Nintendo partners with Hasbro for Transformers-themed Splatoon event

By Danny Cowan August 19, 2015

splatoon transformers splatfest announced tumblr nt9gow7sws1u3akyno5 1280 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Splatoon‘s next Splatfest event will ask players to pick a side in a decades-spanning battle that rages on in popular culture: Autobot or Decepticon?

Publisher Nintendo partnered with toy manufacturer Hasbro for the limited-time promotion, which will introduce Transformers-themed clothing for Splatoon‘s playable characters.

Splatfest events in the turf-claiming Wii U shooter Splatoon challenge players to pick a faction and compete in a series of team-based battles to decide a winner. The winning side is determined via a mixture of popular vote and in-game wins tallied for each faction.

“A Splatfest celebration lasts for 24 hours, during which players head into battle and try to rack up Turf War wins for their side,” Nintendo stated. “While the Splatfest is ongoing, in-game characters get to wear a special T-shirt that shows which Transformers team has their allegiance. The ink that each team shoots will also be customized to match the color scheme of the chosen side.”

Dedicated players on either side will level up in devotion and earn points for their cause throughout the 24-hour event. Afterward, all participants will receive limited-use items that imbue character equipment with new abilities. Players on the winning side will receive a greater quantity of rewards.

Nintendo’s most recent Splatfest event in North America asked players to determine whether hot dogs or marshmallows are the superior choice at a cookout. Marshmallows emerged as the overall victor by a wide margin in popular vote, while Team Hot Dog players won more matches.

The debut Splatfest event determined that dogs were more popular than cats among Splatoon players. The game’s playerbase later made a case for rollercoasters, which edged out waterslides in a close battle for theme park supremacy. Japanese players have previously competed for causes like “rice versus bread,” while the most recent Splatfest in Europe found rock music victorious over the forces of pop.

Nintendo’s Transformers-themed Splatfest event will begin at 9 p.m. PDT on August 28, and will conclude at 9 p.m. on August 29.

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