Splatoon 3 is planning a Pokemon tie-in for its next Splatfest. Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are planned for release on November 18 and are all but certain to be the biggest game releases for the Nintendo Switch in 2022. Splatoon 3 doing a crossover event with Pokemon not only builds up awareness and excitement for the new games, but also brings more attention to the shooter. For Splatoon 3 players, it's just going to be a fun opportunity to celebrate another Nintendo game.
The most heated discussion surrounding the upcoming release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is, like with every Pokemon game, the decision of what starter Pokemon to choose. Players will get the choice of Sprigatito, a Grass-type kitty Pokemon, Fuecoco, a Fire-type crocodile Pokemon, and Quaxly, a Water-type duck Pokemon. While Nintendo and Game Freak have yet to reveal the evolutions for Scarlet and Violet's starters, many Pokemon fans have already made their choice.
Now Splatoon 3 players will have to make their choice, too. The next Splatfest will offer up three options to players. They can choose team Grass-type, team Fire-type, or team Water-type. There's no specific association with Sprigatito, Fuecoco, or Quaxly, but the implication is clear. Splatoon 3 players can pick their favorite Pokemon Scarlet or Violet starter, or they can side with the typing that they have preferred across the whole of the Pokemon franchise.
The Pokemon Splatfest in Splatoon 3 is currently planned to begin on Friday, November 11, at 4:00 PM PT. It will end at 4:00 PM PT on Sunday, November 13. That aligns it perfectly to precede the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, which is obviously why Nintendo chose this theme for Splatoon 3's next Splatfest in the first place.
This isn't the first time that the Splatoon series has done a tie-in like this. It's not even the first Pokemon tie-in Splatfest. The original Splatoon had a Splatfest in February 2016 where players had to choose between Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue. Pokemon Red ended up winning with a score of 399 to 301.
While it's very fun to have a Pokemon tie-in with Splatoon 3, especially with the game's 3-way Splatfests, this theme may end up being heavily one-sided. Fire-type Pokemon starters are always extremely popular compared to their Water-type and Grass-type counterparts. If Rock won the Rock-Scissors-Paper Splatfest, Fire's chances are probably pretty good looking toward November. Maybe fans of Sprigatito and Quaxly can drive an upset.
Splatoon 3 is available now on Switch. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18 on Switch.