Splatfest Guide - Splatoon 3 Guide - IGN (2023)

Splatfests are the Splatoon series’ signature events. These are festivals where all Splatoon players get together to answer life’s toughest questions. For example, in previous games, Splatoon players have decided that the Chicken came before the Egg, Dogs are better pets than Cats, and Waffles are better than Pancakes—just to name a few! Splatoon 3 has expanded Splatfests to now include three choices, which means now even more answers can be determined. If you want to learn about Splatfests, you came to the right place! This page of IGN’s Splatoon 3 wiki guide contains everything you need to know about Splatfests—we cover differences between Splafest Open and Pro battles, how Tricolor Battles work, explain the difference between Conch Shells and Festival Shells and provide details about Synergy Bonus, Clout, and a whole bunch more!

• Click on any of the topics below to automatically scroll to that section of this page:
  
  • What Are Splatfests?
    
    • Splatfest Sneak Peak
    • Conch Shells
    • Splatfest Tees
    • Splatnet 3 Splatfest Integration
  • Splatfest Battles
    
    • Splatfest Open Battles
    • Open Battles - Synergy Bonus
    • Splatfest Pro Battles
    • Pro Battles - Splatfest Power
    • Tricolor Battles
  • Festival Shells - 10x, 100x, and 333x Battles
  • Clout Explained
  • Splatfest: Points, Rank, and Power Explained
  • How the Splatfest Winner is Determined
  • Splatfest Rewards

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What Are Splatfests?

Splatfests are special-themed Turf War events in Splatoon 3 that occur monthly and usually last 48 hours. One week prior to Splatfest, Deep Cut will choose opposing teams and provide their opinion of why their team is best. To participate in Splatfest, each player must decide to join one of the three teams. They’ll be affiliated with that team for the entire Splatfest.

During the event, Splatfest Battles will take place. Players are matched with others that selected their same Splatfest team. You then compete in 4 v 4 Turf Wars against players from one of the other teams. The stages are played at night instead of the usual daytime settings and feature special Splatfest music. Every time one team defeats another, the winning team earns Clout (we’ll cover this in more detail in the following sections). The team with the most Clout is the Splatfest champ!

After the first 24 hours of the Splatfest, Deep Cut will announce the halftime report which updates everyone on which team is currently in the lead. This also initiates the start of Tricolor Battles! These special battles are only playable on the final day of Splatfest and allow three teams to fight it out in the same match! Check out the Tricolor Battles section of this page for more details.

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The winner is determined by three factors: the most popular team, the team that earned the most Conch Shells during the Sneak Peak, and the team(s) that earns the most Clout. We go into greater detail on how the winner is determined in the Splatfest Results section of this page.

The Week Before Splatfest - "Sneak Peak"

Prior to Splatfest, scaffolding and construction can be seen in Splatsville as it sets up for the big bash. A Pledge Box will appear in the center of Splatsville. This is where players can choose which team they'll represent during Splatfest. Choose wisely because once you've made your selection, you cannot switch teams. After selecting a team, you'll receive your team's corresponding shirt which must be worn during Splatfest Battles. Choosing a team also allows you to make Splatfest Posts. Your posts may be displayed in-game as banners, graffiti, and billboards with your team's color during Splatfest.

Conch Shells

Conch Shells are a new item that only appears during Splatfests and in the week leading up to the main event. The week prior to Splatfests is known as the “Sneak Peak.” Once you have chosen a side, compete in either multiplayer PvP battles like Turf War or in Salmon Run modes. When you gain a Catalog Level increase, you'll now earn a Conch Shell each time you level up.

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Conch Shells are directly linked to the overall score for the Splatfest winner! The team that earns the most Conch Shells during the Splatfest Sneak Peak gets 10 points toward the final Splatfest score!

The Conch Shells you earn are tallied up for your team and are one of the determining factors for deciding the winner of Splatfest. They can also be used used as tokens to gain rewards from the Shell-Out machine, instead of spending the usual currency. Using Conch Shells does not take away from your team’s tall; they will also disappear from your inventory after the Splatfest concludes, so be sure to use them while you have them!

During Splatfests, you’ll earn 1.2x the regular amount of XP for your Catalog. This allows you to level up your Catalog even faster and in turn gain more Conch Shells!

Splatfest Tees

After selecting a Splatfest team, you will be loaned your Splatfest team’s shirt. This shirt gear must be worn to participate in Splatfest. Splatfest Tees get returned after Splatfest is over and therefore cannot be kept. The Main Ability for every Splatfest Tee is Ability Doubler. This perk doubles the effect of each of the Sub-abilities on the shirt.

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The shirt is 3-star, meaning has slots for three Sub-abilities. You can wear the Splatfest Tee before during the Sneak Peak before the Splatfest main event to unlock the Sub-abilities. Murch loves Splatfest and promotes a special offer to Scrub Splatfest Tees for 2,000 coins - instead of the usual 20,000. Remember—you’ll lose your Splatfest Tee as soon as the Splatfest is over, so be sure to scrub it for Ability Chunks BEFORE Splatfest ends.

Splatnet 3 Splatfest Integration

Splatnet 3 contains a unique feature that’s specifically for Splatfests. Surprisingly, neither the game nor the app really mentions this. Once a Splatfest is announced, visit the Splatfest option on Splatnet 3. You can view any of your friends, whether or not they signed up already, and if so on which team. You can even use this feature the week before Splatfest to inform your friends which team you’re most interested in before you’ve actually made your vote to officially join it! Check out our Splatnet 3 Guide for more info!

Use Splatnet 3 during Splatfest to see which team is most popular among your friends and help you decide which one might be your best option—remember that you can only squad up with friends who have chosen the same team. You can also view our How to Play to Splatoon 3 with Friends page if you’re looking to Splat around with your buddies.

At the end of the Splatfest, you can view the results and all your Splatfest stats on Splatnet 3. Additionally, the top 100 players from each team with the highest Splatfest Power will be featured on Splatnet 3 as the Splatfest Top 100!

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Splatfest Battles

During Splatfest, only Splatfest Battles are available in multiplayer (you cannot play Anarchy Battles, but can still play Private Battles and Salmon Run). Splatfest Battles are Turf War matches where the opposing teams compete to become the Splatfest victors. The stages are rotated like normal but are played at night instead of the usual daytime settings and feature special Splatfest music. Completing Splatfest Battles earns you Clout and Splatfest Points (as well as your regular XP, coins, etc).

• These topics are explained in further detail in the upcoming sections:
  
  • Clout are points earned from battles that are directly linked to your Splatfest team’s victory. To calculate the Splaftest results, the team with the most Clout in Open/Tricolor Battles earns 15 points, and the team with the most Clout in Pro Battles earns 10 points.
  • Splatfest Points are earned after every battle and are used to raise your Splatfest Rank.
  • Splatfest Rank is a tiered system that will determine how many Super Sea Snails you receive after Splatfest.

Splatfest can be played in three modes. Two of them, (Open and Pro) are available from the start of the main event. Tricolor Battles unlock at halftime (after the first 24hrs of the Splatfest). Both Open and Pro modes feature the same stages and Turf War Rules. The main differences between them are matchmaking and how Clout is earned. Tricolor Battles have their own rules which we’ll elaborate on in the upcoming section.

Splatfest Open Battles

You can play on your own, or join up with 1-3 Switch friends if they're on your same Splatfest team. Playing with fewer than four friends will add the appropriate number of other players to your team. In this mode, the amount you inked during the match and any win bonus you receive are added together to determine the amount of Clout you receive. This means that you’ll still receive Clout even if your team loses, you get won’t get the extra amount from the win bonus.

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During Open battles, when you select Continue or Change Gear and Continue, you’ll continue onto the next battle with the same team. This does not happen in Pro.

Open Battles - Synergy Bonus

If the combined look/style of all four teammates meets certain conditions, a Synergy Bonus is triggered. This bonus can multiply (between 1.1 and 2.0 times) the amount of Clout received when you win. Teams that meet these conditions are awarded a special team name, which is displayed at the start of a battle. These conditions are usually triggered when all four teammates share certain criteria. When you squad up with friends, try to coordinate your looks to get the largest Synergy Bonus you can!

• This is a list of the type of criteria the game considers.
  
  • Headgear: Name, Brand, and Type (caps, helmet, etc.)
  • Shoes: Name, Brand, and Type (boots, slip-ons, etc.)
  • Species, Hairstyle
  • Weapons, Special, Sub Weapons, Types, etc.

Open battles also feature winning streaks. If your team stays together and continues winning match after match, you’re more likely to match with other players on a winning streak or with players as close to your skill level as possible.

Splatfest Pro Battles

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You will not be able to keep the same team members in this mode. Pro battles are played with randomized matchmaking, and therefore, you cannot squad up with friends. Since the team members are different every match, there is no Synergy Bonus Winning Streak in this mode.

Clout is only earned when you win matches. Therefore, Pro battle losses hurt your Splatfest team more than Open battle losses. Losing Pro battles still earns a small amount of Splatfest Points (as well as your regular XP, coins, etc).

Pro Battles - Splatfest Power

As you play more Pro battles, you’ll develop Splatfest Power. Your power level will determine the types of players you’ll be matched up with/against. The average of all four team players’ Splatfest Power determines the overall Splatfest Power the team will have during that match. Defeating teams with higher Splatfest Power than yours earns you extra Clout!

At the end of the Splatfest, the top 100 players from each team with the highest Splatfest Power will be featured on Splatnet 3 as the Splatfest Top 100!

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Tricolor Battles

After the first 24hrs of a Splatfest, Deep Cut will provide their Halftime Report. The Halftime Report will announce which of the three teams is currently in the lead. Once the current leader is revealed, Tricolor Battles will become available! Tricolor Battles allow all three teams to play in one match together. These battles can be played alone or with friends, for the remaining 24hrs of the Splatfest.

Tricolor Battles - Leading Team/Defenders

If on you're on the leading team, you will not be able to select this mode. Instead, the Tricolor Battles will occur randomly for you while you play Open Battles. Tricolor will never appear while playing Pro Battles. If you're on any of the runner-up teams, you have the option to select Tricolor Battles. You can only squad up with one friend for Tricolor Battles. If the matchmaking is taking too long, it is possible that you'll be put into an Open Battle instead. You still stay in the Tricolor Battle queue though

The leading team will consist of 4 players, beginning in the middle of the stage, and can be considered the defender. The Defenders will need to work on protecting the Ultra Signal in the middle of the stage. If activated by the attackers, it calls on Deep Cut to deploy the Sprinkler of Doom, a device that inks turf automatically.

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Protecting the Ultra Signal isn't enough to win for the defenders. They must also ink more turf than both of the attacking teams. When defenders win a Tricolor Battle they'll earn Clout just like Open Battles, but receive a 3000 Clout bonus for winning the match instead of the usual 1000. If they lose they only earn Clout equal to how much turf they inked.

The very first time you ever win a Tricolor Battle, you'll receive the Tricolor Turf War Win - Defender badge.

Tricolor Battles - Runner-Up Teams/Attackers

The Attackers are composed of two groups of two players from the runner-up Splatfest teams. Each team will start on their respective side of the stage like normal. The goal of the attackers is to get the Ultra Signal. The Ultra Signal takes time to secure and leaves players vulnerable. The time spent securing it carries over with each attempt. Therefore if you're splatted while trying to secure the Ultra Stamp, the next chance time an attacker tries securing the Ultra Signal, it'll be faster to complete!

Even though the two attacking teams are on the same side (working against the Defenders), they are still competing against each other for Clout in order to be the winner of the Splatfest. This means that Attackers can attack and splat each other as well as the Defenders. This shouldn't be your focus though. The goal is for both attacking teams to ink more turf than the defenders.

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The Clout earned by the attacking teams is largely based on whether or not they defeated the defenders. Additionally, the Clout attackers can earn is also based on their Splatfest Rank, the number of attempts the team made on Ultra Signals, and how many Ultra Signals a team secured. There are a total of two Ultra Signals available in each match of Tricolor Battles.

The very first time you ever win a Tricolor Battle, you'll receive the Tricolor Turf War Win - Attacker badge.

Festival Shells - 10x, 100x, and 333x Battles

As you compete in Splatfest Battles, you may come across special 10x Battles. When these battles occur, you’ll be notified at the start of the match. Winning a 10x Battle will multiply the Clout you earned during that match by ten! These are super effective in helping your team claim Splatfest victory!

Each time you win a 10x Battle, you’ll earn Festival Shells. These are not the same thing as Conch Shells. Festival Shells are counters that appear on the battle select screen in the lobby. Each Festival Shell icon you have increases the chance of you encountering more 10x Battles. Gain more festival shells will also drastically increase the odds of encountering a 100x Battle. It’s even possible to gain enough shells to participate in the super-rare 333x Battles!

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Note that the Festival Shells you earn do not transfer between Open or Pro Battles. Each mode contains its own amount. Most importantly, you’ll lose your Festival Shells if you play a 100x, or 333x Battle and win!

Clout Explained - Ways to Earn Clout

As we previously mentioned in this guide, "Clout" is the points earned from battles that are directly linked to your Splatfest team’s victory. The Splatfest winner is determined by who earned the most in each category: Most Popular, Most Conch Shells (during the Sneak Peak), and Most Clout. How you earn Clout depends on the type of Splatfest Battles you play.

• Clout earned from Open Battles: The amount of turf you've inked during the match will be the amount of Clout you receive. This Clout is earned whether or not you win the match. You'll gain an additional 1000 Clout if you win the match. In Open battles winning matches also boosts the amount of Clout you earn from your Synergy Bonus.
• Clout from Pro Battles: Clout is only earned when you win matches. Therefore, Pro battle losses hurt your Splatfest team more than Open battle losses. Losing Pro battles still earns a small amount of Splatfest Points (as well as your regular XP, coins, etc). The amount of Clout earned when you win depends on the opposing team's Splatfest Power.
• Clout from Tricolor Battles: For the Defenders, the Clout earned from Tricolor Battles works just like Open Battles, except they earn a bonus of 3000 Clout for winning instead of the usual 1000. The Clout earned by the attacking teams is largely based on whether or not they defeated the defenders. Additionally, the Clout attackers can earn is also based on their Splatfest Rank, the number of attempts the team made on Ultra Signals, and how many Ultra Signals a team secured.

Clout earned in Open/Tricolor Battles and Clout earned in Pro Battles are scored separately. The Splatfest results favor the Open/Tricolor Battles above Pro Battles. The team with the most Clout in Open/Tricolor Battles earns 15 points. Whereas the team with the most Clout in Pro Battles only earns 10 points.

Splatfest Points, Splatfest Rank, Splatfest Power Explained

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Splatfest Points

Splatfest Points (SP) are earned after every battle and are used to raise your Splatfest Rank. You’ll earn SP whether or not you won the battle, regardless of which Splatfest mode you play. Inking at least 400p of turf during a match earns you 20 SP. Winning the match earns you an extra 60 SP or 20 SP if you lost the match instead. The Synergy Bonus (only possible in Open/Tricolor Battles), multiples the amount of SP earned in Open Battles.

Splatfest Rank

Your Splatfest Rank determines how many Super Sea Snails you’ll receive at the end of the Splatfest. The higher your rank, the more you’ll receive. Your Splatfest Rank starts as a “Fan.” Earning 100 SP ranks you up to “Fiend.” Earning 250 SP after Fiend ranks you to “Defender”.Earn 500 SP on Defender to unlock the penultimate rank of “Champion.” On Champion rank, you’ll then need 999 SP to reach the final ranking of “Ruler.” When you reach "Ruler" for the very first time in any Spaltest, you'll also earn the Ruler of Splatfest Badge.

When you reach "Ruler," you'll continue earning Splatfest Points and increasing your Splatfest Rank. This will result in Ruler +1, Ruler +2, etc. This is mainly for bragging rights and will not affect the number of Super Sea Snails you receive as your Splatfest reward.

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Splatfest Power

Splatfest Power ("Team Name" Power)is only used with Pro Battles. As you win Pro Battles, you’re Splatfest Power will increase. Your power level determines the types of players you’ll be matched up with/against. The average of all four team players’ Splatfest Power determines the overall Splatfest Power the team will have during that match. Defeating teams with higher Splatfest Power than yours earns you extra Clout! At the end of the Splatfest, the top 100 players with the highest Splatfest Power will be featured on Splatnet 3 as the Splatfest Top 100!

How the Splatfest Winner is Determined

Splatfest Results are determined by three factors: popularity, Conch Shells, and Clout. The team that receives the most votes earns 10 points. The team that earns the most Conch Shells during the Splatfest Sneak Peak earns 10 points. The team with the most Clout in Open/Tricolor Battles earns 15 points, and the team with the most Clout in Pro Battles earns 10 points. All these points are added together to determine the Splatfest winner.

Splatfest Rewards - Super Sea Snails

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Aside from bragging rights, and establishing the definitive answer to a Splatfest’s question, the reward for completing Splatfests is a certain number of Super Sea Snails. The amount of snails you receive is determined by your Splatfest Rank and whether or not your team won the Splatfest. Super Sea Snails are given to Murch to upgrade gear and reroll slots. The ranking and snails earned are listed in the table below.