Splatoon 3 is one of Nintendo's biggest exclusives filling out the rest of the Switch's release schedule in 2022. The third-person shooter will be arriving on September 9, just a month from now, and Nintendo is ready to start sharing more specific details about the game. The latest Nintendo Direct presentation focused entirely on Splatoon 3, offering up 30 minutes of exciting gameplay details. Perhaps the most exciting revelation was the introduction of Splatoon 3's Tricolor Turf War, which fans may get to try sooner than expected.
Turf Wars in the Splatoon franchise have always been a core component of the shooter's Splatfest experience. Players battle online, inking the most turf, in 4v4 battles with the winning team contributing to their chosen Splatfest team's overall score. The Tricolor Turf War is no different, but as the name implies instead of two teams it will feature three. This isn't a 3-way battle in the traditional sense, however, but more to do with how Splatfests work in Splatoon 3.
In Splatoon 3, Splatfests can feature three different options instead of two. For the first half of each Splatfest, players will battle like past Splatoon games in 4v4 Turf War battles. In the second half of the Splatfest, players will also face off in Tricolor Turf War battles. These involve four players from the #1 Splatfest team and two players from both the #2 and #3 teams, who join forces to face the #1 team.
With the concept of Splatoon 3's 3-way Splatfests and the Tricolor Turf War game modes now established, Nintendo took the opportunity to make an announcement. Starting August 27, running for just 12 hours, Splatoon 3 will hold its first Splatfest. The Splatfest World Premiere will let players choose from three options: Rock, Paper, or Scissors.
Obviously, the Splatfest World Premiere will be arriving before Splatoon 3 will be available. It won't require a pre-order or anything of the sort, luckily. Nintendo will be releasing a demo for the Splatfest that Switch owners will be able to download for free. The demo can also be "pre-ordered" starting now, which lets Switch owners pre-load the demo ahead of its start.
The Splatoon 3 Nintendo Direct was packed with plenty more information regarding the upcoming shooter in addition to its inaugural Splatfest. Details about Salmon Run in Splatoon 3, gear and customization, and much more. Expect more Splatoon 3 information to be shared in the month ahead.
Splatoon 3 releases on September 9 for the Nintendo Switch.