Splatoween Returns: Same Spooky Teams, But The Magic's Been Tinkered With, Mate!
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Splatoon 3 is bringing back its Halloween Splatfest (Splatoween) with the same spooky theme, but a significant update to the scoring system means this rerun could deliver entirely different, and far more unpredictable, results for teams Zombie, Skeleton, and Ghost.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're flipping through an old spellbook, and you stumble upon a classic incantation you've used before? A bit familiar, a touch nostalgic, but you just *know* there's a new ingredient you could throw in to really make it fizz? That's pretty much what's happening with *Splatoon 3*'s upcoming Halloween Splatfest, or as the cool kids (and probably the devs) call it, "Splatoween."
Our friends over at Game Rant, courtesy of Sarah Fields' excellent report, have spilled the ink on this one: it's a repeat performance of the spooky season showdown. Starting October 24th at 6 pm PT/9 pm ET, and running for a full 48 hours until October 26th, we're diving back into the age-old question: which ghastly ghouly makes the best mate? Zombies, skeletons, or ghosts?
Now, I can hear some of you already. "A repeat theme, Jeff? Haven't we ridden this kraken before?" And fair dinkum, you'd be right to ask! The first *Splatoon 3* Splatoween already pitted these three against each other, with Team Ghost — bless their translucent cotton socks — floating away with the victory. Typically, a repeat theme might inspire about as much enthusiasm as finding out your 'revolutionary' new potion is just lukewarm tea. But stick with me, because this isn't just a re-run; it's a re-run with a glitch in the matrix, and that's where things get proper interesting.
See, Nintendo, bless their hearts, aren't just copy-pasting the event details. There are a couple of rather significant magical variables that could seriously shake up this particular potion.
First off, players. We're a fickle bunch, aren't we? The last time around, you might have sworn allegiance to the shuffling, brain-munching hordes of Team Zombie. But maybe since then, you've had a change of heart. Perhaps you've spent too many nights pondering the existential dread of being a skeleton, all bones and no squishy bits, and decided that's the true path to friendship. Or maybe, just maybe, you've realized that ghosts can phase through walls, which is just brilliant for sneaking snacks. The point is, players change their minds, their loyalties, and their preferred forms of spooky companionship. New players have joined the fray since the last Splatoween, seasoned veterans might be looking for a new challenge, or simply want to try their luck with a different side. This isn't just about who *was* popular; it's about who *is* popular *now*.
But the truly juicy bit, the real wizardry under the hood, is the re-tooled scoring system. With the 7.0 update, *Splatoon 3* Splatfests got a bit of a mathematical makeover. How match wins, votes, and those all-important Conch Shells are tallied towards the final score isn't the same as it used to be. This is where my curious gamer brain starts doing backflips!
Think about it: the original Splatoween saw Team Zombies end up with a whopping 0 points in the final tally. A proper digital goose egg, bless 'em. But under the current judging system, that same performance – where they landed second place in two categories – would have netted them a respectable 105 points! Now, our Game Rant pals rightly point out that this probably wouldn't have been enough to snatch the win from Team Ghost last time. But it absolutely, positively changes the dynamic. It means every match, every vote, every Conch Shell collected by *any* team now carries a different weight. The scales have been recalibrated, the arcane algorithms tweaked.
This isn't just a cosmetic change; it's a strategic one. What once seemed like a dominant win for one team could now be a nail-biting photo finish. A team that barely scraped by before might now find themselves in contention. It's like someone cast a 'Chaos Theory' spell on the scoreboard, and the results are truly anyone's guess. This is the kind of subtle but profound change that makes a repeat event feel fresh and worthy of another dip in the ink. It’s a chance for redemption, a chance for an underdog story, or just a good old-fashioned brawl where the numbers might surprise us all.
Beyond the Splatoween excitement, the article does touch on the elephant in the room – or perhaps, the elusive phantom in the machine – that is *Splatoon Raiders*. This spin-off, featuring our beloved *Splatoon 3* idols, was announced for the much-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, and then… crickets. Nothing since. While it's always fun to gaze into the crystal ball of future consoles, I reckon we should keep our expectations curbed with a strong leash on this one. Nintendo's got some big hitters on the horizon for 2025 – we're talking *Kirby Air Riders*, *Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment* (a title that sounds like it was dreamt up by a particularly epic bard), and the long-awaited *Metroid Prime 4: Beyond*.
So, while the whispers of *Splatoon Raiders* are certainly tantalizing, focusing on the here and now, the ink-splattered battleground of *Splatoon 3* and its retooled Splatfests, seems like the smarter play. It’s always tempting to chase the shiny new announcement, but sometimes the best magic is found in revisiting and refining the spells you already know. And with a fresh twist on an old favorite, Splatoween is shaping up to be a deliciously chaotic, ink-filled good time. Who's joining me for a bit of spectral skirmishing? I'm leaning towards Team Skeleton this year; those bony lads look like they could use a friend, and they probably won't eat your brains... probably.
Source: Game Rant, "Splatoon 3 Announces Halloween Splatfest" by Sarah Fields.
Tags: Splatoon3, Splatfest, NintendoSwitch, GamingEvents, Halloween
Original article: Game Rant