Now that it has been a few weeks since the launch of Splatoon 3, players have likely already learned its ins and outs. There are several engaging game modes in Splatoon 3 that players can indulge in, between regular Turf Wars, ranked Anarchy battles, PvE Salmon Run gigs, and Tableturf Battle. Engaging customization systems include passive ability slots for headwear, tops, and footwear, and players can even fully design and decorate their own lockers in Splatoon 3 that others can peruse. Moreover, Splatoon 3 also airs festive Splatfest events for player engagement.
Splatfests are weekend-long celebrations for returning players amidst ordinary day-to-day progression in Splatoon 3. The entire hub world of Splatsville is redecorated during the event, and players select one of three teams to join. Having selected a team, players receive a t-shirt to commemorate their choice. Unfortunately, while these t-shirts are a fun attempt at team-building and team association in a cosmetic, there is one obvious disappointment in their implementation: they are then taken back from the player once the event ends.
Splatoon’s Splatfests Awkwardly Leave No Trace Once Concluded
To be fair, Splatoon 3 does reward players with Festive Shells, Sea Snails, and Conch Shells during Splatfests. Likewise, Deep Cut’s Anarchy Splatcast is a great way to stay informed about what maps and game modes are in rotation during the event, and the three-day-long celebration is engaging if not regrettably short-lived. But once the Splatfest ends, Splatsville returns to its original time of day without any festive decorations, and shirts are inexplicably removed from players’ inventories. Not only does this mean that players cannot wear them anymore, but they are completely removed from the game altogether, as if there was no event that players contributed in at all.
Of course, there are likely some players who are indifferent about whether these t-shirts are removed or not, but it is arguably a nonsensical omission for Splatoon 3 to make, especially if it wants its Splatfests to be memorable. The argument may be made that if players want to fully engage with Splatfests they should enjoy their festivities while they last, but to have a simple cosmetic carry over after the event ends for players to remember it seems like a small request that could bring a lot of joy and nostalgia to the game instead.
Splatfest Shirts Could Be a Great Souvenir in Splatoon 3
It simply makes no sense that Splatoon 3 does not let players keep their Splatfest t-shirts once the event ends. Being able to hang onto a catalog of Splatfest t-shirts would be incredibly nostalgic in Splatoon 3’s post-launch future, where players could take a look back at their event-related t-shirts and reminisce about the different teams they had chosen in the past.
Even if Splatfest t-shirts were not available in the player’s gear inventory anymore, it would still be fantastic seeing them available as a decorative item to line one’s locker with. This could at least be implemented as team-themed stickers, but having a special event cosmetic and then whisking it away from the player is disappointing.
If the concern is that players might wear a previous Splatfest’s t-shirt during an unrelated Splatfest, players are unable to change their t-shirt anyway during the Splatfest and thus that could not be mistaken. Keeping these t-shirts would have little-to-no effect on actual gameplay, especially if their passive ability slots were rerolled. It is unlikely that such a change could be implemented in the future, but it would be a great way to extend customization and nostalgia into Splatoon 3’s future Splatfests.
Splatoon 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch.