Nintendo Switch owners got their first taste ofSplatoon 3through the Splatfest World Premiere demo in August, introducing them to the Tricolor Turf War format that makes use of allthree idols in music group Deep Cut. Those who jumped into the full game on September 9 have had the opportunity to experience a lot more, including the Return of the Mammalians storyline, Salmon Run: Next Wave, and the Tableturf Battle card game. Now thatSplatoon 3’s first official Splatfest is here, players have more time to rally for their team, and with that comes more chances to encounter the new Festival Shell mechanic.
Festival Shells are part of a cumulative score multiplier that players can work toward as they compete for their Splatfest team. However,Splatoon 3also introduced Conch Shellsas a brand-new collectible prior to the deserted island Splatfest, which runs from September 23 to 25. Conch Shells are rewards for leveling up one’s Catalog during the Splatfest period, and act as free tokens for the Shell-Out gacha machine. Festival Shells are instead tied to battles directly, making it easier to earn rewards at the end of each major event.
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Splatoon 3: The Basics of Splatfests
Splatfests have been a tradition sinceSplatoonon Wii U, letting players choose a side and then duke it out to determine what would win. BothSplatoonandSplatoon 2featured Splatfests with two choices, from more generic debates like dogs versus cats to branded tie-ins like Spongebob versus Patrick. BecauseSplatoon 3’s idol group Deep Cut includes Shiver, Frye, and Big Man, Splatfests now have three choices such as what players would bring to a deserted island; gear, grub, or fun.
Turf War matches have been the main battleground for Splatfestsacross all three games, with each round’s victor determined by what team can ink the most ground on a variety of rotating maps. As players compete, they receive experience and rank up their title to have a chance of receiving more Super Sea Snails at the end of the event period (though the winning option always receives extra regardless of a player’s title). To make things more interesting,Splatoon 2also introduced “Clout,” a number tracked for each individual player so the Splatfest conclusion has a deciding vector beyond a team’s popularity and total win rate.
General multipliers for Clout have included team composition like matching articles of clothing and weapons, but 10x and 100x battles would also appear periodically.Splatoon 3makes 10x battles more common overall, and players want to make sure they focus up when theirTurf Wargets this distinction. Winning a 10x battle will get each member of the team a Festival Shell, and players will want to collect many.
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How Splatoon 3’s Festival Shells Boost Clout
Clout is accumulated during bothOpen and Pro Splatfest battlesregardless of whether a team wins or loses, but only victories can earn players a Festival Shell during 10x battles. Seven of these shells can be gathered at once, and if multiple players have a collection it increases the odds that a 100x battle will occur - though once that happens each players' Festival Shells will be removed.
While a 100x battle is exciting enough for players looking to maximize their Clout in support of Shiver, Frye, or Big Man, two opposing teams can trigger their Festival Shells at the same time. If so, the Turf War will have a 333x multiplier fitting the series' third entry (which also places an emphasis on the number “3” in areas like the single-player story). The amount of Clout on each team will help determine who is in the lead come each Splatfest’s Halftime Report, which in turn decides who will be thedefending team during Tricolor Turf Wars, so it’s worth watching shell counts during each limited-time event.
Splatoon 3is available now on Nintendo Switch.
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