TL;DR
- Splatoon Raiders hit a 9.3 Metacritic User Score and briefly ranked 7th “best of all time” on the site, despite an 81 critic Metascore and mixed reviews from outlets like The Guardian. [1][2][5]
- The leaderboard position reflects mobilized fans, meme‑era behavior (see Disney’s Cory in the House), and a system that delays negative review‑bombs for 36 hours but not positive swarms. [1][6][7]
- Expect regression: with ~800 user reviews, a few dozen 0/10s or a wave of 7/10s can mathematically yank Splatoon Raiders out of the all‑time top 10 within weeks. [4]
What the source said
Video Games Chronicle reports that Splatoon Raiders, a Switch 2 spin‑off released on July 23, 2026, sits at 9.3/10 in Metacritic’s User Score and placed 7th on the site’s all‑time user‑rated list, while its critic Metascore is 81. [1][3]
The piece flags the known caveats around user ratings: scores skew to 10s and 0s, meme campaigns can distort ranks (e.g., Cory in the House), and Metacritic’s 36‑hour hold on new user reviews was meant to slow bombing, not boosting. [1][6][7]
Why it matters
Nintendo just shipped a Switch 2 exclusive intended to move hardware in late July 2026; “7th greatest game of all time on Metacritic (users)” is the kind of social proof that nudges fence‑sitters when amiibo chatter is peaking. [1][3]
Metacritic’s brand sits in the blast radius as well. Its critic Metascore has long shaped marketing decks and investor chatter, but the all‑time user leaderboard mixes expansions, cult classics, and meme targets into a single “GOAT” list that can be captured in a launch week. [1][2]
Original analysis
Splatoon Raiders on Metacritic: signal vs noise
Consensus view: “Top‑10 all‑time user score proves Splatoon Raiders is an all‑timer.” Contrarian read: this ranking mostly proves how quickly a coordinated fandom can overpower a low‑denominator system that delays early negativity but does not dampen early positivity. [1][7]
Four data points undermine the “all‑timer” framing:
- The Metascore is 81, not a GOAT‑tier 90+; that puts it roughly mid‑pack among 2026 releases. [1]
- The Guardian’s review reads downbeat, a reminder the critic spread isn’t universally glowing. [5]
- Metacritic’s 36‑hour delay on user scores, added in 2020 after high‑profile bombings, never targeted positive swarms, so celebratory brigades slip through. [7]
- The all‑time user list is a genre soup—full releases mingle with expansions like Blood and Wine or Frozen Throne—so the ranking bakes apples and oranges into one pie. [1][2]
Named‑stakeholder breakdown:
- Nintendo: Gains launch‑window marketing copy (“highest user‑rated Nintendo game ever”) that pairs with Switch 2 positioning; risk: reputational whiplash if the score normalizes below 9.0. [4]
- Metacritic: Gets traffic spikes but risks erosion of trust in its “all‑time” lists if small, recent cohorts can hijack the podium. [2]
- Retail and platform storefronts (Nintendo eShop, Amazon US): “Universal acclaim” user badges convert into clicks, but only if the 9.0+ headline survives beyond week one. [2][4]
- Creators and streamers in the Splatoon scene on YouTube and Twitch: A high user score energizes guide‑and‑challenge content, sustaining visibility independent of critic takes. [5]
Back‑of‑envelope: how fragile is a 9.3?
- Assume ~800 user reviews at 9.3/10 → 9.3 × 800 = 7,440 “points.” [4]
- Add m zero‑scores. New average = 7,440 ÷ (800 + m).
- To drop to 9.0: 7,440 ÷ (800 + m) = 9.0 → m ≈ 27 new 0/10s.
- To drop to 8.8: 7,440 ÷ (800 + m) = 8.8 → m ≈ 46 new 0/10s.
- Add 200 moderate 7/10s instead: (7,440 + 1,400) ÷ 1,000 = 8.84.
Translation: a small wave of detractors—or a broader wave of normal players—will drag the average out of “GOAT” territory fast. This is classic small‑sample volatility.
A 2×2 for reading Metacritic User Scores
- High volume (≥10,000 ratings) + Low variance: Broad acclaim (durable signals; hard to nudge).
- High volume (≥10,000) + High variance: Polarized blockbusters (culture‑war magnets).
- Low volume (≤1,500) + Low variance: Niche darlings (stable but limited reach).
- Low volume (≤1,500) + High variance: Meme spikes/mobilized fandoms (volatile; Raiders today).
Splatoon Raiders lives in the last quadrant right now: hundreds of 10s, some 0s, and under 1,000 ratings—exactly the profile that produces eye‑catching ranks that rarely last. [1][4]
Historical analogue: July 2020’s review‑bomb saga prompted Metacritic’s 36‑hour hold. It reduced instant negativity but didn’t address brigading in either direction. Raiders’ Top‑10 moment mirrors The Last of Us Part II’s early pile‑on in reverse: a flood of early sentiment swinging a headline metric before the broader audience shows up. Expect a reversion as late buyers and renters arrive through August 2026. [7]
What others are missing
Coverage fixates on the 9.3 and the “7th of all time” headline, but the real story is incentive design. Metacritic’s all‑time user list lacks a prominently displayed minimum‑votes threshold and lumps expansions with full releases, so it rewards mobilized communities at launch; that’s how a Switch 2‑exclusive spin‑off can sit a few rungs from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time while a TV tie‑in like Cory in the House rides irony into the top tier. Systems shape outcomes; here, the system rewards speed of turnout over depth of consensus. [1][2][6]
What to watch next
- By August 31, 2026, Splatoon Raiders’ Metacritic User Score falls below 9.0 as the review base broadens beyond early adopters. [2][4]
- By October 31, 2026, Splatoon Raiders drops out of Metacritic’s all‑time Top‑10 user‑rated list as additional reviews accumulate. [2]
- By September 30, 2026, Nintendo ships at least one patch (v1.x) that names matchmaking stability or mission repetition in its notes, addressing pain points raised in critic write‑ups. [5]
My take
I’m glad Splatoon finally has a single‑player‑forward spin‑off that lands for fans, but a launch‑week 9.3 user score is a vibes check, not a verdict. The critic spread at 81 and The Guardian’s cool response tell a different story: good game, not canonizing masterpiece. As a marketing asset for Switch 2, this is gold; as a measure of “all‑time greatness,” it’s fool’s gold. Watch the number melt as the broader audience—not just the superfans—shows up through Q3 2026. [1][2][5]
Sources
[1] Splatoon Raiders is currently the 7th greatest game of all time on Metacritic, according to User Score — VGC (https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/splatoon-raiders-is-currently-the-7th-greatest-game-of-all-time-on-metacritic-according-to-user-score/) — News peg and key figures (9.3 user score, 81 Metascore), plus context on meme‑driven anomalies.
[2] Best Games by User Score (All‑Time) — Metacritic (https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/all/all/all-time/userscore/?sort=%2F) — Confirms Splatoon Raiders’ presence and rank on the all‑time list.
[3] Splatoon Raiders — Nintendo Official Store (https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/splatoon-raiders-switch-2/) — Confirms platform (Switch 2) and release date (July 23, 2026).
[4] ‘Splatoon Raiders’ is now the best user‑reviewed Nintendo game ever — NME (https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/splatoon-raiders-best-player-reviewed-nintendo-game-of-all-time-3959406) — Notes 9.3 based on ~800 user reviews and frames relative standing among Nintendo titles.
[5] Splatoon Raiders review — The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/jul/21/splatoon-raiders-review-nintendo-switch-2) — Provides a more critical assessment to contrast user enthusiasm.
[6] Cory in the House — Know Your Meme (https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/cory-in-the-house) — Documents the long‑running meta‑joke and its impact on Metacritic user scores.
[7] Metacritic Will Delay User Reviews For Games — GameSpot (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/metacritic-will-delay-user-reviews-for-games/1100-6479886/) — Confirms the 36‑hour waiting period policy and its 2020 context.