If you’re a fan of strategy, then the Nintendo Switch exclusive Tetris 99 has likely been a staple of your gaming rotation for the last several months. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is another excellent strategy game you can only play on Switch, and fans of both games can get rewarded during the Tetris 99 Maximus Cup event this weekend.
Free to all Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, the Maximus Cup event runs from 3 a.m. ET on August 23 to 2:59 a.m. ET on August 27. The gameplay during this event will be the same as in normal Tetris 99 battle royale, with your goal being to survive longer than all 98 other players. Depending on your final placement, you get points for the match, and racking up 100 total points will unlock a special Fire Emblem: Three Houses theme for the game. This theme includes a background for your normal Tetris 99 game, of course, but also new music and even block designs. The breakdown for points earned is as follows:
- 1st place: 100 points
- 2nd place: 50 points
- 3rd place: 30 points
- 4th-10th place: 20 points
- 11th-30th place: 15 points
- 31st-50th place: 10 points
- 51st-90th place: 5 points
- 91st-99th place: 1 point
Because of the severe dropoff as you get lower in the standings, it will take quite a bit of time for unskilled players to get the Fire Emblem: Three Houses theme. However, matches in Tetris 99 are short enough that you can still easily acquire it by the end of the weekend, even if you get knocked out early in most of your games.
This isn’t the first special event that Tetris 99 has held, but few games fit the white-knuckled strategy of the game as well as Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The good news for newcomers to the Fire Emblem series is that Three Houses is less difficult than past games, and it still features the “casual” mode that removes permanent death from the equation. With three completely separate story paths you can take, it’s also one of the best values on the Nintendo Switch.
Tetris 99 is available to download for free from the Nintendo Switch eShop. Paid Big Block DLC, which adds two modes to the game, including standard marathon mode, is also available.
