Announced as part of a squid-dedicated Nintendo Direct, a free Splatoon Global Testfire demo is available to download from Nintendo eShop for Wii U enabling users with a broadband internet connection to play, at specified time periods, up to 3 hours of 4-on-4 online Turf War battles on Saturday 9th May only!

Announced during the Nintendo Direct broadcast, players can look out for a raft of free post-launch content coming their way after 29th May, with the release of new stages, weapons, gear and modes that will continuously evolve the gameplay experience.

The aforementioned Nintendo Direct also revealed a whooping amount of juicy details:

  • Global Testfire demo: Players can download the free demo now. This demo will then go live for 1-hour periods at the following times on Saturday 9th May: 04:00 BST, 12:00 BST and 20:00 BST. When live, users will get the chance to jump online and play in 4-on-4 Turf War battles against other players including representatives of Nintendo reps
  • Demo discount: Players who download the demo can also claim a 10% discount off the price of Splatoon on Nintendo eShop, with the offer starting on 29th May and lasting until 4th June.
  • 4-on-4 online action: Players will need to think strategically when participating in online matches. Two stages are refreshed every four hours with an official announcement in-game to sound the changes, meaning players will have to carefully consider weapons and tactics for the stages that lie in wait. Different weapons work better in different stages, so players will discover depth in the weaponry as they focus their strategies on different 2-stage pairings. After each 4-on-4 match, players are randomly reshuffled to form new teams, so players will either play with or against friends.
  • Free post-launch content: Five stages will be available out of the box: Urchin Underpass, Saltspray Rig, Walleye Warehouse, Blackbelly Skatepark and Arowana Mall. Nintendo will add new stages every few weeks that require even more skill to master. Additionally, players can also look forward to experiencing new weapons, along with a Ranked Battle mode named Tower Control. A major game update event in August will add further friend matchmaking functionality to enable 4 players to form a team and battle against other teams, along with the option to create private 8-player matches with just friends. Also coming in August is a mysterious third Ranked Battle mode, Rainmaker, a whole new line of items to spruce up a player’s battle appearance, plus more!
  • Splatfests: Themed events called Splatfest will have players choose a side to represent. These events will feature their own ranking system, and based on a player’s overall rank, a valuable item called Super Sea Snail may even be received once the event has ended, helping to freshen up your gear. The first Splatfest on 27th June, with the theme being “Which music do you prefer: rock or pop?”. For this first Splatfest, Super Sea Snails will be awarded to the winning side!