Final ‘Splatoon’ Splatfest event pits Callie against Marie

By Danny Cowan Published June 30, 2016

Splatoon‘s sixteenth Splatfest will be its last, as Nintendo announced that the final community event for its ink-slinging Wii U third-person shooter will take place worldwide in July.

The final Splatfest will pit in-game commentators Callie and Marie against one another in a popularity contest, and the top Splatoon players from all regions will be honored in one last showcase event.

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“We’ve had 15 inkredible Splatfests so far!” Nintendo announced. “Time and time again, we’ve heard you pledge allegiance not to your favorite team choice, but to your favorite Squid Sister. Now, it’s time to show your support in the Squid Sisters Showdown! The theme is: Are you Team Callie or Team Marie?”

As in previous Splatfest events, players will pick a side to represent in a weekend series of Splatoon multiplayer battles. A winner will be determined based on popularity and player victories. All participating players will receive stat-boosting items at the event’s conclusion, with bonuses awarded to members of the winning team.

Previous Splatfest events in North America include “Burgers vs. Pizza,” “Cats vs. Dogs,” and the Transformers franchise tie-in “Autobots vs. Decepticons.” In February, Nintendo asked longtime fans to pick a favorite first-generation Pokemon game; Pokemon Blue came out on top as the preferred choice among veteran players.

Nintendo announced that it will pay tribute to Splatoon die-hards by honoring the final Splatfest’s top 100 players in each region.

“Players in Japan will be matched up with those in Japan, and the players in North America and Europe will be matched up with each other,” Nintendo explains. “The Top 100 Players will also be tallied and announced separately for Japan region and for North America and Europe regions. Though the results will be collected from all regions, they will be combined together and announced at the same time.”

Splatoon‘s last Splatfest event will kick off on Friday, July 22, at 2 a.m. PT. Festivities will conclude on Sunday, July 24. Splatoon players with a Nintendo Network ID will be invited to vote for the final Splatfest’s featured stages in the days leading up to the event.

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