Splatoon 3’s next Splatfest is just around the corner. As in previous games in the series, this recurring event asks players to join a team and earn points for their respective side by participating in Turf War battles, with bragging rights and valuable in-game items up for grabs.
If you’re new to the world of Splatoon, here’s everything you need to know about the Splatfest, including when the event starts, how to join a team and how to make the most of your Splatfest tee.
When is November’s Splatfest?
This month’s Splatfest is scheduled to kick off on Friday, Nov. 11, at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. The event is set to run for 48 hours, wrapping up at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on Nov. 13.
What’s the Splatfest theme?
Though previous Splatoon games asked you to choose between two different teams for each Splatfest, Splatoon 3 presents you with three different options. This month, the game asks which type you’d rather choose when setting off on a Pokemon adventure: grass, fire or water?
Once you’ve made your decision, head to the pledge box in the Splatsville plaza to cast your vote and receive your Splatfest tee (detailed below). However, keep in mind that your decision is final; once you’ve selected a team, you won’t be able to change your pick.
Breaking news for the next Splatfest! The theme celebrates the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. Which first partner Pokémon would you choose? Grass-type, Fire-type, or Water-type? The fun starts Friday 11/11 at 4 PM PT and runs through 4 PM PT on Sunday 11/13. pic.twitter.com/jmHMdbuHZl
— Splatoon North America (@SplatoonNA) October 7, 2022
What to do with a Splatfest tee
Once you’ve cast your vote and joined a team, you’ll be given a Splatfest tee to wear during the event. You won’t get to keep this tee; it’ll be automatically returned once the Splatfest ends. However, you can use your time with it to farm ability chunks.
In the days leading up to the Splatfest, you can equip the tee and level it up by participating in online matches. As you increase the tee’s level, you’ll unlock new abilities for it. Though you won’t get to keep the shirt, you can “scrub” it once it’s been maxed out to turn the abilities you’ve earned into ability chunks.
Once all three of the tee’s abilities have been unlocked, head to Murch just outside the lobby and pay him 2,000 coins to scrub the shirt. This will effectively reset it, but every ability you’ve unlocked at that point will be converted into an ability chunk. Once you’ve accumulated enough chunks, these can be used to add a specific ability to a piece of gear you own.
Conch shells
In addition to the Splatfest tee, you’ll earn a special item before and during the Splatfest: conch shells. Each time you level up your catalog after joining a Splatfest team, you’ll receive one conch shell, which is good for a roll at the Shell-Out Machine.
Located in the lobby near the locker room, the Shell-Out Machine is a capsule dispenser that doles out a random reward each time you roll it, from Splashtag backgrounds and titles to locker decorations and food tickets. However, it’s normally quite pricey; your first roll each day costs 5,000 coins, but any subsequent rolls after that will cost a whopping 30,000.
With a conch shell, however, you effectively get a free roll at the Shell-Out Machine. Though it may be tempting to hang on to these shells to use later, there’s no incentive to hoarding them; any unused shells will disappear once the Splatfest ends, so be sure to spend them before then.
You can redeem conch shells at the Shell-Out Machine in the lobby for cool in-game stuff. And it doesn’t pay to be a saver—unused conch shells go away when the Splatfest ends! We’re told that another SRL employee once used the term “YOLO,” and we think it applies here as well. pic.twitter.com/r8hvEAW4uq
— Splatoon North America (@SplatoonNA) September 16, 2022
Super Sea Snails
As in previous games, the ultimate prize during a Splatfest are Super Sea Snails. These are distributed once the Splatfest ends, and they can be exchanged to either reroll the abilities on a piece of gear or add a new ability slot to it.
Everyone who participates in the Splatfest will receive Super Sea Snails after the event ends and the results are announced, but players on the winning team will receive slightly more. When you’re ready to spend the snails, speak to Murch right outside the battle lobby.
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