Splatoon 3 Reveals Spring Splatfest Theme and Free Gear

It's only been two weeks since the last Splatfest came to an end, but Nintendo has wasted no time announcing plans for the next big Splatoon 3 event. Kicking off on April 19th, the Spring Fest event will have a theme centered around adorable animals. The game is asking players "which fuzzy fluffiness do you like most?" and the trio of options include Baby Chicks, Li'l Bunnies, and Bear Cubs. As usual, each Deep Cut idol will be backing one team during the Splatfest, with Shiver on Team Baby Chicks, Frye on Team Li'l Bunnies, and Big Man on Team Bear Cubs. 

Promotional art for the new Splatfest theme can be found below. 

New Looks for Spring

During Spring Fest, all of the idols spanning the Splatoon franchise will be sporting new looks. In Splatsville, the three Deep Cut members will be sporting bright pastel colors that really pop! Players that purchased the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass can also find Callie and Marie sporting springtime designs in Inkopolis Plaza. Players that have beaten the Side Order DLC will also see Pearl and Marina in Inkopolis. Curiously, the Off the Hook duo will not be sporting pastel colors. As Twitter user SmashMarioPro2000 points out, the designs the characters are wearing seem to be based on unused concept art designs from Splatoon 2, which is kind of a cool touch! 

The idols aren't the only ones that will have new clothing options. Nintendo Switch users can snag a bunch of free gear from the system's News tab. As with past items that have been given out through the News tab, once claimed from there, players must then go snag them from Splatoon 3's Lobby Terminal under the "Get Stuff" section. These free avatar items include four varieties of Shades: Teal Pinhole, Pink Pinhole, Green Pinhole, and Yellow Pinhole. There are also nine pairs of footwear: Trifecta Duck Boots, Trifecta Sandals, Trifecta Hi-Tops, Fried Squidkid III, Big Squidkid III, Shivery Squidkid III, Swirled DC Toejamz, Jeweled DC Toejamz, and Chained DC Toejams. Last but not least, there's also a Spring themed Splashtag Banner. 

Final Chance to Play Splatoon 1 Online

While Splatoon 3 players will have a bunch of new content to look forward to this month, fans of the Wii U are running out of time to play the original game online. On Monday, April 8th, online services for the Wii U will cease, meaning that only Splatoon's single-player campaign will still be playable. This won't have any impact on the two Splatoon games on Nintendo Switch, but it's bound to be sad news for those that have been with the series since it started. With just hours left to go, fans should try to get in a few matches before it all comes to an end! 

How do you feel about this new Splatfest theme in Splatoon 3? Which team do you plan on repping in the Spring Fest event? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!