Tokyo International News Agency

On the night of the 19th, "MECHATSU-A," a unit comprising eight synchronized debut members (genmates) from the popular virtual YouTuber (VTuber) group Nijisanji, hosted an impromptu private match stream of Nintendo's hit action shooter Splatoon 3 , sparking a massive wave of excitement across social media. This surprise collaboration began with almost no prior announcement, catching fans completely off guard. Members including Sho Hoshibe, Kagetsu Murakumo, and Wen Akagi went live on their respective YouTube channels, allowing fans to enjoy the chaotic action from multiple perspectives. Fans Overjoyed by the Bond of the Eight Genmates While the members of MECHATSU-A typically focus on their own individual streaming activities to showcase their unique personalities, seeing all eight gather suddenly for a large-scale gaming session was a dream come true for their audience. Fans flooded social media with comments like, "I love that they usually do their own things, but ...

The latest collaboration Splatfest in the popular Nintendo Switch game Splatoon 3 , titled "Which is strongest? Speed vs. Power vs. Tech" (held in collaboration with the manga Splatoon Raiders ), has concluded with Team Power claiming the ultimate victory. Team Power dominated the competition, securing a final score of 365 points, compared to 285 for Team Speed and 220 for Team Tech. Immediately after the event concluded, the term "Super Sea Snail" (known as "Super Sazae" in Japanese) rapidly shot to the number one trending spot on social media, sparking massive excitement among the community. What are the "Super Sea Snails" that have Splatoon players so hyped? "Super Sea Snails" are highly valuable in-game items awarded to players based on their Splatfest performance and overall rank. Players use them to increase the star power (rarity) of their favorite gear or to reroll their gear's sub-abilities. For many players, these snails a...

Numerous songs from the popular game Splatoon 3 have been added to the smartphone app Nintendo Music , available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, generating significant buzz among fans. This update includes a total of 112 songs, primarily those featured in Splatoon 3 's additional content, "Grand Festival" and "Side Order." This expands the Splatoon series' total music library to 230 songs, offering a combined 8 hours and 34 minutes of musical enjoyment. On social media, fans have erupted in cheers over the long-awaited music additions. Comments expressing surprise and delight, such as "Grand Festival songs are here!" and "Side Order tracks have been added!" are flooding in. The inclusion of popular tracks like "Time Tribe," "Counter Stop," "Saikai O-neno-nenon," and "Bad Tide" has garnered enthusiastic responses, with users calling them "god-tier," "super hype," and ...

Nintendo's music streaming service, "Nintendo Music," has added 112 new tracks from "Splatoon 3," receiving an enthusiastic welcome from fans. With this update, the total number of songs available on the service is now 230, allowing users to enjoy their favorite game music anytime, anywhere. The newly added tracks primarily come from the highly popular downloadable content (DLC) "Side Order" and "Grand Festival." Specifically, many long-awaited songs are included, such as background music from "Side Order," "Ultra C-Side Mix Modern," "Grand C-Side Ultra Mix Modern," "Bad Tides," "Monologue," "Order Tune," "Octobot King Battle BGM," and "Nuraneba Seven." On social media, numerous joyful comments have been posted, including "So hyped!", "God-tier!", "I've been waiting for this!", "Yay!", and "Thank you, Nintendo Music...

Popular game "Splatoon 3" has announced the introduction of a new element, "Ika Flow State," in the upcoming Ver. 11.0.0 update, sparking significant discussion on social media. This new feature is being debated among players with a mix of anticipation and concern. According to the official announcement, "Ika Flow State" activates when players perform well, such as by splatting opponents in quick succession within a short time. Upon activation, the ink inside the squids' bodies boils, and their muscles pulsate. This overflow of ink not only spreads ink in the surroundings but also grants a powerful buff that enhances mobility. Some users have also pointed out the possibility of faster ink recovery while submerged, drawing attention to the feature's full details. The player community has voiced various opinions regarding this "Ika Flow State." Many users expressed high expectations, saying things like "Ika Flow State sounds crazy,...

Nintendo's popular game "Splatoon 3" has announced a significant overhaul of its "hitboxes" in the upcoming Ver. 11.0.0, a change so fundamental it's sending ripples through the player community. The official announcement on X (formerly Twitter) revealed that the shrinking of hitboxes for Inkling/Octoling (squid/octopus) form and adjustments to weapon projectile hitboxes are expected to profoundly impact future strategies and weapon choices. The context Splatoon 3 is a highly popular third-person shooter video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Players control characters called Inklings or Octolings, who can transform between a humanoid form (for wielding weapons) and a squid/octopus form (for swimming through ink, reloading, and stealth). Hitboxes are invisible geometric shapes in video games used to detect collisions with attacks. Changes to these can drastically alter gameplay dynamics, making characters easier or harder to ...

Team divisions for "Nijisanji Splat Festival 2025," a popular gaming event hosted by the VTuber group "Nijisanji," were announced on December 6th, generating significant buzz, especially on social media. Following the tournament explanation and lottery stream by Nagao Kei, anticipation for the main competition has rapidly escalated. This tournament features Nijisanji livers engaging in fierce battles within the popular shooting game "Splatoon 3." It will be livestreamed on the official Nijisanji YouTube channel over two days: Saturday, December 13th, and Sunday, December 14th. The tournament is comprised of three divisions: "Beginner/Intermediate," "Advanced," and the "DREAM MATCH," which features a star-studded lineup of members. The "DREAM MATCH" is drawing particular attention, with popular and skilled livers such as Kuzuha, Fuwa Minato, Sasaking, Ex Albio, Hoshirube Sho, Lauren Iroas, and Hanabatake Chaika partic...

Nintendo's popular game 'Splatoon 3' has announced its next major event, 'Big Run,' will take place at 'Taraport Shopping Park' from Saturday, December 13th, 9:00 AM to Monday, December 15th, 9:00 AM. This announcement came from the official 'Splatoon' X (formerly Twitter) account. Grizzco Industries has also issued a warning: 'There is a possibility of King Salmonids landing, so please be extremely careful.' This has created a mix of anticipation and tension among players. Following this announcement, social media was flooded with joyful comments like 'Big Run is here!' and 'WAGYAAA Big Run!!' Many players expressed their enthusiasm, saying things such as 'I might actually play properly for the first time in a while' and 'Big Run is practically an obligation, isn't it?' The chosen stage for the event, 'Taraport Shopping Park,' has received high praise from players, with comments like 'It's ...

A new limited-time event, the 'Senbatsu Event Match,' has been announced for the popular game 'Splatoon 3,' generating significant buzz on social media. According to the official announcement, this special match will be held exclusively for top performers in the X Ranking (those who finished in the Top 1000 in 'Splat Zones' during the previous season) for two hours, from 5 PM to 7 PM on Saturday, December 6th. The rules will follow the 'Splat Zones' mode. Many users have pointed out that the name 'Senbatsu' is a unique pun, combining 'Senban' (千番, meaning 'thousandth place' or 'number one thousand' from the X Ranking) with 'Senbatsu' (選抜, meaning 'selection' or 'tournament'), referring to the 'National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament' hosted by the Japan High School Baseball Federation. In response to this announcement, players have expressed high expectations, with comments su...

The latest game balance adjustment update for the popular shooting game "Splatoon 3" has caused a significant stir in the player community, as the highly popular and powerful weapon "S-Blaster" was not nerfed. Many users have expressed their dissatisfaction with this adjustment, citing its overwhelming strength. The "S-Blaster" has long been recognized as one of the "meta weapons" dominating the competitive environment due to its high kill speed, mobility, and one-on-one combat performance. Players who prefer short-range weapons, in particular, have cried out, "The S-Blaster is completely messing up the meta, short-range weapons can't breathe!" and "The current meta makes one-on-one combat impossible!" In response to the S-Blaster not being adjusted in this update, numerous posts on X (formerly Twitter) expressed disappointment, such as "No S-Blaster nerf...? I see, I see," "They're letting the S-Blaster...

In the popular game "Splatoon 3," Mr. Grizz's company has announced the next "Big Run" event, generating significant buzz, especially on social media. This upcoming Big Run will take place from 9 AM JST on Saturday, September 20th, to 9 AM JST on Monday, September 22nd, set in the Spawning Grounds map. Mr. Grizz's company has issued a warning, stating, "There is a possibility of King Salmonids landing, so please be extremely cautious. We ask for your cooperation to protect your way of life from the Salmonids," anticipating one of the largest assaults to date. Following this announcement, many players expressed their excitement on X (formerly Twitter). Comments filled with anticipation poured in, such as "Big Run is happening!", "So excited for Big Run! 🔫❤️‍🔥", and "It's time to go all out again! 🔥". Some users even changed existing plans to participate in Big Run. Posts like "Decided to postpone my trip to ...

The announcement of the next major event, 'Big Run,' for the popular game 'Splatoon 3' has been met with significant excitement on social media. According to an announcement from Grizzco Industries posted on Nintendo Co., Ltd.'s official X (formerly Twitter) account 'Splatoon,' the next Big Run will take place from 9:00 AM on Saturday, September 20th, until 9:00 AM on Monday, September 22nd, at Namplar Ruins. Players are called upon to cooperate in defending the city from the Salmonids, with particular vigilance urged due to the potential landing of Boss Salmonids. Following this announcement, numerous enthusiastic posts like 'Big Run is here!!' and 'It's Big Run time!!!!' have flooded X (formerly Twitter). Many players fondly recalled past Big Run events at Namplar Ruins, with comments such as 'I remember the Big Run at Namplar being amazing' and 'Namplar!! So happy because the last big Big Run there was so much fun!!'. C...