Nintendo just put out official art for the first post-launch Splatoon 3 Splatfest

Gear, Grub, or Fun

Over on the game’s Japanese Twitter account, Nintendo has provided official art commemorating the first post-launch Splatoon 3 Splatfest. While rock/paper/scissors was technically the first pre-launch Splatfest, the upcoming event this weekend will serve as the first major event for the game, coinciding with the recent patch that addresses some pre-launch concerns.

As you can see in the art, Shiver has definitely landed on team gear, posing with the shovel and the lantern in the marquee image for the Splatfest. Frye is on team grub, with a host of sweets and a piece of pizza on hand. Big Man is rocking the Nintendo Switch, clearly signifying fun in a clever synergistic marketing kind of way.

When does the gear, grub, and fun Splatoon 3 Splatfest start?

So the exact start time for the upcoming Splatfest is September 23 at 8PM eastern. It’ll run through September 25, ending at 8PM ET.

As a reminder, you’ll get a chance to pick between the three factions, and you’ll play Turf War battles in an attempt to represent said faction with an overarching point system. Halfway through the event a “leader” will be highlighted, who has to defend their title in periodic 4v2v2 Tricolor battles. That defense, mind, will have the most recent mechanical changes in play: “The rate of Tricolor Battle occurrence has been adjusted. From the defending team’s perspective, they will trigger somewhat less frequently than before.”

However, this is not going to be the final word on Splatfests, as Nintendo is going to be making more significant adjustments at a later date: “Please note that the changes to Tricolor Battle frequency should be considered temporary. For now, there will be somewhat more instances of players selecting Tricolor Battle but being placed in a Turf War battle instead. Going forward, Splatfest-matchmaking specifications will continue to be adjusted, and this issue will be rectified. We are planning to implement these adjustments with the new season beginning in December.”

Hopefully, this temporary change should result in a smoother weekend!

無人島に持っていくなら 道具か、食料か、ヒマつぶしか…。
道具があれば迫りくる危険を回避することもできるだろう。
しかし食料がなければ、動くことすらできないかもしれない。
いや、生活ができたからといって、娯楽なしには耐えられない。
うーん、何を選べばいいのかわからなくなってきたぞ…。 pic.twitter.com/ajtdEooIiG

— Splatoon（スプラトゥーン） (@SplatoonJP) September 21, 2022