Splatoon 3 beta debuts later this month in the form of Splatfest

Splatoon 3 is getting a special Splatfest that'll act as a beta later this month.

Earlier today, Nintendo pulled back the curtain on the latest details for Splatoon 3 at a special Nintendo Direct presentation dedicated to the new shooter, sporting 30 minutes of brand new reveals and gameplay. It's here that Nintendo revealed a special Splatfest before Splatoon 3's launch, debuting later this month on August 27.

This Splatfest, which is basically a public beta for anyone with a Nintendo Switch, will take place between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. PT on August 27. There'll be three teams to choose between for the forthcoming battle: rock, paper, and scissors, each governed by Frye, Shiver, and Big Man, the trio of new hosts for this sequel.

The promise of a new beta for Splatoon 3 shouldn't come as a massive surprise for fans. After all, Nintendo held multiple "global testfire" sessions for Splatoon 2 before the sequel shooter originally launched in 2017, so there were plenty of opportunities for players worldwide to get their hands on the game before launch.

As for Splatoon 3, there's now less than a month before the latest in the zany series launches on the Nintendo Switch. Splatoon 3 launches on September 9, and you can head to our full Splatoon 3 weapons guide to see a complete catalogue of all the brand new and returning weapons revealed for the new game. 

There's also a dazzling Splatoon 3 edition of the Nintendo Switch OLED console launching later this month on August 26.