As Splatoon 3 says goodbye to regular updates, fans think they've already uncovered the future of the Nintendo series

Splatoon 3's biggest event is over, and so are the colorful third-person shooter's regular updates. However, squid kids everywhere are now fully focused on the series' future, which they think they've already worked out.

Over the weekend, Splatoon 3's Grand Festival took place - its most important Splatfest, which is essentially a popularity contest in which players fight for their chosen teams by winning points in Turf War battles. While the third game is by no means shutting down for good, this event still marks the end of an era for the game.

"After two INK-credible years of Splatoon 3, regular updates will come to a close," the developer writes on Twitter. "Don't worry! Splatoween, Frosty Fest, Spring Fest, and Summer Nights will continue with some returning themes! Updates for weapon adjustments will be released as needed. Big Run, Eggstra Work, and Monthly Challenges will continue for the time being."

The Grand Festival wasn't just significant for this reason, though, because fans are currently hard at work predicting the plot of Splatoon 4 based on its results. At the time of writing, Nintendo hasn't even confirmed that Splatoon 4 exists, but that's not stopping anyone. For context, the Grand Festival had players fight to answer whether the past, present, or future was "most important" to them, and in the end, Team Past – led by Splatoon 1's Squid Sister idols, Callie and Marie – won, leading many to believe the next hypothetical shooter's story could be focused on the past in some capacity. 

The results are in for Grand Festival!Team Past wins with a score of 500p! Congratulations on winning the biggest Splatfest ever!Thanks to everyone that participated, and be sure to grab those Super Sea Snails! pic.twitter.com/amwd1JJ9UqSeptember 16, 2024

One of the prevailing theories is that the plot could be focused on the Great Turf War – a war between the Inklings and Octarians that took place around a century before the events of the first game. "Happy Past won