With the launch of Splatoon 3's Chill Season comes a load of new content including maps, weapons, and gear. One change this updates brings that many players may have missed is a balance to how future Splatfests will work. Tricolor Turf War battles will now provide all players the chance to be attackers or defenders regardless of where their team stands at halftime. Many players have lamented the unfair advantage that attacking teams have, so this change shows Nintendo is willing to take fan feedback into consideration when balancing to make Splatoon 3 a better experience for all.
Along with the change to player roles in Tricolor Battles, Clout earned from these matches has also been adjusted to more fairly represent the accomplishment of defending players versus attacking. Taking steps to make Splatfests more fair is good sign of things to come for Splatoon 3, and although there hasn't been any announcement regarding dates for the next Splatfest, it's good to know the next one will more accurately represent the efforts of all teams involved.
How Tricolor Battles Will Work Going Forward
Previously, the team in first place at halftime would act as the defender in Tricolor Battles, which starts them in the center of the map surrounded by two players from each opposing team. The defending team would attempt to control the map with their ink coverage while simultaneously stopping the attacking teams from claiming two Ultra Signals at the center of the map. What defending teams needed to win was far greater compared to the attackers. Spreading defenses too thin meant the attackers could grab the Ultra Signals and trigger a Sprinkler of Doom, which would automatically cover a portion the map in that team's ink.
Defenders were at such a disadvantage that it would be incredibly difficult for the team to recover in overall Splatfest standings. The new update gives all players a 50-50 chance of being on the attacking or defending team regardless of standing, and players will not know which role they'll get in each matchmaking session. Clout will be multiplied 1.5 times when the defending team is in first place.
Another unrelated yet fun addition to Splatfests is that winners of a 10x, 100x, or 333x Battle will be shown at the pledge box in Splatsville for all players to view. Players will also be able to board their team's float to take commemorative pictures with their representative from Deep Cut after winning a 100x or 333x Battle.
Nintendo's Consideration of Fan Feedback is a Good Sign for Splatoon 3
As Nintendo is notoriously resistant to feedback from fans, it's great to see it work hard to rectify unbalanced gameplay elements. Other minor changes were made to weapons and Salmon Run enemies to help balance different game modes in Chill Season as well. The source of many players' complaints was the frequency with which the Tenta Missiles Special Weapon could be used in PvP matches. The latest update adds a cooldown timer on the Special Gauge before it can begin charging again. The Big Shot boss in Salmon Run was also balanced so that it fires shots less frequently, granting players a longer window for defeating it.
It's clear Nintendo is committed to making Splatoon 3 the most player-friendly experience it can be. Even small changes to weapon balance can make a huge different in a player's enjoyment of the game. With Splatoon 3 likely to receive more content over the coming months, it's very possible Nintendo will continue to tweak gameplay elements in order to optimize fun and satisfaction.
Splatoon 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch.