10mo ago

Splatoon 3: After 2 INK-redible years, regular updates will come to a close.

After 2 INK-credible years of Splatoon 3, regular updates will come to a close. Don't worry! Splatoween, Frosty Fest, Spring Fest, and Summer Nights will continue with some returning themes!
Updates for weapon adjustments will be released as needed.
Big Run, Eggstra Work, and Monthly Challenges will continue for the time being.

Also they just released a video celebrating each splat-fest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd3qYJRnI7E

32 comments

I've still never played a splatoon game, mostly because I don't wanna have to re-purchase it after a couple years
- Are you imagining that this game should be like those constantly updating online games that rely on micro transactions or monthly subscription? It was a game to buy full price, but got updates and events for free for 2 years plus DLCs. The servers and game will still be online getting quality of life and security updates. Splatoon 1 servers were online for 9 years... On Wii U no less.
  
  It does rely on a subscription though.
- S2 was 2017, S3 was 2022. Five year gap is pretty reasonable for sequels.
  S4 likely won't happen until after the next Animal Crossing, since it's the same team working on both IPs.
  
  My issue with that is that Splatoon basically dies off for a few years until a sequel comes out. I'm not playing for switch online for a game that won't get any new content.
- The second game was around for well over two years.
  Needing to buy an online subscription is a far better complaint than a misinformed timeline.
- I still have yet to understand what is new in Splatoon 3. I play 2 casually, just for a few pvp matches every so often, and it's good as is
  
  It's an iterative series, each game building on the predecessor's mechanics, so there's not any one major twist. But there are a lot of little things that add up. The new movement techniques are great, Salmon Run has been significantly expanded, and just in general the QoL is night and day.
  Also, the fact that Ink Armor, Sting Ray, and Main Power Up are not in the game might be the true biggest step forward. S3's meta is in a pretty good spot now.
  
  The second game even repurposed large parts of the not-particularly-impressive campaign of the first game. They weren't going to fool me again by making me buy the same game a third time.
- You can keep playing it tho?
They really made sure to reference the number 3 in every possible place except the kit system.
I hope they never try this 3-way team thing again. Made Splatfests feel so unfair. Especially with the arbitrary point system they used for calculating things. Kind just felt like they slapped whatever number they wanted to on a category and called it a day.
Last night I took a look at the (US) Splatfests for both 2 and 3. In 2, our of the 25 fests I partook in, my team won 14 teams. Pearl and Marina had an even 15 wins between all the fests.
in 3, I only participated in 16 fests, and my team won 3 times. Not only that, but Shiver's team won 9 fests, Big Man won 7 and Frye a whopping 3. The balancing in this game felt fucking atrocious and I feel like that killed a lot of my motivation to play.
Now ofc Nintendo can't really predict what team is gonna win when they make choices, but whatever changes they made to the point system did jack all in fairness in my opinion.
I think I'm just gonna go back to splatoon 2 after this
- It'll never happen, but I'd honestly prefer for S4 to move on from Splatfests and do something else entirely. They've run out of ideas, a lot of the themes feel like filler just to keep it going out of obligation. At this point I just see Splatfests as a weekend where they take away Ranked and make everyone play the worst game mode.
  
  I like turf war, but I definitely agree. Some kinda big change needs to happen.
  I don't know what would be a cool replacement but then again it's not my job to think of one lol
  
  Imagine something like D-Day/Operation Overlord in WW2, but you've got 2/3/4 teams trying to fight up a Salmonid beach, big PVE event, but whichever team takes their beachfront first/gets the furthest in within the 3min timer, wins.
Could barely stand behind their game for two years.
Pathetic.
- Splatoon 1 had one year of content updates. Splatoon 2 had two. And they told us from the start that Splatoon 3 was also going to have two years.
  How long do you expect them to keep going for?
  
  Heh, considering the premium people pay for Nintendo games, I'd expect them to stand by their products for longer than a year or two. Wouldn't you?
The people in here complaining about getting a full campaign along with PvE and PvP updates over two years for $60 are the reason we're in this free-to-play, season pass, paid cosmetic hellscape.

32 comments