Splatoon 2 is a multiplayer focused third person shooter that tasks players with trying to complete various objectives like capturing control points, covering territory in ink, or stopping a horde of angry fish monsters. While most of the game’s modes can be enjoyed online, Splatoon 2 does have a local multiplayer for those wanting to play with friends. However, the one catch is you cannot take your friends with you locally online.
To start a local multiplayer session load up in the city square and head to your right towards the large arcade. This will act as your main hub for all things local, so go through the doors by the Inkling on the dance machine. Once inside you will be prompted to either search for a room, start up a private match, or host a Salmon Run game. If you are joining a game simply click find a room and wait for it to connect to the other Switch users. There is no split screen available in Splatoon 2, so you can only game with other people if they own a Switch and a copy of the game.
If you are hosting a match select which game mode you want to use and then either set a password or leave it open for anyone to join. While playing modes like Turf War can be fun, it’s going to be rare that you find 8 Switch owners to play this mode locally. The best and most practical option is Salmon Run, which is Splatoon 2’s version of a horde mode. Since it’s a max of four players, the lack of having a full team is not nearly as frustrating or boring.
Sadly it appears that there are no plans to introduce split screen into this game, so if you really want to play with others your best option might be to just pass the controller around during online matches. At least you don’t have to deal with the needlessly complex voice chat, right?