes. Nintendo presents it as the story leading up to Splatoon Raiders, following Deep Cut and the Mechanic before the main adventure. See the game information guide for the release and platform details surrounding that story.
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