Splatoon 3 Teases Final Splatfest

Highlights

• Splatoon 3’s final Splatfest starts on September 13, with teams representing Past, Present, and Future.
• The Grand Festival includes performances from Squid Sisters, Off the Hook, and Deep Cut idols.
• Results of the Splatfest may influence the direction of Splatoon 4, and there are new Amiibo figures planned before it begins.

Nintendo has revealed that Splatoon 3‘s final Splatfast will begin on September 13 and its theme will be choosing between the Past, Present, and Future. First released in 2022, Splatoon 3 had two years of post-launch content and support. These free updates have kept the game fresh and provided fans with plenty to do, with one of the most community-driven game modes being Splatfest. Splatoon 3‘s Splatfests are held regularly and are a unique twist on the Turf War game mode, asking players to pick between three teams and competing to see which side will cumulatively come out on top.

Hackers and dataminers found evidence of how Splatoon 3 was nearing the end of an era earlier this June, uncovering a new hub, visuals, and a schedule that involved all three idol groups singing in rotation. In particular, this schedule would see all three groups sharing the stage, rather than being in their own separate hubs. A new trailer released by Nintendo shares some more information about when this Splatfest will occur, along with what side each idol group will represent.

The final Splatfest is called the Grand Festival, with all three of Splatoon 3‘s idol groups participating in the festivities, which means players will get to hear performances from the Squid Sisters, Off the Hook, and Deep Cut. All three will be sporting new outfits for the festivities, along with their classic outfits for the first few days. This Splatfest will be held from September 13-16, lasting for three days.

When Is Splatoon 3’s Grand Festival Taking Place?

• September 13-16, 2024
• Past (Squid Sisters) vs. Present (Off the Hook) vs. Future (Deep Cut)

The theme of the Splatfest is what is more important: the Past, Present, or Future. Unlike past Splatfests in Splatoon 3, the sides aren’t being represented by the individual members of Deep Cut, but rather the aforementioned idol groups. Team Past is represented by the Squid Sisters, Team Present is represented by Off the Hook, and Team Future will be represented by Deep Cut.

These sides do make a bit of sense, as the Squid Sisters were the ones that started it all, Off the Hook is still thriving in the present day of Splatoon 3, and Deep Cut is the fresh, new talent that is succeeding both. With this being the last Splatfest, it’s likely the results of the Grand Festival Splatfest will determine the potential direction of Splatoon 4. This wouldn’t be too surprising, as prior Splatoon games were influenced by their predecessor’s last Splatfest’s results. Nintendo will also release a set of Splatoon 3 Amiibo figures based on the Squid Sisters and Off the Hook to celebrate the final Splatfest.