Splatoon 3 to host first Halloween Splatfest in 3 years—and it’s the biggest one yet

When it comes to seasonal events, Splatoon has never missed, always eager to theme a Splatfest around the current holiday in every region.

The Splatoon North America account announced the dates for the title’s first Splatoween event on the Switch, returning after Splatoon 2’s Trick or Treat event in 2020. The celebration will last for three days from Oct 27 to 29 but contains much more updates than a standard Splatfest, featuring new seasonal overhauls and balance changes.

The first announcement is the reveal of the next Splatfest theme: “Which would be the best friend?” Players can choose between representing team zombies, skeletons, or ghosts. The Splatfest will run concurrently with the Splatoween event, with early team voting opening up on Oct. 20 at 3pm CT, offering the standard rewards of coins and Super Sea Snails for the winning side.

New cosmetics will also be available as the event starts. The first cosmetics teased in the update are four head cosmetics: the Undead Head, Swim Reaper, The Plankton Walker, and Bleak Beak, which NPCs will be wearing in the main lobby of the event. Additional cosmetic items will revealed leading up to the event on the Splatoon 3 News channel in the Nintendo Switch home menu.

Normally, each Splatfest has the Splatlands and DLC Inkopolis lobbies taking place at night with shining lights, themed floats, and special outfits for the Idols. Splatoween turns all aspects up to the highest, with new original costumes for Deep Cut and the Squid Sisters. Shiver, Frye, and Big Man are all dressed up as their respective Splatfest teams, while Callie and Marie are dressed up as Jack-o’-lanterns for the event.

The final announcement in the Splatoween thread is routine balance adjustments for weapons and maps. Mahi-Mahi Resort will be the first map updated, with in-game maintenance taking place from Oct. 15 to 17, one week before Splatoween starts. The in-universe announcement states that the pool must be cleaned, with additional pictures showing blueprints of the stage’s design.

Past balance patches for Splatoon 3 maps have drastically changed different map gimmicks or terrain due to spawn camping, or unbalanced weapon matchups. The February 3.0 update included ramps at spawn for many maps to extend the safety area for both teams, alongside new poles, walls, or even cars on utility poles to cut off long sightlines, and allow players to make it to the middle of the map.

For Mahi-Mahi Resort, the map’s unique gimmick is how the majority of the map is underwater and inaccessible at the start of a game, with the water draining at halftime. This has led to many community complaints about it being Splatoon 3’s smallest map, and the biggest source of snowball victories and spawn camping problems. 

The new blueprints tease possible solutions to the map’s problems, including an extended spawn platform for additional routes to the middle, and the addition of new high terrain, which would be present at the start of the match and stop snipers from suppressing one team.

Splatoween and the accompanying Splatfest officially start on Oct 27 at 7pm CT and lasts for three full days until Oct 29 at 7pm CT. For excited fans, additional teasers and content reveals will be announced leading up to the event on the Nintendo Switch’s Splatoon News channel and the Splatoon North America account.