Spicy, sweet, or sour? It's a tasty Splatfest in Splatoon 3!

Welcome, fellow researchers! The Squid Research Lab is at it again with their nonstop dedication to the Splatoon™ 3 game. It’s a glorious time to be a researcher, I say!

Our eagle-eyed readers may have seen something about a Splatfest* coming soon (it is the headline of this report, after all). For the uninitiated, Splatfests are special in-game events in Splatoon 3. They’re positively festive times with fancy floats, catchy music, and themes that spark great debate!

The theme of this one is delectable: What is your favorite taste sensation? Wait, what is a taste sensation, you ask?! Well, according to my extensive research, it’s um…kind of what makes your tastebuds tap dance. No, that’s silly. It’s like a mouthwatering…mouthfeel? Er, the flavor you savor**?

Cough, OK, let’s move on. So, what’s your favorite: spicy, sweet, or sour?

This Splatfest will be held from Friday, Jan. 6 at 4 p.m. PT to Sunday, Jan. 8 at 4 p.m. PT.

Tell me more about Splatfests!

Why, aren’t you inquisitive? Splatfests are special, limited time events in Splatoon 3 where players choose to champion one of three causes. After you make your choice, you’ll rep your team in Splatfest Battles, where the goal is to ink as much of the stage as you can without getting splatted too often. An ultimate winning side will be declared at the end of the Splatfest.

How do I choose a side?

After you start the game, go to the little stall in Splatsville to choose your destiny. You won’t be able to change your mind after picking, so make sure your answer has some bite.

After choosing, you are then given an in-game t-shirt that’s worn during the event. This shirt comes with a special ability: Ability Doubler (which, you guessed it, doubles the effect of other gear abilities attached to this gear).

Oh, one more thing for Splatfest timeframe: Every time you gain a level in your Catalog, you are also given something called a Conch Shell. These guys can be redeemed at the machine in the Lobby for some fun little goodies. The number of conch shells collected by each team also impacts the final results, so redeem early and redeem often!

What else changes during a Splatfest?

A bunch of stuff does! In addition to how Splatsville looks and sounds, these Splatfest Battle types will replace the normal ones: Open, Pro, and (halfway through the event) Tricolor. In “Open” you can enter a match with a group of friends. Pick “Pro” if you’re more a solo player—everyone on the teams will be randomized.

How do I play Tricolor Turf War?

This mode is new to Splatoon 3 and are 2v4v2 matches. Halfway through the Splatfest, pick the Tricolor option when choosing a mode in the Lobby.

Basically, the team of four starts in the middle of the map and is trying to defend their territory against the two other attacking teams (who are technically working together in this mode but can still splat each other!). You still need to ink the most ground to win, but the pressure is on the defenders to hold their ground.

Also, if someone from the attacking teams touches something called the Ultra Signal long enough, a Sprinkler of Doom will be summoned to the battlefield to spray ink everywhere. Doooooom!

What do you get for winning a Splatfest?

Everyone who participates will get Super Sea Snails after the Splatfest, with the winning side getting more. Talk to Murch who hangs outside the Lobby if you’re not sure what to do with those (the short version is that Super Sea Snails can be used as a shortcut to upgrade your gear and get abilities that match your needs better).

Secret Pro Tip

This is confidential, but the people must know! If you’re in the market for ability chunks, talk to Murch during the the Splatfest. Scrubbing equipment off your Splatfest Tee is much cheaper than normal, so you can scrub-a-dub way more than usual and get way more ability chunks. Let the good chunks roll!

OK, that’s enough research for now. Good luck out there!