Mark your calendars. Nintendo has announced that Splatoon 3’s Grand Festival will hit on Septe??mber 13th. It promises to be the biggest Splatfest in the series�hi?story. The debate will be fought over Past, Present, and Future.

What makes this the biggest Splatfest? I’m not entirely clear on that, but the band line-up looks to be the central focus. Not only will it include Splatoon 3’s local band, whose name I can’t remember right now, it will also bring back the Squid Sisters and Off the Hook. Or, I guess just Off the Hook, since you can see the Squid Si??sters perform during Splatfest if you have th?e expansion.

It also seems to involve a ??new venue out in the desert, which seems?? like a really bad place to gather a bunch of squids and octopi.

The outfits the bands are wearing are evocative of the bleached look in Splatoon 3’s expansion, Side Order. I’m not sure if that ties in.

I’m not really sure of anything, especially not if there’s going to be anything functionally different. It should be cool, though. It’s the second anniversary of Splatoon 3, which really snuck up on me. As much as I love Splatoon, I haven’t been able to dedicate much time to this one, and it?’s not for lack of wanting. I just seem to get distracted every time I try to devote any consistent playtime to it. Being an adult sucks.

Speaking of which, I’ll probably be voting Present in this debate. My therapist says I should be more f??ocused that.

Splatoon 3’s Grand Festival runs from September 13 (5pm PT?) to Septembe?r 15 (5pm PT).

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It has been nearly a year since Splatoon 3 la?unched to much applause and fanfare. To celebrate, Nintendo is preparing to launch a truly contentious Splatfest �who among the members of Deep Cut would be the best leader? 

Starting at 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST on September 8 and extending through 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST on September 10, players must decide who would be the best leader: Sh??iver, Frye, ?or Big Man? It would seem as if the sides are evenly matched, at least based on the Twitter replies. “Who else is joining Team Big Man?�asked YouTuber Zack Scott, who received nearly 40 responses?? at the time of writing, all of which appealed for a different member of Deep Cut to take home the win. 

But, it would appear some folks fear the possibility of the majority ignoring the prompt in favor of making this Splatfest mor??e of a popularity contest. “Remember guys, the question isn't about who your favorite Deep Cut member is, it's about who would make for a better leader out of them,�said one user on Twitter. They go on to admit their preference for Big Man, while also admitting their opinion that none ??of them would make good leaders. And then you’ve got the ??users who make it no secret that they’re not a fan of any available option. “Worst possible theme they could've done,�said one user. 

In any case, who are you roo??ting for in this anniversary ?Splatfest? Don’t forget to vote in-game at the Pledge Box!

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Tutti Fruity, what a cutie

During this morning's Nintendo Direct presentation, the studio revealed the details of the next Splatoon 3 splatfe??st, ??which will be taking place in the popular and super messy team shooter in mid-July.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=98TZHMaP6yA

The new splatfest, which is perfect for the summer season, focuses on delicious ice cream, and asks players which is their favorite flavor chosen from the trinity of Vanilla, Strawberry, and Mint Cho??c Chip. T?here's no sign of Neopolitan, so you can't cheat, and Rum 'n' Raisin isn't on deck, so I guess I'm out. In this case, I'll go with MCC, but that will also side me with Big Man, and that dude bothers me.

Anyway, the ice-cream splatfest will take place on the weekend of July 14, so be sure to jump into t??he arena and win the side for your favorite ice-cold treat... Well, at least from these three particular choices.

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But lordy I miss P&M so much... Mainly P

One of the best elements of every new Splatoon splatfest competition is the fun splash art that is daubed to announce the occasion, usually featuring the game's hosts dallying about with the subject matter of the splatfest itself. And if you, like me, are a fan of said art, then you'll be stoked to hear that Nintendo has gathered together each and every piece, newly curated in an online gallery.

The gallery features the artwork for almost every splatfest to date, from the original Splatoon al??l the way t??hrough to Splatoon 3, funkily daubed by the series' long-term art director Seita Inoue.

From Splatoon's Squid Sisters, Callie and Marie, through Splatoon 2 rap-rock group Off the Hook �better known as Pearl and Marina �to Splatoon 3's trinity of Shiver, Frye, and Big Man, each and every contest is accounted for. Ketchup vs. May?o, Action vs. Comedy, Chicken vs. Egg, Movies vs. Books, and even the bizarre "Pocky Sticks with More Chocolate vs. Pocky Sticks with Less Chocolate.

At first glance, there seems to be a lot of artwork missing but be sure to click on the links on each piece to switch out for alternates, that way you can also see some of the licensed splatfests �special events that featured collaborations with brands such as Pokemon, TMNT, and Hello Kitty. It's definitely lovely to see all of this fun 'n' funny?? artwork once again, even though I can't help but feel a pang of wistful nostalgia for my gurls P&M. I'm glad that so?me of the old hosts make a cameo from time to time.

You can visit the Splatoon splatfest art gallery right here.

Splatoon 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch. Be sure to check out the most recent splatfest results.

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Who needs Wisdom when you got POWAH?

The ink is dry on the latest splatfest, which was held this weekend on Nintendo's messy arena shooter, Splatoon 3 �In keeping with this week's festivities, Squid Kids and Octolings battled it out over 48 hours of gooey 'n' grueling mayhem to ascertain which glorious segment of The Legend of Zelda's iconic Triforce was the community's favorite.

And, in a hard-fought and quite narrow victory, it seems that the Splatoon community craves Power over all, as Shiver's Team Power segment bagged a clear victory over Frye's Tea??m Wisdom, (there's an oxymoron), and Big Man's Team Courage. Power took the points in each and every category �including Sneak Peek, Public Vote, Open Play, Pro Play, and Tricolor �though it should?? be noted that Wisdom and Courage both held their own in each category. It was a close call, despite Power's clean sweep.

//twitter.com/SplatoonNA/status/1655??396316925644801?s=2??0

This splatfest was, of course, held in order to promote the release of Nintendo's biggest game of 2023, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which launches later this week exclusively on Nintendo Switch. Splatoon has been used by Nintendo in the past to smartly cross-promote its other releases, such as Pokemon and Super Mario, and has, from time to time, teamed with other brands for special sponsored splatfests.

This latest victory continues to push Splatoon 3 host Shiver's lead, as she claims her fourth victory of?? seven total splatfests to date.

Splatoon 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches May 12 on Nintendo Switch.

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#TeamPower

We're roughly one month out from the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and another Nintendo property is joining the festivities. Splatoon 3 will host a Zelda-themed Splatfest on the weekend before Tears of the Kingdom's launch.

Running from May 5 to May 7, this special Splatfest will split players up amongst the three sections of the Triforce: Wisdom, Power, and Courage. Pick your favorite aspect of the Triforce, or maybe just your favorite holder to back, and join in the inky battles.

The Splatfest will al??so host fights on a special version of Scorch ??Gorge, with a Triforce-style layout. This map seems pretty well-suited to Tricolor Turf Wars in particular, which seems like it could make that mode fairly appealing for the weekend.

//twitter.com/NintendoAmeri?ca/status/1646876839527485440

Get your Splatoon x Zelda virtual look too

It's not just about the battles, though. As any Splatoon player will tell you, it's as much about the fashion. And this special three-way Splatfest will also have residents of the Splatlands dressing up in themed shirts for the showdown, too.

Themed shirts are also hitting the Nintendo store, for real-life wear. So if you're a fan of both Splatoon and Zelda, and wanted to express that in everyday life, you've got an easy medium for it now. There's also a sale available for a bundle with Splatoon 3 and ??a three-month Nintendo Switch membership, running from April 17 through May 7.

Nintendo hosted a launch-window Splatfest for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet as well, and it's nice to see them keeping the trend up. It's a fun way to celebrate a new game launch, and all the added theming and cosmetics are a neat touch. So yes, I think I'll be booting Splatoon back up for a few mat??ches, just to lo??ck in my Power vote and shirt.

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UFO of the River Noch*

Nintendo has announced the topic of debate that will be leading Octolings and Squid Kids into the March 2023 splatfest �??And this time around it's a question of myths and legends, as hosts Shiver, Frye, and Big Man want to know whether you believe in Nessie, Aliens, or Bigfoot.

Believi??ng in more than one is, apparently, not an option. So get off t??he fence and commit.

//twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/s?tatus/1636351619188023299?s=20

On the weekend of March 31, players will be tasked with picking their monster of choice,?? before rallying forth into battle against their fellow Splatoon fans. For the purposes of this particular tourney, Shiver will be repping Nessie, Frye will be Team Aliens, while Big Man, as his name would denote, is all about Bigfoot. As per usual, a public vote will be held in Inkopolis, while match points will be tallied from Pro, Open, Tricolor, and Sneak Peek, with the ultimate winner revealed on Sunday, April 2.

So, who have you got? I know aliens exist because I've seen Marvin the Martian, and I know Bigfoot exists because he lived with The Hendersons. Additionally, I know that not just one Nessie, but an entire family of Nessies exist. I'm not sure who to roll with, so I guess I'll stick with my main girl F??rye, and thus I'm fighting for the Xenomorphs, for E.T. for Xtro, and for the Killer Klowns?? from Outer Space.

The March 2023 Splatoon 3 splatfest kicks off on Friday, March 31 and will run u??ntil Sunday, April 2.

_{*This is a reference for me and me alone, don't sweat it.}

Related: How to Transfer You??r Sp??latoon 2 Save File to Splatoon 3 on PrimaGames

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No accounting for taste... literally.

Well, when you're right 52% of the time, you're wrong 48% of the time, and yer pal Moyse has certainly been left with Milkybar on their face. The curtain has fallen on the latest Splatoon 3 splatfest and, in the battle of "Best Chocolate", Team White has... somehow... beaten both Milk and Dark to claim victory.

In what has to be the most "I demand a recount" splatfest in the history of Nintendo's arena-shooter franchise, White Chocolate beat out Best Choice Dark, and the acceptable runner-up, Milk. Worse still, the victory was a CLEAN SWEEP, with Team White taking the public vote and every last one of the points �Pro, Open, T??ricolor, Sneak Peek �f??or a staggering score of 57p.

Somebody's playing a prank on me. This just has to be a joke. Look at Frye, that's literally me writing this.

//twitter.com/OatmealDome/status/162?4952650721640450?s=20&t=mWei1qlgGFdw5WRYfn_Hkg

And with this highly dubious victory, it's another notch in the belt of Big Man, who is now tied with Shiver for splatfest victories, two to two. Don't count out my girl Frye, though. The adorable lil' gremlin bagged her first victory during the Sweet vs. Sour vs. Spicy splatfest, a?nd I expect her ?to rack up more wins as 2023 rolls out. Right now, I'm off to buy a family size bar of Bournville and sulk my troubles away.

Splatoon 3 is available now exclusi?vely on Nintendo Switch.

Related: How to Earn Clout in Splatoon 3 on Prima Games

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And all because the lady loves...

Nintendo has announced the next topic of discussion set to cause a helluva lot of mess in colorful arena shooter Splatoon 3 �Se??t to kick off on the weekend of February 11, the next Splatfest will ask squid kids and octolings everywhere to pick their favorite form of chocolate: Dark, Milk, or White.

As always each choice will be captained by one of our three lovable splatfest hosts, with Shiver representing Team Dark, ?Frye representing Team Milk, and Big Guy lumbered with absolutely-not-going-to-win Team White. Players can participate in a public vote for their team of choice before fighting it out for Clout Points in a weekend of super-sticky mayhem. Our hosts will then reveal the grand winner when the curtain falls on February 13. Who you got??? Don't bet on white. It's not going to win.

//twitter.com/NintendoEurope/status/16185396555??86095106?s=20&t=8Wdawb8Bia4Zx4QWq2FNmw

I'm a Dark chocolate fan, myself, thoug?h that's more of a medicinal thing �my stomach hates milk, y'see �but I can imagine this particularly sweet battle could be fairly heated. And it will also be interesting to see how global tastes differ from each other. To celebrate the announcement of this new splatfest, I'm probably going to eat some chocolate every day in the lead up to the event, and during, and then after.

We'll be sure to give you a reminder when the big weekend approaches. Until then, take a look at the results for the last splatfest, which saw Frye bag her first-ever victory, after campaigning for Team Sweet.

Splatoon 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch.

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Sweet... sweeeet... sweet victory...

The final whistle has blown on this weekend's Splatoon 3 splatfest, and, as a posse of tired and sticky squid kids and octolings return to the locker room, the points have been tallied up and now have an official winner in the battle of Spicy vs. Sweet vs. Sour: Scoop yerself a victory ice-cream Team Sweet!

Yes, it appears that fans of the swee??test of treats took home the gong this weekend, walking away with a massive 30 points in total, double that of its closest competitors, Team Spicy (15 points), and way ahead of third-place winner Team Sour (12 points).

Perhaps most importantly of all, this latest result has given Splatoon 3 host Frye her first splatfest win ever! The fans had been starting to feel a little sorry for her in recent weeks, as she had been yet to rack up a splatfest victory when compared to her colorful co-hosts, so it's nice to see this particular Deep Cut band member finally have their moment of glory.

Congratulations to the ha??rd-paintin' players of Team Sweet. Make sure that you remember to go and pick up your rewards from the town square, oh, and make sure that you remember to brush your teeth ??three times a day. All of the sugar comes with one helluva price.

Splatoon 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch.

//twitter.com/SplatoonJP/st??atus/1612270617428123648?s=20&t=58ojjrwyAJ7Lg0L0va5-6Q

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Do you eat whole lemons or pure salt?

Nintendo has dropped the details for the first Splatoon 3 splatfest of 2023! The next battle of squid kids and octolings will kick off in the first weekend of January, and will ?see players fight it out in another weekend of colorful chaos �hoping to bring home the gong for their team and bag themselves some exclusive rewards.

This time around, the topic is �quite literally �a matter of taste, as players will have to choose which ?is their favorite food flavoring. The options on the dinner table are Spicy, Sweet, and Sour, (a topic that sound suspiciously familiar, and I'??m pretty sure that they've re-run the fun for this particular splatfest). It's also worth noting that spicy is a sensation and not a taste ACKSHUALLY. I feel sorry for anybody not on Team Sweet, as I have a feeling the public vote is gonna be running away with this one.

So far, Splatoon 3 hosts Big Man and Shiver have both secured Splatfest wins, but poor old Frye is yet to capture glory. Maybe January's event will see her finally crack that losing streak (watch her get Team Sour). The Taste Bud Turf War will commence worldwide on Friday January 6 (North America) and Saturday January 7 (E?urope) and will conclude 48 hours later. We'll be sure to give y'all a reminder!

Splatoon 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch.

//twitt??er.co?m/NintendoEurope/status/1603676732036468736?s=20&t=sZ4kDT5zLu2CJr1c6RZvvQ

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H2Whoaaaaa!

Ring the bell, sound the horns: the curtain has fallen on the Pokemon x Splatoon 3 splatfest �And now that the ink has finally dried and the result is in, we can see that Team Water has taken victory in the age-old battle of the Pokemon starter elements.

Over the past weekend, squid kids and octolings took to the messy battlefields of Splatoon 3 in order to stand up for their favorite starting Pokemon types �with playing taking up arms for Grass, Fire, and Water. Incredibly, Team Water came away with a perfect 45p score, meaning that the H2O lovin' squaddies ultimately won out in both Open and Pro battles, as well as win??ning the public vote.

This is one of the cleanest (no pun intended) sweeps in recent Splatoon history, and suggests that the Pokemon x Splatoon crossover community either really, really likes Water-type Pokemon, or?? that they simply converted their love of t??he wet stuff to fantastic in-game plays.

You can check out the full results below.

Public Vote

• Team Grass: 25.80%
• Team Fire: 33.60%
• Team Water: 40.60%

Clout (Open)

• Team Grass: 33.41%
• Team Fire: 32.75%
• Team Water: 33.84%

Clout (Pro)

• Team Grass: 33.59%
• Team Fire: 30.55%
• Team Water: 35.86%

This special splatfest was, of course, held to help promote the release of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, both of which launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch on November 18. This event als?o represented the second splatfest result of the multiplayer shooter's new era. So, if your team took a drubbing this time around, it won't be too long before you can lock 'n' load for another weekend of gooey competition.

Splatoon 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch.

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Grass, Fire, or Water?

It's great to be back in the wild and messy world of Splatoon �and the residents of Inkopolis are especially excited this weekend, with the coming of a very special splatfest that sees the colorful shooter series crossover with the iconic Pokemon franchise, ahead of the launch of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

Kicking off later today, the newest battle royale will charge players with selecting their favorite stater Pokemon �choosing from the holy trinity o??f Grass, Fire, and Water. Once the player has selected their team of choice, they will engage in a weekend of incredibly sticky online competition �bagging points for their chosen team in a bid to prove which of these is the best Pokemon element of them all...

...That's best starter Pokemon element. We all know that Ghost is the actual best element.

//twitt??er.com/NintendoUK/status/1589648876046270469?s=20&t=ZNfQlH??BDFuJxpdAkcH73EA

Once the ink dries on Sunday, t??he global scores will be trotted up and the winner announced. All participants will receive fun, in-game items, with bonus goodies going to players on the winning side. The action kicks off today, November 11 at 16:00 PT / 19:00 ET / 00:00 BST with the final whistle being blown at the same times on Sunday, November 13. You can pledge for your ?team in Inkopolis Square.

As y'all know, I covered pretty much every single splatfest �its topics, commentary, winners, and running score �over the course of Splatoon 2's long lifespan. And, I have to admit, it's just not the same with my girls Pearl & Marina. Still, there is plenty of fun to be had for Squid Kids and Octoli??ngs, so get out there and m??ake your mark. Quite literally.

Splatoon 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch. Pokemon Scarlet & Violent launches November 18.

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Get that ink locked and loaded

Pre-load for the Splatoon 3 Splatfest World Premiere demo are now live. Those who want to dive in and ink some t??urf next weekend are able to get their app l??oaded up now.

Though this lets you pre-load the game, the Splatfest demo for Splatoon 3 will not be open until the specified window. So ??if you're hoping to get in a week early, you're out of luck.

The Splatfest World Premiere runs from 9 a.m. PT to 9 p.m. PT on Saturday, August 27. The one-day event will see Inklings and Octolings pick side??s in a three-way turf war, hosted by the idols of Deep Cut.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiuIZN0KDFQ

The three teams are Rock, Paper, and Scissors. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT, the action will carry on as usual; teams will fight each other in the usu??al Splatfest turf bouts.

Then, halfway through the day, it all shifts around. The game mode swaps to the Tricolor Turf War, with three teams fighting at the same time. The leading team will try to defend its turf and hold control of the Ultra Signal, while t??he other two trailing teams storm in to try and throw the leader off.

A three-way turf war

Aside from settling the great debate of Rock, Paper, Scissors, this will also be a chance for players to get some hands-on time with Splatoon 3.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtMOAvOWTvY

Last week, we got a full Direct on Splatoon 3, showcasing all the features and updates coming to the third iteration of this squid-based shooter. From big additions like an entire new tabletop card game to small ones like an always-open Salmon Run, seems like a lot's on the way for Splatoon. T??his Splatfest demo will be the opportunity to try out n??ew weapons, new moves, and get a feel for how the turf bouts will go down ahead of launch.

Splatoon 3 goes live for Nintendo Switch on September 9, 2022. Grab the Splatfest demo on the eShop here.

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