Got a news tip? Is there something you think we should be reporting on? Email news@usgamer.net.

The Octo Expansion recently launched for Splatoon 2, catapulting a game that's 48 weeks old back to the number one spot in the Japanese sales chart. But with the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service launching later this year, how could Splatoon 2 be affected?

Hisashi Nogami, producer on Splatoon 2, recently spoke to Polygon about how the upcoming online service could affect the Splatoon 2 community. "We imagine it will have some sort of influence or effect by the addition of Nintendo Switch Online," Nogami said of Splatoon 2 online in relation to the Nintendo Switch Online service.

"We want to use Nintendo Switch Online’s addition as a way to redouble our commitment to the community and reaffirm for them that we’re going to support this game more and more," the Splatoon 2 producer continued.

Nogami says that the team behind Splatoon 2 currently has no more DLC packs like the Octo Expansion planned. This means that future content for Splatoon 2 will come in the form of free weapons, maps, and modes, in an attempt to sustain interest in the game from the online community.

Financially speaking, playing Splatoon 2 online will carry a regular payment once Nintendo Switch Online launches later this year. The payment options for Switch online play are:

One month - $3.99

Three months - $7.99

Twelve months - $19.99

Twelve month family membership - $34.99 (up to eight Nintendo Accounts on different systems will be able to use this)

"The main thing we want to maintain is this even playing field for players," says Nogami. "It’s not to say that there’s no possibility that we’ll ever consider releasing some paid premium multiplayer content," he added, meaning that there could potentially be a split between the Splatoon 2 online community if paid online content was introduced.

If you need to get up to speed on what the online subscription service is and when it'll launch, head over to our Nintendo Switch Online guide. Otherwise, check out our Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion guide, for a complete breakdown of all the new content offered in the DLC.