'Splatoon 2' Release Date & News Update: Sequel's Voice Chat System Targeting eSport Crowd [VIDEO]
Nintendo's first installment in their latest third-person shooter video game franchise, "Splatoon," wasn't really what some competitive gamers had originally hoped for. While the game was very much a hit for thousands of Wii U players, its lack of a voice chatting system and private lobbies made it quite unappealing for multiplayer competitive gaming. However, Nintendo has now made it clear that things are going to change for the franchise upcoming sequel, "Splatoon 2."
In the company's recently released corporate management policy briefing document, published on the Nintendo website, it was confirmed that the highly awaited sequel will indeed be coming with a new voice chat system. The document itself further revealed that "Splatoon 2" has been designed to further "invigorate the competitive gaming scene" with the addition of the new system.
Nintendo had previously been reluctant to add a voice or text based chat system to the original game before "Splatoon 2," explaining to fans that these types of communication systems will only end up creating a toxic and negative effect on players. However, it seems like the company has now changed its mind and realized that communication between teammates and players is, in fact, an essential part of any competitive online game, as per a report from Gamenesia.
Fans of course already had an inkling that this would be the case as the first look trailer for "Splatoon 2" had featured some eSports elements. Nintendo most likely realized that having a somewhat toxic gaming environment caused by a voice chat system is a necessary sacrifice if they really want the game to promote competitiveness amongst its players.
Aside from featuring the much-requested feature, "Splatoon 2" was also revealed to be able to support up to eight Nintendo Switch consoles to create an eight-person local multiplayer game. The new local multiplayer feature and the new voice chat system are certainly a step in the right direction for "Splatoon 2" to becoming a truly popular eSports title.
"Splatoon 2" was first announced at the recently held Nintendo Switch press event last month. The game is scheduled to be released between Q2 and Q3 2017.