Splatoon Going Esports? Team Matchmaking Coming, New Map Revealed

Nintendo has made a series of announcements for Splatoon that seem to indicate they will be transitioning it to be more eSports friendly very soon.

It all starts with their latest announced map, Camp Triggerfish. They joke about players camping, but you are still unlikely to find success with that strategy on this map. This map is composed of a series of floodgates, that open and close to suit each game mode. In Ranked Battle, the gates are down forever, making everyone free game. In Turf War, the gates do not go down until there is only one minute left on the clock. Tower Control is especially difficult, as the tower’s path puts the defending Inkling constantly surrounded by water.

Camp Triggerfish is an interesting map that adds variety, but here’s the real interesting stuff. Nintendo shared a new trailer announcing team matchmaking would be coming soon, along with more maps and gear.

Of course, team matchmaking is a prerequisite to competitive play, and while one could argue Nintendo is just adding it for fun, there is also another believable possibility. Nintendo may have been planning to implement competitive elements into the game as more good players came in, and are simply acting according to plan.

Fans can’t seem to angry if Splatoon is ready for eSports, with voice chat and LAN the biggest complaints that some say holds the game back from this. What do you think? Do you even want Splatoon to be eSports? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.