Introducing the Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2019–2020!

The Splatoon 2 European Championship 2019-2020 season is underway, with qualifiers taking place all over Europe as the hunt for the best squid squad operating in the region starts anew following a hard fought 2018-2019 finale earlier this year. As such, Nintendo UK is once again on the search for its United Kingdom and Ireland representative to compete in this prestigious event!

While Splatoon 2’s Final Fest may have been and gone, the competitive Inklings and Octolings of the UK Splatoon 2 community are always eager to prove their superior splatting strategies. Given this, the 2019-2020 Championship season will once again offer multiple tournaments, both offline and online, alongside a Last Chance Qualifier at the Grand Final. More details about specific events will be shared soon.

Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2019-2020 Qualifiers:

All events will offer one instant qualification spot to the winning team, meaning that players will not need to attend multiple events to secure their squad’s place in the Grand Final, which will be held in early 2020. The Grand Final will be livestreamed at Twitch.tv/NintendoUK.

The Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2018 saw a lot of new teams enter the splattlefield, offering months of exciting competition for the UK Splatoon 2 community. Involving ducks, the rise of the powerful Inxiety Sirens, and a fated showdown between UK stalwarts Team Mako and Team 4D in a turbulent final, it was a tournament that pushed Splatoon 2 competition in the country to new heights.

To mark Team Mako and Team 4D’s ongoing status as the squids to squash in UK & Ireland Splatoon 2 competition, both teams have accepted Instant Qualification for the Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2019 – 2020 Grand Final.

Could your cephalopod squad be the pod to bring down these two titans of turf? Well get practising, follow @NintendoUKVS on Twitter to stay up to date with the championship, and try your best not to get cooked (just stay off the hook!). Hopefully we’ll see even more fresh faces in the Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2019 – 2020 season!

Looking for a team?

Are you a solo squid in search of a squad? We recommend reaching out to the following unofficial communities to help you find teammates:

Nintendo Players UK – Find local, unofficial Nintendo Communities near you. Also found on Facebook, Twitter, and Discord.

Splatoon UK Community – Meet fellow UK & Ireland based Splatoon 2 fans. Found on Twitter and Discord.

Rules regarding players, teams and qualification:

Eligibility

Anyone is able to enter a Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2019 qualifier. You do not need to own a Nintendo Switch or Splatoon 2 to enter an offline event, however the purchase of an entry ticket may be necessary. You will need access to a Nintendo Switch, Splatoon 2, and an active Nintendo Switch Online paid membership to take part in an online qualifier. It is recommended that you register for events as a full team, as groups of players will be prioritised over individual players if a tournament is close to reaching its maximum number of participants.

Tournament Rules

A full list of tournament rules, concerning a variety of topics including rulesets, player behaviour, and requirements from participants, will be available at any event upon request at the tournament registration desk.

On Qualified Teams

Once a team wins in a Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2019 qualifier event, that team and its members are immediately qualified with a Top 8 position in the Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2019 finals taking place in November 2019. A qualified team’s seeding within this Top 8 will be based on their performance in the season to date including, but not limited to, factors such as games won, games lost, number of games won via KO, number of games won via time out, and skill of teams faced.

As the team is qualified there is no need for further competition in UK Qualifiers and any attempts at entry will be rejected. Additionally, players for qualified teams are prohibited from competing for other teams, as they are already registered as a part of their qualified team.

Regarding Substitute Players

A team is allowed one substitute player on top of their four key players. This substitute player is considered a qualified member of that team, and is therefore held to the same rules and restrictions as the core members of that qualified team mentioned above. Substitutes must be registered no less than 24 hours ahead of the start of the first event at which the player will be a substitute, by contacting NintendoCommunity@Nintendo.co.uk. Once a substitute is registered, they will remain as that team’s substitute until further notice. Substitute players cannot be drafted during a tournament. Players cannot be swapped during a match.

Ruling Regarding Players Leaving Qualified Teams

We accept that due to unforeseen circumstances players may wish to leave a team even after it qualifies for the Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2019 final. If a player wishes to leave a qualified team they must personally send an email to NintendoCommunity@Nintendo.co.uk stating as such. A specific reason does not need to be supplied. A remaining member of the team will be contacted regarding the updated team roster.

Note: If 2 or more members leave a qualified team then the remaining players will be considered as a new team, therefore forfeiting the team’s qualification spot to the team that placed second in the tournament at which they achieved qualification. If the team that placed second has subsequently qualified, the spot will go to the team that placed third. If they have also qualified it falls to the team in fourth. This process continues until the spot is filled.

Previously Qualified Players & Future Competition

Allowing for unforeseen circumstances as mentioned above, the first time a player leaves a qualified team they may enter as part of a new, unqualified team. However there are two stipulations for previously qualified players which are as follows:

1. A previously qualified player may not re-join the team that they leave. Once a player leaves a team, this is a permanent decision for the remainder of the 2019 season.

2. If a previously qualified player does achieve qualification again with a second team and then subsequently chooses to leave this team as well, then they will not be permitted to take part in any further activities within the Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2019.

Concerning Unqualified Players & Team Switching

Until a team manages to qualify for the Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2019 its players are considered free agents. As long as a player is not part of a qualified team then they may attempt qualification with any other players at as many events as they wish (obviously accepting that they may only enter a qualification tournament as a member of one team). Please note that not continuing to play alongside previous teammates could affect any seeding position that a competitor may feel entitled to receive, as initial seeding decisions of pre-registered teams for future tournaments will be based on the performance-to-date of teams as a group of players rather than as individuals due to the team-based nature of Splatoon 2’s gameplay.

If you have any specific queries about the Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2019, please get in contact by sending an email to NintendoCommunity@Nintendo.co.uk.