By Jon Scarr
If you follow Splatoon at all, this weekend might be worth bookmarking. The Splatoon 3 North American League Playoffs are happening December 13 and 14, and every match will be streamed live. You can catch it all starting at 12 p.m. PT on Nintendo’s YouTube channel.
This playoff run has actually been building for months. The league has been grinding through preseason weeks, regular season events, and Saturday brackets that trimmed things down to the best squads in North America. Fridays turned into recap and talk show days, Saturdays were sweat time, and Sundays were laid back Salmon Run sessions where anyone could jump in. It created this rhythm where even casual fans could check in or play along.
Eight teams made it through the standings and now it all comes down to this final weekend. If you have watched Splatoon esports before, you know the pace never really lets up. The push and pull ink fights get messy, tense, and honestly more entertaining than you expect until you see it live.
Nintendo also shared the final season standings, which helps put these playoffs in perspective. Milky Way sits at the top, followed closely by FTWin and fofofo, with Moonlight rounding out the top four. Seeing how close the points are really highlights how competitive this league became. Even the eighth place cut off, healthy diet FC, needed strong finishes to secure their spot. When you look at it this way, the playoffs feel less like a casual community showdown and more like the culmination of a full season grind.
A Small Bonus for Those Who Participated in the League
There is also a nice perk for those who actually competed this season. Nintendo Switch Online members who participated in at least three league events will receive Splatoon themed profile icon parts in January. It is a small reward, but it is a thoughtful way for Nintendo to acknowledge participation.
I will probably have the stream on while doing weekend things. Splatoon matches make great background chaos, and you catch some impressive moves without needing full attention. What about you? Are you planning to tune in or jump into Salmon Run yourself?