Splatoon has evolved significantly from its original state at launch, with fourteen stages and over seventy weapons available to gamers. Considering how popular the game has been, and how it's managed to maintain that popularity, it's safe to say at this point that the launch of this new IP has been a resounding success. Splatoon has done very well despite the Wii U's sales troubles, and it's practically a given that we'll be seeing the franchise return in the future in some form.

Famitsu recently talked with Hisashi Nogami, Tsubasa Sakaguchi, and Yusuke Amano – the producer and co-directors – to talk about the game's development and the future of Splatoon (translations courtesy of Nintendo Everything). They talked about how most stages are based on marine products with the exception of Urchin Underpass, which was based on a real life road visible from Nintendo's headquarters. Seita Inoue – the art director – regularly sketches things in his immediate vicinity and drew a night view sketch of Jujo Road. The art team saw this sketch around the time that they were planning stages, and decided to include it due to its slightly more realistic nature.

When talking about the regular updates this game gets, the team reconfirmed that they will no longer be updating the game with new gear, stages, rules, etc. after January, though they will still put out occasional balancing patches when needed. Additionally, splatfests will continue to take place for the "foreseeable future". When asked why the updates are ending, they said it's because players would have trouble remembering all the content if too much is put in. While the team wouldn't talk about the future of the Splatoon franchise, they did talk about the extremely positive reception it's received and they seem open to continuing that in some way.

For the full breakdown of the interview, check it out here.

What do you think? Have you been satisfied with all the content in Splatoon? What would you like to see out of a 'Splatoon 2'? Share your thoughts in the comments below.