What is Big Run in Splatoon 3?

While the Splatoon series is most known for its online multiplayer Turf War battles, they aren’t the only way to play. Splatoon 3 offers a robust list of alternatives to online multiplayer, including local multiplayer, a lengthy story mode, the collectible card game Tableturf Battle, and a cooperative mode called Salmon Run. Salmon Run, which was introduced in Splatoon 2, has become one of the series’ most popular modes.

Rather than splatting other players, Salmon Run is all about working together with three other players to take out waves of Salmonids, funny-looking bug-eyed enemies, on unique stages. Those who succeed at the task are rewarded with gear and other goodies. Salmon Run: Next Wave, Splatoon 3‘s take on the mode, adds plenty of new Salmonids to attack as well as fearsome new King Salmonid bosses. According to developer Nintendo, though, the mode’s biggest challenge might still be on the horizon.

So, just what is Splatoon 3‘s Big Run?

Splatoon 3 Big Run, explained

Big Run is a Salmon Run event that Nintendo has hinted at in several pieces of pre-release and post-release content surrounding the game. During Big Run, players will be able to play Salmon Run on regular Turf War stages like Wahoo World, MakoMart, and more. The idea is that Salmonids are “invading” the Splatlands, meaning the player must team up with others to take out the threat.

Nintendo has finally announced Splatoon 3‘s first Big Run event. Taking place during the game’s Chill Season, the very first Big Run will start on Friday, Dec. 9 at 6pm CT and run until Sunday, Dec. 11 at 6pm CT. The map in question will be Wahoo World, as was teased in the Chill Season trailer. It’s likely to be the biggest, baddest Salmon Run experience yet: players will need to cooperate with each other to fend off waves of Salmonids and King Salmonids as they swarm the stage and obtain those precious golden eggs.

Everyone who participates in this iteration of Big Run will receive a unique locker decoration. Players who collect the highest amount of golden eggs will receive an “extra-special decoration,” according to a tweet from the official Splatoon Twitter account. The same account revealed in a different tweet that Big Run events will only happen once every few months, so players who are interested in participating should be sure to do so during the event window.