As the Nintendo Switch inching closer to its release date, theSplatoonseries capitalizes on the hype and releases an all-new multiplayer map for one of the console’s launch titles,Splatoon 2.
Where Nintendo’s past endeavors with the Wii U faltered, bringing with them poor consumer reception and multiple missed sales targets, it seems the Switch has a strong vision of what it intends to be and, perhaps most importantly, what it can offer its users. Since the officialpresentation eventheld in January of this year, theNintendo Switchhas had many fans in a bit of a tizzy, some even going so far as to steal andleak pre-order consoles. Suffice it to say, players want the Switch and everything that comes with it. And the quirky ink-blasting shooter seriesSplatoonrecognizes that, and has taken advantage of fans' excitement to boost anticipation for one of the console’s biggest launch titles:Splatoon 2.
Over on the JapaneseSplatoonTwitteraccount, three teaser images ofSplatoon2’s newest multiplayer map were revealed. This latest addition is entitled the “Diadema Amphitheater,” and players can splatter the map with colorful ink when the game hits the Switchthis summer. Additionally, the sneak peek stills are accompanied by a lengthy caption describing the map in more detail. Given that the account’s tweet is entirely in Japanese, only rough translations have been provided of what those specifics are exactly.
According toAttack of the Fanboy, the Diadema Amphitheater (or simply Diadema Theater) is a “sacred place for the Inkling population,” and has been named as such because the theater “once played host to the Squid Squad, whose songs you likely heard in the background of your manySplatoonmatches.” The translation provided by Twitter, on the other hand, seems to describe the Diadema Amphitheater as a “holy place” where the Squid Squad once “lived,” but now “various artists” can hold concerts there. But don’t worry, the theater’s equipment “does not fail in ink,” so fire away during a Turf War without hesitation.
Take a look at the Diadema Amphitheater images below:
By the looks of these first stills, many believe Diadema Amphitheater will shape up to be a fairly standardSplatoonmultiplayer map. However, the new landscape also seems to offer more opportunities for exploration, as the layout doesn’t look as constrained as previousSplatoonmaps. While this may spell trouble for players as they struggle to gain control of the center of the map, it also provides users with more of what they know and love out ofSplatoon: all-out fun that only sometimes borders on chaos.
With a newer and more open multiplayer map coming toSplatoon 2this summer, it seems likely that a great deal of people on the fence about the Nintendo Switch may be swayed to pick one up for themselves. Similarly, the Diadema Amphitheater map may be enough to change the minds of those who arguedSplatoon 2would be a sloppy rehashing of the originalSplatoon.Considering that Nintendo will likely pack more improvements into the title before it reaches the Switch, it’s certainly a possibility that even more fans will be converted.
If the high-energy third-person shooter game can hold its own against other launch titles likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandMario Kart 8Deluxe, it has the potential to be a smash hit.
Splatoon 2is set to release on the Nintendo Switch in summer 2017.
