During today’s Nintendo Direct presentation, The Big N served up a whole host of new details pertaining to one of the biggest titles headed to Wii U: Splatoon. So, let’s wipe the ink from the screen and breakdown the new info.
First and foremost, Nintendo will host a multiplayer beta for the third-person shooter and it’s coming sooner than you think. Due to kick off on Friday, May 8, the window of time for the demo has been limited to one hour tomorrow and on Sunday, May 9, with the Japanese publisher favouring quality over quantity as it nears Splatoon‘s anticipated release date.
Additionally, it’s understood that the shooter’s themed Amiibo figurines will unlock new activities within the game itself, while The Big N will host multiplayer events – known as Splatfests – irregularly in the months after launch, offering budding squids an opportunity to compete for lucrative prizes and other in-game wares.
For a full breakdown of today’s shotgun blast of information, check out Nintendo’s play-by-play analysis below.
Global Testfire: Wii U owners with a broadband Internet connection can now download from the Nintendo eShop a free special demo, which will enable them to participate in four-on-four Turf War battles in several one-hour demo events set at optimal times for global play. The first Testfire event is scheduled for 8-9 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, May 8, with additional opportunities on Saturday, May 9, at both 4-5 a.m. and 12-1 p.m. During the first one-hour demo event, Nintendo will be broadcasting a live stream hosted by game experts from Nintendo’s Treehouse as they play against other Testfire participants.
Four-on-Four Online Action: Players will have to think strategically when participating in Splatoon’s Turf War mode. Two stages are refreshed every four hours, meaning players will have to carefully consider weapons and tactics for the stages on hand. Different weapons work better in different stages, so players will discover depth in the weaponry as they focus their strategies on different two-stage pairings. After each four-on-four match, players are randomly reshuffled to form new teams, so sometimes players will be working with their friends and other times they’ll be looking to take them down.
Free Post-Launch Content: Five Turf War stages will be available at launch, but Nintendo will continue to add free new stages throughout summer 2015. Additionally, Nintendo plans to continually expand the game with new weapons, battle modes and gear. A major game update event in August will add two additional matchmaking options, including the ability for friends to form four-person teams and search for other four-person teams to battle against. The second option lets eight friends join up to battle in four-on-four matches on any stage and with any rules they want. The August update will also deliver a new battle mode and additional gear for characters to wear.
Color us excited: Splatoon is scheduled to launch exclusively for Wii U on May 29.