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Splatoon 3's First Splatfest Event Is Set for Sept. 23

The Nintendo Switch game's inaugural Splatfest asks, what would you take to a deserted island?

Kevin Knezevic Former staff writer
Kevin has been covering video games and tech since 2010, with a particular focus on Nintendo and Pokemon. Squirtle is the best starter and nothing will convince him otherwise.
Kevin Knezevic
2 min read
Splatoon 3 Splatfest battle

Splatoon 3 players can jump into the game's first Splatfest next weekend.

Nintendo

The first Splatoon 3 Splatfest is happening this weekend, Nintendo said during its September Nintendo Direct presentation.

The competition kicks off at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET) on Sept. 23 and runs for 48 hours, concluding at 5 p.m. PT on Sept. 25. This time around, the game asks what you'd rather take with you to a deserted island: gear, grub or fun?

This marks the first Splatfest since Splatoon 3 launched earlier this month, but Nintendo held a prelaunch demo Splatfest back in August. That event asked players to choose between rock, paper and scissors, with Team Rock ultimately emerging victorious.

New for Splatfests in Splatoon 3 are Tricolor Battles, a new type of three-way Turf War match that pits four players from the first-place team against two players each from the second- and third-place teams. In an effort to further balance the game, Nintendo says it will reduce the frequency of Tricolor Battles for this Splatfest compared to the August demo event.

Splatoon 3 is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Returning players can transfer some data from Splatoon 2, but only when first starting up the game. If you're a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, you can also grab a slick free Splashtag for the game.

Read more: Splatoon 3 Salmon Run Guide - How to Beat Cohozuna

More Nintendo Direct news