Splatoon 2 Splatfest Guide for New and Returning Players

Splatfest is a special event that takes place in Splatoon 2 on Nintendo Switch. This event was originally introduced in the first Splatoon game on the Nintendo Wii U. Splatfests are recurring multiplayer events that take place on certain Saturdays in Splatoon 2, where players choose between two different teams and compete to see which team is victorious. The teams change for each event and are based on two different random things pitted against each other, such as Squid vs Octopus or Ketchup vs Mayonnaise. Each Team Battles it out in Turf War for 24 hours to decide the winner.

In Splatoon 2, each Splatfest is hosted by Pearl and Marina from the hip-hop duo, Off the Hook (in the first Splatoon, these events were hosted by the pop duo, The Squid Sisters, Callie and Marie). Pearl and Marina each represent one side during Splatfest. They perform on the main stage in Inkopolis Square, with their ink and outfit colors changed to match the ink color of the team they are representing.

Each upcoming Splatfest is announced before the event begins, giving players time to choose their teams. Upon choosing a team, each player is given a tee shirt featuring their chosen team. You can equip this shirt and begin acquiring abilities to fill its ability slots before each Splatfest begins. You will lose the shirt after Splatfest ends, however.

During Splatfest, only the Turf War game mode is available. Ranked game modes are temporarily suspended until after the event. The stages rotate between the same stages that are available during regular turf wars, but they take place at night instead of during the day.

There is also a special stage, called Shifty Station, that is only available during Splatfest. This stage changes for each Splatfest, so the only way to experience each Shifty Station variation is to play during each Splatfest.

Inkopolis Square, the main hub area of the game, is also changed for Splatfest. During Splatfest, Inkopolis Square appears as it would at night, and Pearl and Marina put on a special concert all throughout Splatfest. In Inkopolis Square, you will find Inklings, and now Octolings, dancing and enjoying Off the Hook’s concert.

Inkopolis Square is also filled with artwork from both teams during Splatfest in the form of neon signs and banners. During Splatfest, players can submit artwork especially for their Splatfest team, in addition to regular artwork. This artwork will appear throughout Inkopolis Square and in the multiplayer stages.

During Splatfest, the Pearl and Marina Amiibo allow players to take a photo of their Inkling or Octoling character with Pearl or Marina on stage. To do this, go to the giant Amiibo box located at the back of Inkopolis Square and scan your Peal or Marina Amiibo, just like you normally would. Depending upon which Amiibo you used, Pearl or Marina will ask if you'd like to take a picture. Confirm that you want to take a picture and your Inkling or Octoling will appear on stage with the selected character. You can still select from different poses for both your Inkling/Octoling and Marina/Pearl. The main difference between taking a regular photo with your Amiibo and taking an on-stage photo during Splatfest is that the background now features Inkopolis Square during Off the Hooks’ Splatfest concert.

All Splatfest participants receive Super Sea Snails after the winners are announced. The number of Super Sea Snails each player receives is determined by their ranking at the end of Splatfest and whether they were on the winning or losing team.

Super Sea Snails are a currency in Splatoon 2 that can be used to upgrade your gear abilities. Super Sea Snails can be given to the character Murch (who replaces Spike from the original Splatoon game), who will add ability slots to your gear, or allow you to reroll for new abilities on gear that already contains a full set of abilities.

You can earn between 2 and 24 Super Sea Snails during each Splatfest, depending upon your final ranking.

You can also have Murch “scrub” your Splatfest shirt for the gear abilities for a discounted rate during Splatfest. It is beneficial to scrub your Splatfest shirt as you fill up its abilities throughout Splatfest so that you can collect these extra ability chunks, since you do not get to keep the Splatfest shirt after the event is over. These ability chunks can then be applied to other gear later.

Splatfest is also a great time to interact with the Splatoon 2 community online and meet other fans of the game. Some fans get incredibly heated over their chosen Splatfest team, making the game more competitive and fun during Splatfest.

As you continue to play Turf Wars during Splatfest, your Splatfest Ranking will increase. You will receive 3 Rank EXP for winning a match, 1 EXP for earning a score over 200p, and 2 EXP for earning a score over 400p. These rankings are the key to acquiring more Super Sea Snails at the end of each Splatfest. The ranking titles in Splatoon 2 include [Team] Fangirl/Fanboy, [Team] Fiend, [Team] Defender, [Team] Champion, and [Team] Queen/King. The team name is determined by the team you chose for that particular Splatfest.

All players receive Super Sea Snail rewards just for participating in Splatfest. The number of Super Sea Snails each player received is determined by their ranking at the end of Splatfest, as well as whether their team won or lost. Super Sea Snails must be collected before the next Splatfest is announced, or the player will lose any Super Sea Snails they would have won from the previous Splatfest. You will earn between 2 and 24 Super Sea Snails for each Splatfest you participate in.

The final score for determining the winner of each Splatfest is calculated by tabulating the popular vote, and the overall win percentages for both solo and team games. To win, a team must get the highest score in at least two of these categories.

Nintendo has confirmed that Splatoon 2 Splatfests will continue for two years after the game’s launch. This means that there will be regular Splatfests until at least the summer of 2019. Perhaps they will continue even longer if there is enough demand from fans.

The next Splatfest in Japan will take place on August 18-19, 2018. This Splatfest will be between between the two chocolate snacks “Kinoko no Yama” and “Takenoko no Sato.”

The next Splatfest in Europe will also take place August 18th. This Splatfest asks which you prefer to do on holiday: adventure on holiday or relax on holiday.

The next North American Splatfest will take place August 25th, a week after the next Japanese and European Splatfests. The theme for this Splatfest will be Forks vs. Spoons.