splatoon

A Splatfest (フェス Fesu?, lit. Fest), known as Festival or Fes in Japan, is a special event in the Splatoon Series.

Description

Splatoon

In Splatoon, a Splatfest is a special event in which players choose between two teams, with each team representing an idea, place, or thing. Each team was also sponsored by either Callie or Marie. For a (roughly) 24 hour period, these two teams would battle it out to decide which side would win. During a Splatfest, hats and shoes remained customizable, but players could only wear the Splatfest Tee as clothing. In the plaza and multiplayer maps, the sky turns dark into nighttime.

Callie performing during Splatfest.

Callie performing during Splatfest.

Splatoon 2

During Splatfests in Inkopolis Square, the events are the same as they were in Inkopolis Plaza, with it becoming nighttime when the Splatfest starts, and Off the Hook rocking it out with a mainstage above the entrance to Deca Tower.

Off the Hook during the Splatocalypse.

Off the Hook during the Splatocalypse.

Splatoon 3

Deep Cut performing during Splatfest.

Deep Cut performing during Splatfest.

Paper lanterns can be seen floating into the night sky as the occasional passenger jumbo jet soars low over Splatsville with its lights on, and Deep Cut's logo, made from remote-controlled light-emitting drones, hangs in the night sky, occasionally changing over to three random posts that favor each team the members of Deep Cut sided with respectively before switching back to Deep Cut's logo and repeating the cycle. Deep Cut parade around Splatsville on individual floats that unite into a single mainstage for them to perform on together after the first 24 hours of the Splatfest have elapsed.

After halftime, the option to join Tricolor Turf War will be unlocked in the Lobby. If it is selected, there will be a chance to participate in a special 2v4v2 battle and use the Ultra Signals to help control turf.

In the Fresh Season 2024 update Fizzbangs were added to Open and Pro Splatfest matches.

The Squid Sisters performing during Splatfests

The Squid Sisters performing during Splatfests

The Squid Sisters will be also performing in Inkopolis during Splatfests. If the player buys the Splatoon 3: Expansion Pass, they will be able to use the train station in order to go to Inkopolis Plaza with the fox and tanuki statues still taking on the colors of the first and second teams, respectively, but Inkopolis Tower will now change color to match the third team in order to represent all three Splatfest colors, since the Squid Sisters are only two. Like Deep Cut, Callie and Marie will perform separately on their truck stages opposite each other on the first day of the Splatfest, but on the second day, they'll unite their trucks into a single mainstage to the right of Inkopolis Tower, complete with a Squid Sisters logo connecting the stages together in the middle at the top and perform together.

The Squid Sisters will perform a slightly remixed version of City of Color called City of Color (2023) on the first day and Tomorrow's Nostalgia Today on the second.

With the release of Side Order, once Inkopolis Square is unlocked, Off The Hook will be performing again above Deca Tower alongside the Squid Sisters in Inkopolis Plaza and Deep Cut over in Splatsville, once more performing their Splatfest song, Color Pulse, but as a remixed version of the original from Splatoon 2, known as Color Pulse (2024), on Day One of the Splatfest. On Day Two, they perform We're So Back.

Also, like in Splatsville, light-emitting drones can be seen in the sky behind the train stations in Inkopolis Plaza and Inkopolis Square, styled in the Squid Sisters and Off The Hook's logos respectively, and alternating between the logos and three random posts allying with the three Splatfest teams. Fireworks light up the sky in Inkopolis at both locations as well in place of the paper lanterns in Splatsville.

Background

The printer used to determine the theme of each Splatfest.

The printer used to determine the theme of each Splatfest.

The machine that decides the Splatfest is is the printing machine, made by humans 12,000 years ago. Now, they use it to decide Splatfest themes. During an interview, the producer Hisashi Nogami and art director Seita Inoue talked about the background of Splatfests, their themes and the role of the Squid Sisters.[1]

According to them, the world of Splatoon takes place 12,000 years after the present time and the Squid Sisters are those who receive messages from 12,000 years ago. Like there would be a discussion "rice or bread?" in current time, and those words fly to another planet and bounce back for them to receive. Those divine messages come from kami-sama (Kami means a god, sama is a honorific like -san. Also, Kami-sama is written as "paper" when using kanji. "Kami" has several meanings, two of which are "a god" and "paper"), so the topic of a Splatfest comes in a fax-like paper.)

Preparation

In Inkopolis Plaza, Inkopolis Square, and Splatsville, a week before the Splatfest starts, the theme of the Splatfest is announced by Inkopolis News/Anarchy Splatcast as the message is received on the sacred Splatfest printer. After it is announced, and the Squid Sisters, Off The Hook, or Deep Cut voice which side they're taking for it and why, once the broadcast is over, a Splatfest voting screen will appear in the main town area so players can choose their side for the Splatfest, being rewarded with a Splatfest Tee with the Ability Doubler to wear for the Splatfest, then it will be removed when the event is over. Spyke and Murch will scrub the Splatfest Tee for ability chunks at only 2,000 Coins per scrub compared to the usual 20,000 for other Gear.

In the meantime, Inkopolis Plaza and Inkopolis Square will show signs of preparation with scaffolding, metal frames, and other equipment for players' posts to be put up on appearing around the area. Splatsville will be doing the same with scissor lifts and cherry pickers helping put up the decorations. Callie and Marie will have trucks they use as their stages being set up to either side of the Inkopolis Tower, Pearl and Marina will have their stage being set up over the entrance to Deca Tower, and Shiver, Frye, and Big Man will have their separate floats being prepared at various spots around Splatsville, with Shiver's outside Ammo Knights and Hotlantis, Big Man's at the other end of the street, and Frye's back by the Tableturf spot.

As evening arrives two days before the Splatfest starts, more work is seen being completed for the Splatfest as the Squid Sisters and Off The Hook's stages are finished being prepared, more decorations have been set up around the Battle Lobby in Splatsville, and the Chinese-styled gate at the starting point now has started to glow in various colors.

After a Splatfest is over, but before the announcement of the results is released, Splatsville will be seen in a state of cleanup from the Splatfest, with various boxes containing packed up decorations stacked in various places, tons of garbage bags, and a truck parked in the starting area, probably to pick up the decorations and take them back to a storage warehouse until the next Splatfest announcement is made. All the restaurants and shops that opened up to serve food and souvenirs during the Splatfest have closed up again until the next one starts. Similar evidence of cleanup work can be found in Inkopolis Plaza and Inkopolis Square as well, including leftover confetti or the truck and boxes containing packed up decorations to take back to their storage warehouse. Following the end of the "Shiver vs Frye vs Big Man" Splatfest to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Splatoon 3, Deep Cut have a new song that plays during the first two hours after the Splatfest as Splatsville is in its cleanup state, titled Daybreaker Anthem, while the Squid Sisters have Maritime Memory in Inkopolis Plaza, and Off The Hook has Into The Light in Inkopolis Square.

Mechanics

A team of Octolings winning a 10x Battle in Splatoon 3.

A team of Octolings winning a 10x Battle in Splatoon 3.

Victory

The final score was calculated based both on popularity and on wins. The formula was as follows:

Splatoon

Final Score = Popularity Percentage + (Win Percentage × 2)

As of the August 2015 2.0.0 update, the formula is as follows:

Final Score = Popularity Percentage + (Win Percentage × 4)

As of the October 30, 2015 North American Splatfest, the formula is as follows:

Final Score = Popularity Percentage + (Win Percentage × 6)

When the Squid Sisters/Off The Hook announce the results, the highest of both the popularity percentages and the win percentages were highlighted.

Splatoon 2

Final Score = Popularity Percentage vs. Solo Wins Percentage vs. Team Wins Percentage - Whichever team gets the higher percentage in either 2 of or all 3 categories

As of the April 24, 2018, version 3.0.0 update, team voting percentages and win percentages displayed up to the hundredths digit after the decimal point.

Rank System

During Splatfests, players were able to gain experience points that increase the players' Rank. Super Sea Snails were awarded to participants upon Splatfest's conclusion, with the winning team's respective rank rewards doubling at the end of the Splatfest. Players received 3 Rank EXP for winning a match, 1 EXP for a score over 200p, 2 EXP for a score over 400p.

Splatoon 1/2's Rank Titles

Title Super Sea Snails
Winning team Losing team
[Team Name] Fanboy/Fangirl (NA/EU/OC)

Normal [Team Name] Boy/Girl (EU/OC)

4 2
[Team Name] Fiend (NA/EU/OC)

Full-on [Team Name] Boy/Girl (EU/OC)

6 3
[Team Name] Defender (NA/EU/OC)

Super [Team Name] Boy/Girl (EU/OC)

10 5
[Team Name] Champion (NA/EU/OC)

Charismatic [Team Name] Boy/Girl (EU/OC)

16 10
[Team Name] King/Queen (NA/EU/OC)

Eternal [Team Name] Boy/Girl (EU/OC)

24 18

Splatoon 3's Rank Titles

Title Super Sea Snails
1st place 2nd & 3rd place
[Team Name] Fan 3 2
[Team Name] Fiend 5 3
[Team Name] Defender 9 7
[Team Name] Champion 16 13
[Team Name] Ruler 24 21


In Splatoon 3, it appears the can keep ranking up an infinite amount as the player will have a number of rank ups next to their title of ruler.

Information and results

For Splatoon Splatfest dates, themes, and results, see Splatoon Splatfest information and results.
For Splatoon 2 Splatfest dates, themes, and results, see Splatoon 2 Splatfest information and results.
For Splatoon 3 Splatfest dates, themes, and results see Splatoon 3 Splatfest information and results.

Notes

Scoring Updates

Other

Trivia

Gallery

Splatoon

American Splatfest

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European Splatfest

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Japanese Splatfest

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Splatoon 2

American Splatfest

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European Splatfest

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Japanese Splatfest

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Splatoon 3

American Splatfest

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European Splatfest

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Japanese Splatfest

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Miscellaneous

Splatoon

Splatoon 2

Splatoon 3

Icons

Gallery

Splatfest art (splat 2)

Splatfest art (Splat 3)

References