The end of something is always something people will be sad about. However, an ending can also lead to a new beginning! For Splatoon 3, it’s been going strong since 2022, being a best-seller on the Nintendo Switch and expanding the franchise in various ways, including introducing new concepts like the Big Run and the Tableturf card game! Yet, today, the end has truly begun, as tonight, the official “Grand Festival” for the game begins, which is the final Splatfest for the title. To ensure that it goes off “without a hitch,” a new patch for the game has dropped to fix some things before the grand event.
As noted by Nintendo, the game’s update will focus on not just uploading the Grand Festival to your game copy, but fixing key bugs in the titles various modes. Both the mainline multiplayer modes and Salmon Run have gotten some updates, thanks to this new patch. One of those fixes pertains to the songs, as some tracks were apparently being played repeatedly instead of going to other tracks in the playlist. That’s a big fix, as there’s a new song featuring all the idol groups to celebrate their coming together for the final event, so you don’t want to miss that!
The theme of the Grand Festival Splatfest is “Past, Present, And Future.” That’s apt, given the returning idols, as each represents a period of time for franchise players. Callie and Maria, AKA the Squid Sisters, represent the “past,” as they were the first idol group in the game. Then, Pearl and Marina of Off The Hook came in at the dawn of the Switch’s lifecycle, which is still going on, and thus, they are the “present.” Finally, Deep Cut, featuring Shiver, Frye, and Big Man, is the “future,” as they’re the ones who have helped guide Splatoon 3 to new places and will be the ones to send it off to wherever things head next!
No matter which side you’re on, the Grand Festival will be something truly special. First off, it’ll be going on for four days instead of three, which will ensure people have plenty of time to play it. Second, you’ll get plenty of opportunities to see your favorite idol groups perform, and getting a group photo with them has never been easier!
As longtime series fans know, the result of this Grand Festival will affect how things look and sound in the next game, which will likely come to Switch 2. So make your final Splatfest choice wisely!
