The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's gameplay showcase with series producer Eiji Aonuma on March 28, followed by its final pre-launch trailer on April 13, has many fans excited about the anticipated sequel. It will undoubtedly be one of 2023's biggest tentpole releases, and Nintendo is looking to capitalize on that with advertising across the board. For example, on Friday Splatoon 3 confirmed that the May 2023 Splatfest will be Legend of Zelda-themed, offering fans the choice between Shiver's Team Power, Frye's Team Wisdom, and Big Man's Team Courage.
Splatoon has hosted both Nintendo-themed and wider crossover Splatfests since the original Wii U title, with one of Splatoon 3's first events celebrating Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. However, this Tears of the Kingdom tie-in stands out for the way its content appears to be fixing an issue fans have voiced with recent Splatfests. Splatoon 3 differentiates itself from prior entries using Tricolor Turf War matches, which pit the event's winning team at halftime against both opposing sides on asymmetrical maps. Much ink has been spilled about the imbalanced nature of Tricolor Turf War, but the upcoming Triforce map could be a first step toward putting these concerns to rest.
How Splatoon 3's Triforce Splatfest Map May be a Sign of Things to Come
On paper, Tricolor Turf Wars are a clever way to advance the Splatfest formula in light of Splatoon 3 featuring a trio of idols. Typical Splatfest matches pit two teams of four against one another, randomly selecting which teams will be in conflict (or pitting one team against itself if there aren't enough players to fill a slot). They play out like regular Turf War matches, asking competitors to cover the most ground with ink rather than getting the highest kill-death ratio.
Tricolor Turf War matches instead pit one team of four against two teams of two "attackers." The attackers' goal is to activate Ultra Signals that drop extra ink onto the map, and both teams would be considered victorious if the "defenders" lose. Despite being interesting in theory, defenders have long been considered at a disadvantage that sucks away the joy of winning at halftime. Nintendo recognizes this too, as Tricolor Turf War matches have seen a number of changes across Splatoon 3's life.
One of the biggest criticisms of the mode has been its map selection. Every Tricolor match is set in a unique variant of a typical Splatoon 3 map, for example the Gear/Grub/Fun Splatfest featuring a new take on Hammerhead Bridge. More often than not these custom maps drop the defending team dead-center, asking players to split their attention on a battle with two fronts that makes it easier for attackers to reach the Ultra Signal. Once a signal is utilized, it becomes even harder for defenders to gain the turf they need to overcome two squads. The upcoming Tears of the Kingdom event might fix this problem by evening its playing field.
Set in a Triforce variant of Scorch Gorge, the next Splatfest offers its teams completely balanced amounts of land to cover starting from the tips of each triangle. At first, it may appear more imbalanced to set a team of four against two teams of two without an asymmetrical design, but given how quickly Ultra Signals can turn the tide of battle it's likely to sort itself out. Nintendo has yet to announced details about the upcoming Tricolor rules, so perhaps players will also see a shift to three teams of two for this arrangement.
Fans will have to wait until the Zelda-themed Splatfest begins on May 5, 2023, to know for sure, but in concept this Triforce stage may finally fix the Tricolor Turf War pattern that has left many feeling burned on the game mode. Even if it doesn't, merchandise like shirts and keychains crossing over elements of Zelda and Splatoon are sure to be a hit with fans, and there are other events like Salmon Run's Eggstra Work to check out.
Splatoon 3 is available now for Nintendo Switch.