‘Splatoon 3’ will include a spin-off card game

The card game, which is titled Tableturf Battle, is described as a “1 vs 1 competitive card-battle”, and will be available to play at the Tableturf Battle Dojo in Splatsville. The objective is to “ink different shapes with different cards”, covering the majority of the board in ink before the time limit runs out, just like the game mode that acts as its inspiration.

There are over 150 total cards to collect, and each player will be given a free in-game starter deck. More details will be shared in the future, with there being the lingering question of how cards can be obtained and if there will be additional incentives to play.

Get ready for a dazzling deck duel with Tableturf Battle, a 1 vs 1 competitive
card-battle spinoff of Turf War you can play on the go! #Splatoon3 pic.twitter.com/Oo9AQhV76n

— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) August 10, 2022

The Direct gave players a comprehensive look at what will be included both at launch in the game, and post-launch as free updates. The game will come with a total of 12 multiplayer maps on release, which is an increase over the eight that were in Splatoon 2 at launch.

New stages will also be added for free in the future, with new catalogs and weapons coming every three months. There are also plans for “large-scale paid DLC”, which the franchise has previously seen with the likes of the Octo Expansion.

Players can try out Splatoon 3 later this month on August 27 in a free Splatfest event, which will run from 9AM – 9PM local time. The Splatfest will be a two-part challenge featuring standard Turf War and new tricolour matches. Splatoon 3 releases exclusively for Nintendo Switch on September 9.

In other news, Monolith Productions has hired a senior writer for its upcoming Wonder Woman game. The writer was previously working on an unannounced Dungeons & Dragons title.