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apps/web-react/content/articles/20xx-series-6-recap.md

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+---
+title: "20XX Series 6 Recap"
+date: 2026-03-17
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *Dapple Productions brings back the 20XX major for the first time since 2024, attracting top talent from across the West*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="20XX-series-6-recap" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ce680b46-cdcd-4caf-9d9b-cf97c7c8c3e6" />
+
+On Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, 2026, Dapple Productions held its first 20XX major since 2024, 20XX Series 6\. With a prize pool of $400, promise of high production value, and investment in event promotion, Dapple Productions pulled out all the stops to ensure 20XX was the place to be that weekend. 
+
+Day One of the event started with 50 teams split into nine groups playing out Best of 5 sets in a double-elimination bracket to determine seeding for Day Two. First and second placing teams per group made it to Alpha Bracket on Day Two, third and fourth to the Beta Bracket, and the rest to Gamma Bracket. 
+
+Day Two was double elimination with a pre-determined map and mode pool, starting with Bo3 sets until Winner’s Quarterfinals, where it shifted to a Bo5, and starting with Winner’s Semifinals, counterpicks took over for the pre-determined maps. Additionally, after each set, an analysis panel was brought in to cover the previous set’s action\!
+
+The Day One [commentators](https://bsky.app/profile/dappleprod.bsky.social/post/3mgs23nqqic25) included Nox, Vicvillon, Sasu, and Matt, and on Day Two, Fufu and Dark picked up the action, and Pat and Hat closed out the event. Joryan and Ckk were on the spectator camera. The [analysis desk](https://bsky.app/profile/dappleprod.bsky.social/post/3mguzh7dfdk2x) was hosted by Rissa, Neato, Sapph, Hammy, and Fusion. 
+
+To promote the event, Dapple Productions collaborated with the self-proclaimed “Splatoon Interview Addict”, Radha, to provide a handful of interviews with both players and teams participating in 20XX Series 6\. Those can be found on [Dapple Productions’ YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@DappleProductions/featured) and also [Radha’s YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@IsMiseRadha/featured) under Collaborations.
+
+You can find Dapple Productions’ 20XX Series 6 credits roll on their [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/dappleprod.bsky.social/post/3mh4yvpjm6k2i). 
+
+## **Day Two Streamed Matches**
+
+Day One bounced between groups to highlight action, but Day Two focused on the Alpha Bracket, where the top two teams per group on Day One were all sent. The action was sure to be intense as the best teams around clashed for the 20XX champion title\! 
+
+### **Early Winner’s Bracket Sets**
+**Round 1:** 王KING王 vs. Syzygie (0-2)  
+**Round 2:** Ascension vs. Apocalyptic (2-0)  
+**Quarterfinals:** ezmd vs. Moonlight (3-0)
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="bonkkraken" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/39dafc1a-fbac-4c87-851a-2dafa9ecf135" />
+
+*The analysis desk discusses Ascension’s Bonk surviving after charging into the water while in Kraken Royale form during Winner’s Bracket Round 2, Ascension vs. Apocalyptic.* 
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals: Ascension vs. Azure (0-3)**
+
+By the time Winner’s Semifinals rolled around, neither Ascension or Azure had lost a single game *the entire event*, across days one and two. In order to proceed, one team had to fall\! Counterpicks were now in effect, no longer a predetermined map/mode.
+
+Game one was Splat Zones at MakoMart. The two teams were evenly matched for most of the game, trading the lead back and forth as neither team was able to get a breakaway in points… until Azure took the lead one last time and secured their lockout by keeping Ascension down one less player until they knocked out at 1:21. 
+
+Ascension counterpicked to Splat Zones at Um’ami Ruins, where Azure wiped out their opponent just 40 seconds into the game. From this, they took the zone, and in a massive 100-0 push, had another knockout in hand before two minutes had passed.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="azureleadvsASC" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1220e467-679d-4131-8f5e-dfe97c26d235" />
+
+*Azure takes the lead from Ascension during their 100-0 push in game two*
+
+Clam Blitz at Scorch Gorge was Ascension’s last try to stay in the set. Paying Azure back, Ascension wiped out their opponent in the first 30 seconds and made the first score, just one Power Clam. Azure scored next, getting all the way down to 30, and Ascension’s next push wasn’t enough to outpace Azure, who won 81-30 after overtime.
+
+Azure would be making their way to face PxG in Winner’s Finals, still remaining undefeated in 20XX Series 6\. Ascension, meanwhile, would be sent to the Loser’s Bracket to fight Moonlight.
+
+### **Winner’s Finals: PxG vs. Azure (3-1)**
+
+Winner’s Finals, another clash between two teams who had yet to lose a game in this event. Like the last set, one of the two would be losing their streak momentarily—the question is, which would it be? 
+
+Game one began on Splat Zones at Hagglefish Market. Azure came in with a .96 Gal, giving PxG an endless amount of trouble with its Ink Vac. PxG had to use their specials to paint the zone, only able to inch their score forward to try to surpass Azure, who was in the lead, and had been, for a while. 
+
+As the final five seconds ticked down, PxG was out of penalty points and only 10 ticks from passing Azure. Both teams went down two players; the zone flashed, and the winner was decided only by the final second: PxG was the team with their undefeated streak broken, as Azure took game one 66-60\! 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="azurevictoryscreenWF" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1b7ef63b-bda8-427b-994c-661174bf337b" />
+
+*Azure’s victory screen after breaking PxG’s winning streak; from left to right: Xenith, y0shell, Thunder, and Volty*
+
+Splat Zones at Um’ami Ruins—a very popular game two choice—was next, and the game was rough for PxG, constantly down two or three players at a time. The first time they got the zone, Azure was already at 14 ticks remaining. Then, stopping Azure again at 8, PxG, revitalized, locked in to lock Azure out, and took the game in a knockout with less than a minute remaining, ending Azure’s undefeated streak\! 
+
+Both teams were tied in the set, each now having one loss tarnishing their lossless tournament run. New question: which team would be the first to lose a set? 
+
+Game three was Rainmaker at Humpback Pump Track. PxG moved fast, taking the first checkpoint at 4:14. They pushed the Rainmaker to 20\. Then 7\. As their players went down, they kept jumping back in to Azure’s spawn over the span of a minute, eventually wearing down their opponent to earn another KO with two minutes remaining. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="souljaThisWay" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b836b4cd-87d8-4dd0-9bbf-c648ae6e8cfe" />
+
+*Soulja signals “This way\!” to PxG teammates while taking Azure’s attention off of the Rainmaker.*
+
+Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino was the opposite of the previous game, taking three and a half minutes for anyone to score; after many near-tries, PxG finally got clams in the basket. Azure made a last-ditch effort, but their final two pushes ended with little result, and PxG took game four 52-20 after overtime, advancing to Grand Finals. 
+
+### **Loser’s Finals: Azure vs. ezmd (3-0)**
+
+After repeating their Winner’s Quarterfinals result against Moonlight and going 3-0 in Loser’s Semifinals, ezmd pressed forward to meet Azure in Loser’s Finals. Azure, finally having lost their first games and set against PxG in Winner’s Finals, wanted the runback in Grand Finals, and this set showed it. 
+
+Game one went to Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort; Azure already had the zone 10 seconds in. Azure’s timer ticked down and down, until a Triple Splashdown from ezmd stopped Azure at 7\. Less than a minute later, ezmd had to do it again, stopping Azure at 2, but it wasn’t enough to stop Azure from getting the knockout win at 1:31.
+
+Splat Zones again, to Hagglefish Market, where it was now ezmd controlling the game, with Azure finally getting the zone after ezmd had gotten to 24\. After spending almost a minute living rent-free in ezmd’s spawn, Azure took the lead, and just shortly after, another knockout, just over two minutes in. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="ezmdBooyahs" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ba1fd8ab-7b6b-4067-80ee-ab8c83bb2bed" />
+
+*Every member of ezmd hypes up kiki for a Booyah Bomb\!*
+
+One more time, the set went to Splat Zones, to Barnacle & Dime. If you didn’t think Azure could go any faster, you’d be mistaken. Ezmd had the zone once and got to 85, but that was curtains for them as Azure dominated the rest of the match, knocking out a third time in a row, as the clock read 3:23.
+
+With Moonlight in fourth place and ezmd at third, it was up to Azure to lock in, to either take first place from PxG, or sit down at second. Grand Finals was up next\! 
+
+### **Grand Finals: PxG vs. Azure** 
+
+Before the action began, a trailer announced the return collab between Dapple Productions, IPL, and Gamers Outreach for the Splatoon 3 charity tournament, Gamers for Giving 2026\! Once again, Dapple Productions and IPL will be co-streaming Gamers for Giving, with all donations used to help bring video games to children in hospitals.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="gfg" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/779186b9-1b7c-4bc5-8b03-7ebb601ce2ac" />
+
+The online tournament will take place on Saturday, April 4th at 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET. Registration is already open, and you can sign up at [Dapple.ink/gfg](http://dapple.ink/gfg)\! 
+
+**March 17, 2026 Update:** the Splatoon 3 Gamers for Giving 2026 charity event has been **rescheduled to Sunday, April 5th**, to not clash with those playing in the newly-announced Splatoon 3 North American League 2026. It will be at the same time (1 PM ET / 7 PM CET).
+
+Returning to the action at hand, PxG and Azure were back at it, ready to settle who would be the 20XX Series 6 champions. A fitting test between teams who had not lost a single game to any team but each other. 
+
+Azure had back-to-back Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime battles, but this time they were in ezmd’s shoes. They were wiped out twice by PxG, managed to get the zone only once for a short time before losing it, and ultimately, lost the game just over two minutes in. 
+
+For Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy, Volty switched from Carbon Roller Deco to Sloshing Machine, making prime material for the commentators to make as many cleaning-related puns as they could. Azure’s furthest tower push ended at 41, which PxG tied, but in the last minute, got pushed back to 42, leading to Azure winning, 59-58. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="inkblottie" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/bb4599fb-f560-49ff-9cf3-0da3599d7d05" />
+
+*PxG ties their score 41-41 with Azure*
+
+Game three was Tower Control again, at Hagglefish Market. It took until 1:49 for either team to clear the first checkpoint, and would be done by PxG. Azure made a strong push in overtime, clearing their first checkpoint and getting close to PxG’s relatively-low score, but were stopped just shy. PxG took another game, 60-50. 
+
+Game four shifted to Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway. PxG got their first checkpoint in 45 seconds as Azure went down three players. Azure responded with a check clear of their own, and was able to take the lead. Just 30 seconds later, a devastating wipeout on Azure let PxG get the lead all the way to 25\. 
+
+Azure was wiped out once more. Things were looking dire for the team, but they rallied themselves, and a delayed wipeout on PxG as the clock dipped below the one minute mark let Azure get an Ink Vac-powered push to drive the lead to 23\! 
+
+The game went into overtime with PxG holding the Rainmaker in mid. They fought their way up the left side, and one final wipeout on Azure let PxG run the Rainmaker ahead, securing the final game of the Grand Finals set in a 78-77 victory\! 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="PxGvictory20XX" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e56ca71f-88f6-438a-9ae3-4c0166f30b37" />
+
+*PxG celebrating their victory, from left to right: Grey, Noah, Gos, and soulja. Image source: [Grey’s Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/greyspl.bsky.social/post/3mh4xyvf7ms2o)*
+
+Day two of 20XX Series 6 concluded after a strong showing of talent from 50 teams, from all skill ranges. 
+
+Congratulations to these teams: 
+
+**Alpha Bracket**   
+**1st Place:** PxG  
+**2nd Place:** Azure  
+**3rd Place:** ezmd
+
+**Beta Bracket**   
+**1st Place:** So What  
+**2nd Place:** Fall Guys  
+**3rd Place:** Sanagi
+
+**Gamma Bracket**   
+**1st Place:** Nongshim Co., Ltd.  
+**2nd Place:** Unknown?  
+**3rd Place:** Bad Luck
+
+<img width="1200" height="1515" alt="day2alphabracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a5fc7b52-a266-40da-9ec5-57d5de439962" />
+
+*Alpha Winner’s Bracket from Sendou.ink*
+
+<img width="1000" height="588" alt="day2alphabracketL" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0a5559ec-8751-4d48-b990-9d6418796a3e" />
+
+*Alpha Loser’s Bracket from Sendou.ink*
+
+Original Posting Date: March 17, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/20xx-series-6-recap)
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/3rd-kits-weapons-that-could-completely-alter-the-metagame.md

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+---
+title: "3rd Kits - Weapons That Could Completely Alter the Metagame"
+date: 2025-06-13
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted on the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/3rd-kits-weapons-that-could-completely-alter-the-metagame) website. 
+
+## **3rd Kits \- Weapons That Could Completely Alter the Metagame**
+
+On Tuesday, June 10, 2025, Nintendo released a trailer showcasing a variety of content coming to the Splatoon series, including a new spin-off game, a new stage returning from Splatoon 1, and most importantly for the Competitive Splatoon scene, thirty new weapon kits coming June 12th.
+
+Having now seen the weapon kits and their points for special, we have decided to analyse which new kits have the highest chance to shake up the metagame, and which we think will fail to impress. 
+
+First, which weapons *are* getting third kits? From the trailer we can see each of the following weapons showcased with a new look:
+![3rd Kits - Weapons That Could Completely Alter the Metagame](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6e695896-91b8-40ae-9909-60bbb0246b5b)
+
+
+## **Highest Potential**
+
+While any weapon with the right circumstances has the potential to disrupt the meta, the new weapon kits that Splatoon Stronghold thinks will create the biggest shift are...
+
+#### **Stickerz Splatana Stamper — Autobomb \- Booyah Bomb**
+
+Though it already had two viable competitive kits, it would not be right to not mention a weapon considered by many to be the strongest in the game at current. Stamper is known for its amazing damage and combo numbers, allowing it to fight well alone or with others. Booyah Bomb, much like its base kit, gives Stamper some much-needed survivability, allowing it to play to its full aggressive potential with the safety of a special that allows it to continue the fight in a pinch. Requiring only 190 points for Booyah Bomb will also allow Stamper to focus on fighting and not worry about painting some turf to ensure consistent special output. Autobomb’s outside hitbox combos with Stamper’s large 70 damage hitbox, and allows it to locate shorter range weapons attempting to sneak up on it, helping to cover one of the weapon’s few weaknesses. Stamper’s least favoured mode historically has been Rainmaker, and this kit allows it to shine in that mode too; Stamper players now have a kit for every situation\!
+
+#### **Rapid Blaster Pro WNT-R — Suction Bomb \- Tacticooler**
+
+As with Splatana Stamper, Rapid Pro has proven itself to be a powerful weapon that sees frequent use in high level Competitive Splatoon. Its Deco kit specifically has remained present in the meta for its synergistic chip damage-focused kit that allows it to be one of the few anchor weapons seeing usage in the era of Snipewriter. But now, Rapid Pro is able to overcome one of its major downsides: the need to run it alongside a Tacticooler weapon. This gives Rapid Blaster Pro WNT-R the chance to provide a viable alternative to Snipewriter for more aggressive team compositions, allowing for different types of weapons to excel with a more complementary backline cooler weapon. Time will tell if it can dethrone pencil as the king of the cooler anchors.
+
+#### **Hornz Dread Wringer — Curling Bomb \- Crab Tank**
+
+Dread Wringer has seen consistent amounts of usage in the competitive scene, being especially popular in Splat Zones with the ability to cap the zone instantly with Reefslider. The other game modes, however, have not been as favourable for it, with slider being notably less effective in modes other than Zones; this changes with the introduction of Hornz Dread Wringer. This weapon's incredible ability to paint, paired with only 200 points for special, allows it to output a large amount of what has been, since release, one of the most consistently strong specials in the game: Crab Tank. Having amazing combos with the main weapon, Crab allows Dread to keep up the pace and apply pressure from a distance. Its sub weapon, Curling Bomb, leaves a bit to be desired, but by no means ruins what is an incredible main and special weapon package, allowing it to move around quickly and get out of tight situations to keep its uptime high.
+
+#### **Splat Charger CAM-O & Splatterscope CAM-O — Sprinkler \- Crab Tank**
+
+In the world of Snipewriter, other weapons in the Charger class have seen limited usage, with kits that do not come close to rivalling that of pencil. While most of them are solid, there has been very little competition in the role of backline charger, until now. Sprinkler has proven to be a useful sub for the class on the aforementioned king of coolers, and will suit a similar purpose here to allow a consistent flow of paint. The big difference comes in that special weapon, Crab Tank. The positions Charger tends to play in are great vantage points to use Crab from, and vice versa. The two play in similar positions on the map, so you will never be far away from an optimal spot to use either your main or special with this kit\! 
+
+#### **REEF-LUX 450 MIL-K — Torpedo \- Booyah Bomb**
+
+Often considered cursed with bad kits, Reeflux is no stranger to use in Competitive Splatoon… just in its own way. Having long held a niche in Turf War, an infrequently played mode in the competitive scene, Reeflux has struggled to see usage in competitive due to its lack of powerful subs and specials, both of which are possessed by REEF-LUX 450 MIL-K. Torpedo is a perfect combo tool which allows it to take and finish fights more consistently, and a Booyah Bomb that it can output repeatedly–needing only 200 points to charge–could allow this weapon to see the usage it has long been lacking. This weapon now has the high paint output, the fast kill time, and the kit to boot, setting Reeflux up for its time in the spotlight.
+
+## **Lowest Potential**
+
+The main weapons in the above section are all on the list thanks to the kit they receive, rather than standing alone as just a strong main weapon. The best players make full use of their kit rather than relying only on one or two assets. A poor kit dooms a weapon to collect dust. So, which weapons do we think will be the last to leave the shelves of Ammo Knights? 
+
+#### **Hoofz Dualie Squelchers — Point Sensor \- Splattercolor Screen**
+
+Mourning spread across the entire Competitive Splatoon community upon the announcement of this weapon’s kit. Dualie Squelchers have three kits in the game now, and none of them are particularly good. The 40 damage from Splattercolor Screen has no combos with the Dualie Squelchers, requiring three hits to splat an enemy, making it still slow to slay and awkward to skirmish with. To add insult to injury, Hoofz Dualie Squelchers has no damaging sub-weapon to try to build combos off of, and no synergy with Screen. This kit feels like a sting compared to the rest of the new Dualies who received new kits that by contrast, are at least somewhat good. 
+
+#### **Painbrush BRN-Z — Splash Wall \- Trizooka**
+
+Painbrush BRN-Z sits in a weird spot where it has Trizooka, one of the best specials in the game with incredible range, and Splash Wall, a sub that wants its user to stand in place. Both on a highly-mobile weapon that wants to be on the front lines. An argument can be made that Splash Wall provides benefit to Painbrush as added protection during its vulnerable wind-up time, but with Splash Wall’s 60% ink tank consumption, this leaves you with just eight swings to accomplish something before your tank runs out. It’s not the worst kit added in patch 10.0.0, but it’s not a choice that competitive players are going to run for, either. 
+
+#### **Splash-o-matic GCK-O — Toxic Mist \- Ink Storm**
+
+As the first weapon kit revealed, you would think that they would want to start off with a bombshell surprise, but what we were met with was instead a bombshell disappointment. Players have been asking for Splash with Zipcaster for years, and when a new chance appeared, everyone’s hopes were dashed in an instant. Even with a low 180 points required for Ink Storm on a weapon with high paint output, it’s just not making the cut, especially when this short-range shooter doesn’t have a damaging bomb to pair its main damage or special with. There are three Splash kits in the game, and this one falls far below the other two, who have two heavily-favoured specials in competitive play, Crab Tank and Triple Inkstrike. 
+
+Only time will tell which weapon kits will truly end up being game changers, but one thing is for certain, it’s impossible to not feel optimistic when such big changes to the game are incoming\!
+
+For more info on Competitive Splatoon and accessing the community, check out [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/). 
+
+Original Posting Date: June 13, 2025
+
+Written by [Radha](https://sendou.ink/u/wiper) and [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).  

apps/web-react/content/articles/A-dying-scene-Stronghold-and-Splatoon-4.md

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+---
+title: A dying scene, Stronghold, & Splatoon 4
+date: 2025-02-03
+author:
+  - name: Samino
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/samino
+---
+
+Article ported from the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/a-dying-scene-stronghold-and-splatoon-4) website
+
+All of the recent doomposts and videos about how the competitive Splatoon scene dying have stirred a lot of feelings in the community. For many, including me, these posts have begun igniting a spark to create and do more for the scene and game we all love.
+
+The current problems in the scene are fixable, some more easily than others. I'm fortunate to have the resources and such an awesome team at Stronghold that shares my passion for the community. Next week we will be releasing our project roadmap for 2025, some of those projects are targeted at resolving current issues in the scene.
+
+We've fallen into a dangerous cycle as a community. We've become reliant on a new game coming out to grow our scene. Before Splatoon 3 launched, the main topic of discussion in the scene was about how we need to prepare for the incoming players.
+
+Very few people/orgs actually invested in setting up spaces and creating easy ways for new players to find the scene. IPL upped their production, Chara went all in on content creation, and Stronghold was founded as an entry point and crossroads for the scene with a website \+ discord.
+
+We as a community need to start focusing now on building up our community and \*establishing\* services \*before\* Splatoon 4 launches. I strongly believe that we as a community blew it with the launch of Splatoon 3 \- we did not attract the player base we were expecting.
+
+What we as a community CAN do:
+
+* **UPLOAD** content on YouTube  
+* **WATCH** videos \+ streams  
+* **SHARE** services \+ websites  
+* **VOLUNTEER** w/ orgs
+
+Let's focus on growing with what we have now. Make it so that the scene can be EASILY found and understood from a simple google search of "competitive splatoon". Together, we as a community can fix this. It all starts with you.

apps/web-react/content/articles/a-fresh-start.md

@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+---
+title: "A Fresh Start: Re-Inspired Top-Level Talent"
+date: 2026-04-01
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *With the Splatoon 3 North American League returning, let’s talk about the players it brought back with it*
+
+<img width="1200" height="630" alt="A Fresh Start Re-Inspired Top-Level Talent" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/872ae6f9-264a-4d1b-9433-9d8e27a4f607" />
+
+The 2025 Splatoon 3 North American League, for all of the long days, unfulfilling victories, and weeks of stress that it piled onto competitive players, revitalized a community that was well into its doomsaying era. In the early weeks before the trailers gave any tangible information, the hype and speculation was the spark that ignited a dry scene. 
+
+The NA League was the biggest, most accessible Nintendo event in years (since Worlds isn’t exactly attainable for the average player), and it offered a reasonable chance for any team to end up on a Nintendo stream, watched by thousands. This was a revived dream for many, bringing players out of retirement in droves—even world champions. 
+
+And it’s back again for 2026\! 
+
+But choosing to participate is just part of the battle. Due to Nintendo’s strict rules on teams having to play with the same group week after week, forming a team of like-minded players with aligning schedules, who are happy with their weapon pool, isn’t easy by a long-shot in a pickup-centric scene. 
+
+In this installment of BEEP’s series of articles covering players and retirement, the coin has been flipped, and now we’re talking about players who returned from hiatus—or the brink of it—due to the 2025 North American League. Three top-level players are featured in this finale: Shak and Hexen from FTWin, and Flingking from Hypernova. 
+
+## **Shak (FTWin)**
+
+Shak is FTWin’s former captain, most active during the Splatoon 2 era, having helped bring the team to podium placements in events such as the Splatoon 2 North America Inkling Open 2019, the Splatoon 2 World Championship 2019, The Squid House, Genesis 7, and in the Splatoon 3 era, a few 2025 North American League weekly events.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="2019Worlds" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/adee3ac1-cc85-4825-9b87-3629ab39d1c9" />
+
+*FTWin at the Splatoon 2 World Championship 2019 Finals, where they faced GGBoyz.*
+
+Before mid-2025 when Shak made his return to FTWin’s roster, the last major event he participated in was the Splatoon 2 Inkopolis Showdown \#4 (as part of Mad Titans), at the end of July 2022\. His tournament hiatus lasted just over three years, and he ended the break with a first place win at In The Zone 46 in October 2025\.
+
+But Shak didn’t spontaneously decide to pick up arms one day and manage to win ITZ 46 blind in a game he was unfamiliar with. He had been discussing with FTWin well in advance about returning. Two key events really solidified his return: the announcement of the North American League in 2025, and [Burstie going on hiatus after Riptide](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/beep-news/waving-goodbye-the-start-of-splatoons-great-retirement).
+
+“To put it simply, it was indeed the NA League that brought me back. There had been talks about me coming back and playing with FTWin well before the NA League took place but it never came to fruition. 
+
+The difference with the NA League was mainly Burstie taking a break from the game after Riptide, and so FTWin needed a fifth to fill in from time to time. There was discussion about me becoming a fifth beforehand as well, but it really came to a head with the announcement of the League.” 
+
+He practiced a great deal to prepare for the NA League. In his reflection, he said, “The game is vastly different from Splatoon 2 and I’m essentially making up for three years of lost time. Understanding the fundamentals of the game, win conditions, and whatnot and competing against top players \[...\] makes it really rough.”
+
+He also had to add, “Winning feels great, especially after not playing any competitive Splatoon 3 till now.” Being able to come back to the highest level of play in a game system which he was largely unfamiliar with in only a few months is no small feat\!
+
+Shak mentioned feeling confident about getting back into the swing of things and performing at a top level once more, but thinking about the future was when uncertainty settled in. Since he was only returning as a fifth for FTWin, he wasn’t sure how much he would continue playing once the NA League ended. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="Shakpost" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/21947c59-8fb7-4e76-a874-846959889f55" />
+
+*Player portrait of Shak, posted on [FTWin’s Bluesky account](https://bsky.app/profile/ftwin.bsky.social/post/3m2pd7fuaoc26), created by [@azaleaspl.bsky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/azaleaspl.bsky.social).*
+
+True to his words, we haven’t seen much of Shak in competition since mid-December 2025, when the North American League concluded. However, that doesn’t mean that was the *last* we saw of him entirely. 
+
+One week after the NA League Playoffs, Shak and FTWin teammate \[K\]yo co-commentated the Raise 4 RAICES Splatoon 3 charity tournament. Both kept the hype up during the four-hour tournament and helped encourage donations, which exceeded 9x the event’s initial goal of $500, for a total of $4,545.92\!
+
+## **Hexen/HXN (Deadbeat/STDx/FTWin)**
+
+Hexen played for teams Deadbeat (as the team’s creator) and SetToDestroyX (STDx) prior to FTWin, gaining achievements such as winning the 2017 Splatoon 2 World Inkling Invitational, Splatoon 2 U.S./Canada Inkling Open 2018, and Genesis 5\. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="2017Worlds" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f19c786f-5c32-4deb-a654-1d6b046a0a9e" />
+
+*Deadbeat at the 2017 Splatoon 2 World Inkling Invitational Grand Finals vs. Dynameu.*
+
+For a time, Hexen also coached FTWin, before joining them in battle in more recent years, for events like the 2025 Splatoon 3 North American League and SuperJump 6\.
+
+Hexen’s team at the time, STDx, disbanded after Platinum Cup 4 in August 2018\. In a [BEEP interview with Hexen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89eYhwAcWsc) on November 3rd, 2025, Hexen explained that his reason for his multi-year hiatus (ending in 2024, “competitively”) was jointly due to a lack of enjoyment with the game and meta, and disappointment in the way it was shifting.
+
+As he continued in the video, he explained that as Splatoon 3 developed, he had a newfound enjoyment in playing and was lowkey practicing, until one day… 
+
+“FTWin kind of had a spot on their roster, and I’m friends with a bunch of those guys. So, you know, it just kind of worked out that way.”
+
+<img width="1000" height="495" alt="introFTWinLogo" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0debe033-4e89-4d63-aeff-df0fb5131419" />
+
+*FTWin’s titlecard from 5hak\_’s video “Introducing: FTWin”, uploaded Aug 13, 2018 (video no longer available on YouTube).*
+
+For a bit of team history, FTWin was created by bringing together players from the best competitive Splatoon 2 teams at the time, STDx, TOMO, and Saikai. While Hexen was not one of the founding members of FTWin, his STDx teammates Ice and \[K\]yo were. This set up Hexen to be in a relationship where FTWin could count on him for coaching: 
+
+“I was just coaching ‘cause they’d be DMing me like maybe a week before a tournament \[about wanting coaching\] and then usually that would just end up making them turn around their scrims and then end up winning the tournaments. So they just kept having me back if there was a big tournament coming up.”
+
+Squid Junction 88 in March 2025 was Hexen’s debut in Splatoon 3 tournaments after months of solo practice and SendouQ. When asked about his goals post-NA League, Hexen responded, “I’m kind of looking forward to afterwards a little bit because I actually want to be playing more Japanese tournaments.”   
+
+His investment in the JP scene isn’t limited to just the thought of playing against them. Hexen has been working on his [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@HexenHXN), where he provides gameplay analysis videos of top-level JP players. At the time of writing, he has 18 videos available.
+
+## **Flingking (Hypernova)**
+
+Flingking is a player who had been bouncing around various teams in the upper level competitive scene, with podium placements in High Level Draft Cup (January and June, 2025), In The Zone 47, NA League Event \#8 (Regular Season Week 6), The Jauntlet 3, and 5th place in both SendouQ Season 9 and 10 Finales. 
+
+If you saw that clip of a [quad on FTWin with the Rainmaker during the North American League](https://youtu.be/qe4DnYh4PNA?si=WrPZOj8a1G4ks4u4&t=139), that was Flingking\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="FlingkingRMquad" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/29aac909-737c-40c8-93e9-4c19080fcb78" />
+
+Best known for forging his way to top level with his namesake, the Flingza Roller (and Foil Flingza), and bringing it to new heights, Flingking has most recently found himself in the spotlight as a member of well-known team Hypernova. 
+
+Where’s the part where we talk about him coming out of retirement for the 2025 North American League? Well, we don’t. This isn’t that story—this is his story about taking a chance and *avoiding* retirement, due to the North American League.
+
+Flingking has a record of consistently competing for the past handful of years, but as mentioned previously, those teams weren’t as consistent. What made it so difficult for him to find a mainstay was the way the Flingza Roller kits were seen as suboptimal for high level play. 
+
+“I wished for a team I could rely on and that we could all play what we wanted to, but that's not so easy when I'm known for playing Flingza. And when its second kit came out with a bomb (yay\!) and then \[Splattercolor Screen\], man it hurt. \[...\]
+
+All these complications with screen and with how it affects some people, having it be bannable, so even if I wanted to try Flingza after I felt I plateaued in 2024, I’d have to only play it when my opponents would allow me to, which wasn’t often at all.”
+
+Despite the challenges, the ride-or-die pair of player and Roller continued driving. Maybe he didn’t know it at the time, but playing Flingza Roller in the 2025 High Level Draft Cups was going to pay off in just a few months.
+
+In the meantime, the next hurdle was the North American League. The first major Nintendo tournament in years, and a lot of players were having a common problem: finding a team. Because the NA League had strict team guidelines, the pickup-centric Western scene struggled forming teams that could routinely scrim and synergize well.
+
+<img width="706" height="249" alt="Flingking_Retirement" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2d39fd66-b914-495e-a629-17ec59810963" />
+
+[*Bluesky post from @flingking5.bsky.social*](https://bsky.app/profile/flingking5.bsky.social/post/3m2vq6ueybc2j) *on October 11, 2025, announcing a hiatus from competing.*
+
+Demoralized and unable to find a team, Flingking put the game down for a time, about a month. 
+
+As that was taking place, Hypernova was dealing with their own set of issues. Having recently [replaced a few members](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wgVOOMwMhFLngFOCvMc1aF_79c4F3gBCwA5yI76caWQ/edit) of their team as schedules and motivations de-synced, the team still found itself unable to play in several NA League events. 
+
+The link connecting both of them? henlo. 
+
+“That's the thing with opportunities, you're not in control of what comes your way, only what you do and who you meet and that you're honest the whole way.”
+
+Flingking had played with henlo previously in the June High Level Draft Cup, and henlo was currently playing with Hypernova in the NA League. With In The Zone 47 coming up, henlo reached out to Flingking to form a team with Synapse and Prosper.
+
+“I considered pretending I didn't see \[henlo’s\] message, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't at least take this chance. \[...\] I told them to have low expectations since I hadn’t done anything competitive in over a month, let alone play the game at all. However, we did place 3rd… 
+
+They mentioned the NA League coming up the next weekend, and they wanted to play in it with me and Prosper \[...\] and then we scrimmed every single night until the day of the Week 6 NA League. \[...\] All that effort ended with us reaching 3rd place that week and we had a hell of a lot of fun playing it together.”
+
+When you’re dedicated to a weapon that never gets to see the light, getting to let it shine in an official Nintendo tournament live in front of thousands of viewers, then into the highlight reel is an unparalleled experience\!
+
+And things snowballed from there: two weeks after that run in the NA League, both Flingking and Prosper were brought on as members of Hypernova. Back from the brink of retirement, and on a team happy to make something work with weapons everyone enjoys\! 
+ 
+<img width="617" height="1000" alt="newHypernova" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/748fc3c4-d382-4db9-af46-df9bdf26780a" />
+
+[*Bluesky post from Hypernova*](https://bsky.app/profile/hypernovaspl.bsky.social/post/3m6di56iskc2x) *on November 23, 2025, formally introducing Flingking and Prosper to the team.*
+
+As part of Hypernova, Flingking is continuing to push the Flingza Rollers as high as they can go, while also experimenting with newly-buffed Dynamo Rollers, and can be found streaming on [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/flingking5). While testing out new comps, the team is still competing, having recently taken part in the 20XX Series 6 major on March 14th and 15th, 2026\. 
+
+Some parting advice, provided by Flingking: “Look out for us, see what we can do, and have a good time along the way. No reason to compete if you’re not having fun in the process.” 
+
+Most of the conversation revolving around the Splatoon 3 North American League is about how stressful and long it can be, and what teams wish will be different for 2026\. Less focus on the impact it provides to the scene, in not only bringing back players who had lost interest in the series, but also keeping unmotivated players in. 
+
+Sure, the NA League also encouraged plenty of [top-level players to take a break](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/beep-news/onward-the-journey-beyond-the-north-american-league) from competing. An event of that caliber is bound to do that. It provided a good conclusion for players, and a gap in majors for the months following the League gave players time to rest and recharge. 
+
+Months after the 2025 NA League concluded, as we keep our eyes on the horizon, big things are approaching fast: LAN Championship Showdown, the return of Splat World Series, LUTI continuing for the next several weeks, and the newly-announced Splatoon 3 North American League 2026\!
+
+The year 2026 is a robust one for Competitive Splatoon; as the competition gets fiercer and stakes get higher, remember to slow down and take a break if you need it. The action will be sticking around\!
+
+Original Posting Date: April 1, 2026 at [Broadcasting Esports, Every Play](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/beep-news/a-fresh-start) ([BEEP](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/beep-news)).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/austrian-championship-2023.md

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+---
+title: Austrian Championship 2023
+date: 2023-08-13
+author: 공주 Alice & Chilliboi
+---
+
+The Austrian Championship is part of the official Nintendo European Championship tournament to crown the best team in Europe. The tournament took place offline in Vienna on the 5th of August. There were four qualifiers for it. It was a mixture of offline and online tournaments.
+
+1st Qualifier: (27th of May 2023)
+The first qualifier happened as part of the [A1 Austrian eSports Festival 2023](https://esportsfestival.at/). The official post from Nintendo was posted 3 days before this event, so the turnout of teams was rather low. Käsleberkässemmel took the chance and qualified for the first spot in the final tournament. The team consists of names you have already heard in the German-speaking competitive scene: [Marky](https://sendou.ink/u/marky), [EST](https://sendou.ink/u/495600073661743124), Dxmi, [Burgundy](https://sendou.ink/u/bgdy323) and KC. These talented members showed their skill whilst giving every English speaker a nightmare trying to pronounce their names.
+
+2nd Qualifier: (25th of June 2023)
+The second qualifier happened at the [AREA 52](https://area52.at/) Summer Special on the 25th of June. The winning team was JPCC.
+
+3rd Qualifier: (7th of July 2023)
+The third qualifier was the only online tournament in this series; YMCA took the win here.
+
+4th Qualifier: (27th of July 2023)
+The last qualifier was offline again at the location of [AREA 52](https://area52.at/). The champion of this tournament is no easier to pronounce than the 1st qualifier: Schwanzflossenwatschen! Consisting of [Sui](https://sendou.ink/u/sui), [G](https://sendou.ink/u/651407142045351966), [Naivesz](https://sendou.ink/u/naives), [Raze](https://sendou.ink/u/330599850049798146) and [tokitonico](https://sendou.ink/u/tokitonico), they were the last group of 5 to qualify for the final tournament.
+
+The final match took place on the 5th of August at the venue of [AREA 52](https://area52.at/) in Vienna. Schwanzflossenwatschen took a clean win to achieve the title of Austrian Champions 2023, without dropping a single game in the final tournament!

apps/web-react/content/articles/belgian-championship-2023.md

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+---
+title: Belgian Championship 2023
+date: 2023-07-30
+author: 공주 Alice & Chilliboi
+---
+
+The Belgian Championship is part of the official Nintendo European Championship tournament to crown the best team in Europe. The tournament took place online on the 21st of July 2023. There were four qualifiers and an online semi-final for it. The qualifiers took place at the same time as the Dutch championship qualifiers.
+
+1st Qualifier: (17th of May 2023)
+Booyahsauce won the first qualifier, beating Flying Fries in the finals. Seppe, a well-known member of the Belgian community, captained the team consisting of FeM, wiinters, Abid and Mauro DP.
+
+2nd Qualifier: (20th of May 2023)
+Overtime (considered the favorites to win the competition) won the second qualifier, beating The Chaudes Aardappelen (Hot Potatoes) in the finals of that day. Team Overtime inherits [Robbe](https://sendou.ink/u/robbe), a top western inkbrush player who's been winning the Belgian championships every year. The other members of the team [Noah](https://sendou.ink/u/noah), [Momet](https://sendou.ink/u/momet) and [Fleau](https://sendou.ink/u/144123041876672512) are also well-known players.
+
+3rd Qualifier: (21st of May 2023)
+The Chaudes Aardappelen came back and took the win in the third qualifier where they beat Moules-frites, another potato-based team. Their team lineup consisted of Dimi, Frooost, Azuri and SaiharaK.
+
+4th Qualifier: (24th of May 2023)
+In this qualifier Inkbucket was beaten by Land of Tomorrow in the finals. Land of Tomorrow is another very strong team with Punchy leading Arno, Sneaky and [Jamil](https://sendou.ink/u/265491280115662858).
+
+The online semi-final matches took place on the 28th of May. The two winning teams were Overtime and Land of Tomorrow. Their match should have been decided in an upcoming LAN event but both teams unfortunately couldn't make the date. After this, the final match was changed to an online event.
+
+The final match took place on the 21st of July. It was streamed in English by [Dapple Productions](https://dapple.ink/) and in French by [EBTV](https://esportbros.tv/). Overtime took the win that day and swept through their matches, though many of the games came down to the wire, with Overtime edging out Land of Tomorrow with their speed. The VOD can be viewed [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHDIbJtEbiY).

apps/web-react/content/articles/competitive-guidebook-part-1.md

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+---
+title: Competitive Splatoon Guidebook
+date: 2025-01-04
+author:
+  - name: Samino
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/samino
+  - name: Radha
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/wiper
+---
+
+Article ported from the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/guides/competitive-splatoon-guidebook-part-1-competitive) website
+
+This part of the guide aims to help newcomers who are new to the scene get a foothold and start improving and growing as a player. Before getting started in competitive Splatoon, it's crucial to understand the core mechanics and basic concepts of the game through not just playing the game but also studying it. This also requires knowing what area you want to work on.
+
+Generally, players tend to stick to one or two “roles”. Roles are styles of play tied to certain weapons. Weapons can fit into a single role, (eg. Splat Dualies being a “slayer”) or be a hybrid between two or more roles (eg. Splash-o-matic being a “support-slayer”). It is important to note that a weapon being considered a support does not limit it to only supportive action. A weapon’s role simply describes what they do most of the time, and how they fit into an overall team composition.
+
+Choosing a particular weapon type or set of 3 or so weapons is encouraged since the smaller your weapon pool is, the faster you'll improve. Sidenote: it also helps you to become more iconic and associated with that weapon.
+
+Figure out what role you want to learn and play. There are four main roles; slayer, support, skirmish, and anchor. A fifth one is sometimes mentioned, called utility, though this is a niche role. There are also three main "positions"; namely, frontline, midline, and backline. Here is some more detailed information on the roles and positions.
+
+### **Roles Explained**
+
+* **Slayer:** Push key points and exploit openings, the aggressive power of a team’s weapon composition (a.k.a. “comp”)  
+* **Support:** Maintain paint control of the map and provide support to teammates.  
+* **Skirmish:** Forces fights and enables slayers and supports to win fights through assistance.  
+* **Anchor:** Superjump anchor for the team, holds game-winning specials while providing long-range support.  
+* **Utility:** Less-common, but is a niche pick for satisfying game winning conditions (ex. holding rainmaker, setting up beacons).
+
+### **Positions Explained**
+
+* **Frontline:** Weapons with close up range potential, usually going after kills.  
+* **Midline:** Weapons with mid range potential, usually for general skirmishing.  
+* **Backline:** Weapons with long range potential, usually for holding team positions.
+
+## **Foundational guides**
+
+Having good game awareness, mentality, and knowledge of various in game tricks are super important. It is highly recommended to read through and watch the guides and information listed below as these will help to give you a firm foundation to jump off of.
+
+* [Fluid Priorities and Roles](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t97IZrN0pI_ceUtJrB-8clapCp1P3oddyFzSQ2lGICg/edit) \- A highly recommended primer that gives you an understanding of how the game works in terms of in game priorities and roles.  
+* [How To Find Your Weapon And Role In Splatoon 3](https://youtu.be/QYUUxQl2X9I?si=KE67ENnON_-mLEZT) \- A video explaining the roles of weapons in Splatoon 3 and how to find your preferred role/weapon.  
+* [Communication Tutorial](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ip5fuQstlvYSTmc8h4ErgGW0LaoYmtgGibMNxAwkqgM/edit) \- A guide explaining how to properly use callouts.  
+* [Directory of Splatoon 3 Map Callouts \- A Drive](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qJ2j1VtQnHWvJEqf0Qv0L0WiLHADV0Bv) folder containing the callouts for all of the ranked Splatoon 3 maps.  
+* [The Best Player in the World Will Teach You How to Improve](https://youtu.be/zuRmSeUczBo?si=ERX1NWYQU3EKcZAY) \- Collection of various tips at improving at the game.  
+* [How To Be Aware Of Player Advantage](https://youtu.be/nuDlXOa-MXM?si=5Hy5xfPnqcT-251K) \- Details how to improve awareness of the current game state and act appropriately.  
+* [How to Out Play and Be Better Than Your Opponents](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQprj-G3iKA) \- Guide walking through two examples of how to out-play opponents.  
+* [25+ Splatoon 3 Techs You Should Know](https://youtu.be/gk6wv8nKMcI?si=Ox_kdsokA11QJ5tQ) \- Video detailing small tips and tricks that will give you deeper knowledge of the game's more niche mechanics.  
+* [How to Improve Your Splatoon 3 Movement (Advanced Guide)](https://youtu.be/xUsDxAPfQGk?si=ljl0hP-W4Oru9Uzt) \- Guide walking you through several tricks for improving movement and how to perform them.  
+* [How to Play at Your Full Potential](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc2NmbBSgw8) \- Mentality is incredibly important in Splatoon as it is in any other game and life in general.
+
+After going through all of those guides, you have now set yourself miles ahead of any other new player that hasn’t gone through them. With that foundation, you are now equipped with the fundamentals and knowledge to get your hands dirty in the scene.
+
+## **Goals**
+
+The next step is now to set goals for yourself as a player. If your goal is to “become the best player in the scene”, then you need to rethink what you’re prioritizing. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that goal; it’s the side effects that will take you out. The main problem is that this goal is not measurable, not easily achievable, nor does it have a deadline. Goals such as “I want to apply sub-strafing to my gameplay before the tournament this weekend” or “I will work to reach X rank (starting at S) within the next three weeks” are achievable since they are clearly defined and allow you to focus on one aspect. This will help you to see constant improvement in the small things, which will all eventually add up to you climbing the skill ladder as a player.
+
+## **Getting set up**
+
+Now it’s time to get setup. There are a couple websites you’ll want to create accounts on since you’ll need to use them quite frequently. The biggest one is a [Discord](https://discord.com/) account since it is the main site the community resides upon and that 99% of all communication is done through. Next, creating an account on [sendou.ink](https://sendou.ink/) is highly encouraged because this website allows players to create their own profiles to store weapon builds, bios, and even ranks (not to mention the website hosts lots of tournaments and a number of other useful tools). Lastly, make sure to create an account on [Battlefy](https://battlefy.com/) since some Splatoon tournaments are hosted here. It is also recommended but not required to create [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com), [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/), and [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/) accounts. They can be useful when interacting with Splatoon related accounts in the public space. Make sure to join the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://discord.gg/KduxKwSQpP) Discord server as there are parts of this guide that will link off to there (If you can’t see the channel at first, go to “Channels and Roles” in the server to grab a role that will give you access to the channel).
+
+This is a lot of information to take in at once, so take your time and don’t rush yourself. Once you’ve finished it all, you’re all ready to start playing competitively. You got the fundamentals, you got the goals, and now you’re all ready to hit the ground running.
+
+To participate in competitive Splatoon, playing with a team isn't required, but it is highly encouraged since this is a team game after all. A team allows you to practice with a set roster of players to form synergy and friendships over time. You can either find a team and join one, or you can create your own. The choice is up to you.
+
+## **Competitive Lingo**
+
+There’s a lot of terms you’ll see get thrown around by players in the scene, so here you’ll find a list of some of the most frequent ones you’ll hear and what their meanings are.
+
+Terms:
+
+* **Rotation / Rot** \= An in-game rotation (or selection) of maps & modes, usually changing every few hours.  
+* **Solo Queue / Solo Q** \= Refers to anarchy battles where you play with other random players online and randomly assigned to teams in a 4v4 match.  
+* **Open** \= A version of anarchy battles where you can play with 1-3 teammates to take on other players.  
+* **Series** \= A version of anarchy battles where you play a set of battles to earn points which boosts your rank.   
+* **X Battles** \= X Battles are unlocked once you reach rank S+0. It uses a points based system, where you gain and lose points for wins and losses.  
+* **Private Battles (a.k.a “PB”)** \= A private battle where a group of players meet up to either play in a scrimmage, team practice, mini-games, or events (such as tournaments). The host can assign teams and up to two people can spectate the matches. Private battles can also be closed off with passwords to prevent randoms from joining.  
+* **Host** \= This is the person who hosts a private battle by creating one. They can choose to set up a password for it.  
+* **Meta** \= Meta, short for metagame, is what is commonly considered the most favored forms of competitive play whether that be weapon choices, gear, team compositions, etc. The meta of a game shifts throughout its lifespan as patches are released and players discover new things.  
+* **Playstyle** \= A playstyle is the “style” of how a person usually plays and what roles they use. If they like to be aggressive, short-ranged weapons with high kill potential may be most suitable. For more information on roles and playstyles, see the Foundational Guides segment under How to start in competitive.  
+* **Compositions (a.k.a “comp”)** \= An arrangement or composition of a team’s selection of four weapons.   
+* **Spectating (a.k.a. “spec”)** \= For players in a private battle, a spec is a player who can spectate the games being played via an overhead or switch between player POVs (point-of-view). This mode is frequently used by coaches, commentators, and tournament organizers. It is considered proper to ask the opposing team if spectating is allowed and for spectators to mute themselves to not give callouts to their teams during a match.  
+* **Scrimmage (a.k.a. “scrim”)** \= A scrimmage is a private battle between two teams or pickups for practice, usually in a 4v4 format. Ranked modes are often played in preparation for tournaments.  
+* **Free agent (a.k.a. “FA”)** \= A free agent is a player with no team that is actively looking for a team to join.  
+* **Pickups** \= A group of players not on the same team playing for practice or in a tournament.  
+* **Callouts** \= When in voice chat with your team, it is common to give callouts during the game to improve your coordination and other various aspects of how your team plays. Naming a specific region of the stage, telling where an enemy player is or what they’re doing, or giving directions to your team are the three main types of callouts.  
+* **X Power (a.k.a. “XP”)** \= This term refers to the power number a player receives in X battles that helps to define their ranking.  
+* **Feeding** \= Used to describe when a player is running in right after respawning and dying without accomplishing anything.  
+* **Squidbag** \= This is a common in-game taunt that involves pressing the ZL button rapidly. A player usually does this after getting a weird kill or having a good streak (such as wiping, a.k.a splatting all four players). Since it also changes your hitbox, some players will do it to get out of tricky situations. Outside of that however, it’s usually considered poor sportsmanship.  
+* **LUTI** \= [Leagues Under The Ink](https://discord.com/invite/0dZpaQB1mwcd2MCs), the largest Splatoon league where teams that sign up are sorted into divisions and play throughout a season (lasts around 2 months) where they’ll have a match every week.  
+* **Division (a.ka. “div”)** \= A division is a ranking number assigned by a league tournament (LUTI being the most universal league) based on a team’s past tournament results, history, and a player’s competitive background. For LUTI, the divisions start at X (the highest) then decrease numerically 1, 2, 3, so on.
+
+## **Joining a team**
+
+When looking for a team to join, you’ll find most teams will have a set list of requirements and will be looking for a player that plays a specific role or pool of weapons. Division & in game ranks are often looked at to measure skill, so working on getting a decent rank in the game can go a long way to help in your search for a good team. Some teams can be flexible with their requirements, but as a general rule, stay close to or within the team's requirements before asking to tryout. You can find team recruitment posts in \#team-posts (go to “Channels and Roles” and grab the @Recruitment Access role if you can’t see the channel). If you find a team that looks suitable to you, send a direct message to the poster asking to tryout and sending a copy of your free agent post. A free agent post is where you can advertise yourself to other teams that are looking for new recruits. You can also put up your free agent post in \#fa-posts (a post template can be found in the channel's pinned messages). Team captains will direct message you if they're interested in trying you out for their team.
+
+## **Creating a team**
+
+When creating a team, you'll need to be prepared for the large time commitment required to not just start one, but to also keep it going. You'll need to figure out how many players you'll want on a team, how active the team will be, what roles/weapons you'll be looking for, and what requirements you'll have among other things. You can theoretically form a team with only four players in total, but usually having somewhere between 5-6 players is considered the sweet spot since you'll be prepared if a player or two cannot make it to certain events.   
+The general role structure for a team is to have at least one slayer, one support, one skirmish, and usually an anchor as well. You can find a template for creating a team recruitment post in \#team-posts (go to “Channels and Roles” and grab the @Recruitment Access role if you can’t see the channel). Potential recruits will direct message you asking to tryout and they'll typically send a copy of their free agent post (if they didn't, make sure to ask since this is how you get an idea of who this person is and what they have to offer). You can also look through the posts free agents send in \#fa-posts to see if there's anyone suitable there that is looking for a team to join.  
+When conducting tryouts where you’ll play with the potential recruit to see how they perform and get to know them better, there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind and pay attention to. This document, [Tryout Advice](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-NOk74sBEqE5r0Ecg_AVLJUvUqZyidKE8Gxwu5fniyM/edit?usp=sharing), will help you to conduct a tryout with confidence.
+
+## **Playing in scrimmages**
+
+As mentioned above in the Competitive Lingo section, a scrimmage is a private battle between two teams or pickups for practice, usually in a 4v4 format. This is commonly considered one of the best ways to practice since you can play the maps & modes you struggle on to get better at them. 
+
+The general format for typing out a looking for scrim message is as follows
+
+* **@Scrim** \- The role or “ping” you do to notify people you’re looking for a scrim.  
+* **Div 4 / XP2600** \- The division (often abbreviated to simply “d”) or power level you want to play against.  
+* **8:00 PM EST** \- The time you want to scrim at, make sure to specify your timezone. If you’re wanting a scrim right away, replace the time with “now” or “rn”.  
+* **DM** \- This tells potential scrim partners to direct message you if they are interested in playing against you.
+
+Below are some examples of messages people may send when looking for a scrim.
+
+* @Scrim div 6-7 now dm  
+* @here 2600XP 9:00 PM ET dm  
+* @Scrim d3 dm
+
+To find a scrimmage, there are a number of ways to go about this. In our Discord server, you can ping the @Scrim role in \#look-for-scrim to find one or look at others who are currently looking. If you can’t find any there, then check out \#scrim-posts where a bot posts messages from other people that are looking for scrimmages as well. Below are some of the recommended Discord servers to join to find more scrimmages.
+
+* **LUTI:** [*https://discord.com/invite/0dZpaQB1mwcd2MCs*](https://discord.com/invite/0dZpaQB1mwcd2MCs)  
+* **Inkling Performance Labs:** [*https://discord.gg/F7RaNUR*](https://discord.gg/F7RaNUR)  
+* **Dapple Productions:** [*https://discord.gg/TPpyVTDXDv*](https://discord.gg/TPpyVTDXDv)  
+* **Under Pressure:** *[https://discord.gg/M4uTXXXGXt](https://discord.gg/M4uTXXXGXt)*
+
+## **SendouQ**
+
+As mentioned previously, [Sendou.ink](https://sendou.ink/) is a website made for competitive splatoon that has many useful features. One of Sendou.ink's most popular features is [SendouQ](https://sendou.ink/q). SendouQ is a fan-run alternative matchmaking system. Players can create a group of 4 players and battle other groups of players in competitive best of 7 sets. Wins and losses are reflected in a player's Sendou Power or “SP”. For in depth details on how to play, consult the [information page](https://sendou.ink/q/info) on Sendou.ink. Sendou Q is a great way to practice competitive formats, improve in a team environment, and meet new players. 
+
+## **Improving as a player**
+
+### **Introduction**
+
+How does one continually improve their gameplay as an individual? One way to think about it is that competitive Splatoon is 50% mentality & confidence, 20% game knowledge, 15% teammates, 10% mechanics, and 5% luck. If you can win at the mental game and play confidently, you’re already halfway there.
+
+### **Mentality & confidence**
+
+There are a number of ways to improve your mentality and keep a healthy mindset. While there is no one-size fits all method, a couple common methods are as follows. Stop playing when you begin to tilt (a.ka. rage / get mad). Take a break when your mentality is declining or if your gameplay has gotten messy. Watch montages and videos of other people playing to get inspired to improve. Better yet, find a really good clip or video you have of yourself playing to build up confidence. If you have certain music/songs that make you feel good, listen to those before or even while playing. It’s the little things that will add up.
+
+Also, one final note for this section. Always remember that there is no such thing as a win or a loss, only a win or a lesson. Making mistakes is how you learn to get better. Never let a defeat get to you; use it as an opportunity to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it so it doesn’t happen again. If you can master this, then you have truly won the mental game and you will become a force to be reckoned with.
+
+### **Game knowledge**
+
+Game knowledge is something that comes with time spent not just playing the game a lot, but also researching the stats of the game and learning tricks that will help to give you a competitive edge. Finding the best routes and positions for you to take up with your weapon using the [sendou.ink](https://sendou.ink/plans) map planner tool is one such example. If you’ve watched and read all the foundational guides earlier in this guidebook, then you are off to a great start. There is still much more to learn of course, but game knowledge is best learned by experiencing it for yourself.
+
+### **Teammates**
+
+Since Splatoon is a team-based shooter game, you will have to put a certain reliance on teammates. In the solo queue setting, this may lead to a number of frustrating interactions. Focus on how you can play around your teammates and what you can do for them rather than what they can do for you. You’ll be surprised by how differently things will go and it may even show you some flaws in your own teammate interactions.
+
+Finding compatible teammates when forming or joining a competitive team is crucial to going far together. The group must not just be skilled; they must mesh well both in the game and outside of the game. If there is tension or animosity that forms between players, then they are not compatible teammates. If your teammates can have good in-game synergy and a good time together in voice chat, then you’ve found compatible teammates.
+
+### **Mechanics**
+
+For those who aren’t familiar with the term, mechanics is the ability of a player to manipulate the controls with ease, precision, and rapidity. Best way to improve your accuracy is to create warm-up drills to use in the training room, such as these [charger warmup drills](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nApbt4Ew094) used by Brian. To improve your general mechanics, grinding solo q is recommended since you’ll get to experience the whole spectrum of what you may encounter in scrimmages or tournaments.
+
+### **Luck**
+
+As with any game, there is a certain element of luck and Splatoon is no stranger to that. The timing of a special could have been perfect. There was just one second of latency that allowed the tower to take the lead when it should not have. When first starting competitive, it can seem like matches are heavily influenced by luck, but as you continue to improve across the board, the things you once attributed to luck will make more sense.
+
+## **Improving as a team**
+
+How does a team continually climb the skill ladder and stay together? Playing with a team can be an incredible experience where you’ll make many memories you’ll cherish for years to come. However, simply staying together and climbing the skill ladder can be an uphill battle. Below are some starters on how to learn, grow, and thrive as a team.
+
+### **Practice**
+
+Like you’ve probably heard before, practice, practice, practice; that’s the way to go. Finding a good, consistent schedule your team can practice on a weekly basis will go miles toward your improvement. Make sure you have a healthy balance of how you’re practicing and how often you’re playing together. Practicing together more than five times a week is not sustainable and you will all quickly burn out. Play around with schedules to try and find a system where people are available and don’t get burnt out. Using a mix of scrimmages and league practices helps you to focus on improving/fixing specific things during scrims and league battles help to give you general practice against random teams. Make sure to also set aside time to discuss strategies and review your gameplay (more on that in a following section).
+
+### **Setting goals**
+
+As mentioned in the how to start in competitive section of this guidebook, setting goals helps to give you a personalized measuring stick to see your improvement. Some common team goals could be reaching a certain division during the next LUTI season, making a certain bracket in a tournament (ex. Alpha Bracket in Low Ink), and working to consistently not feed in scrims.
+
+### **Tournaments**
+
+Entering tournaments allows a team to measure their improvement against other teams in the scene. They provide a benchmark for a team to see how they did compared to last time. Say your team got 30th place out of 40 teams the first time. After this second time, your team got 23rd place out of 35 teams; that’s improvement there. In the next part (Part 2: Tournaments), tournaments will be further explained and a variety of tournaments will be listed for your team to potentially enter if you are inclined to.
+
+### **VOD reviewing**
+
+Video on demand, commonly abbreviated to “VOD”, in the context of competitive Splatoon is the process of a team or individual rewatching their gameplay to find ways to improve their performance for next time. For a team, this is most commonly done via rewatching an overhead recording (usually taken by a spectator in a private battle) or the anchor’s point of view (due to them being further back, more of the game can be seen from say the slayer).
+
+To rewatch the gameplay with your teammates, there are a couple ways to do this. You can simply share your screen into the voice chat, or you can use alternate methods to show the video. [Insights.gg](https://insights.gg/) provides a number of tools such as being able to draw over the video to help review your footage. [Watch2Gether](https://w2g.tv/) is a simple website where you can watch a video at the same time with your teammates (everyone in the room can control the video, making pausing to make comments very easy).
+
+### **Outside the game**
+
+Lastly, outside the competition, you should take time to relax and have fun with your team. Whether it’s playing mini games in Splatoon or even branching out to other games, doing this will help your team to bond and grow closer. This in turn will positively affect everyone’s performance and gameplay, helping to make you all an even better team.
+
+## **Forming connections**
+
+A common question people will have when wondering how they or their team move up in the scene is how they make connections. Forming connections with players that are at a higher level than you helps you to not only improve but also gain access to resources you may not have otherwise had access to. The latter of which is one of the main reasons Splatoon Stronghold was founded, to remove the barriers in place that kept information from players.
+
+Simply reaching out to higher level players and asking questions is a good start. Most are a lot more down-to-earth than you’d expect, so there’s nothing to be afraid of when asking them questions.
+
+The main thing to keep in mind when making connections is to not see the connection as “only a path to get something” but as an actual person you want to play with and get to know. If you take the former approach, don’t be surprised if people ignore you. Forming connections should be thought more of as making friends with others. Also, don’t focus on what you want to talk about all the time, ask questions about the person that they have an interest in. It shows that you’re not self-centered and have an interest in what the person cares about.
+
+In short, most of this section is just general life advice since this is about talking with new people you want to learn from. Be respectful, take interest in what they care about, and you’ll be making strides.

apps/web-react/content/articles/dutch-championship-2023.md

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+title: Dutch Championship 2023
+date: 2023-07-16
+author: 공주 Alice & Chilliboi
+---
+
+The Dutch Championship is part of the official Nintendo European Championship tournament to crown the best team in Europe. The tournament took place as a LAN tournament at the [Dutch Comic Con](https://www.dutchcomiccon.com/) on the 24th of June 2023. There were four qualifiers and an online semi-final for it.
+
+1st Qualifier: (17th of May 2023)
+The winners of the first qualifier were the team Hollandtis. With their members [rednaeL](https://sendou.ink/u/146996491729240064), [Ferrari](https://sendou.ink/u/ferrari), [Brian](https://sendou.ink/u/brian) and [Sloshy](https://sendou.ink/u/sloshy), they moved to the semi-finals as the favorites to take the tournament.
+
+2nd Qualifier: (20th of May 2023)
+In cooperation with [Dapple Productions](https://dapple.ink/), this qualifier was streamed on Twitch. The teams could show their skills in the game and in the end, Gemakkelijke Slag took the win. [Yoshid](https://sendou.ink/u/yoshid), [Sakeo](https://sendou.ink/u/sakeo), Miyn and [Lucyfer](https://sendou.ink/u/lucyfer) proved themselves to be a solid pickup for this tournament.
+
+3rd Qualifier: (21st of May 2023)
+[Dapple Productions](https://dapple.ink/) continued their streaming to show the world the talented Dutch competition. De Dappere Dodo's did not take the win that day, but the other team could not go to the finals. Though Mizu, Shinxed, Jodek and [ArtCase](https://sendou.ink/u/artcase) proved themselves worthy to play in the semi-finals.
+
+4th Qualifier: (24th of May 2023)
+The last tournament brought forth the last team to advance to the semi-finals: Fax Traud. Hero, Riolu, [TNTBlowzUp](https://sendou.ink/u/tntblowzup) and [NomNom](https://sendou.ink/u/756026266762870884) took the last chance and qualified.
+
+The online semi-final matches took place on the 28th of May. The two winning teams were Hollandtis and Gemakkelijke Slag. Their match would be decided at the Dutch Comic Con on the 24th of June.
+
+The Dutch Comic Con came and the final match was on the horizon. The tournament was even commentated by the community-known caster [Hat](https://twitter.com/CasterHat)! In the end, Hollandtis beat Gemakkelijke Slag and were crowned Dutch Champions of 2023. The full VOD of the tournament can be found [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIeqSkE8y74).

apps/web-react/content/articles/final-low-ink.md

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+---
+title: Final Low Ink Winners for Splatoon 2
+date: 2022-08-22
+author: Riczi
+---
+
+Another fan favorite tournament season is closing its doors on Splatoon 2 as the new title is set to release in a matter of weeks. Low Ink is a low-level tournament helping inexperienced players get a taste of the competitive scene. Even though these players are new and relatively unproven, that didn't make the battles any less fierce.
+
+Low Ink runs monthly, which each tournament spanning a two-day period, typically over a weekend. Teams are guaranteed to play 18 games on the first day, with a top cut bracket being held on the following day. Top cut is divided into three different groups depending on their performance on Day 1; Alpha, Beta, and Gamma being the names.
+
+The tournament series will resume once Splatoon 3 is released. However, not many people will be able to say they won the last Low Ink tournament of Splatoon 2. These teams left their mark before heading into a new game:
+
+## Alpha Bracket
+
+1. INKD Killers
+2. Mean Girls
+3. The Elegant Crusaders
+
+## Beta Bracket
+
+1. aquatic vanguard
+2. Good Night
+3. Intimidation Factor
+
+## Gamma Bracket
+
+1. Inkvaders
+2. New Horizon
+3. FTLoss
+
+All of these teams earned their placements through spectacular teamwork and exceptional play. Which teams do you want to see take the jump in Splatoon 3 to higher level competition?

apps/web-react/content/articles/flippa-floppa-wins-first-major-of-20xx.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+title: Flippa Floppa wins 20XX, the first Major of 2023
+date: 2023-02-14
+author: 공주 Alice
+---
+
+Dapple Production hosted the first Splatoon 3 major of 2023 on the 11th and 12th February. 20XX was a two day event with a Groups into Double Elimination format.
+
+The three teams that came out on top were:
+
+- 1st: Flippafloppa
+- 2nd: Starburst
+- 3rd: Kagura
+
+Over 100 teams joined the tournament to play for the final prizepool of $1820.63 which was gathered with the help of the community after the starting pool of 1400$. Thank you so much to everyone that contributed!
+
+The tournament began Saturday with the Group stage. The 109 checked-in teams played across 19 groups to show their strength. Places 1 - 2 advanced to Alpha Bracket, places 3 - 4 to Beta Bracket, and places 5 - 6 to Gamma Bracket.
+
+Most exceptional in that regard was Group L where [ASC Tenshi](https://sendou.ink/t/asc-tenshi), [Seaform](https://sendou.ink/t/seafoam), and pickup team The Wiggles had to playout a tiebreaker. That was heated enough, but it didn't stop there, as the result of that was another tie! In the end the group placings were determined by the points the teams accumulated in their tiebreaker matches.
+
+Day 2 was way more intense than anyone could have imagined, as the UK-team Chew-its Mafia upset the first seeds Finallly against all odds 2-1, dropping them down into the losers bracket of Double Elimination. The pickup team BOBS backed this score up with another 2-1 clutch against Finally, kicking the Japanese top team out of the tournament.
+Starburst fought through the winners bracket with an impressive display of consistency, and were the first team to qualify for Grand Finals. Flippa Floppas soon joined them after going through the losers bracket, recovering from Starburst knocking them down earlier in the tournament. They sought revenge and ultimately managed to turn the tide, winning their initial Grand Finals re-run, and than winning again in the reset to secure the tournament win!
+
+The domination of triple Splash-O-Matic had left the community feeling somewhat fatigued, so it was refreshing to see less teams picking that comp throughout 20XX. We saw noticeably more weapon variety, such as both Splatana variants. That being said, the majority of the community are understandably eagerly awaiting a patch that will change up the current meta

apps/web-react/content/articles/gamers-for-giving-2026.md

@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+---
+title: "Gamers for Giving 2026"
+date: 2026-04-09
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *Splatoon fans coming together to bring the joy of gaming to those in need*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="gamers-for-giving-2026" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c59a4450-65c2-42fe-a801-6c9906e16f08" />
+
+On Sunday, April 5, 2026, Dapple Productions and Inkling Performance Labs (IPL) partnered with Gamers Outreach to bring the Gamers for Giving 2026 tournament to the competitive community. The Splatoon 3 tournament aimed to raise money to help provide families in hospitals with video games. 
+
+With Neato and Kyon commentating for IPL and SPF\_Dark and Chaedr on the Dapple side, the two streams gave the audience options to choose from, as both streams showed different matches until the Loser’s Semifinals, where Pat and Scep took over. 
+
+The results of the first four rounds are below: 
+
+**Round 1:** We Deleted Goowapa for Charity vs. Good Squiddy (2-0) \[IPL stream\]  
+**Round 1:** GDM vs. Last Minute Heist (0-2) \[Dapple stream\]
+
+**Round 2:** 👻 vs. Sailor Moon Lovers (2-0) \[IPL stream\]  
+**Round 2:** Unknown? vs. \[I\] Eclipse (2-1) \[Dapple stream\]
+
+**Round 3:** Ascension vs. Zipcat (3-2) \[IPL stream\]  
+**Round 3:** G.I.G vs. BlankZ (2-3) \[Dapple stream\]
+
+**Winner’s Semifinals:** nm vs. Ascension (3-1) \[IPL stream\]  
+**Winner’s Semifinals:** bread vs. BlankZ (3-0) \[Dapple stream\]
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: nm vs. bread (3-2)**
+
+Starting with the Winner’s Finals, the dual streams converged into one IPL stream. The winner of the IPL stream, nm, would face bread, the winner of the Dapple stream. Get ready to see these two teams against one another, as they would bring plenty of mileage to the table\! 
+
+Winner’s Finals opened with Splat Zones at MakoMart. Bread held the zone all the way up to 25 before nm flipped it in their favor. Nm wiped out bread multiple times in the game, but even all of that was just barely enough for them to eke out a win in overtime, after holding the zone through their penalty to take the lead, for a final score of 93-92. 
+
+Bread counterpicked to Splat Zones at Um’ami Ruins—nm took the lead from bread before the first minute was up, but bread quickly reclaimed the zone and their lead. Before the game clock was halfway through, a delayed wipeout on nm let bread take the knockout victory. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GFG-WF_zonesum&#39;ami" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4b21eb29-e88b-4705-8257-991699fa9e16" />
+
+*Bread, having just taken down all members of nm, stays on the zone as the ticks count down to their knockout.*
+
+Done with Splat Zones, the game transitioned to Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy. Bread continued their dominating streak, not letting nm have the lead for very long, and sailed through their third checkpoint. The game did go into overtime, but ended with a wipeout on nm and another victory for bread, 88-39. 
+
+Rainmaker at Humpback Pump Track was next, and both teams took turns clearing their first checkpoint. Bread set the lead at 17; nm responded by getting to 33\. In the final minute of the game, nm wiped out bread and took the Rainmaker all the way to 4, just shy of the knockout. The final score was 96-83 in favor of nm, and now the set was tied 2-2. 
+
+Game five went to Splat Zones again, at Robo ROM-en. The lead swapped a couple of times in the first minute, but by the end of it, it was nm extending their lead. Bread did their best to keep the penalty points piling on nm, but were barely able to stop nm at 3 in the last minute. Ultimately, nm earned their knockout, and seed \#2 would send seed \#1 to the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GFG-WFnmvictory" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/73ef3845-ec42-4cb9-95a7-561688213143" />
+
+*Seed \#2, team nm, composed of Jasmine, Obito (umiha), SnipeZ\! (MESMERIZER), and Mehdi.*
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: BlankZ vs. Ascension (2-1)**
+
+In the Loser’s Semifinals, BlankZ and Ascension met for a Bo3 set to determine who went to the Loser’s Finals to face bread. Between the prior set ending and this one starting, the donation pool surpassed its first goal of $500\!
+
+**Game 1**, Splat Zones at Robo ROM-en, went to BlankZ, 98-87 after overtime.   
+**Game 2**, Splat Zones at Um’ami Ruins, went to Ascension, winning in a knockout.   
+**Game 3**, Tower Control at Hagglefish Market, went to BlankZ, 76-61.
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: bread vs. BlankZ (3-0)**
+
+BlankZ had earned their rematch against bread—in Winner’s Semifinals, bread 3-0’d BlankZ, and bread wanted to keep it that way to get back to nm as soon as they could. 
+
+The first game was fairly predictable considering the map and mode was Barnacle & Dime Splat Zones. Too often, games here end in a knockout, and that’s exactly what happened: bread won the game with over three minutes left on the game clock. 
+
+BlankZ counterpicked to Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway, where they had previously fought bread, and came close to winning but fell short by just 4 points. This game would be far different, and not just because both teams opted to take the right-side route instead of the left. After several wipeouts on BlankZ, bread took the win, 97-40. 
+
+Game three was Rainmaker again, at Humpback Pump Track. Bread already cleared the first checkpoint 20 seconds in. BlankZ, down two players and the others occupied in mid, had to scramble to regroup after bread snuck the Rainmaker to 4\. With less than 30 seconds remaining, BlankZ made a huge push through Triple Inkstrikes… but was stopped at 5, and wiped out. Bread took the win 96-95, and the set 3-0. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GFG-LFrmhumpback" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/eb478a4b-d33e-4a35-b6a9-848dcf945660" />
+
+*While bread keeps BlankZ busy in mid, Soulja runs the Rainmaker uncontested and almost gets the knockout.*
+
+## **Grand Finals: nm vs. bread (1-3)**
+
+And bread returns to take on nm for the second time\! Even though it’s Grand Finals, this wouldn’t be the end of the tournament if bread took the win, instead forcing a bracket reset before the winner was determined. 
+
+Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort was another speedy knockout from bread, not giving nm the zone at all. The best nm could do was neutralize the zone; at the end, they were wiped out as the game ended one minute and 32 seconds in.
+
+Back at Humpback Pump Track for Rainmaker, we started to see a recurring pattern of bread falling behind after nm uses an Ink Vac to protect the objective (in this case, the Rainmaker carrier). Right as the clock reached 2:00, this tactic led nm to their own knockout win, tying the set 1-1.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GFG-GFrmhumpback" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a88daa94-9eb2-4085-9d9d-458b19e4a1bf" />
+
+*nm uses three specials—Ultra Stamp, Big Bubbler, and Ink Vac—to safely escort Mehdi the Rainmaker carrier to take the lead, and eventually, the knockout.*
+
+Game three was Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy. While both teams cleared their first checkpoints in the first minute and a half, it wasn’t until the last 30 seconds that anybody got through the second—belonging to bread. After overtime, nm remained 40 points behind bread, for a 35-75 loss. 
+
+The set ended with another game of Splat Zones, at Robo ROM-en, which nm knocked out on the last time these two were there. Plenty of close saves this game, with bread barely saving their lead, 63-64, then nm taking the lead by one point just frames before bread recapped the zone. The game ended in a knockout, but this time, the win went to bread. 
+
+And to the Grand Finals Reset we go\!
+
+## **Grand Finals Reset: nm vs. bread (1-3)**
+
+The set began with Splat Zones, like every other set, but at Hagglefish Market this time. The story starts to repeat itself: bread won the game, leaving nm with a bitter wipeout as the match closed. Though this time, no knockouts, just a 92-63 score. 
+
+Game two went to Humpback Pump Track again, and again nm outplayed bread by keeping the Rainmaker safe from bread’s Triple Inkstrikes with an Ink Vac, taking the lead 20-26. Nm wiped out bread as a bonus, and the game ended after overtime with nm still in the lead, 80-74. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GFG-GFRrmhumpback" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2d58c035-682a-4325-a8b4-07db9f665d22" />
+
+*Fearlessly charging right through Triple Inkstrikes, with an Ink Vac protecting their back, Mehdi takes the lead.*
+
+And for the third time, these teams met for Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy for game three\! Nm tried a defensive approach, bringing a double Big Bubbler comp in addition to a Snipewriter 5H. It got them their checkpoint first, but bread’s momentum snowballed after their first checkpoint, putting them ahead. Even down 3 players in overtime, bread managed to sneak onto the tower to win, 45-42.
+
+Clam Blitz finally makes its first appearance, as the final sendoff for Gamers for Giving 2026\! Bread, over a 30-second push, brought their score from 100 to 30\. Nm’s Ink Vac and Big Bubbler only protected them long enough to get to 48\. Both teams scored again, but weren’t able to get more points due to their hefty penalties. 
+
+Overtime went in nm’s favor, with an Ink Vac online and a Power Clam approaching the basket. Both teams were down one player. As the timer ticked down, bread’s Splash-o-matic popped out of the ink and splatted the clam holder, and by then, the clock ran out. Bread won the game 70-52, and after 13 games with nm, walked out of the tournament with the gold (and a special Sendou.ink badge)\! 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GFG-GFRbreadvictory" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7b6f3919-af4a-48e5-a890-719524509a09" />
+
+*Fist bumps well-earned for bread: y0shell, phoenix (Jirachi), Soulja, and ecstacy.*
+
+Coming out of the tournament, one thing is certain: the people like Rainmaker at Humpback Pump Track\! Appearing four times on the merged IPL stream, beating Splat Zones at Robo ROM-en and Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy, which appeared three times each. 
+
+As the stream came to a close, the final donation total was $765.00 USD, over $250 more than the original donation goal of $500, and surpassing the second donation goal of $750.00\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: April 9, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/gamers-for-giving-2026).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/german-championship-2023.md

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+title: German Championship 2023
+date: 2023-09-07
+author: 공주 Alice & Chilliboi
+---
+
+The German Championship is part of the official Nintendo European Championship tournament to crown the best team in Europe. The final tournament took place offline at Gamescom in Cologne on the 25th of August. There were four online qualifiers for it. The qualifiers were organized by [Dapple Productions](https://dapple.ink/) in cooperation with Nintendo Germany.
+
+1st Qualifier: (9th of July 2023)
+[Black Lotus](https://sendou.ink/t/black-lotus) was the first team that qualified for the final at Gamescom. [Noctis](https://sendou.ink/u/yenoctis), [Wasabi](https://sendou.ink/u/794201321376448542), [Zay](https://sendou.ink/u/zay), [Anger](https://sendou.ink/u/anger) and [Barli](https://sendou.ink/u/539007264917422081) absolutely proved themself worthy to play on the big Nintendo stage. The second team that qualified that day was Enperry Scrimshaw with an impressive roster of [TommiEcho](https://sendou.ink/u/142363033832914944), [T_y\_\_n](https://sendou.ink/u/213761245734502400), [Ben](https://sendou.ink/u/282240600479105025), [Heaven](https://sendou.ink/u/726389792237027370) and North. Here we witnessed that the old champion, BackSquids, will not be competing again and that the German crown will most likely not be an easy task to archive. The VODs of the tournament can be found [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RugJeMG_2lM&list=PLtU5KgLlWFoVA7UYpc8EPbneCXcNSPeww).
+
+2nd Qualifier: (15th of July 2023)
+The winners of the second qualifiers were Haarige Hinterländler. [Toyoben](https://sendou.ink/u/toyoben) led [Storm](https://sendou.ink/u/splastorm), [Okami](https://sendou.ink/u/okami), [Meiko](https://sendou.ink/u/meiko) and [Shouko](https://sendou.ink/u/shouko) to victory over the second-place team [Centopia](https://sendou.ink/t/centopia). [Kirbay](https://sendou.ink/u/kirbay), [Yaru](https://sendou.ink/u/yaru), [Lufre](https://sendou.ink/u/narcissist), [Endor](https://sendou.ink/u/endor) and [Pat](https://sendou.ink/u/411620250027556897) had an amazing run but in the end, they could not beat this insane team in front of them. You can find a playlist of the matches of this qualifier [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMbX7yFIMBs&list=PLtU5KgLlWFoV5_GDXdosGw4tjj9sVH0RH).
+
+3rd Qualifier: (22nd of July 2023)
+The third qualifier saw a clear victor and gave us an insane team for the final tournament. KaiZer, consisting of [Mika](https://sendou.ink/u/412599483096891393), [WMajin](https://sendou.ink/u/majin), [Fly0](https://sendou.ink/u/flyzero), [ZerraZ](https://sendou.ink/u/397097842411569152) and Whis are just people to be afraid of if you are unlucky enough to face them. Though if it will be enough for the German championship will be seen in the final tournament! The second place in this tournament also qualified for the final like the weeks before. Energie Kopfnuss finally qualified after getting third in all of the qualifiers before this one. [Erik](https://sendou.ink/u/164303447456350208), [Akio](https://sendou.ink/u/flexfred), [Kenshin](https://sendou.ink/u/kenshin), [Tamako](https://sendou.ink/u/tamako) and [Mevlingo](https://sendou.ink/u/mevlingo) must have been more than happy about this result. Watch the VODs [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS-amWoqzjU&list=PLtU5KgLlWFoUXmQIBe-NLjgLvpIg5KkXw).
+
+4th Qualifier: (29th of July 2023)
+This tournament was the last opportunity to qualify for the final tournament. Reverse took this win after showing us a growing performance with each prior tournament. [Yame](https://sendou.ink/u/yame), [Smmuiii](https://sendou.ink/u/smmuiii), [Yοshι](https://sendou.ink/u/sniper_yoshi), [7fox](https://sendou.ink/u/754406516244873327) and [★OliverNEW](https://sendou.ink/u/olivernew) likely trained a lot to get this win! Die Randoms took the second place of this tournament and with that, all teams had been decided. [Wiesel](https://sendou.ink/u/wiesel), MyMyX, [Momo](https://sendou.ink/u/264452174552104980), [$ћınınǧ](https://sendou.ink/u/shiningtheguitarrist) and Fursay saw their chance and made the most of the moment. You can find the VODs on the YouTube Channel of Dapple Productions [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar23uKfyeFE&list=PLtU5KgLlWFoU_MGNcb44y6G6EAHupP4pW).
+
+The final match took place on the 25th of August at the [Gamescom](https://www.gamescom.de/de) in Cologne. All teams participated in a Single Elimination tournament to crown the best team. The tournament featured an insane show and even the head of Dapple Productions, [Alice](https://twitter.com/Aloschus), could be seen on the big stage. It was commentated live by known German casters [Wadsm](https://twitter.com/TheWadsm) and [Cyo](https://twitter.com/InklingOnFire).
+
+In the end, KaiZer took the win over Haarige Hinterländler in an insane close 3-2 match, crowning them the German Champion of 2023.

apps/web-react/content/articles/golden-squid-junction-40.md

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+---
+title: GOLDEN Squid Junction 40
+date: 2023-03-27
+author: 공주 Alice & Chilliboi
+---
+
+Squid Junction is a bi-weekly tournament hosted by [Dapple Productions](https://dapple.ink/) on Saturdays 7 pm ET.
+For the 40th tournament it turned golden, becoming a major tournament. The participant limit of 64 was reached for the first time after it rose from 32.
+
+Despite it being midnight in Europe, a number of top European teams joined the American titans to compete for the starting prize pool of 200$:
+
+The final winners of the tournament were:
+1st: Fiesta
+2nd: Crush Soda
+3rd: [New Meta](https://sendou.ink/t/new-meta)
+
+[New Meta](https://sendou.ink/t/new-meta) surprised a lot of people by getting 3rd place. They also lived up to their name by using a way different comp than everyone else did: 96 Deco, Tetras, Inkbrush and a Ballpoint Splatling. They beat several higher seeded teams such as [Squidding Good](https://sendou.ink/t/squidding-good) and [Seafoam](https://sendou.ink/t/seafoam) to clutch the bronze.
+
+The top-level pickup Crush Soda, comprised of [Kyo](https://sendou.ink/u/kyochandxd), [Gos](https://sendou.ink/u/300073469503340546), [Thunder](https://sendou.ink/u/thunder) and [Wave](https://sendou.ink/u/199763761026826241), not only won the North American Inkling Open In January 2023, but also qualified for the Nintendo PAX tournament in Boston on the 26th of March 2023. They had a very solid run and rightfully ended up in second place.
+
+Fiesta, the winner of Squid Junction 40, is a Japanese team. It is great to see our tournaments getting worldwide participation so we can see the talent across the globe!
+
+Other highlights of the tournament include the fast rising team [Silly Kitties](https://sendou.ink/t/silly-kitties)! They overcame the pickup Spotlight. with German top-level player [Noctis](https://sendou.ink/u/noctis), that was 9 seeds higher than them. [Seafoam](https://sendou.ink/t/seafoam) also impressed by getting a great win in over [Graveyard Shift](https://sendou.ink/t/graveyard-shift).
+
+With the help of the community the final prizepool was 435$ - thank you so much to everyone that contributed!
+
+The tournament was streamed by Dapple Productions streamer [Nebulaink](https://twitter.com/nebulaink) and commentated by [ACECT](https://twitter.com/ACECTTTT), [weef](https://twitter.com/weefslider), [Geenie7](https://twitter.com/Geenie7_) and [Soavdannom](https://twitter.com/SoavDannom).

apps/web-react/content/articles/hypernova-roster-shuffle.md

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+---
+title: Hypernova Roster Shuffle
+date: 2025-09-09
+author:
+  - name: Ckk
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/115690432351961095
+  - name: Samino
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/samino
+---
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="hypernova-roster-shuffle" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/98f23a98-aadf-4f40-804f-37b7708206d8" />
+
+Article ported from the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/a-dying-scene-stronghold-and-splatoon-4) website
+
+[Hypernova](https://sendou.ink/t/hypernova) has moved [Datkid](https://sendou.ink/u/763548554538254346) to the bench and parted ways with [Lexi](https://sendou.ink/u/lexi) as per a text interview with the captain of the team, [Synapse](https://sendou.ink/u/sighnaps). The team has moved forward with [Fishyyism](https://sendou.ink/u/fishyy) and [Captain Happy](https://sendou.ink/u/891117921642876948) as new members of the team to fill the starting positions.
+
+[Synapse stated](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wgVOOMwMhFLngFOCvMc1aF_79c4F3gBCwA5yI76caWQ/edit?usp=drivesdk) that Lexi was planning to cease competing in Splatoon for the foreseeable future. This was also backed by a now deleted post on X by Lexi stating that after [Splat World Series](http://play.iplabs.ink/sws-finals) and [Riptide](https://www.start.gg/tournament/riptide-2025-4/event/splatoon-3/overview) she will no longer be competing. As for Datkid, he plans to continue competing in Splatoon and for Hypernova, but he will be taking a step-back to focus on his academics and extracurricular activities. He will take Hypernova’s fifth spot as a substitute player.
+
+This team was [founded recently](http://x.com/hypernova_spl) in March of this year. It seeks to be a spiritual successor to previous Splatoon team Sonder. The original roster played weekly events as a pickup with varying members until they decided to form as a team to compete in top-level events under the name Hypernova. Since then, they have competed in and qualified for major events such as [SendouQ Season 7 Finale](https://sendou.ink/to/1277/brackets), [SuperJump 5](https://www.start.gg/tournament/superjump-5-1/details), and Splat World Series. They placed 5th, 4th, and 13th in each event respectively.
+
+The team was looking to continue competing for major events such as [SendouQ Season 8 Finale](https://sendou.ink/to/2091/brackets). They were able to find Fishyyism and Captain Happy in the Plus server who were also looking for a group to qualify for the event. Fishy has been a free agent that has been playing with pick-up groups and consistently placing top 16 in open level monthlies and top 4 in open level weeklies. Fishy’s last consistent team was KRiSPy/FRiKPy for [LUTI Season 16 Div X](https://sendou.ink/to/1241/brackets) and SendouQ Season 6 Finale. Captain Happy has a similar history of playing in open level events and playing with Fishy in pick-up groups. His last consistent team was Facade during LUTI Season 16 Div X.
+
+They began playing as a group [publicly in SendouQ](https://sendou.ink/q/match/87618) starting August 12th and were able to secure their spot on the [SendouQ Season 8 Leaderboard](https://sendou.ink/q/match/87618) in 10th place at the end of the season. They also competed in [Megalodon Monday NA 34](https://sendou.ink/to/1960/brackets) where they placed 2nd in the event. Synapse states that after these successes, they were invited to play long-term with the team.
+
+The team has found continuous success after the roster changes. They placed 5th in SendouQ Season 8 Finale and continue to increase their lead on their lifetime head-to-head score against [Moonlight](http://sendou.ink/t/Moonlight). The team is now up 5-1 in tournament sets against Moonlight since the team’s inception in March.
+
+The team also continues to innovate interesting compositions focused around the player’s unique weapon pools. Datkid added a very unique aspect to this team being an Inkbrush main. With him stepping back, Fishy plans to push a different niche main weapon. Planetz Big Swig is Fishy’s weapon of choice according to Synapse and his best mechanical weapon. It was seen during the [SendouQ Season 8 Finale on Urchin](https://www.youtube.com/live/iztMH-FFfj4?si=W1RhHiW-IL7OROdH&t=783), but Synapse says that Fishy plans to bring the weapon to more map modes when he is not needed on a specific weapon. Synapse himself is also planning to push Dapple Dualies and double Dapple compositions. He used to primarily play shooters such as the Gals and Splattershot Pro FRZ-N, but now plans to focus primarily on playing Dapple Dualies.
+
+Hypernova’s coach, [Kbot](http://sendou.ink/u/kbot273), has been a huge help in the team solidifying their identity and finding weapon compositions that incorporate their unique weapon choices while still being well-rounded. Having a substitute on the roster also allows them to practice more consistently with their coach as they have more members to rely on. Synapse states that Kbot has been a great help in understanding the game and refocusing on improvement. In Synapse’s words, 
+
+“Honestly, we were a team that did not take VOD reviewing seriously. In fact, we never did it. We had no planning, goals, or vision each time we played. Kbot has given us these to follow. He has given us the knowledge to greatly improve both individually and collectively. I have been very thankful for him being willing to work with us so far. It has been such a great feeling to not only be on a team (in the state of comp mainly being team-less for some time now), but also having one of the best coaches… in the scene.”
+
+Hypernova plans to continue competing in top-level events and perform even better. They will be playing in Riptide this weekend with Lexi where that will be her final event with the team for the time being. The team’s stated goals are to make the top cut in the SendouQ Season 9 Finale and play in the [Splatoon NA League](http://x.com/NintendoVS/status/1962909394133213589). Synapse leaves this last message to fans of Hypernova,
+
+“I am glad of the support we have gotten from others\! To Hypernova’s fans, I just want to thank you for believing in us and that we are just getting started not only for the unorthodox comps but also our presence in the high level scene. For our goals, getting to \[the\] top cut in the next \[SendouQ Season\] Finale is definitely one of them. I think another goal is the \[Splatoon 3 North American League\] that is going to be announced soon. For a more general goal, it is to find/play consistent comps to continue our way up to the top.”
+
+Hypernova’s Current Roster is:
+* 🇺🇸 Synapse (Support) (Captain)  
+* 🇺🇸 Henlo (Frontline)  
+* 🇺🇸 Fishy (Flex/Frontline)  
+* 🇺🇸 Captain Happy (Backline)  
+* 🇺🇸 Datkid (Frontline) (Substitute)  
+* 🇺🇸 Kbot (Coach)
+
+[Full Transcript of Synapse Interview](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wgVOOMwMhFLngFOCvMc1aF_79c4F3gBCwA5yI76caWQ/edit?usp=drivesdk)
+
+Written by: [Ckk](https://bsky.app/profile/ckk312.xyz). Published by: [Broadcasting Esports, Every Play](https://bsky.app/profile/broadcastbeep.com). Formatted by: [Samino](https://bsky.app/profile/saminospl.splstrong.com).
+Original Posting Date: September 9, 2025

apps/web-react/content/articles/in-the-zone-26-winners.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+title: Winners of In The Zone 26
+date: 2022-08-20
+author: Riczi
+---
+
+Congratulations to Pink Venom for winning the final In The Zone tournament of Splatoon 2! In The Zone 26 featured 36 teams competing in Splat Zones matches. This was a double elimination tournament, so participants were guaranteed to play in at least two series of games.
+
+#### Pink Venom Members
+
+- [Leafiiii](https://sendou.ink/u/leafi)
+- [Bagel](https://sendou.ink/u/bagel)
+- [SMEXY LEGEND](https://sendou.ink/u/431923570063441922)
+- [Ice](https://sendou.ink/u/105390854063034368)
+
+Pink Venom was a mix of players from Starburst and Jackpot; two of the best teams in the NA region. Watching them mix their individual playstyles was certainly a sight to behold!
+
+The runner-up team, EGirls4Victory, featured a few members of FTWin; another top NA team that recently disbanded. Could this new group be the start of a new competitive team looking to mesh before Splatoon 3 drops?
+
+Taking the bronze medal was Comp, whose unorthodox playstyle became a highlight of the entire tournament. The team featured [IsabelT.J.](https://sendou.ink/u/isabeltj) using Tetra Dualies with masterful precision next to an Inkbrush and Ballpoint Splatling. Definitely not a team composition you see every day!
+
+Rounding out the top four is the Woomierss. [Scar](https://sendou.ink/u/129931199383601153) is a long time member of the Splatoon community and it was a joy to watch them participate in this tournment. Will Splatoon 3 bring back more veterans to competitive play?
+
+What better way for sendou.ink to send off Splatoon 2 than with a day full of intense competition. Thank you to all of the players who have participated in Sendou tournaments over the years. We can't wait to see what Splatoon 3 brings!

apps/web-react/content/articles/inktv-announces-return.md

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+title: InkTV Announces Its Return
+date: 2022-10-24
+author: Riczi
+---
+
+In a [Twitter post](https://twitter.com/InkTVSplat/status/1584590544205930496) released on Monday, October 24th, 2022, InkTV announced that it would be returning to the Splatoon competitive scene. This platform is dedicated highlighting the players and teams involved in competitive Splatoon. They were heavily involved in developing tournaments, podcast feeds, and player interviews in an effort to grow the community.
+
+InkTV was retired in early 2020, just as the Covid-19 pandemic began to escalate. Now with tournaments being held again and the incredibly successful launch of a new game in Splatoon 3, InkTV is ready to make its return.
+
+The announcement video features some of Splatoon's most prominent community members, including caster NineWholeGrains and professional players ProChara and KyochaN. In the footage they talk about what InkTV did in the past and how it helped them grow and develop as individuals. Everyone was then surprised with the return announcement.
+
+Be sure to follow InkTV on social media so you can be part of the ever-growing Splatoon community. Check out the video if you haven't already so you can get excited for what InkTV will have in store.

apps/web-react/content/articles/interactive-LAN-map-now-available.md

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+---
+title: "Splatoon Stronghold’s Interactive LAN Map Now Available!"
+date: 2026-02-18
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+## *A resource to locate Splatoon LANs worldwide, now in one place*
+
+<img width="1200" height="630" alt="Stronghold_Interactive_Map_Header" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6d411587-38f5-4cab-9d56-8919713f5eb0" />
+
+On Wednesday, February 18th, 2026, Splatoon Stronghold published its latest community resource: an interactable map pinpointing Splatoon LAN locations around the world. Each map pin correlates to one LAN, and upon clicking on it, the map provides broad information at a glance.
+
+At the most zoomed-out level, users will see a world map dotted with map pins of assorted colors and icons. A sidebar on the map can open up to show a list of every LAN on the map, visible and invisible. Immediately visible pins are for upcoming LANs, while invisible pins are for recent LANs which have already taken place. 
+
+There is an option in the sidebar to turn on all invisible pins so the user can see LANs past (within a year), present, and future. 
+
+LANs that have already passed will have a black map pin, and others will have one of several other colors: blue, green, orange, purple, gold. Blue pins denote small LANs (0-16 teams), green pins mean a medium-sized LAN (17 \- 32 teams), and orange pins indicate a large LAN (33+ teams). Purple pins show non-standard LANs. 
+
+Gold pins highlight which LAN is a LAN Championship Showdown qualifying event, and a star in any map pin means that the LAN is among the LCS network. An exclamation mark means that the LAN is once-per-year or brand new.
+
+<img width="1000" height="426" alt="mapscreenshot(1)" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b2c2036e-4e73-4af9-b548-e5bde64145a5" />
+
+*The map key and the LAN map.*
+
+Upon selecting a LAN, either by clicking on the pin or choosing an event from the sidebar, the map will zoom in and open up an information box displaying this info: 
+
+- LAN name  
+- Box to open the event’s registration page in a new tab  
+- The date the LAN will take place  
+- The venue’s address  
+- If applicable during multi-day LANs: which days the Splatoon event is hosted
+
+If the map is difficult to use, users can click on the “MapHub” box in the lower right corner to be taken to the source map hosted on MapHub’s website, which has the same functionality as the embedded map on the Splatoon Stronghold website.
+
+The map will be maintained regularly, keeping it up-to-date with new LAN announcements and keeping the LANs which have finished out of the way, for a clearer, de-cluttered opening. 
+
+Sticking true to Splatoon Stronghold’s mission statement, beneath the map, there are additional resources for those unfamiliar with LANs or looking to volunteer or start their own.
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="upcoming_fall_winter_2026_LANs" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d372a082-309b-4e13-b47f-84628d3d74de" />
+
+*The first Splatoon Stronghold LAN roundup article from November 7, 2025, which sparked the idea to create the LAN map.*
+
+The catalyst for the map’s creation came about as Splatoon Stronghold began writing bi-monthly LAN articles; we noticed that finding LAN information publicly and visually-beneficial in one place was difficult. 
+
+Then, the feedback was twofold: LAN TOs thrilled that their events were becoming more visible, and Splatoon fans disappointed in the sparse LAN options outside of North America. This map aims to serve both concepts: continuing to promote LANs that TOs and volunteers work hard to produce, and help fans globally find their nearest LANs.
+
+More than that, the goal is for this resource to encourage more fans to attend a LAN, no matter how big or small. The LAN experience truly cannot be replicated elsewhere in the scene, both as a competitor or just a spectator. Many players will often gas up LANs, and they aren’t exaggerating\! It really is all that they say it is\! 
+
+<img width="480" height="540" alt="S_Splatfest_World_Tour_vs_Space_Adventure_PNG_2" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/40e61e1d-e55d-4cd2-af43-1010b3d08772" />
+
+*A green Inkling from the 2016 World Tour vs. Space Adventure Splatfest, who was the initial candidate to be put on the header image for this article.*
+
+The release of this map comes right as North America’s LAN Championship Showdown 2026 settles into its qualification round, to determine which teams advance to the final event in late April. Hopefully it helps players realize an event is close enough to participate in\! 
+
+The interactive LAN map can be found on Splatoon Stronghold’s website, here: [splatoonstronghold.com/lan-map](http://splatoonstronghold.com/lan-map). 
+
+If you have a LAN that you’d like to see added to the map, or a resource added to the page, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the map’s creator and maintainer: me\! You can find links to my socials in the credits section below.
+
+Original Posting Date: Wednesday, February 18th, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/lan-map-available)
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/ipl-x-area-cup-splat-world-series.md

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+---
+title: "IPL x AREA CUP: Splat World Series"
+date: 2025-06-10
+author:
+- name: YELLOW
+  link: https://sendou.ink/u/649069589732392962
+---
+
+Article ported from the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://splatoonstronghold.squarespace.com/news/ipl-x-area-cup-splat-world-series) website. 
+
+## **IPL X AREA CUP: Splat World Series**
+![SWS1](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/eb28f93a-d538-4cca-9794-07fed9570b64)
+Two major names within the Competitive Splatoon community have joined forces to create one of the most ambitious events in the community's history. Splat World Series (SWS) is a joint venture by Inkling Performance Labs (IPL) and Area Cup, which will see sixteen teams fight for their right to crown themselves as the best in the world. Eight of the best Competitive Splatoon teams from Japan will face off against eight of the best qualifying teams from the West (any region outside of Japan) in a one-day double-elimination event. 
+
+## **How Do Teams Qualify?** 
+
+Eight teams from the West will make it to the final double-elimination tournament by placing high in one of three qualifying tournaments: 
+
+#### **SuperJump 5**
+![SWS3_1200x675](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d0611027-60a9-4bea-aab9-d9c7fd9f19c7)
+
+* **Top four** teams earn their place at SWS  
+* SJ5 is Saturday, June 28 & 29, 2025, starting at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET  
+* Two-day double-elimination tournament where all teams are guaranteed to make it to Day 2\!   
+* Rainmaker, Tower Control, Clam Blitz, and Splat Zones are in rotation. 
+
+To learn more and/or register your team for the event, visit: [start.gg/sj](http://start.gg/sj) 
+
+The Sendou.ink page for SuperJump 5 can be found here: [https://sendou.ink/calendar/3785/](https://sendou.ink/calendar/3785/).  
+
+#### **Splat World Series \- Qualifier 1**
+![SWS2_1200x675](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/394f9148-7b3d-4b17-91ed-284025dbf0c4)
+
+* **Top two** teams from Qualifier 1 earn their place at SWS  
+* Qualifier 1 will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET  
+* Single-day double-elimination tournament.   
+* Splat Zones only. 
+
+Rules, registration, and all other information for Qualifier 1 can be found at its associated page, here: [play.iplabs.ink/sws-one](http://play.iplabs.ink/sws-one).  
+
+#### **Splat World Series \- Qualifier 2**
+![SWS2_1200x675](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d75c5fc3-6385-49f7-b981-4375c701bcf1)
+
+* **Top two** teams from Qualifier 2 earn their place at SWS  
+* Qualifier 2 will be Saturday, July 26, 2025, starting at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET  
+* Single-day double-elimination tournament.   
+* Splat Zones only. 
+
+Qualifier 2 information and registration can be found on: [play.iplabs.ink/sws-two](http://play.iplabs.ink/sws-two). 
+
+Area Cup is in charge of determining which eight teams from Japan will be participating in the Splat World Series. 
+
+## **The Finals**
+![SWS4_1200x675](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d5a89772-16b0-4090-8121-5a4cc3940e44)
+
+The grand stage for the Splat World Series is set for Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 5 AM PT / 8 AM ET / 2 PM CET\! This is the sixteen-team double-elimination bracket that SuperJump 5 and Qualifiers 1 & 2 are building up to\! The event will be Splat Zones only. Additional information on the event can be read, here: [play.iplabs.ink/sws-finals](http://play.iplabs.ink/sws-finals). 
+
+Area Cup and IPL will be providing **multiple streams, in English and Japanese**, for those interested in tuning in\! 
+
+The announcement trailer for Splat World Series was uploaded on June 6, 2025 and can be watched here: [Splat World Series Trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHfv5GtNme0) 
+
+We hope to see you there, whether as a player or spectator\! 
+
+-----
+Posted with permission from [Inkling Performance Labs](https://iplabs.ink/) (@iplabs.ink on Bluesky)
+
+Inkling Performance Labs on Sendou.ink: [Inkling Performance Labs (IPL)](https://sendou.ink/org/inkling-performance-labs)
+
+In association with Area Cup ([Website](https://areacup.com/), @splatzones\_glb on Twitter)
+
+Original Posting Date: June 10, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/iplxareacup-sws-2026-season-reveal.md

@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+---
+title: "IPL x AREA CUP Announces: Splat World Series 2026 Season"
+date: 2026-03-22
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *The global stage returns for teams to fight for their right to crown themselves the best in the world—new timeslot, new rules, and new staff await\!*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="IPLxAREACUP-SWS-2026-season-reveal" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/50898786-9dc5-4d2b-ac04-a9c03052ff64" />
+
+On Saturday, March 21, 2026, Inkling Performance Labs (IPL) and AREA CUP, two of the biggest names in the Competitive Splatoon tournament scene, revealed the season details for the 2026 edition of Splat World Series. The event’s goal is to bridge the gap between the Eastern and Western competitive scenes. 
+
+Splat World Series previously took place on Saturday, August 2nd, 2025, and had a live viewership of over 2,000 Splatoon fans across IPL and AREA CUP’s dual English-Japanese streams. The single-day, double-elimination, Splat Zones-only event hosted a total of 16 teams—eight from Japan, and eight from the West. 
+
+The team who took the crown and title of best in the world in the very first Splat World Series event was **The Invincible Fleet Reimaru**. 
+
+The 2026 Splat World Series is aiming above and beyond its predecessor, using player and audience feedback and stepping outside of the paraded norm to bring more action, more storylines, and more thrill for all involved. 
+
+A quick checklist of what’s new, as outlined in the reveal trailer narrated by Popgun (English version) or Hemi (Japanese version): changes to the ruleset, changes to start times, new staff, new qualifiers, and more events\! 
+
+<p float="center">
+  <img src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ef4c980b-e882-43f4-93e4-33d1afaf1999" width="48%" />
+  <img src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2ce759eb-1ff8-4552-bf3f-fcf547e1a983" width="48%" />
+</p>
+
+You can watch the full reveal trailer here: 
+
+English Language Season Reveal: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W2RZwktsJw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W2RZwktsJw) 
+
+Japanese Language Season Reveal: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW3giKCLYvI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW3giKCLYvI) 
+
+# **Ruleset Changes**
+
+The first SWS was very straightforward: Splat Zones only, all maps allowed, and after the first match in a set, the losing team counterpicked the next map. The formula is changing this time around to add more intrigue and opportunities for strategizing, by implementing a strike/select system for all events in the SWS 2026 Season. 
+
+The event will remain a Splat Zones-only tournament and keep all stages legal. The changes apply to the counterpicking system. Here’s how the strike/select system works: 
+
+<img width="1000" height="561" alt="strikeselect" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/62d4cb15-fa08-4a8e-a6c9-b256c8e1b9e4" />
+
+- When the set begins, both teams will take turns banning two maps each. The higher seed gets to choose their map of choice to ban first.   
+- The first map that the teams play on will be randomly selected out of the pool of non-banned maps.  
+- After the first game, the **winning team** bans two more stages. The **losing team** selects the map for the next game.   
+  - This continues after each game until the set ends.  
+- Map bans reset after the set ends and will not carry into the next set.
+
+# **Timeslot Changes**
+
+Time of day was a major pain point last year, with the SWS Finals beginning at 5 AM PT / 8 AM ET / 2 PM CET / 9 PM JT. Many players griped about how the event start time affected their performance. All events for the Splat World Series 2026 Season will now follow a new schedule, using one of three different timeslots: 
+
+<p float="center">
+  <img src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/17a93523-40c8-4102-bbbb-091cc5a5862a" width="32%" />
+  <img src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/27aa2143-baaf-45a2-bdd8-fe16edc009e7" width="32%" />
+  <img src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/10e7b8cd-b1d2-4553-836c-2e068fdcef3e" width="32%" />
+</p>
+
+**Western Timeslot:** 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET / 2 AM JT
+
+- This timeslot will be used for **Western Qualifying Events** and **Global Gauntlet Qualifiers**. 
+
+**Eastern Timeslot:** 4 AM PT / 7 AM ET / 1 PM CET / 8 PM JT
+
+- This timeslot will only be used for **Eastern Qualifying Events**. 
+
+**International Timeslot:** 8 PM PT / 11 PM ET **on Friday evening** / 5 AM CET / 12 PM JT **on Saturday afternoon**
+
+- Events using the International Timeslot will begin on FRIDAY EVENING for NA teams and will run into early morning on Saturday; due to the time difference, this means EU and Eastern teams will begin on Saturday.
+
+- This timeslot will be used for each **Global Gauntlet Finals event** and **the Splat World Series 2026 Finals**. 
+
+<img width="600" height="337" alt="INTL_disclaimer" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/869ef5ad-6b53-4d26-ac0f-70e105d2e465" />
+
+What is a “Global Gauntlet”? New for the 2026 season… 
+
+# **The Global Gauntlet(s)**
+
+The Global Gauntlet is a new event to SWS 2026, turning what used to be just a single event into an entire season\! Players and analysts insisted that one of the biggest factors contributing to the West’s underwhelming score was due to the lack of practice against JP teams (and nerves about the unfamiliarity paired with a high-stakes event). 
+
+The Global Gauntlet was created to provide a solution to that—warm-ups for both the East and the West to test their mettle against one another in lower-stakes events. While the stakes aren’t as intense as “fighting for your right to crown yourselves as the best in the world” just yet, they aren’t just another casual weekly, either. 
+
+There will be two sets of Global Gauntlets preceding the Splat World Series 2026 Finals. **The Global Gauntlets are *not* qualifiers for the SWS Finals**. They are, however, a series of three tournaments per Global Gauntlet, with the first two tournaments acting as qualifiers to participate in the third Global Gauntlet tournament, the Finals. 
+
+## **Global Gauntlet Qualifiers**
+
+- Two qualifiers per Global Gauntlet event
+- Double-elimination format, open to **Western teams only**. 
+- The top three teams per qualifier make it to the Global Gauntlet Finals, for a total of six Western teams advancing.
+- Qualifiers follow the **Western Timeslot:** 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET / 2 AM JT
+
+<img width="700" height="393" alt="gg1" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/54f00c77-8e70-4a13-815d-d7c18f440025" />
+
+**First Edition Global Gauntlet Qualifier \#1:** Saturday, April 11th, 2026
+- Sendou.ink link: [https://play.iplabs.ink/gg1q1](https://play.iplabs.ink/gg1q1)
+
+**First Edition Global Gauntlet Qualifier \#2:** Saturday, April 18th, 2026
+- Sendou.ink link: [https://play.iplabs.ink/gg1q2](https://play.iplabs.ink/gg1q2) 
+
+The above qualifies teams for the First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals on Friday, April 24th (NA teams) / Saturday, April 25th (EU and Eastern Teams) \[**International Timeslot**\]
+
+<img width="700" height="393" alt="gg2" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/032ecd9b-3612-4a44-a61e-59f0417cdd25" />
+
+**Second Edition Global Gauntlet Qualifier \#1:** Saturday, May 30th, 2026
+- Sendou.ink link: [https://play.iplabs.ink/gg2q1](https://play.iplabs.ink/gg2q1)
+
+**Second Edition Global Gauntlet Qualifier \#2:** Saturday, June 6th, 2026
+- Sendou.ink link: [https://play.iplabs.ink/gg2q2](https://play.iplabs.ink/gg2q2)
+
+The above qualifies teams for the Second Edition Global Gauntlet Finals on Friday, June 12th (NA teams) / Saturday, June 13th (EU and Eastern Teams) \[**International Timeslot**\]
+
+## **Global Gauntlet Finals**
+
+The Global Gauntlet Finals are made up of the six Global Gauntlet-qualifying teams from the West vs. six teams from the East who AREA CUP invites to the Finals, for a tournament of 12 teams total. 
+
+Once the Global Gauntlet Finals conclude, the teams’ eligibility statuses clear, meaning if they made it to the First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals, they will have to fight their way to the Second Edition Global Gauntlet Finals\!
+
+Unlike the double-elimination open Qualifiers, the Global Gauntlet Finals will use a modified Bo5 Round Robin format. All 12 teams will be in one large group, but teams will only face opponents from the **opposing region** (Western teams will only face Eastern teams), to maximize playtime with the other region. 
+
+The Global Gauntlet Finals will use the **International Timeslot**, meaning NA teams will start on Friday evening, while EU and Eastern teams will start on Saturday. The International Timeslot start times are 8 PM PT / 11 PM ET **on Friday evening** / 5 AM CET / 12 PM JT **on Saturday afternoon**. 
+
+**First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals:** Friday, April 24th (NA teams) / Saturday, April 25th (EU and Eastern teams)
+- Sendou.ink link: [https://play.iplabs.ink/gg1finals](https://play.iplabs.ink/gg1finals)
+
+**Second Edition Global Gauntlet Finals:** Friday, June 12th (NA teams) / Saturday, June 13th (EU and Eastern Teams)
+- Sendou.ink link: [https://play.iplabs.ink/gg2finals](https://play.iplabs.ink/gg2finals)
+
+# **Main Event: Splat World Series 2026**
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="maineventof2026" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6337f96c-ec43-4032-91a6-d29627193bc7" />
+
+Once the dust settles from the Global Gauntlets, it’s time to look ahead to what everyone has been training for the past several months: the Splat World Series\! SWS will have its own region-locked qualifying events separate from the Global Gauntlets. 
+
+The East will have one qualifier: a Round Robin into Single-Elimination tournament, where the top four teams will earn their ticket to the Finals. This qualifier will take place on Saturday, July 11th, and will use the Eastern Timeslot. 
+
+Sendou.ink link to the Eastern qualifier: [https://play.iplabs.ink/sws26east](https://play.iplabs.ink/sws26east)
+
+AREA CUP will select the other four Eastern teams to send to the SWS Finals, who will be announced closer to the Finals. A total of eight teams will represent the East in the Splat World Series Finals. 
+
+The West will have two qualifiers to determine which teams they send to the Finals. Each Western qualifier will be a double-elimination tournament, with the top four teams per qualifier earning their ticket to the Finals, for a total of eight Western teams. 
+
+Western qualifiers will take place on Saturday, July 18th and Saturday, July 25th, and will use the Western Timeslot. Here are the Sendou.ink links for [Western qualifier \#1](https://play.iplabs.ink/sws26west1) and [Western qualifier \#2](https://play.iplabs.ink/sws26west2). 
+
+## **Splat World Series Finals**
+
+Sixteen teams have been chosen to represent their region and fight for their right to crown themselves as the best in the world. When and where is the action being held? 
+
+<img width="700" height="393" alt="Finals" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/63ce8a3b-596f-4735-9cb4-8eac6290f97e" />
+
+The Splat World Series will now be a **two-day event\!** Day one will be Friday, August 7th, 2026, and day two will begin on Saturday, August 8th. 
+
+Because this event uses the **International Timeslot**, NA teams will begin day one on Friday evening and conclude Saturday morning, and then day two will begin on Saturday evening, for an event conclusion on Sunday morning.
+
+Day one will be a Play All 3 Swiss format into double elimination; this will determine each team’s seed for day two, and not eliminate them from the Finals. All teams make day two\! 
+
+Day two will be the double-elimination tournament with the real stakes—the winner takes the crown and the title of best in the world\! The current reigning champion is The Invincible Fleet Reimaru. Will they return to defend their throne, or will a new champion arise? 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="TheInvincibleFleetReimaru_victoryscreen" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5a755747-9f80-42fc-97f1-f224a465af65" />
+
+*The Invincible Fleet Reimaru, from left to right: reimaru, Garandou, Naegora, lobster, posing for victory after their 3-1 Grand Finals win against Samurai Cat*
+
+# **Staff/Talent Announcement**
+
+With the Splat World Series 2026 Season being far bigger than its predecessor, more hands have been added to the effort to produce a high-quality community Worlds event. Need a refresher on who was involved in the development of the first Splat World Series? Check out IPL’s [Splat World Series Credits](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXyzV_vbCI8&list=PLsJtNA8co7rZYB5Si2iYu3eAJokkd7J4p) video\!
+
+This year, [these folks are adding their talent and expertise to SWS](https://bsky.app/profile/iplabs.ink/post/3mhmauom45s2i) (video in link): 
+
+**Production Staff**
+
+- Brush (@brushstrokes.bsky.social)   
+- Diedre (@d1edre.bsky.social)   
+- Marcus (@marcushatesshot.bsky.social)
+
+**Western Commentators This Year**
+
+- Cyren (@cyrenbanshi.bsky.social)   
+- Dark (@spfdark.bsky.social)   
+- Fufu (@splatfufu.sunsetsurge.ink)   
+- Kbot (@kbot273.bsky.social)   
+- Magic (@splatbooks.ink)   
+- Pat (@patjortom.bsky.social)   
+- Popgun (@popgun.bsky.social)  
+- Sasu (@sasuinurpants.bsky.social)   
+- Zach (@shinyhunterzach.bsky.social)
+
+On the Eastern side, hemi (@hemicha.bsky.social; more active on Twitter @hemicha\_dayo) will cover the action play-by-play for every Eastern tournament alongside various other color commentators, who will differ based on the event. 
+
+All events using the **International Timeslot** will be streamed in both English and Japanese; the Eastern qualifiers will be as well\! The Sendou.ink page for the Splat World Series 2026 Finals can be found here: [https://play.iplabs.ink/sws26finals](https://play.iplabs.ink/sws26finals). 
+
+The Splat World Series 2026 Season kicks off only a few weeks from now, lasting just over four months. What will transpire between now and then? Who will our regional champions be, and how much will we get to watch them grow across the Global Gauntlets and qualifiers? Most of all, who will be the best in the world? 
+
+Make sure you’re there to find out\! Welcome back to the Splat World Series.
+
+English stream by [Inkling Performance Labs](https://iplabs.ink/) (@iplabs.ink on Bluesky; [Sendou.ink](https://sendou.ink/org/inkling-performance-labs))
+
+Japanese stream by AREA CUP ([Website](https://areacup.com/), @splatzones\_glb on Twitter)
+
+Original Posting Date: March 22, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splat-world-series-2026)
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/january-february-2026-lans.md

@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+---
+title: "January + February 2026 LANs"
+date: 2025-12-30
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *New year. New LANs. New champions.*
+
+<img width="1200" height="630" alt="january_february_2026_LANs" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a0475872-1f95-4aa1-9968-f05fed7a6bdd" />
+
+A new year brings with it the fresh promise of more LANs, whether that’s in the form of existing LANs continuing their legacy, or something brand new\! The big 2026 is almost upon us, and there’s plenty to warm up to in the coming months. 
+
+The LAN Championship Showdown is returning, bigger and better than ever\! In 2025, LCS was made up of eight LANs: 
+
+- Big Dapple  
+- GatorLAN (2025’s LCS winners)  
+- Booyah Bay  
+- Sunset Surge  
+- SeaBATTLE\!  
+- H-Town Splashdown  
+- New InkLAN  
+- Chi-Shoals
+
+In 2026, four additional LANs in North America enter the ring, bringing the total to 12 LANs showing up to throw down: 
+
+- Don’t Flounder at the Function  
+- Anarchy NoVA  
+- SoCallie  
+- Torontoroka
+
+Qualifying events for the LAN Championship Showdown take place between January 2026 through early April 2026\. The championship tournament itself will be an online event, on Sunday, April 26th, 2026\. You can watch the announcement trailer [on Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuig7aYvEf4).
+
+With a handful of LANs in the next two months acting as qualifiers to send teams to the LAN Championship Showdown, let’s see what 2026 has to offer from the get-go:
+
+## **January 2026**
+
+### **Super MAGFest \- January 8 \- 11 (Maryland, United States)**
+
+The first LAN of 2026 brings a 24-hours-a-day, four-day weekend at Super MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival)\! MAGFest, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “Make the world a better place through video games”. Their goals include celebrating and preserving the world of video game music, art, history, and culture.
+
+MAGFest is more than just Super MAGFest–it also includes MAGWest, MAGStock, MAGLabs, and Bit Gen Gamer Fest, events promoting appreciation for all things video games across the United States.
+
+<img width="1000" height="523" alt="maglogos" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fe44e936-b0f2-475f-b48b-beca3d6c923d" />
+
+*MAGFest, Inc. and its events, Super MAGFest, MAGWest, MAGStock, MAGLabs, and Bit Gen Gamer Fest.*
+
+The Splatoon event at Super MAGFest will be located in the Consoles area–NOT in the LAN & PC Gaming area. Due to the nature of the event, participants will need to sign up and be put into teams on-site, rather than online in advance. The venue will provide as much equipment as possible. 
+
+Super MAGFest takes place between January 8 \- 11, at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. The event runs 24 hours, and new for 2026, free shuttles to and from hotel sites will be provided\! More info about the venue can be found on the Super MAGFest website: [https://super.magfest.org/attend/](https://super.magfest.org/attend/). 
+
+### **Fickle Fest \- January 9 (South Wales, Australia)**
+
+A one-day LAN from the Australian scene, Fickle Fest, opens its doors to players of all skill levels in New South Wales\! This event will feature an art prize and a Salmon Run side-event for its attendees. 
+
+Those planning on participating should register for the event on [sendou.ink](https://sendou.ink/to/2888/register), and also join the [New South Woomies Discord](https://discord.com/invite/DdTMsWdVf2) for the latest information. The tournament will be a four-round Group Stage into Finals Bracket, and already has six teams signed up\! 
+
+Fickle Fest will be held on Friday, January 9, in New South Wales, Australia. Event registration ends on the day of the event at 7 PM local time, and the tournament begins at 8 PM\! 
+
+### **ICE RINK Season 12 \- Jan 2026 \- January 11 (Calgary, Canada)**
+
+ICE RINK’s Season 12 concludes with the January finale after its two predecessors in October and November 2025\! The recurring LAN, hosted by Alberta Squid Swamp, returns to Sentry Box Games in Calgary, AB, Canada. 
+
+Take note: this tournament will be Double Elimination, unlike the previous two, which were Round Robin. It will be streamed live on the Alberta Squid Swamp Twitch channel; the VODs will be later uploaded to their YouTube channel. Links to these platforms can be found on Alberta Squid Swamp’s [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/albertasquidswamp.bsky.social). 
+
+Registration for ICE RINK Season 12 is at the Alberta Squid Swamp [Challonge](https://challonge.com/users/albertasquidswamp/tournaments) page. The event runs on Saturday, January 11–be there, either in-person or in-stream\! 
+
+### **SplashGo\! \#12 \- January 11 (Tokyo, Japan)**
+
+Gearing up for its twelfth iteration is the next SplashGo\! tournament in Japan\! In an exciting collaboration for this year, SplashGo\! is teaming up with Nine and Zach to provide an English commentary stream running simultaneously with the original stream on IPL’s [Twitch channel](http://twitch.tv/iplsplatoon).
+
+The tournament has a massive 93 teams signed up already, 61 more teams than the previous event, SplashGo\! \#11 in August\! The main event will be a Group Round Robin style event into a Single-Elimination Finals bracket, exclusively for Turf War. Registration closes on the day of at 11 AM local time, with the event starting soon after.
+
+SplashGo\! \#12 will be held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center, 4F in Minato City, Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, January 11, 2026\. Registration and further inquiries can be found on the event’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/splashgo-12/details) page or official website, [https://www.splashgo.net/home](https://www.splashgo.net/home).
+
+### **Don’t Flounder at the Function \- January 17 (North Carolina, United States)**
+
+North Carolina is the stage for the newest Splatoon LAN: Don’t Flounder at the Function\! This LAN is sponsored by New Game Plus+; the hosting venue is the North Carolina Esports Academy in Cary. The winners of this event earn the first ticket to the LAN Championship Showdown 2026, and a Sendou badge\!
+
+<img width="778" height="630" alt="dfflogo" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b6adf0d7-2baf-466d-96ee-e925568d6be8" />
+
+*The Sendou.ink badge that the winners of Don’t Flounder at the Function will receive.*
+
+The Splatoon 3 tournament has already reached its 12-team limit, but spectators are just as welcome to attend\! Show up and prove that you don't flounder at the function and meet some big names in the community\!
+
+Those competing need their Nintendo Switch, 3.5mm headset, controller (handheld players will be accommodated), and copy of Splatoon 3, and bringing your Switch 1 dock is encouraged. Nintendo Switch 2 is not allowed. The main event is split into two Group Pools, which will coalesce into one Double Elimination Bracket.
+
+Don’t Flounder at the Function kicks off at 12 PM on Saturday, January 17; the Group Stage will begin at 1 PM, with an anticipated DE Bracket start time of 6 PM. DFF’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/don-t-flounder-at-the-function/details) page includes map pool, rules, and more prior to the event. 
+
+### **New InkLAN \#5 \- January 17 (Massachusetts, United States)**
+
+Previously, New InkLAN \#5 was scheduled for October 2025, but has been rescheduled to the new year\! Hosted by the New England Squids, New InkLAN is a recurring LAN hosted at the Balance Patch esports center in Boston, Massachusetts.
+
+Competitors are encouraged to bring their own setups, which include: Switch, dock, and LAN cables. Spectators can also bring setups to play at when stations aren’t in use\! Balance Patch requires competitors under the age of 16 to be accompanied by a parent/guardian, so players will need to select applicable passes upon registering.
+
+New InkLAN \#5 returns on Saturday, January 17; for more info, there is a [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/new-inklan-5/details) page, which has the event’s Discord invitation for outreach to tournament staff. Registration closes on January 16 at 11:59 PM–make sure you’re signed up\!
+
+### **Chi-Shoals \#40 \- January 31 (Illinois, United States)**
+
+Chi-Shoals, a regularly-recurring Splatoon LAN, rings in 2026 with its 40th edition\! Still hosted at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, Illinois, the event is free and welcoming to participants of all ages and skill ranges. 
+
+Participants need to bring their Nintendo Switch, copy of Splatoon 3, headset, and a controller. The main event will be streamed at the [SquidWest Twitch Channel](https://twitch.tv/squidwest)–they are currently accepting submissions from folks interested in commentating\!
+
+Chi-Shoals \#40, on Saturday, January 31st, precedes Chi-Shoals \#41, which will be the qualifying tournament for entry into the 2026 LAN Championship Showdown\! More information can be found on SquidWest’s [Challonge](https://challonge.com/ar/communities/SquidWest) page.
+
+### **SeaBATTLE\! 8 \- Octarian Moon \- January 31 (Washington, United States)**
+
+The eighth iteration of SeaBATTLE\! is a special one: it is partnering with Rainier Valley Food Bank to help those in need in South Seattle. Donations will be accepted, and a special edition sticker of SeaBATTLE’s mascot, Eddy, will give all proceeds to RVFB. 
+
+Those playing in the tournament need their Switch (no Nintendo Switch 2), controller, copy of Splatoon 3, and 3.5mm headset. The tournament format will be Groups into Top Cut, with a Redemption Bracket. Venue doors open at 11 AM, and the Group Stage starts at 12 PM.  
+
+<img width="1013" height="675" alt="seabattleIMG" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/db545e09-b42f-49c2-a7f8-d8df0dca0861" />
+
+SeaBATTLE\! 8 \- Octarian Moon is hosted at GameWorks Seattle, a video arcade in Seattle, Washington. More event information, including a Discord invitation and list of donation suggestions, can be found on SeaBATTLE’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/seabattle-8-octarian-moon/details) page. 
+
+### **Torontoroka \- January 31 (Toronto, Canada)**
+
+Announced during Toronto’s Squid Social 28 in October 2025, Torontoroka is Canada’s newest LAN tourney, hosted by the same folks\! The LAN takes place at the Invictus Game Station, same as Squid Social. Torontoroka will also crown Canada’s representatives for the LAN Championship Showdown\!  
+
+The Splatoon 3 tournament is capped at eight teams; players need to bring their Nintendo Switch (no Nintendo Switch 2s), Splatoon 3, and controller; a 3.5mm headset with built-in mic and a USB-C charging cable is requested. Want to attend but need a team? Join the [Splatoon Toronto Discord](https://discord.com/invite/squidsocial), where they have team-building channels\!
+
+Torontoroka opens at 12 PM on Saturday, January 31 at the Invictus Game Station in Toronto, Ontario. Registration ends on Monday, January 26, a few days ahead of the event. Additional information can be found at Torontoroka’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/torontoroka-2026/details) page.
+
+## **February 2026**
+
+### **Diamond Duel \#2 \- February 7 (Arkansas, United States)**
+
+Arkansas Splatoon brings back Diamond Duel for its second edition, hosted at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in room ETAS 101 (first floor). Entry for spectators is free; competitors have until February 3rd at 11:59 PM to register\!
+
+Nintendo Switch docks, monitors, and audio mixers will be provided, so competitors should make sure they bring their own Switch, copy of Splatoon 3, controller, and headset with mic. Check in with the [Arkansas Splatoon Discord](https://discord.com/invite/Xs8XQzKD2A) if you have any questions about equipment or team building. 
+
+Diamond Duel \#2 will run on Saturday, February 7 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Parking and campus maps are available at the Diamond Duel \#2 [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/diamond-duel-2/details) page, with further tournament info. Now’s your chance to help the Arkansas Splatoon community grow its roots\! 
+
+### **SoCallie: The Glacial Gala \- February 7 (California, United States)**
+
+The Glacial Gala, SoCallie’s ninth LAN in Irvine, California, comes swinging with not just one, but *two* qualifiers for two big invitationals: the LAN Championship Showdown, and the Jelvin Cup. Cooper's Esports Gaming Center is the hosting venue for the hype event, which will be streamed at the [SoCallie Twitch Channel](http://twitch.tv/socalliesplat)\!
+
+<img width="1200" height="461" alt="socalliebanner" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f14a56d6-41b5-470f-9369-b9887d7fc9a9" />
+
+Participation in the Splatoon 3 tournament requires a player to bring their: Switch (no Switch 2), Splatoon 3, controller, ethernet adapter, charging cables, Switch dock, HDMI cables, and headset. If you need any of these items provided or accommodations, reach out to staff in the [SoCallie//SoCal Splatoon LAN Discord](https://discord.gg/2MzCU3aWVc) so they can assist you.
+
+SoCallie: The Glacial Gala invites you to bring your best to Irvine, California, on Saturday, February 7, for the chance to qualify for the LAN Championship Showdown and the Jelvin Cup. Setup and warm ups begin at 10 AM, with the bracket beginning at 11 AM, and the closing ceremony taking place at 10 PM, for a full day of festivity\!
+
+A full list of details and links are available at the SoCallie: The Glacial Gala [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/socallie-9-the-glacial-gala/details). 
+
+### **Big Dapple 9 \- February 21 (New York, United States)**
+
+New York’s recurring LAN, Big Dapple, recently relocated to the OS NYC internet cafe in Bowery, NY, where it set a new registration record in December, with over 120 registered attendees\! Commute routes are plentiful, with parking garages and subway lines nearby, making it easy to access to all who want in. 
+
+The Nintendo Switch 2 is permitted for the tournament\! Competitors also need their controller, game, and a headset. The Big Dapple Art Show is accepting submissions, for those who want to contribute non-competitively\! Registration and commentary, volunteer, and art submission forms are available on Big Dapple 9’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/big-dapple-9/details) page. 
+
+The Splatoon 3 tournament will be streamed on the [GenGame Twitch Channel](https://www.twitch.tv/gengame). Extra side events are planned throughout the day, and attendees can also play at LAN stations while they are not in use for the 4v4 tournament.
+
+Big Dapple 9 begins at 11 AM ET on Saturday, February 21 at OS NYC. Spectator passes are also available, and the [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/big-dapple-9/details) page even has a community-curated map list of things to do in the area for when you’re not in LAN mode\!
+
+### **Booyah Bay: Cable Car Coast \- February 21 (California, United States)**
+
+San José, California’s premier Splatoon LAN is back at Guildhouse to host Booyah Bay once again\! Like many other LANs in this article, this one also acts as a qualifier to send a team to the LAN Championship Showdown in April. 
+
+Playing in the tournament requires a Nintendo Switch, controller, and up-to-date copy of Splatoon 3\. No Nintendo Switch 2s are permitted. A 3.5mm headset and USB-C cable are also highly recommended. The [Booyah Bay \- NorCal Local LAN Discord](https://discord.com/invite/BmRnAHv4gX) is available to join for anyone who needs equipment, accommodations, or teammates to play with. 
+
+Booyah Bay: Cable Car Coast rides into San José, California, on February 21; The Parlor at Guildhouse’s doors open at 12 PM. More tournament info and links can be found on Booyah Bay’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/booyah-bay-cable-car-coast-splatoon-3-lan-san-jose-ca/details) page, and for those who want to watch at home, the event will be streamed live on [SplatoonTourney’s Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/splatoontourney)\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="lcs2026" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/51b69576-e5ef-43c1-b66d-03ae5604865b" />
+
+The new year is bringing with it plenty of promise for a full year of LANs for Splatoon fans to attend. As Splatoon 3 continues into its third year, even with rumblings of new Splatoon on the horizon, it stays as hot as ever, engaging more and more community members as the weeks pass by. Who will rise to the top of the LAN scene this year? 
+
+The only way to find out is to be there\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: December 30, 2025 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/january-february-2026-lans)
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/july-august-2026-lans.md

@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+---
+title: "July + August 2026 LANs"
+date: 2026-07-04
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *LANs across the globe come together to celebrate Splatoon 3 and the upcoming Splatoon Raiders game*
+
+<img width="1000" height="525" alt="July + August 2026 LANs" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/24eb13fe-c434-4160-ba52-cd503cd84d7d" />
+
+Hot off the heels of the Splatoon 3 North American League and in the midst of the Splat World Series’ 2026 season, LANs continue to pop up across the globe. With folks having more free time in the summer, bigger LANs are opening up and taking as much space as they can before Splatoon Raiders drops on July 23rd and introduces launch party events to the usual rotation of locals.
+
+## **July 2026**
+
+### **United LAN 2026 \- July 1–5th, 2026 (Meschede, Germany)**
+
+United LAN (ULAN) is a six-day LAN in Germany that covers a handful of competitive Nintendo games, such as Splatoon, Pokemon Champions, and Mario Kart World. Registrants with overnight passes are able to sleep at the venue and are offered onsite breakfast.
+
+ULAN is BYOE: Bring Your Own Equipment\! Consoles, docks, controllers, games, monitors, and all charging devices and LAN cables are required to play in tournaments. Overnight attendees will need to bring sleeping gear as well, such as sleeping bags/air mattresses and bedding, eating utensils and dishes, and hygiene products—especially those who use the showering facilities.
+
+A packing list containing United LAN’s recommended essentials can be found on their website’s FAQ page: [https://united-lan.de/faq/](https://united-lan.de/faq/).
+
+United LAN 2026 begins on Wednesday, July 1st and closes on Monday, July 6th. The first five days are for gaming, and the final Monday is reserved for teardown and cleanup. The Splatoon 3 tournament is on Friday, July 4th. Celebrate ULAN’s nearly 20 years of LAN hosting\!
+
+### **VanCoral Summer 2026 \- July 4th, 2026 (Vancouver, Canada)**
+
+VanCoral, West Canada’s localhost LAN, is holding their summer edition at the University of British Columbia\! The venue, as always, is the UBC AMS Student Nest, which offers onsite food and drinks, and a handful of other amenities.
+
+The tournament is planned to be all four ranked modes, in a Round Robin into Single-Elimination bracket. To participate, you’ll need the game, and your Switch and controller. TOs recommend bringing headsets as well.
+
+VanCoral Summer 2026 starts at 3 PM. For more information, registration, and a Discord link, you can visit the event’s [Sendou.ink page](https://sendou.ink/to/3839/info).
+
+### **AVCon 2026 \- July 4–5th, 2026 (Wayville SA, Australia)**
+
+Over in Australia, the anime and gaming festival, [AVCon](https://www.avcon.org.au/), takes place over an extended weekend to celebrate all branches of pop culture. From Friday evening through Sunday, explore and experience competitive and casual gaming, cosplay contests, panels, food, and more\!
+
+The Splatoon 3 Anarchy Battle BYOD Tournament is on Saturday. It begins with Round Robin Turf War. The top 50% of teams advance to a Bo3 ranked-mode-only bracket, which will continue until two teams remain, where the finals will switch to Bo5. Switch 1 and 2s are permitted; regardless of console, players must bring all of their own equipment, with the exception of docks and monitors.
+
+There’s also a Salmon Run tournament\! Unlike the other event, all equipment will be provided for players, including Switch 2s. Teams will get one chance to bring in the highest egg count on a selected instance, and top producers will move on to a second, higher-hazard shift, where the winner will be determined.
+
+AVCon 2026 is located at the Adelaide Showground in Wayville SA 5034, Australia. The Splatoon 3 tournament starts at 3 PM on Saturday, July 4th, and the Salmon Run tournament runs from 1 PM to 2 PM on Sunday. Registration is done on [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/avcon-2026/details), but attendees must also purchase an AVCon ticket, which can be done at [https://events.humanitix.com/avcon-2026](https://events.humanitix.com/avcon-2026).
+
+### **Deep Sea DTX \- July 11th, 2026 (Texas, United States)**
+
+Texas Splatoon’s newest LAN, Deep Sea DTX, can be found at the University of Texas—anyone is welcome to join, whether you’re a student or not, or competitive player or spectator. With 74 attendees already registered at the time of writing, the event will be lively\!
+
+<img width="540" height="675" alt="DSDTX" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4e0f8977-25ce-4ee6-8eb6-ac8ca44a9a62" />
+
+*The design for Deep Sea DTX’s mascot, Princess Neptune, done by [@combotchi.bsky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/combotchi.bsky.social).*
+
+The 4v4 Splatoon 3 tournament comes with a pre-determined map list and its format will be Pools into split brackets. Participants need to bring their Switch and controller, game, and a headset. The matches will be livestreamed, and spectators can attend for free.
+
+Deep Sea DTX joins the roster of Splatoon LANs on Saturday, July 11th and can be found at the University of Texas at Dallas’s Comets LANding Gaming & Esports Center. For a parking map, Discord link, and other info, check out the event’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/deep-sea-dtx/details) page.
+
+### **Chi-Shoals \#44 \- July 11th, 2026 (Illinois, United States)**
+
+Illinois’ longstanding Splatoon LAN, Chi-Shoals, will take a break for a few months after its 44th edition, pausing for August and September before returning in October for \#45. You can still expect to find this LAN at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, Illinois, and attend for free\!
+
+The main tournament will be a Groups to Single-Elimination format. To participate, please bring your Nintendo Switch, copy of Splatoon 3, headset, and a controller. The tournament will be streamed on the [SquidWest Twitch Channel](https://twitch.tv/squidwest)\!
+
+Chi-Shoals \#44 will start at 11 AM on Saturday, July 11th, 2026, and run until 4 PM CT. You can find more information on SquidWest’s [Challonge](https://challonge.com/communities/SquidWest) or [Sendou.ink page](https://sendou.ink/calendar/4601). Join the [SquidWest (Midwest Splatoon Players) Discord](https://discord.com/invite/Acv9qH6) server for further info and commentator opportunities\!
+
+### **Gridlock 2026 \- July 11–12th, 2026 (New York, United States)**
+
+One of the West’s yearly regionals, Gridlock, will be in the heart of New York for the first time\! Held at the OS NYC internet cafe in Bowery, NY—the same venue as Big Dapple—you can expect the same flair and fare that Metro Ink. brings to all of their events.
+
+<img width="584" height="675" alt="GridlockOfferings" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/17addd7d-692f-4582-8397-89315236fe39" />
+
+*Metro Ink.’s Gridlock banner, along with a list of exciting happenings at this year’s event: $1000 starting prize pool, vendors & merch, karaoke, and… Bluefin Depot Splat Zones\!*
+
+Players participating can use a Switch 1 or Switch 2, but those using a Switch 2 must share their Switch 2 equipment with others if needed. Tabletop players are also accommodated, and will need to bring a USB-C to ethernet adapter. Controllers, game, console, and 3.5mm headset are also required.
+
+Gridlock 2026 takes place on Saturday and Sunday, July 11th–12th; doors open at 11 AM on both days. Commentary, volunteer, and art submission forms are available on Gridlock 2026’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/big-dapple-9/details) page, along with a link to the Discord server. The tournament will be streamed on the [GenGame Twitch Channel](https://www.twitch.tv/gengame)\!
+
+### **CALterna 07 \- July 18th, 2026 (California, United States)**
+
+Southern California’s local, CALterna, is back\! At B.Y.O. Games in Los Angeles, California, the 12-team-capped tournament expects to also host a Salmon Run side event. The tournament will also be for Splatoon 3, unlike last April’s CALterna event, CALternative, which brought out the Wii Us for a Splatoon (2015) LAN\!
+
+For the 4v4 tournament, players need to bring their Switch 1 or Switch 2 and docking station equipment. A controller and copy of Splatoon 3 are required, and a 3.5mm headset is recommended—a limited number of headsets are available onsite to borrow.
+
+CALterna 07 returns to SoCal on Saturday, July 18th, and the doors to B.Y.O. Games open at 1 PM. The tournament is planned to begin at 2 PM and the venue will be available until 9 PM\! Those wanting to watch at home can do so on [Twitch](https://twitch.tv/pickpickles).
+
+### **LAN of 10,000 Lakes \#3 \- July 18th, 2026 (Minnesota, United States)**
+
+With two successful runs behind them, LAN of 10,000 Lakes is cementing itself as a mainstay in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. Found on the third floor of an office building, inside the RTM Gaming Lounge (wheelchair-accessible), the venue has a large projector screen and provides games on the side to play between sets\!
+
+Participants need to bring their own Switch and game, controller, and headset in order to play. Switch 2 owners can participate, but will need to bring their own Switch 2 dock and LAN cables. Those who bring their own Switch 1 dock and AC adapter and are willing to share it with others will get $2 off their registration fee.
+
+LAN of 10,000 Lakes \#3 kicks off on Saturday, July 18th, 2026, at the RunTheMix (RTM) Gaming Lounge in Roseville, Minnesota. RTM’s doors open at 12 PM, and the Swiss bracket starts at 1 PM. [Start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/lan-of-10-000-lakes-3/details) has venue and entrance directions, tournament rules, Discord server invitation, and registration.
+
+### **Splatoon 3: Salmon Run Summit\! \- July 18th, 2026 (Michigan, United States)**
+
+Sharpen your Salmon Run skills ahead of Splatoon Raiders’ launch in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the Salmon Run Summit\! Not just a warm up for the next entry in the Splatoon series, but also for the next MI LAN, the Hyper-Local Splatfest, taking place the following week.
+
+Team up with other attendees during the two-hour event in a casual event geared toward fun. No Switch? No problem\! There will be consoles to borrow at the library venue, ensuring anyone can play, even if they’ve never tried the game before.
+
+Splatoon 3: Salmon Sun Summit\! starts at 1 PM and runs until 3 PM in the Program Room at the Ann Arbor District Library Traverwood Branch in Michigan. Advance registration is not required; more details can be found on the AADL’s program page: [https://aadl.org/node/666648](https://aadl.org/node/666648). The event occurs on Saturday, July 18th.
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="1200px-Raiders_Mechanic_and_Deep_Cut_promotional_screenshot" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/675b9362-45f6-41ea-a276-feccdde2a34c" />
+
+*Splatoon Raiders releases on July 23rd, 2026\!*
+
+### **Splatoon 3: Hyper-Local Splatfest \- July 25th, 2026 (Michigan, United States)**
+
+Following the Salmon Run Summit\! taking place one week prior, Michigan’s Hyper-Local Splatfest comes back, this time at the Ann Arbor District Downtown Library instead of the Traverwood Branch. The event is open to guests of all ages and skill levels\!
+
+The tourney is planned to run from 1 PM to 4 PM ET. No need to worry about traveling with your own equipment: as the event page says, “We'll provide the gear in-game and out; you bring the skills for a chance to win a prize.”
+
+Splatoon 3: Hyper-Local Splatfest will be at the Ann Arbor District Downtown Library in the 4th floor Program Room from 1–4 PM on Saturday, July 25th. Registration is not required for this event. Further details can be found on the AADL’s website: [https://aadl.org/node/666381](https://aadl.org/node/666381).
+
+### **Splatoon Raiders Launch Party (Las Cruces) \- July 25th, 2026 (New Mexico, United States)**
+
+The Inklings of Las Cruces, known for the Desert Highlands local in New Mexico, are holding a Splatoon Raiders Launch Party two days after the release of the new game\! No advance registration needed. Show up to have fun with your peers and experience Splatoon Raiders, either solo or take advantage of local multiplayer options\!
+
+The Las Cruces Splatoon Raiders Launch Party will be at the same venue that Desert Highlands is at, Geek Shack in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Looking to see who else is attending on Saturday, June 25th, 2026? Join the [Inklings of Las Cruces Discord](https://discord.com/invite/zpAM3XrRFA)\!
+
+### **Splatoon Raiders Launch Party (Houston) \- July 25th, 2026 (Texas, United States)**
+
+One state over, Texas Splatoon is also having their own Splatoon Raiders Launch Party on the same day as Las Cruces\! Cooling down from their newest LAN, Deep Sea DTX, the launch party will be at H-Town Splashdown’s usual venue, Game Guys.
+
+Texas Splatoon promises more information will be released closer to the event’s date, July 25th, 2026\. Game Guys can be found inside of Almeda Mall in Houston, Texas. Keep up with the latest news drops by joining the [Texas Splatoon Discord](https://discord.com/invite/KmZmfv5jaX)\!
+
+### **Get On My Level (GOML) 2026 \- July 31–August 2nd, 2026 (Ontario, Canada)**
+
+Closing out July and ringing in August, Get On My Level (GOML) is Canada’s longest-running fighting game major; in addition to Splatoon, other titles featured include Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Melee, Rivals of Aether I and II, Street Fighter 6, and Guilty Gear: Strive, among others. Outside of the game, there will be a 2v2 basketball tournament and after-party boat cruise\!
+
+<img width="1070" height="600" alt="GOMLboat" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/efdbea4d-0ccb-441e-b5da-5437fa8026d8" />
+
+*The Get On My Boat 2026 \- After Party Boat Cruise crew rented out a pirate ship for registered attendees to set sail on\!*
+
+New in 2026, the Splatoon 3 tournament at GOML will support Switch 1 AND 2s; bring your console of choice, Nintendo-licensed controller, copy of the game, and 3.5mm headset. IDs are required for badge pickup, and players under 18 years old will also need to submit a consent form signed by a parent or guardian to get their badge.
+
+The consent form, along with tournament rules, registration, event schedule, and much more, can be found on GOML’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/get-on-my-level-2026-canadian-fighting-game-championships/details) page. For the map list, FAQs, carpooling, and other conversation/help, join the [Splat LANs Discord](https://discord.com/invite/25UGew5XVA) server. Not attending but still want to watch the matches? The Splatoon 3 tournament will be streamed on the [GenGame Twitch Channel](https://www.twitch.tv/gengame).
+
+Get On My Level (GOML) 2026 \- Canadian Fighting Game Championship will be held between Friday, July 31st and Sunday, August 2nd. Badge pickup opens at 5 PM on July 30th, and the venue doors open at 10:30 AM on Friday. Splatoon 3 will be on Saturday, August 1st starting at 12 PM, and wrap up on Sunday, starting at 11 AM.
+
+## **August 2026**
+
+### **Sunset Surge: 3-Year Anniversary \- August 1st, 2026 (Arizona, United States)**
+
+Sunset Surge celebrates three years of bringing together the Arizona Splatoon community\! Following Sunset Surge: Blossom Blitz last April, they’ve hit the double-digits with their LAN events.
+
+The main event is a 16-team-capped tournament with all four ranked modes. Tournament participants should bring their Switch 1 (Switch 2 is not permitted), dock and cables, controller, game, and 3.5mm headset. Handheld players will be accommodated; reach out to staff in the [Sunset Surge \- Arizona Splatoon Discord](https://discord.com/invite/xmcsyFPrKN) server so the team can bring the necessary equipment.
+
+Want to lend a hand? Take a look at the [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/sunset-surge-3-year-anniversary-arizona-splatoon-lan/details) page for commentary, volunteer, and art contest information\! You’ll also find map directions, tournament rules, a smorgasbord of art and photos from past events, and more reasons to attend\!
+
+Registration for Sunset Surge: 3-Year Anniversary ends on Saturday, July 25th—one week before the event. The LAN is on Saturday, August 1st, 2026, and the tournament will be streamed on [SplatoonTourney’s Twitch Channel](https://www.twitch.tv/splatoontourney). You can find Sunset Surge at the ASU Esports Arena on the 3rd Floor, Room \#315, in Tempe, Arizona.
+
+### **Splat Vibes Vol. 4 \- August 1–2nd, 2026 (Twickenham, UK)**
+
+Over in the United Kingdom, Splat Vibes’ yearly two-day Splatoon LAN at St. Mary’s University will be running across August 1st and 2nd\! Most of the team slots are already full; the LAN has a cap of 20 teams for the tournament. Not interested in ranked modes? Join as a spectator or Tableturf competitor\!
+
+The main event starts with Round Robin Groups on Saturday and concludes with a Top 8 Double-Elimination bracket on Sunday. The map list, along with rules, directions, and more, are available on [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/splat-vibes-vol-4/details). Participants need to bring their own console, controller, and game. Switch 2s will be accommodated, but players should bring their own dock and cables to ensure they have all of the necessary equipment to play.
+
+Registration for Splat Vibes Vol. 4, on August 1st and 2nd, 2026, closes on July 31st or when the 20-team cap is reached. Teambuilding and additional information can be found in the [UK Splatoon LANS Discord](https://discord.com/invite/2nTr33Kj74) server.
+
+### **Kentucky Fried Squids \#1 \- August 8th, 2026 (Kentucky, United States)**
+
+Kentucky Fried Squids, one of the newest LANs in the United States, has been cooking for months and is ready to serve\! Located inside the Owensboro Convention Center in Kentucky, the venue is spacious and provides an onsite option for food and beverages.
+
+The tournament format will be three rounds of Swiss into Single-Elimination Brackets. Those wanting to take part must bring their own equipment: Switch, dock, cables, controller, game, and 3.5mm headset. Switch 2s are permitted. Competition registration closes on August 6th, and spectating is free\!
+
+Kentucky Fried Squids \#1’s inaugural event opens its doors on Saturday, August 8th, 2026\! Check-in starts at 11 AM CT; registration can be done on [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/kentucky-fried-squids-1/details). Find other attendees to form a team with via the [Kentucky Fried Squids Discord](https://discord.com/invite/5ZKFf7FHmv) server.
+
+<img width="1068" height="600" alt="kfs8s" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2aa0963e-b47f-420b-a182-daa783b49270" />
+
+*Need to practice with your squad before showing up to throw down at the Kentucky Fried Squids LAN? Join the KFS Discord server and participate in the weekly Kentucky 8s\!*
+
+### **SeaBATTLE\! X — Xtreme Summer \- August 8th, 2026 (Washington, United States)**
+
+SeaBATTLE\! reaches double digits\! The tenth iteration of Seattle’s local returns to GameWorks, located downtown with nearby public transport options, and boasting an in-house kitchen to order fresh food and beverages to keep your cool with.
+
+Tournament participants need their Switch, controller, Splatoon 3, and 3.5mm headset. Switch 2s will be allowed, but users will need to bring their own Switch 2 dock and adapter, labeled, and select the appropriate console option when registering. OLEDs are also allowed. Up to 14 teams can register, and registration ends on August 3rd. Spectators are not limited, and can register online or at the venue.
+
+SeaBATTLE\! X — Xtreme Summer is hosted at the GameWorks video arcade in Seattle, Washington on Saturday, August 8th, 2026\. Check-in starts at 11 AM, and Wave A Pools start at 12 PM. More event information, including a Discord invitation and schedule, can be found on SeaBATTLE’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/seabattle-xtreme-summer/details) page.
+
+SplatoonTourney will be streaming this event on Twitch\!
+
+### **Booyah Bay: Redwood Riot \- August 15th, 2026 (California, United States)**
+
+San José, California’s premier Splatoon LAN is held at Guildhouse’s Great Hall, and will have event merchandise, both new and old, at the ready\! Three parking garages are nearby, allowing for venue and vehicle access throughout the event.
+
+Playing in the tournament requires a Nintendo Switch, controller, and up-to-date copy of Splatoon 3\. A 3.5mm headset and charging cables are also highly recommended. Switch 2s and Switch Lites will be supported, but Switch 2 users must bring their dock and adapters, and Switch Lite users must bring an ethernet adapter.
+
+The [Booyah Bay \- NorCal Local LAN Discord](https://discord.com/invite/BmRnAHv4gX) is available for anyone to join who needs equipment, accommodations, or teammates to play with.
+
+Booyah Bay: Redwood Riot has put a bounty on their reigning champions, due on Saturday, August 15th, 2026 at Guildhouse’s Great Hall\! Further bounty details and links can be found on Booyah Bay’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/booyah-bay-redwood-riot-splatoon-3-lan-san-jose-ca/details) page, and for those who want to watch at home, the event will be streamed live on [SplatoonTourney’s Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/splatoontourney)\!
+
+The release of Splatoon Raiders has opened the door for LANs to mix up their events and make more space for Salmon Run enthusiasts. It’s too early to know for sure just how much Raiders will change the in-person Splatoon experience, but on the technical side, it does make a greater case for Switch 2 accommodations, as more and more players upgrade to the newer console for the Switch 2-exclusive title.
+
+As online tournaments continue to run strong, don’t count out major LAN events—they’re just starting to pick up, and only get bigger from here\! Keep up to date with LANs and find resources on attending using [Splatoon Stronghold’s LANs page](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/lan-map).
+
+Original Posting Date: July 4, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/july-august-2026-lans).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/luti-season-13.md

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+---
+title: LUTI Season 13
+date: 2023-03-02
+author: 공주 Alice & Chilliboi
+---
+
+Leagues Under The Ink, (LUTI for short), is the biggest community made league in Splatoon and goes back all the way to the chaotic Splatoon 1 era! Over time, it has developed and become one of the main pillars of the community. The LUTI divisions are a recognized presence throughout the community as one measure of a teams perceived skill level. Season 13 was the first LUTI bout of Splatoon 3 which saw 457 teams compete, making it the biggest Splatoon event to date as of this article. The insane amount of teams was comprised of newcomers and veterans, with 3 of them being a constant since LUTI Season 1: Los Inklings, [Day Old Sushi](https://sendou.ink/t/day-old-sushi) and [The Whiprays](https://sendou.ink/t/the-whiprays).
+
+LUTI was divided into 11 divisions, with a team taking the championship crown in each!
+
+[LUTI Division X](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13DX) (Winner: Enlite)
+The highest division is always a little bit smaller than the others, due to the bar of entry being so high. While the well known team Enlite won Div X, illustrating why they are both feared and respected, there's a lot more to talk about. The team Rising Wave, was the first ever Latin American team to reach Div X after being in Div 3 the season beforehand! Also, the rather new team [Penguin](https://sendou.ink/t/penguin) made their LUTI debut in Div X even though their members played in Div 3 - 7 in past seasons. It is really impressive to see teams grow through competing and make their mark in the community.
+
+[LUTI Division 1](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13D1) (Winner: Unhinged Unity)
+In Div 1 the European pickup of well known players Unhinged Unity took the win in the end, so a huge congratulations to them! A team worth mentioning besides that is [Mictlan Heroes](https://sendou.ink/t/mictlan-heroes), which did not have the luxury of an "easy run" at any point in their season. They went to a game 9 (in a Best of 9) EVERY. SINGLE. MATCH. They played until the 3rd place match of the division. In that match they broke the curse by only going to... well... game 8. Group C of Div 1 saw many insane bouts take place, such as a 3-way tiebreaker for playoffs between [SPARK](https://sendou.ink/t/spark), [Centopia](https://sendou.ink/t/centopia) and [Mango Hek Mek](https://sendou.ink/t/mango-hek-mek), which was only decided in the very last week of the group stage.
+
+[LUTI Division 2](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13D2) (Winner: [Vivid](https://sendou.ink/t/vivid))
+[Vivid](https://sendou.ink/t/vivid) won division 2 of LUTI season 13. This win alone is a gigantic upset, and a strong argument for why you should never underestimate your opponents. For context, this team would never have made the playoffs if not for Bazooka Squad reverse sweeping [SEQUOIA](https://sendou.ink/t/sequoia) in the group stage of LUTI. This ultimately opened the path to the playoffs for [Vivid](https://sendou.ink/t/vivid), and they seized the opportunity beautifully.
+
+[LUTI Division 3](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13D3) (Winner: Downy)
+Downy won division 3 of LUTI season 13 against Interrogation - a huge congratulations to them!
+
+[LUTI Division 4](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13D4) (Winner: [Silly Kitties](https://sendou.ink/t/silly-kitties))
+[Silly Kitties](https://sendou.ink/t/silly-kitties) won division 4 of LUTI season 13. After getting second in Squid Junction 38, the win was no big surprise. We look forward to seeing how they continue to grow as a team!
+
+[LUTI Division 5](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13D5) (Winner: [Crimson Waves](https://sendou.ink/t/crimson-waves))
+[Crimson Waves](https://sendou.ink/t/crimson-waves) won division 5 of LUTI season 13. In Div 5, a lot happened after the group stage. Aquatic Vanguard was the only group winner advancing to playoffs round 2. Every other 1st place team progressing from groups got upset by the 2nd place of another group. After that nobody knew who would emerge the victor! We want to take some time to acknowledge Team Waterfront, as even though they lost their matches, 3 of them went to game 9, proving that they absolutely belong in this division and can compete with the other Div 5 talents.
+
+[LUTI Division 6](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13D6) (Winner: Epsilon)
+Epsilon won division 6 of LUTI season 13 against Illusions. [Knight Sharks](https://sendou.ink/t/knight-sharks) got 3rd in a close 5-4 matchup.
+
+[LUTI Division 7](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13D7) (Winner: Project: Zeta)
+Project: Zeta won division 7 of LUTI season 13 against Black Ink Raiders. [Galaxy Squids](https://sendou.ink/t/galaxy-squids) got a notable 3rd place, as this position was determined through an intense 5-4 skirmish.
+
+[LUTI Division 8](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13D8) (Winner: [SmashCore Greece](https://sendou.ink/t/smashcore-greece))
+[SmashCore Greece](https://sendou.ink/t/smashcore-greece) won division 8 of LUTI season 13. In this division, we witnessed something that we had never seen before; a team actually disbanded while in the middle of playing a LUTI set!
+
+[LUTI Division 9](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13D9) (Winner: Virtuous Devine)
+Virtuous Divine won division 9 of LUTI season 13. We need to acknowledge the insanity of their final match vs. [Bottom Feeders](https://sendou.ink/t/bottom-feeders)! Starring on FalcoFlyer's LUTI Tonight, Virtuous Divine started their match 3v4 as not all their members were ready, leading to some early losses. However, when their 4th player joined, they turned around the tide and won the division overall!
+
+[LUTI Division 10](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13D10) (Winner: KO Patrol)
+KO Patrol won division 10 of LUTI season 13 against Royal Succulents. [Arctic Blitz](https://sendou.ink/t/arctic-blitz) secured 3rd place. Division 10 was the first new division introduced in season 13. The amount of teams joining made this change necessary, and it was a lovely "problem" to have to resolve! Even though this is the second lowest div, we can see the future of our community flourishing. Everyone now established at the top of the Splatoon food chain started somewhere, and we only can speculate how far this people will grow in the upcoming months.
+
+[LUTI Division 11](https://inkleagues.challonge.com/S13D11) (Winner: Crimson Star)
+Crimson Star won division 11 of LUTI season 13 against Elegant Emerald. DC Suicide Squids got 3rd. This division is the second new division introduced in season 13. Even though it is the lowest div, it only shows you the starting point from which you will rise. Your division is not the ceiling of your skill, its the floor you currently stand on. Most of the teams just recently joined competitive, and the fire of excitement and passion for training was burning beautifully. Let's keep an eye out for where we'll see those faces again in the future!

apps/web-react/content/articles/march-april-2026-LANs.md

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+---
+title: "March + April 2026 LANs"
+date: 2026-02-26
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *Two months of LANs so across the board that even Splatoon for the Wii U is making a comeback*
+
+<img width="1200" height="630" alt="Stronghold_LANs_header_MarchApril" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/361912ed-4676-4686-b57b-42e3a506babe" />
+
+With North America’s LAN Championship Showdown a little more than two months away, the stakes are getting higher and higher. To top it off, a handful of new LANs and yearly gatherings are taking place, making it a great season to travel out\!
+
+## **March 2026**
+
+### **Midwest Battleground 2026 \- March 6–8 (Illinois, United States)**
+
+Kicking off the bimonthly roundup is a brand-new Splatoon LAN in Chicagoland: Midwest Battleground\! The LAN currently has over 400 attendees signed up across 10+ games, for a three-day weekend of action.
+
+The LAN will be hosted at the Sheraton Lisle Naperville. The Splatoon 3 event is Sunday only, so participants can choose between a one-day or three-day pass at registration when signing up on [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/midwest-battleground-2026/details). Spectators can also purchase a pass of their choosing, but **must** purchase their pass on the [DuPage Sports Commission site](https://www.discoverdupage.com/sports/events/midwest-battleground/spectator-tickets/).
+
+There will not be any controllers or equipment available to rent; per the event’s Splatoon 3 rulebook, competitors need to bring their Switch (Nintendo Switch 2 is not eligible), game, controller, and 3.5mm headset. Questions about equipment and accommodations can be directed to the event’s [Discord](https://discord.gg/Rs5wdsTSGm).
+
+<img width="1000" height="577" alt="spl3openbracket_midwestbattleground" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c6c76579-d2ce-4bba-a96d-e2d968b3fd61" />
+
+Midwest Battleground begins on Friday, March 6th and runs through Sunday, March 8th, with the Splatoon 3 tournament on Sunday starting at 11:30 AM. Registration is open until March 7th at 3 AM EST, with a $700 minimum prize pool on the line, so don’t pass up attending this big event\! 
+
+### **VanCoral Mini 2 \- March 7 (Vancouver, Canada)**
+
+West Canada’s VanCoral LAN returns to the University of British Columbia for their Esports Gaming Expo\! The UBC AMS Student Nest is the venue location, and on site you’ll find options for food and drinks, and at this event in particular, they are advertising a large artist’s alley with variety\!
+
+To participate in the Splatoon tournament, you’ll need the game and your Switch, and a controller as well. Headsets are highly recommended, as they will not be provided. The event is capped at six (6) teams, so think about registering soon\!
+
+Not competing or planning on some down time? Check out the University’s [Gaming Expo webpage](https://www.ubcesports.ca/gaming-expo/) for a list of other events taking place, including a list of panels and a scavenger hunt\!
+
+VanCoral Mini 2 at UBC’s Esports Gaming Expo starts at 12 PM; the Splatoon 3 tournament plans to begin at 3:30 PM in Room 2506\. For more information, registration, and a Discord link, you can visit the event’s [Sendou.ink](https://sendou.ink/to/2763/register) page.
+
+### **GatorLAN Spring 2026 \- March 7–8 (Florida, United States)**
+
+GatorLAN, Southeast US’s largest free gaming event, features two days of gaming across different platforms. Panels, contests, board games, crafts, and more are part of the University of Florida’s 50+ tournament LAN. This event will be GatorLAN’s LCS qualifying event–*can they come out on top two years in a row?* 
+
+The venue is located inside the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The event requires everyone to bring their own setups, which includes consoles, controllers, computers, games, etc., so if you plan to participate, pack accordingly\! 
+
+It is encouraged to bring extra setups for others to use in case of an emergency; if you are able to, there is a form to fill out on GatorLAN’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/gatorlan-spring-2026/details) page. Bringing an extra setup for others to use will give you an additional entry into any giveaways as a bonus\!
+
+GatorLAN’s spring edition will run Saturday and Sunday, March 7–8th beginning at 11 AM. All events, unless otherwise specified on start.gg, will be one-day only. The tournament will be streamed on [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/SplatoonTourney), courtesy of SplatoonTourney.
+
+### **Chi-Shoals \#41 \- March 21 (Illinois, United States)**
+
+Chi-Shoals, which is Illinois’ long-running Splatoon LAN, has its 41st iteration as their LCS qualifying event\! Organized by SquidWest and hosted at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, Chi-Shoals is open to players of all ages and skills.
+
+Those competing will need to take note: the format of this event is a 4v4 Double Elimination bracket, which is different from their usual Groups-into-Single Elimination format. Participants need to bring their Nintendo Switch, copy of Splatoon 3, headset, and a controller. The main event will be streamed on the [SquidWest Twitch Channel](https://twitch.tv/squidwest)\!
+
+Chi-Shoals \#41, on Saturday, March 21st, precedes Chi-Shoals \#42, which will be the Salmon Run edition\! More information can be found on SquidWest’s [Challonge](https://challonge.com/communities/SquidWest) page.
+
+### **LAN of 10,000 Lakes \#1 \- March 21 (Minnesota, United States)**
+
+Another brand-new LAN local popping up, over in Minnesota: LAN of 10,000 Lakes\! Located in the RTM Gaming Lounge in a wheelchair-accessible office building and with plenty of space to grow as the community does, this LAN is setting itself up with a lot of potential\! 
+
+The tournament begins with a Swiss Play-All-Three seeding round with no eliminations, into a Best of 3 Double Elimination bracket, transitioning to a Best of 5 in Winner’s Finals/Loser’s Semi-Finals. Spectators can watch the action unfold on a large projection screen\! 
+
+To play, participants will need to bring their Switch and game, controller, and headset. Those bringing their own Switch dock and allowing others to use it for the duration of the event will receive a $2 off discount on their registration fee. Switch 2 owners can participate, but will **need** to bring their own Switch 2 dock and LAN cables.
+
+LAN of 10,000 Lakes debuts on Saturday, March 21st, 2026, at the RunTheMix Gaming Lounge in Roseville, Minnesota. Venue doors open at 12 PM; the event starts at 1 PM and is anticipated to run until 5-6 PM. [Start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/lan-of-10-000-lakes-1/details) has venue directions and entrance instructions, as well as tournament rules, Discord invitation, and registration.
+
+### **Fullwipe 2026 \- March 21–22 (Lyon, France)**
+
+France’s yearly Splatoon LAN is returning to the Gones Games expo in Lyon, France, at Foire de Lyon\! Since 2022, Fullwipe has been the French scene’s largest Splatoon gathering, hosted by EsportBrosTV. The two-day event holds far more than just Splatoon, for spectators and participants alike.
+
+<img width="600" height="600" alt="Fullwipe_pyon" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8b4a4d59-6536-4106-a439-db66c1005483" />
+
+*Illustration done by [Pyon](https://bsky.app/profile/reapyon.bsky.social) for Fullwipe 2026\.*
+
+During [Gones Games](https://www.foiredelyon.com/content/gones-games), attendees can find in-person gaming stations, an artist’s alley, other merchandise from retailers, exhibitions, live music, and more\! The expo even promises a space showcasing the Nintendo Switch 2, where attendees, “will be able to discover it through tournaments, challenges, free games, quizzes and game discovery sessions, accessible to all audiences”. 
+
+The Splatoon 3 tournament is capped at 32 teams, and the format is a Group Stage followed by a Single Elimination finals bracket. Per the website, “Matches will be played on Nintendo Switch 1 (Standard and OLED) using a Pro Controller. As an exception, each team is permitted only one Nintendo Switch 2”. 
+
+Docks and headsets will be provided, so tournament participants just need their Switch, game, and Pro Controller. Charging all devices in advance is recommended by tournament staff.
+
+Fullwipe 2026 at Gones Games will be held from March 21st through the 22nd in Hall 2\. Doors open at 10 AM, with Wave 1 of the Group Stage on Saturday starting at 12 PM, and Alpha and Bravo brackets beginning at 10 AM on Sunday. Registration, directions, ruleset and more can be found on [EsportBrosTV’s website](https://fullwipe.esportbros.tv/).
+
+### **Anarchy NoVA 3 \- March 28 (Virginia, United States)**
+
+From the United States’ DMV area is Anarchy NoVA\! The hosting venue is The Outer Limits video arcade in Ashburn, Virginia. Unlike the last event, both registration and payment can be completed on [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/anarchy-nova-3/details) and not required at the door, and this also serves as their LCS qualifier\!
+
+The cap for the tournament is 12 teams, but there is no cap for spectators\! Tournament participants need to bring their Nintendo Switch, controller, 3.5mm headset, and Splatoon 3\. The organizers highly recommend charging your equipment ahead of time.
+
+Anarchy NoVA 3 takes place on Saturday, March 28th. The Outer Limits’ doors open at 11 AM, and the group stage starts at 12 PM, with all teams making it to bracket. If you want to watch from home, you can see it streamed on [SplatoonTourney’s Twitch Channel](https://www.twitch.tv/SplatoonTourney)\!
+
+### **HI-SCORE Splatoon LAN \#1 \- March 29 (Hannover, Germany)**
+
+Closing out March is another brand-new LAN, coming from Germany’s [HI-SCORE video game museum](https://hi-score.org/)\! HI-SCORE is a combination arcade-museum, with all-original consoles for visitors to play on. As the LAN name suggests, HI-SCORE Splatoon LAN \#1 is the venue’s first-ever Splatoon LAN. 
+
+The tournament is capped at 16 teams. Players need their Nintendo Switch, game, and controller. For those who want to play on their Nintendo Switch 2, they must also bring their Switch 2 dock, power cable, and HDMI cable with the other items listed.
+
+<img width="1000" height="676" alt="HI-SCORE" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/aaf1dd9a-43a3-4739-978c-ec92d036ec44" />
+
+*Promo illustration for HI-SCORE Splatoon LAN \#1 from [Leblanc Hideout](https://bsky.app/profile/leblanchideout.bsky.social).*
+
+Between games, attendees are free to explore the museum and test out a variety of arcade machines and consoles, ranging from 1972 to the present, including exclusive and very rare ones you may not see elsewhere\! 
+
+The HI-SCORE Splatoon LAN \#1 is located at the HI-SCORE museum in Hannover, Germany, organized by Leblanc Hideout. The event is on Sunday, March 29th, and registration can be done in advance on [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/hi-score-splatoon-lan-1/details). Questions can be directed to the event’s [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/hi-score) server.
+
+## **April 2026**
+
+### **SeaBATTLE\! Royale 2026 \- April 4 (Washington, United States)**
+
+The ninth SeaBATTLE\! is a double-serving of special: not only is it their two-year anniversary, but it is their LCS qualifying event\! Participate in a 4v4 Splatoon 3 tournament, Salmon Run side event, play pool, visit the artist’s alley, or enjoy the rest of The HUB at University of Washington’s Esports Gaming Lounge.
+
+Those playing in the tournament need their Switch, controller, Splatoon 3, and 3.5mm headset with mic. Nintendo Switch 2 will be allowed if a player has no other option, but they will need to bring their own Switch 2 dock and adapter, labeled.
+
+Players interested in the Salmon Run event can sign up either online or on-site. Those who will be playing in both the tournament and Salmon Run event are asked to sign up for Salmon Run in advance online so TOs can accommodate the two event schedules.
+
+SeaBATTLE\! Royale 2026 is hosted at The HUB at University of Washington in Seattle, Washington on Saturday, April 4th, 2026\. Check-in starts at 11 AM, and the Group Stage starts at 12 PM. More event information, including a Discord invitation and schedule, can be found on SeaBATTLE’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/seabattle-royale-2026/details) page.
+
+SplatoonTourney will be streaming this event on [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/SplatoonTourney)\!
+
+### **H-Town Splashdown \#7: Blastoff \- April 11 (Texas, United States)**
+
+H-Town Splashdown is Houston, Texas’s local LAN, located at Game Guys in Almeda Mall. This event will be Texas’s LAN Championship Showdown qualifier, and already has nine teams signed up to fight for their ticket to the LCS\!
+
+The venue will already have monitors and setups available for players, so players will only need to bring their own Nintendo Switch console, copy of Splatoon 3, a headset, and controller. Registration ends one week before the event, on April 5th, so plan accordingly. 
+
+H-Town Splashdown \#7: Blastoff hits Houston, Texas on Saturday, April 11, 2026; if you plan to attend, your team will need to be registered on the [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/h-town-splashdown-7-blastoff/details) page—the Texas Splatoon Discord is linked on the page and will help team-less players buddy up\! Can’t attend but still want to watch? [SplatoonTourney on Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/SplatoonTourney) is your destination\! 
+
+### **Big Dapple 10: The Golden Gala \- April 11 (New York, United States)**
+
+New York’s Big Dapple wants you to come dressed to impress for their tenth edition and LCS qualifier\! The theme is the “Grand Gala”: semi-formal attire is encouraged, as well as cosplays, or whatever you can be most comfortable in\! The dress code is not enforced.
+
+Commute routes to OS NYC are in abundance, with options including parking garages and subway lines, providing access to all attendees. A detailed list of routes and garages can be found on the [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/big-dapple-10-the-golden-gala/details) page, including a community-curated list of cool things to do outside of the LAN\!
+
+The tournament permits use of Nintendo Switch 2s, but those using them must bring their docks and adapters, and be willing to allow others to use the equipment if needed. Competitors also need their controller, game, and 3.5mm headset. 
+
+The main Splatoon 3 tournament will be streamed on the [GenGame Twitch Channel](https://www.twitch.tv/gengame). TOs are planning for extra side events throughout the day, and attendees—including spectators—can play at LAN stations while they are not in use for the tournament.
+
+Big Dapple 10: The Golden Gala opens at 11 AM ET on Saturday, April 11th, 2026 at OS NYC. Spectator passes are also available, both online and in-person. Event registration must be done online and closes on March 28th, two weeks before the LAN.
+
+### **CALternative \- April 11 (California, United States)**
+
+The same folks who created southern California’s LAN local CALterna now bring you CALternative: a Splatoon (2015) LAN. Yes, that’s right: time to dust off those Wii Us and return to where it all began in the year 2026, hosted at B.Y.O. Games in Los Angeles\! 
+
+![800px-SplatoonWiiUWeapons](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/26091e0c-dfa1-47d5-a4d3-abb6effc1be7)
+
+Although the name of the venue implies “Bring Your Own Games”, the hosts will be providing the Wii Us, copies of Splatoon, controllers, and screens. All available consoles will have the exact same gear, so one setup won’t be “better” than another. All players need to bring are their own 3.5mm headsets and their best Splatoon 1 skills\! 
+
+CALternative takes you back nearly a decade on April 11th, 2026, at B.Y.O. Games, where the venue will open at 1 PM. The tournament is planned to begin around 2 PM. The tournament will be streamed on [Pickpickles’s Twitch](https://twitch.tv/pickpickles). For more information, check out the event’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/calternative/details) page.
+
+### **New InkLAN \#6 \- April 12 (Massachusetts, United States)**
+
+New InkLAN, hosted by the New England Squids, is Massachusetts’s LAN local. Previously hosted at the Balance Patch venue, for their 6th iteration, they have moved to Game Underground, a video game/TCG/arcade located in Waltham. This also serves as New InkLAN’s LCS qualifying event\!
+
+Competitors are encouraged to bring their own setups, which include: Switch, dock, and LAN cables. Spectators can also bring setups to play at when stations aren’t in use. Are you a student? Check out the New InkLAN \#6 [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/new-inklan-6/details) page to see how you can get a discount on your registration\!
+
+Participants are encouraged to sign up early; registration prices increase the longer you wait, and at its latest stage (3/29 \- 4/11), discounts are not available. All passes (spectator and competitor) include access to the rest of Game Underground’s venue.
+
+New InkLAN \#6 takes place on Sunday, April 12th, 2026; for more info, reach out to the [New England Squids Discord](https://discord.com/invite/FvgmCDsjfn) to get in touch with tournament staff. The tournament will also be available to watch on [SplatoonTourney’s Twitch channel](https://www.twitch.tv/SplatoonTourney).
+
+### **Sunset Surge: Blossom Blitz \- April 18 (Arizona, United States)**
+
+Sunset Surge is one of two Arizona LANs (Backyard Brawl, we didn’t forget you\!), which takes place at the ASU Esports Arena. Blossom Blitz is their LCS qualifier; last year, Arizona took 2nd place at the LAN Championship Showdown–with 12 teams in the fray this year, can they go the distance? 
+
+For the 16-team-capped main tournament, players have until April 11th at 11:59 PM to register, either solo or with a team. All teammates will need to register for the event on the [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/sunset-surge-blossom-blitz-2026/details) page, and anyone without a team can use the [Sunset Surge \- Arizona Splatoon Discord](https://discord.com/invite/xmcsyFPrKN)’s \#looking-for-team channel to find one.
+
+Want to get to work over the weekend? You can also sign up for a Salmon Run side event\! While not playing, you can take in the artist venue area and see some of Sunset Surge’s most gorgeous art yet\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="499" alt="blossomblitz" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/75aae20a-6c59-4762-bc18-058e5fc49861" />
+
+*Banner image for Sunset Surge: Blossom Blitz, logo created by [Bugslap](https://bsky.app/profile/bugslap.com).*
+
+Registration for Sunset Surge: Blossom Blitz ends on Saturday, April 11th—one week before the event—so watch the dates if you plan to participate\! The LAN is on Saturday, April 18, 2026, and the tournament will be streamed on [SplatoonTourney’s Twitch Channel](https://www.twitch.tv/SplatoonTourney).
+
+### **Don't Flounder at the Function 2 | Spring Break \- April 18 (North Carolina, United States)**
+
+Don’t Flounder at the Function, North Carolina’s newest local, hot off of its first run in January, is ready to crown their first LCS team\! This LAN is sponsored by New Game Plus+; the hosting venue is the North Carolina Esports Academy in Cary. 
+
+The Splatoon 3 tournament has a cap of 12 teams, but spectators are just as welcome to attend. Registration can be done online at [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/don-t-flounder-at-the-function-2-spring-break/details), and includes poster bundles for those who want to guarantee a takeaway. Spectator passes can also be purchased at the door day-of.
+
+Competitors need their Nintendo Switch, 3.5mm headset, controller (handheld players will be accommodated), and Splatoon 3, and bringing your Switch 1 dock is encouraged by staff. Nintendo Switch 2 is not eligible for this event.
+
+Don’t Flounder at the Function 2 | Spring Break, the final LAN before the LAN Championship Showdown, is on Saturday, April 18; the Group Stage will begin at approximately 1:30 PM. [SplatoonTourney2](https://www.twitch.tv/SplatoonTourney2) will be streaming the event on Twitch for viewers at home.
+
+### **Nittany Nouveau \- April 25–26 (Pennsylvania, United States)**
+
+The Splatoon Club at Penn State University invites all to PSU’s final spring 2026 Splatoon event\! Student status not required, just a love for the game. Or for Mario Kart, which is being held as a side event during Nittany Nouveau. 
+
+The tournament is split into two Splatoon events: one Collegiate Event, and one regular Splatoon 3 event. As mentioned earlier, Mario Kart will be held as a side event; depending on the number of available setups, it will be either Mario Kart World or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
+
+Questions about anything that cannot be found on the event’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/nittany-nouveau-splatoon-club-penn-state-spring-finale/details) page can be directed to either the PSU Splatoon Club’s email or Discord server (links to both on the event’s registration page). 
+
+Nittany Nouveau at Penn State University will be spread out across Saturday, April 25th and Sunday, April 26th, 2026\. Registration closes on April 18th, one week ahead of the event. 
+
+### **LAN Championship Showdown 2026 \- April 26 (Online)**
+
+You’ve heard the hype. You’ve seen it brewing over the first four months of 2026\. It’s time to find out who the best LAN local in North America is\! From Torontoroka to Don’t Flounder at the Function 2, twelve LANs have all sent their winners tickets to the LAN Championship Showdown invitational. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="667" alt="LCS2026Map" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e7b54e64-d775-4b83-b9c4-afe33454ac7b" />
+
+[*SplatoonTourney’s*](https://bsky.app/profile/splatoontourney.bsky.social) *LAN Championship Showdown 2026 Qualifiers Map.*
+
+These LANs represent the LCS: 
+
+* Anarchy NoVA (Ashburn, Virginia)  
+* Big Dapple (New York, New York)  
+* Booyah Bay (San Jose, California)  
+* Chi-Shoals (Chicago, Illinois)  
+* Don’t Flounder at the Function (Cary, North Carolina)  
+* GatorLAN (Gainesville, Florida)  
+* H-Town Splashdown (Houston, Texas)  
+* New InkLAN (Waltham, Massachusetts)  
+* SeaBATTLE\! (Seattle, Washington)  
+* SoCallie (Irvine, California)  
+* Sunset Surge (Tempe, Arizona)  
+* Torontoroka (Toronto, Ontario)
+
+Last year, GatorLAN took home the first place gold, with Sunset Surge taking silver and Big Dapple getting bronze. LCS 2025 only had eight teams; 2026 has expanded to twelve teams. The action finds a home on [SplatoonTourney’s Twitch channel](https://www.twitch.tv/SplatoonTourney), on Sunday, April 26th, 2026\. 
+
+With all of the locals continuing in 2026 and new ones preparing to debut, we may see an even bigger LAN Championship Showdown in 2027, representing even more Splatoon communities across the continent\! 
+
+Want an easier way to see which LANs are coming up and nearest to you, without waiting for a bimonthly article? Splatoon Stronghold has an interactive LAN map, with LANs across the globe\! Find it at [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/lan-map](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/lan-map)\!
+
+Original Posting Date: February 26, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/march-april-2026-lans)
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/may-june-2026-LANs.md

@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+---
+title: "May + June 2026 LANs"
+date: 2026-05-01
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *Start the summer season with some travel plans to your nearest local—also, get the lowdown on April’s LAN Championship Showdown 2026 while you’re here*
+
+<img width="1200" height="630" alt="May + June 2026 LANs" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ecf6bb81-26fe-43e0-88a8-ab6b9b144fcb" />
+
+As May and June approach, and schedules become freer for many of us with the arrival of summer break, the LANs, too, adapt to the calendar and become bigger. With North America’s LAN Championship Showdown season now passed, a host of new LANs can take the spotlight. 
+
+We’ll take a moment to appreciate the *gravity* of 2026’s LCS’s transformation from its debut last year, but before we discuss the past, let’s see what the future has in store\!
+
+## **May 2026**
+
+### **Mile High Dive \#1: First Ascent \- May 2nd, 2026 (Colorado, United States)**
+
+The Long Tree Hub is hosting the next iteration of Colorado’s regional-area LAN, Mile High Dive\! Located at the same venue as Rocky Mountain Splatdown, The Lone Tree Esports Lounge, the entry fee will be a total of $15 for competitors ($5 venue fee, $10 tournament fee which is put into the prize pool). Spectator passes are $5. 
+
+In order to play, participants need to bring: Nintendo Switch (no Nintendo Switch 2s), Splatoon 3, controller, and charging cords. TOs recommend bringing your own 3.5mm headset with mic and Switch dock with HDMI and LAN cables. If you’re able to bring extra USB LAN adapters, it would be appreciated\! Look for a team and see who else is going in the [Mile High Dive (CO Splatoon) Discord](https://discord.gg/yNhkGd6HGF).
+
+Mile High Dive \#1: First Ascent opens the doors to its inaugural event at The Lone Tree Hub community center at 1 PM on Saturday, May 2, and matches will begin shortly after, at 2 PM. For tournament rules, guidelines, maplist, and registration, check out the [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/mile-high-dive-1-first-ascent/details) page\!
+
+### **SplashGo\! \#13 \- May 2–3rd, 2026 (Tokyo, Japan)**
+
+Gearing up for its next iteration is the SplashGo\! tournament in Japan\! SplashGo\! is one of the biggest Splatoon 3 LANs worldwide, even larger than Riptide in the West. It is a two-day Turf War-only event that hosts up to 128 teams; last event (\#12) saw 94 teams participate and even had an IPL stream cast in English for accessibility to a broader audience. 
+
+The main spectacle will be a Group Round Robin style event on day 1 into a Single-Elimination Finals bracket on day 2, exclusively for Turf War. Counter stages are in effect, and sets are best of three. Spectators are welcome as well\! This time, Dapple Productions will be providing an [English cast stream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0jgEtfD7vU), for day one. 
+
+SplashGo\! \#13 will be held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center, 5F in Minato City, Tokyo, Japan, starting on Saturday, May 2, 2026, and run through Sunday the 2nd. Registration and further inquiries can be found on the event’s official page, [Ikanakama.ink](https://ikanakama.ink/events/19112).
+
+### **Squid-Waukee \#8 Spring 2026 \- May 9th, 2026 (Wisconsin, United States)**
+
+Squid-Waukee, Wisconsin’s free-to-play LAN local, returns in the month of May and is ready to welcome players of all ages and skill levels to attend. Interested in learning more or attending? Join the [SquidWest (Midwest Splatoon Players)](https://discord.com/invite/Acv9qH6) Discord\!
+
+All attendees need to bring for the 2v2 event is a Nintendo Switch (Switch 2s are not permitted for this event), copy of the game, and a controller. Sign up through the dedicated Discord event link, [here](https://discord.com/events/209679304487993345/1477396235160785079). It would help the TOs considerably if anyone prospective about attending marked themselves as “Interested” on the event\! 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="squid-waukee" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/038f371d-bbce-4fbf-b067-9c1530b4c067" />
+
+*Squid-Waukee \#8 Spring 2026 is at a new venue this time around\!*
+
+Squid-Waukee \#8 Spring 2026 is hosted at the West Allis Public Library in West Allis, Wisconsin, on Saturday, May 9th, from 11:30 AM \- 3 PM. Keep up to date with all Squid-Waukee and other Wisconsin-related Splatoon events by following the [Squid-Waukee Bluesky](http://@squidwaukee.bsky.social) page. 
+
+### **\[CANCELED LAN\] Bread Basket: Rising \- May 16–17th, 2026 (Edmonton, Canada)**
+
+Looking for a LAN that offers more than just Splatoon? Bread Basket: Rising is a fighting game major in Edmonton, Alberta spanning an entire weekend in May. What used to just be a Super Smash Bros. tournament has grown to include Guilty Gear: Strive, Rivals of Aether 2, Tekken 8, Splatoon 3, and more.
+
+Although the event runs yearly, Bread Basket: Rising (2026) has been canceled, per the TOs. The start.gg page and French Bread Gaming official website still list the event as ongoing, but it will **not be taking place this year**. 
+
+### **MomoCon 2026 \- May 21–24th, 2026 (Georgia, United States)**
+
+A major anime, gaming, comics, and animation convention held in Georgia, MomoCon has been a staple event in the United States since the early 2000s. Because of its scale being that much larger than just a video game event, it brings in *a massive audience*; last year, they hosted over 59,000 attendees and anticipate even more in 2026\. And you’ll find a Splatoon 3 tournament there, as well as a [Pop-LANtis](https://poplantis.com/) table\! 
+
+Setups will be provided for Splatoon, but players will need to still bring their Switch, controller, and copy of the game. Pools begin on Friday, May 22nd at 10 AM, with Silver Bracket anticipated to begin at 4 PM the same day and conclude on Saturday morning. It will be followed up by the Redemption Bracket and Top Cut/Gold Bracket later on Saturday. While MomoCon lasts four days, Splatoon is only on Friday and Saturday. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="559" alt="momoconbanner" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/bfc71130-9566-46a4-a4a0-5ac5a190b153" />
+
+While not playing in the tournament, MomoCon has plenty to offer, from cosplay, live entertainment, a star-studded guest list, workshops, to a maid cafe. [Wonder Festival](https://wonfes.us/) will also have its first appearance in the United States at MomoCon. Admission to Wonder Festival is included with MomoCon passes, so why not take a gander at Japan’s renowned figure and model craftsmanship fest?
+
+MomoCon 2026 takes place between Thursday, May 21st and Sunday, May 24th. Admission passes must be purchased on [MomoCon’s official website](https://www.momocon.com/registration/), and then those wanting to partake in tournaments must register on [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/momocon-2026-5/details). IPL will be streaming the Splatoon 3 tournament this year on their [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/iplsplatoon) channel\!
+
+### **Chi-Shoals \#42 (Salmon Run Edition) \- May 23rd, 2026 (Illinois, United States)**
+
+Chi-Shoals, Illinois’ long-running Splatoon LAN, has its 42nd iteration as a Salmon Run special event\! Organized by SquidWest and hosted at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, Chi-Shoals is open to players of all ages and skills.
+
+Following its much-busier predecessor, which was the LAN Championship Showdown qualifier, the Salmon Run edition is geared to be a more lax event, but still brings plenty of competition. Participants need to bring their Nintendo Switch, Splatoon 3, headset, and a controller. The main event will be streamed on the [SquidWest Twitch Channel](https://twitch.tv/squidwest)\!
+
+Chi-Shoals \#42 (Salmon Run Edition), on Saturday, May 23rd, precedes Chi-Shoals \#43, which will be the Gamer’s Universe edition\! More information can be found on SquidWest’s [Challonge](https://challonge.com/communities/SquidWest) page or [Sendou.ink](https://sendou.ink/calendar/4599) page.
+
+### **LAN of 10,000 Lakes \#2 \- May 23rd, 2026 (Minnesota, United States)**
+
+Having debuted just last March, LAN of 10,000 Lakes returns to the Twin Cities area in Minnesota\! Located in the RTM Gaming Lounge in a wheelchair-accessible office building, it boasts a large projector screen for an enhanced spectator experience, and even has extra games on the side to play\!
+
+Participants need to bring their Switch and game, controller, and headset in order to play. Those who bring their own Switch dock and allow others to use it for the event will receive $2 off on their registration fee. Switch 2 owners can participate, but will **need** to bring their own Switch 2 dock and LAN cables to use it.
+
+LAN of 10,000 Lakes \#2 will be held on Saturday, May 23rd, 2026, at the RunTheMix (RTM) Gaming Lounge in Roseville, Minnesota. Venue doors open at 12 PM; the preliminary Swiss bracket starts at 1 PM and is anticipated to run until 5-6 PM. [Start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/lan-of-10-000-lakes-2/details) has venue directions and entrance instructions, as well as tournament rules, the Discord server invitation, and registration.
+
+### **Little Dapple: Return of the Gala \- May 23rd, 2026 (New York, United States)**
+
+New York’s Big Dapple wants you to come back for a casual, one-day LAN featuring friendlies, practice, coaching, and if enough players show up to throw down, a light tournament. Intended to be smaller in size than Big Dapple, as a follow up from the Golden Gala LCS qualifier in April, all for the purpose of preparing for the upcoming regional, Gridlock\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="500" alt="littledapplebanner" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/bb685754-5544-483f-8369-4ea394c0b014" />
+
+*There are already 10 attendees registered for Little Dapple: Return of the Gala as of May 1, 2026, so a tournament is sounding more likely by the day\!*
+
+Attendees are encouraged to visit Little Dapple’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/little-dapple-return-of-the-gala-1/details) page for commute routes and other transportation details to the venue, which is different from the OS NYC hub that Metro Ink regulars have been to. The new location is the newly-opened Gaming Dojo, found at 36-29 Main Street in Flushing, New York.
+
+Switch 1s and Switch 2s are permitted, but those using Switch 2s must bring their docks and adapters, and allow others to use the equipment if needed. Those playing also need their controller, game, and 3.5mm headset. Teams will be made on-site.
+
+Little Dapple: Return of the Gala opens at 1 PM ET on Saturday, May 23rd, 2026 at the Gaming Dojo. The venue closes at 6 PM. Spectator passes are also available, both online and in-person. 
+
+## **Desert Highlands Monthly Tournament \- May 31st, 2026 (New Mexico, United States)**
+
+New Mexico’s newest LAN will also be celebrating its second event, Desert Highlands\! You’ll find this event hosted at Geek Shack, a hobby shop well-loved by the locals. Although the [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/desert-highlands-monthly-tournament-1/details) page for the event lists May 17 as the LAN date, it is confirmed for May 31st through the [Inklings of Las Cruces Discord](https://discord.com/invite/zpAM3XrRFA).
+
+The tournament format will be a 4v4 Best of 3, with the first game’s mode being selected by vote at the start and the first map chosen at random. The losing team will then pick the map for the next game. Depending on player turnout and voting, Grand Finals may be a Best 5 out of 6 set, which will be determined day-of. 
+
+The Desert Highlands Monthly Tournament of May 2026 starts at 4 PM on Sunday, May 31st at Geek Shack in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Anyone interested in participating in this burgeoning LAN should register through the Discord using the link above\!
+
+## **June 2026**
+
+### **Squidstorm x LeBlánce \- CLUTCH United \- June 6–7th, 2026 (Fellbach, Germany)**
+
+Germany’s bimonthly LAN, SQUIDSTORM, is celebrating its sixteenth iteration in collaboration with LeBlánce\! Hosted at the CLUTCH23 Gaming Bar & Social Space, players can dine and duel in one location—a day pass comes with one free drink\!
+
+The hosts promise participants this: “16 monitors. LAN connection. Two 4v4 matches at the same time. No lag. No excuse.” Battle your way through Best of 3 Swiss rounds into the Playoffs bracket—a podium placement will award a medal, but only first place gets a cup to go with it\! Players need to bring their Nintendo Switch, controller, Splatoon 3, and a dock with LAN adapter and power cable. 
+
+Squidstorm x LeBlánce \- CLUTCH United runs on Saturday and Sunday, June 6–7, 2026\. CLUTCH23’s doors open at 11 AM, and the bracket begins at 12 PM. You will find all of the details, registration, and rules on [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/squidstorm-x-lebl-nce-clutch-united/details). Can’t make it out? [CLUTCH United’s Twitch](https://twitch.tv/clutchunited) channel will be streaming the event\!
+
+### **Chi-Shoals \#43 (Gamer's Universe) \- June 13th, 2026 (Illinois, United States)**
+
+It’s Chi-Shoals… again\! May through July 2026 features back-to-back-to-back monthly events of Illinois’ LCS-affiliated Splatoon LAN local. The 43rd iteration is called “Gamer’s Universe”. It’s still organized by SquidWest and hosted at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, and always open to all ages and skill levels\!
+
+Returning back to form after its Salmon Run predecessor, the tournament will be a Groups to Single-Elimination format. Participants need to bring their Nintendo Switch, Splatoon 3, headset, and a controller. The main event will be streamed on the [SquidWest Twitch Channel](https://twitch.tv/squidwest)\!
+
+Chi-Shoals \#43 (Gamer’s Universe) continues the three-month streak on Saturday, June 13th, 2026, from 11 AM–4 PM CT\! More information can be found on SquidWest’s [Challonge](https://challonge.com/communities/SquidWest) or [Sendou.ink](https://sendou.ink/calendar/4600) page. Join the [SquidWest (Midwest Splatoon Players)](https://discord.com/invite/Acv9qH6) Discord server for info, the latest SquidWest news, and commentator opportunities\!
+
+## **LAN Championship Showdown: April 26, 2026**
+
+Preceding all of the above LANs was the LAN Championship Showdown (LCS) on Sunday, April 26th, 2026\. Twelve champion teams from twelve individual LAN locals across North America were invited to the exclusive online tournament to crown the strongest LAN of the land. Built up from its premiere in 2025 with only eight teams, Florida’s GatorLAN at the top, how did 2026 revolutionize the game? 
+
+What’s the lowdown from this showdown? 
+
+These teams represented their region over the five-stream spectacle: 
+
+* [Torontoroka](https://www.start.gg/tournament/torontoroka-2026/details) (Toronto, Ontario) \- **sINKronise**   
+* [SoCallie](https://www.start.gg/tournament/socallie-9-the-glacial-gala/details) (Irvine, California) \- **Deep-Fried Chuds**   
+* [Booyah Bay](https://www.start.gg/tournament/booyah-bay-cable-car-coast-splatoon-3-lan-san-jose-ca/details) (San Jose, California) \- **Shark**   
+* [GatorLAN](https://www.start.gg/tournament/gatorlan-spring-2026/details) (Gainesville, Florida) \- **super g**   
+* [Chi-Shoals](https://challonge.com/chishoals41) (Chicago, Illinois) \- **Overseer**   
+* [Anarchy NoVA](https://www.start.gg/tournament/anarchy-nova-3/details) (Ashburn, Virginia) \- **Dairy Queen Check\!\!**   
+* [SeaBATTLE\!](https://www.start.gg/tournament/seabattle-royale-2026/details) (Seattle, Washington) \- **We aren't practicing**   
+* [Big Dapple](https://www.start.gg/tournament/big-dapple-10-the-golden-gala/details) (New York, New York) \- **Gravity**   
+* [H-Town Splashdown](https://www.start.gg/tournament/h-town-splashdown-7-blastoff/details) (Houston, Texas) \- **BBQ Pork Jambalaya**   
+* [New InkLAN](https://www.start.gg/tournament/new-inklan-6/details) (Waltham, Massachusetts) \- **Z Tier Players**   
+* [Sunset Surge](https://www.start.gg/tournament/sunset-surge-blossom-blitz-2026/details) (Tempe, Arizona) \- **Monsoon Season**   
+* [Don't Flounder at the Function](https://www.start.gg/tournament/don-t-flounder-at-the-function-2-spring-break/details) (Cary, North Carolina) \- **7.8/10 Too Much Ink** 
+
+<img width="586" height="880" alt="LCStreams" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0c7e077b-ebbc-4ad0-8695-04e3a54e28b6" />
+
+SplatoonTourney and its four Twitch channels (SplatoonTourney 1, 2, 3, and 4\) simultaneously streamed every set in the tournament, with casters from each LCS qualifier represented. This was during one of the busiest weekends for Competitive Splatoon, running alongside the Global Gauntlet 1 Finals, Splatoon 3 North American League, LUTI Division 2 Finals, CCA’s Pacifink Collegiate Invitational, and more. 
+
+Out of 22 Best of 5 sets total, eight sets went to a game five (over 1/3rd of all sets), seven went to a game four, and the other seven were a 3-0 knockout—with two of them saved for Winner’s Finals and Grand Finals. 
+
+[The results](https://sendou.ink/to/3655/results) mostly reflected the teams’ assigned seeds, with first and second place going to seeds \#1 and \#2 respectively, and third place going to seed \#4, while seed \#3 took fourth place. 
+
+Gravity (representing Big Dapple) was the team to watch out for, being entirely composed of NA champions. They had a near-perfect run in the event, only losing one game to GatorLAN’s super g. While GatorLAN didn’t take home the gold two years in a row, they earned a major achievement that no one else could. 
+
+Also, some prize money from Popgun.
+
+<img width="710" height="565" alt="LCSpopgunbet" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/26db7bab-2315-412d-952b-da913ce18700" />
+
+*Since super g’s local is GatorLAN, which is free, Popgun ended up paying the team $100 USD as “gas money”, with the note, “Beat Milkyway \+ Zero in a rainmaker game”.*
+
+By the end of the night, the podium was filled, with these three teams at the top:
+
+1. Gravity (Big Dapple)  
+2. BBQ Pork Jambalaya (H-Town Splashdown)  
+3. super g (GatorLAN)
+
+The list of credits for such a branched-out event runs long, as does all of the hard work from the TOs, players, mic talent, streamers, and producers. The credits roll from the event can be found on [SplatoonTourney’s Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/splatoontourney.bsky.social/post/3mkkyrzcoy22s), and while you’re there, Falco’s [“Reflections and Thank Yous thread”](https://bsky.app/profile/falcoflyer.bsky.social/post/3mkikl3jrok2o) provides not only gratitude to everyone involved, but also links to find them. 
+
+With 2026 bringing a boom of new LANs to more regions than ever before, remember to support your locals and your TOs, so they can keep raising the line for Competitive Splatoon and your viewer experience\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: May 1, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/may-june-2026-lans).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/na-lague-2026-p1e1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+---
+title: "NA League 2026 Event #1 (Preseason Week 1)"
+date: 2026-04-07
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *The Splatoon 3 North American League 2026 begins, and this one has it all\!*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="NAL2026-p1e1" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6fa658c7-3bc4-49c8-a86c-5008a6830a5d" />
+
+Almost four months after the end of the 2025 Splatoon 3 North American League, the NA League returns for a 2026 edition, with plenty of familiar faces, maps, and modes. Jordan, Zach, and Mellana are our hosts, with Piko on the spectator camera. 
+
+There’s no slow starts this time: the level of action you’d expect from the last event of the Regular Season kicks off in Preseason Week 1\! Knockouts, shutouts, game five sets, and even a Grand Finals bracket reset took place on Saturday, April 4\. 
+
+Although throughout the event, the Splattercolor Screen was used, its audio and visual effects did not show up on stream, so those who are sensitive to it can safely watch the replay. 
+
+These teams earned their way to the top cut this week: 
+
+1. TZS (better known as Triggerfish Zones Supremacy)  
+2. Windsurfers  
+3. InkThys  
+4. 11 ft 8 Bridge  
+5. triple dippers  
+6. bunnybunny  
+7. Broke Birds  
+8. Reignfall
+
+Only a handful of players in this lineup have made it to a top cut stream in the previous NA League, so with plenty of fresh talent on display, we dive in\!
+
+## **Winner’s Quarterfinals: InkThys vs. 11 ft 8 Bridge (0-3)**
+
+Starting off the Splatoon 3 North American League’s 2026 season is the classic Splat Zones pick on one of the new map options, Robo ROM-en. For most of the game, the teams traded the lead, settling at a close 28-27 favoring InkThys halfway through. With 19 seconds remaining, 11 ft 8 Bridge took the lead and brought it all the way to a knockout victory before the clock reached zero. 
+
+Next, the teams went to Crableg Capital for Rainmaker. They kept the score close, first 61-62, and then 40-41. InkThys would remain at 40, while 11 ft 8 Bridge pressed forward with less than a minute and a half remaining, taking the Rainmaker all the way to 1 tick left. The last 15 seconds in the game had all players in mid throwing ink at the Rainmaker shield. The victor was 11 ft 8 Bridge, 99-60.
+
+<img width="1000" height="561" alt="WQF_RMcrableg" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/42ed4dad-fcd9-4665-9d67-132b4c3836e8" />
+
+Game three was Tower Control at Hagglefish Market. Wasting no time, 11 ft 8 Bridge already had the tower at 46 by the time the first minute passed. Halfway through the game, they scored a wipeout on InkThys. The final score was 64-28, to 11 ft 8 Bridge, securing them the set shutout, 3-0\!
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals: triple dippers vs. Broke Birds (3-1)**
+
+With 11 ft 8 Bridge advancing to face TZS next, the stream shifted to the other bracket for Winner’s Semi-Finals: triple dippers vs. Broke Birds. Triple dippers would have an advantage going into this match, having a few players on their side from team FOAMS NA, who were often seen in the top 16 of the 2025 NA League. 
+
+Game one started at MakoMart for Tower Control. Both teams took their turn with the lead in the first two minutes. Triple dippers, behind in score, wiped out Broke Birds and drove to surpass Broke Birds’ 43 points. They got to 42—one point behind Broke Birds—before getting wiped out themselves. The game would end with that one point difference: Broke Birds winning 58-57.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WSF_TCmakomart" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c01d78a0-60ad-424d-8663-dcbe533a2933" />
+
+*Broke Birds’ silver., signaling This Way\! to their teammates after finishing the wipeout.*
+
+Back to Hagglefish Market, for Splat Zones this time, Broke Birds took an early advantage by wiping out triple dippers 20 seconds in. They kept the zone for a minute longer before triple dippers threw every special they had at the zone to stop Broke Birds at 6\. Their momentum kept them going, for a wipeout on Broke Birds, then a lead switch, and finally a knockout victory with a little less than a minute and a half left.
+
+Game three was Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway; triple dippers cleared their first checkpoint fairly quickly, and Broke Birds responded by taking the lead back… At the cost of being wiped out. A lead to 46 isn’t anything to rest on, and soon triple dippers had the lead again. They lost the Rainmaker at 7; upon popping it, they wiped out Broke Birds, allowing them to knockout with 1:18 to spare\!
+
+It didn’t take long for Turf War to show up in the 2026 NA League, and it debuted at Museum d’Alfonsino. The teams adjusted their comps for the mode—a Colorz Aerospray made an appearance. As for the gameplay, as one would expect from Turf War, things remained even up to the final seconds. In the last 20 seconds, Broke Birds faltered, and the final score was 56.1% to 38.5%, to triple dippers.
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: TZS vs. triple dippers (3-2)**
+
+Up until now we’ve seen knockouts, 3-0 set shut-outs, and victories decided by just one point. It’s about time we get two more events to have everyone on the edge of their seats: 100-to-0 games and a game five set\! 
+
+Opening Winner’s Finals was Turf War at Robo ROM-en; while teams focused on painting over splatting, as the game reached the halfway point, TZS fell behind, having the Danger\! warning above their heads. In the last 45 seconds, TZS was wiped out, and triple dippers won 64% to 32%, for a clean 96% total ink coverage. 
+
+Game two went to Splat Zones at MakoMart, for the first of two 100-0 knockouts. TZS took the zone in 15 seconds, and the story ends there. Triple dippers had no chance to touch the zone, and at 3:45, TZS had their knockout win. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="TZS_zonesmakomartWF" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b6d3d37b-6d4b-43a2-8299-c97e9c05d3db" />
+
+*TZS, just ticks from knocking out, down two players while triple dippers is down 3\.*
+
+Game three, Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy, was the same story, only with triple dippers as the lead. At 4:35, triple dippers hopped on the tower, and rode it all the way to the end without pause, even wiping out TZS just a tick before knocking out, at 3:43. 
+
+Our first repeat map and mode, Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway, had the same flow as a game of Turf War: mostly stalemate-y until the final seconds. Triple dippers cleared their first checkpoint, then TZS followed. No new points were scored until the last 8 seconds, where KrakenMare grabbed the Rainmaker and leapt forward, taking the lead by two points. Although the game went into overtime, TZS remained victorious, 68-40.
+
+Finally, Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino was forced out by a game five to determine who went to Grand Finals and who went to the Loser’s Bracket. TZS was already scoring within the first minute, and they kept doing so, frequently. While all eyes were on triple dippers advancing into TZS’s plat, all the way across the map, TZS snuck in and scored to a knockout, ending the game 30 seconds early. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="561" alt="WF_clamsmuseum" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f244f99f-8521-4caf-b97e-e12c0d6ed0c6" />
+
+*Triple dippers on their opponent’s plat, having to 180° after seeing TZS’s Power Clam super jump all the way to their basket.*
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: Broke Birds vs. Reignfall (3-0)**
+
+Loser’s Semifinals repeats a match in Winner’s Quarterfinals between Broke Birds and Reignfall, which we didn’t see on stream earlier. Broke Birds won 3-1 over Reignfall initially, and if they do it again, they will meet triple dippers in Loser’s Finals for another repeat set. 
+
+Again, Splat Zones at Robo ROM-en would make an appearance. Broke Birds’ initial push left them at 45, which would be a tough hill for Reignfall to climb. By the time they got close, Broke Birds moved the goal to 8\. Reignfall put forward their best effort, but the clock ran out while the zone was neutral, leaving Reignfall just shy of the win, 82-92.
+
+Game two, Inkblot Art Academy for Tower Control, saw Broke Birds trade Chai for Skaboop, but the focus was all on Golias and the Cometz Octobrush. Reignfall’s downfall was focusing on Golias while the rest of Broke Birds was clearing checkpoints and eventually, taking the tower to the knockout, for a second Broke Birds victory. 
+
+Game three had another “chai swap”, as this time Reignfall swapped out demONdaz for evil chai, doubling the amount of Brushes at Scorch Gorge for Rainmaker. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LS_twochai" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e4fb2cbf-109b-45cc-9921-ad1ba7336996" />
+
+*Yes, “Chai vs. evil chai” was a joke both teams worked together to provide to the stream.*
+
+Broke Birds forged their way to an early advantage of 32 shortly after clearing their first checkpoint. Reignfall fought back, being met with two wipeouts. Broke Birds would take the third game, 68-30, and go on to rematch triple dippers in Loser’s Finals. 
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: triple dippers vs. Broke Birds (3-1)**
+
+Triple dippers and Broke Birds back at it again, both ready to see a different result from Winner’s Semifinals. There, triple dippers won 3-1, and both teams were hoping for a 3-0 the second time around. 
+
+Starting off at Splat Zones at Hagglefish Market, triple dippers took the zone first, and their initial push brought them all the way down to 19\. What sounds like a tall order, Broke Birds made look easy, surpassing 19 in one go. They were halted just short of the knockout with a neutralized zone, but silver. clutched out a quad and brought Broke Birds to a knockout. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LF_zoneshagglefish" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/37923285-d271-4fce-97b0-9c4dc97ca7a3" />
+
+Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino returned—triple dippers went from 100 to 44 in one 30-second push. Broke Birds struggled to get forward, only getting their first points in overtime, and wouldn’t score enough to take the lead. Triple dippers won 56-20. 
+
+With the set tied, Tower Control at MakoMart was next, and it took nearly two minutes for the tower to finally pass the 90-point mark. But when it did, it was triple dippers on a roll to the end. Broke Birds tried to stop triple dippers from knocking out by sending in the Kraken Royale, but two specials were enough to keep it at bay, and triple dippers had the knockout secured.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LF_TCmakomart" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c50c19d7-b773-48be-9424-e0b5b7b07f34" />
+
+*Golias’s Kraken Royale on the tower, about to tank FOAMArcher’s Ink Vac burst.*
+
+Rainmaker at Scorch Gorge set game four. Broke Birds took their checkpoint first and dove all the way to 36\. They held onto this lead for about two minutes, but after triple dippers cleared their first checkpoint, they deployed three specials to protect their Rainmaker carrier as they swam to a new lead. The game went into overtime, but once more Broke Birds couldn’t make the play they needed, and triple dippers won 83-64. 
+
+## **Grand Finals: TZS vs. triple dippers (0-3)**
+
+The Grand Finals set that everything else was leading up to brings another face-off between Triggerfish Zones Supremacy and triple dippers. The set was sure to be tense, given that their last set went to a game five.
+
+Grand Finals began with Clam Blitz at Scorch Gorge. TZS scored minimally, only getting Power Clams in one at a time. Triple dippers, meanwhile, brought their score to 51 in one big push, taking the lead, and defended it through overtime, for a game one victory 49-30. 
+
+Urchin Underpass appeared for the first time, for Tower Control; TZS swapped out KrakenMare for DRF, hoping the Tri-Slosher ASH-N’s Splattercolor Screen would give them an edge. Unfortunately as we’ve seen from triple dippers, once they get going, it’s hard to stop them; after they cleared their first checkpoint, they went all the way through the second. TZS tried catching up, but fell short, 53-75. 
+
+Manta Maria also appeared for the first time in the 2026 NA League, for Rainmaker. TZS denied triple dippers their checkpoint and wiped them out, which led to TZS getting their lead all the way to 22\. It took until the last minute for triple dippers to clear that checkpoint, and taking a page from TZS’s Winner’s Finals playbook, they dove ahead to take the lead by two points in the final seconds, winning 80-78. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="561" alt="GF_RMmantamaria" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6a64a0e5-8a18-43b1-afc2-79cd3afc9163" />
+
+*Nicochico making a game-winning dive for points, dodging everything TZS threw at them.*
+
+With triple dippers coming from the Loser’s Bracket and having won Grand Finals 3-0, it was time for a Grand Finals Reset\!
+
+## **Grand Finals Reset: TZS vs. triple dippers (3-1)**
+
+The first event of the 2026 NA League keeps on giving, and we find ourselves with a Grand Finals Reset\! From a 3-2 set, to getting 0-3’d, the storyline between these two teams has enough gas for one more rematch. 
+
+Kicking off with Turf War at Urchin Underpass, triple dippers brought out both the N-ZAP ‘85 *and* ‘89. TZS was much more aggressive this game, constantly being found in the walls of their opponent’s base. In the last minute, the map was looking to favor TZS just slightly, but they went down three players in the final 10 seconds, giving triple dippers enough time to ink ahead for a 48.6% \- 42.1% win.
+
+Game two was Tower Control at Undertow Spillway, and TZS swiftly rode the tower through two checkpoints, to get to 43\. Triple dippers got to 55, and after that, the game stalled, with no more points gained until close to the end, where TZS extended their lead. In overtime, triple dippers went down three players; TZS reclaimed the tower and tied the set 1-1 with their 71-51 win. 
+
+The next game was Rainmaker at Scorch Gorge. Triple dippers cleared the checkpoint first; TZS followed and took a narrow lead. They continued pushing, getting all the way to 16 after a series of small pushes. Unleashing specials one by one, triple dippers ran the Rainmaker down the hallway, but was stopped just short of the lead. They couldn’t put together another push in overtime, and TZS won another game, 84-82. 
+
+The Grand Finals Reset was at set point for TZS, being a repeat of Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino. This was the same map and mode combination which TZS won the tiebreaker during Winner’s Finals, so it wasn’t looking good for triple dippers from the outset. 
+
+It took halfway through the game for anyone to score; triple dippers took down three of TZS’s players to end up with a solid first push to 47\. TZS consistently had plenty of clams, but a lack of ink made it difficult for them to approach the other basket. By overtime, they hadn’t scored once. The chance arose when triple dippers went down two; players jumped in, and in less than three seconds, TZS took the lead, 56-53.
+
+<img width="1000" height="526" alt="GFR_clamsmuseum" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5a933590-3181-47c4-a484-13e05d324022" />
+
+*In overtime, the score is tied 47-47; the final clam soars through the air as TZS is mid-Triple Splashdown.*
+
+After facing triple dippers three times across 12 games, TZS comes out as the winner of the first event in the Splatoon 3 North American League 2026\!
+
+*And there wasn’t even a single game of Splat Zones in all seven Grand Finals matches.*
+
+<img width="1200" height="321" alt="finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/363ad6f4-d89f-4a33-a52c-3009cc4de3aa" />
+
+Original Posting Date: April 7, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/na-league-2026-e1-p1)
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/na-league-2026-p2e2.md

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+---
+title: "NA League 2026 Event #2 (Preseason Week 2) "
+date: 2026-04-14
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *Preseason Week 2 means one more chance for unsung talent to get their big break on Nintendo’s livestream*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="NAL2026-p2e2" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fb10cc48-922a-44c8-9263-d1f6eb2fd041" />
+
+On Saturday, April 11, the Splatoon 3 North American League 2026’s second and final Preseason event ran amid several other major Splatoon events, including LANs, a Global Gauntlet qualifier, and Springfest. 
+
+Zach led the commentator cast, joined by Kbot and Falco. Operating the spectator camera was CzarDB. 
+
+The teams who made it to the Top Cut during the Preseason Week 2 event were: 
+1. Xiphias  
+2. Acute team  
+3. Not For Radio  
+4. C4K  
+5. Honeybadgers  
+6. Wave Riders  
+7. InkThys  
+8. SmoothMoves
+
+The top two teams, Xiphias and Acute team, were no newcomers to the NA League. Xiphias appeared in a Top Cut stream last year, and the team was partly built with players from DPS Only, a two-time NA League 2025 Top Cut stream participant. Acute team, meanwhile, included two players from Broke Birds, last week’s third place team. 
+
+This week’s action did see use of the Splattercolor Screen, and its audio and visual effects appeared on stream in several matches. Take caution watching replays if you are sensitive to them.   
+
+## **Winner’s Quarterfinals: C4K vs. Honeybadgers (3–0)**
+
+To start the Top Cut stream, Winner’s Quarterfinals began with C4K vs. Honeybadgers, two teams new to the NA League Top Cut. 
+
+Game one was at Hagglefish Market for Rainmaker. Neither team had a Charger, opting for choices like Heavy Edit Splatling and Dynamo Roller. C4K cleared their checkpoint first, but received a delayed wipe, enabling Honeybadgers to quickly follow up with their own checkpoint. In the final seconds, C4K took Honeybadgers down three players, and the final score was 73–58, in C4K’s favor. 
+
+Game two, Tower Control at MakoMart, was perhaps the fastest game of Tower Control the NA League may ever see, lasting only 52 seconds. At 4:48, C4K got on the tower, and rode it without slowing down straight to the knockout, at 4:08\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WQF_TC_makomart" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fbfea037-2b61-4ab3-8c06-4e0361b7edfc" />
+
+Splat Zones at Manta Maria was the final game in the set, and it was rough for Honeybadgers. They were frequently down three players, even being caught in a delayed wipeout more than once. C4K had another 100 to 0 knockout, and took the set shutout 3–0 to advance to Winner’s Semifinals. 
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals: Acute team vs. Not For Radio (3–0)**
+
+With C4K advancing to Winner’s Semifinals to face Xiphias, on the other side of the Winner’s Bracket, Acute team was about to face Not For Radio. SmoothMoves, Honeybadgers, InkThys, and Wave Riders were all sent to the Loser’s Bracket.
+
+The first game went to Hagglefish Market for Splat Zones. In the tense game, Acute team was able to wipe out Not For Radio twice, but lagged behind in points for most of the match. In the last 15 seconds, Not For Radio tried to retake the zone with a Reefslider, which Acute team’s Ultra Stamp shut down, allowing them to get the lead. Acute team held their lead through overtime, winning 87–77. 
+
+<img width="800" height="541" alt="WSF_SZ_hagglefish" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f8366ba2-a2fd-4393-86df-ca1861c63283" />
+
+*Weatherman’s Ultra Stamp flying in to meet KAGOME’s Reefslider and shut it down before it gets to the Splat Zone.*
+
+Up next was Tower Control at Shipshape Cargo Co., a very different story than the previous game. After 30 seconds, Acute team passed the first checkpoint, and not slowing down, they got to 15 before both teams went down three players. Another minute passed, and Acute team inched closer to victory, to 4\. They wiped out Not For Radio three times in a minute and a half, and knocked out with over a minute left. 
+
+Rainmaker at Robo ROM-en was another strong showing from Acute team, getting all the way to 8 before 60 seconds passed. Acute team kept constant pressure on Not For Radio, either keeping them down two, three, four players, or bringing the Rainmaker into their spawn. Not For Radio had the Rainmaker in overtime, but was taken out by an Ultra Stamp toss, giving Acute team the set shutout after the 92–38 game.
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: Xiphias vs. Acute team (3–0)**
+
+Xiphias and Acute team met in Winner’s Finals already having a storyline develop throughout the day. Xiphias hadn’t lost a single game yet, including during the Ladder round of the NA League. Acute team, meanwhile, had almost the same perfect streak—their only loss was to Xiphias, in the Ladder round.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WF_XiphiasOpener" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d818f80a-ae79-4e91-8786-70ce8212b0ac" />
+
+*Team Xiphias, from left to right: vheavy, jose, Jay, and Droid.* 
+
+Splat Zones at Hagglefish Market for game one again\! In the first 20 seconds, Xiphias wiped out Acute team, and from there, their points started burning. Acute team blocked Xiphias’s 100 to 0 knockout by stopping them at 4\. Ultimately, they could only delay the knockout, and Xiphias won the game 30 seconds early.
+
+The stream saw its second Tower Control at MakoMart game, and while not as fast as the first one, still ended rather early. Acute team went down three players in the first 15 seconds, leading to Xiphias making a huge push to 45 in one go. They kept driving forward, taking Acute team down in pairs, until they knocked out again, at 2:48. 
+
+Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino was next, and Acute team has now used one of each type of Splatana: Wiper, Stamper, and Decavitator. Xiphias got the Rainmaker first, but couldn’t get the checkpoint. Acute team took the lead, but still not the check yet. Halfway through, Xiphias finally cleared the checkpoint, and carried it to 35, their furthest score. Xiphias won the game 65–40, and advanced to Grand Finals undefeated\!
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: Honeybadgers vs. C4K (1–3)**
+
+Well, it’s back to Honeybadgers vs. C4K, just like Winner’s Quarterfinals\! Honeybadgers had won their way up from Loser’s Top 8, 3–0’ing SmoothMoves and Not For Radio; meanwhile, C4K was coming off of a 3–0 win over InkThys in Loser’s Quarterfinals. 
+
+At Inkblot Art Academy for Rainmaker, C4K nailed an early lead, getting to 31 before Honeybadgers got any points. By the two minute mark, Honeybadgers were wiped out as C4K had one player disconnect, and it was just their S-BLAST ‘91 left alive. C4K defended their lead in the 3v4, not losing it until the last 45 seconds; in the final second, when Honeybadgers were down 3, C4K slipped back into the lead, winning the 3v4 72–71. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LSF_RM_inkblot" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/82cfad96-8a2c-4943-9d0a-74dab58d0958" />
+
+Tower Control at Undertow Spillway was another quick knockout from C4K, smoothly sailing past their first and second checkpoint. As they cleared their third, Honeybadgers were wiped out, and seconds later, C4K won the game, at 3:40. 
+
+Game three went to Urchin Underpass for Splat Zones, where the Splattercolor Screen was used, and its effects were on stream. C4K brought a double Triple Splashdown comp, and made full use of it to cap the zone whenever possible. Despite this, Honeybadgers took a strong lead early, and only bolstered it throughout the game, going as far as knocking out and taking their first win from C4K. 
+
+Clam Blitz was finally up, at Scorch Gorge. From the 3-minute mark, C4K scored three times in one minute, but until the third time, it was only one Power Clam, with their score ending at 51\. Honeybadgers missed their first throw, but on the second try, scored, and took the lead, all the way to 27\! In overtime, C4K used every special at their disposal to protect jump-ins and wipe out Honeybadgers, to take the lead, 84–73.
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: Acute team vs. C4K (3–0)**
+
+Both Acute team and C4K had been sent to the Loser’s Bracket courtesy of Xiphias, and now they were set to fight over who got the rerun. This was not the first time these teams faced one another that day either, as Acute team won against C4K during the Ladder round as well. 
+
+For the third time, game one was Splat Zones at Hagglefish Market. C4K took a big lead at the start, but before the first minute ended, Acute team wiped out C4K. This led to Acute team taking the lead, but barely a minute passed before C4K had it back thanks to a Splattercolor Screen blocking the zone. Again, Acute team wiped out C4K to get the lead one last time before knocking out close to the one minute mark.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LF_TW_loadout" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/89a724bf-03bb-4fdc-91ec-16d538be54cc" />
+
+*Each team’s Turf War comp—Acute team with a REEF-LUX MIL-K, .52 Gal, Snipewriter 5H, and Painbrush; C4K with a .52 Gal, Heavy Edit Splatling, Splash-o-matic, and Glamorz Splattershot.*
+
+Turf War made its first appearance on stream at Inkblot Art Academy. The teams didn’t adjust their weapons too much to accommodate the mode. Halfway through, the Danger warning showed up for C4K, and at the one minute point, both teams had only two players up. In the last seconds, C4K, with Danger back in the overhead, went down three players, sealing their loss, 35.5% to 53.1%. 
+
+Tower Control at MakoMart, a combo which C4K had been dominant on earlier on stream, began with Acute team wiping out C4K and themselves only being down to their last player, who rode the tower through the first checkpoint while everyone respawned. The game felt like a bloodbath, with players splatted left and right, and by the end of it, Acute team proved to be the stronger team, winning 65–40. 
+
+## **Grand Finals: Xiphias vs. Acute team (3–0)**
+
+The runback between Xiphias and Acute team, to conclude their storyline for Saturday’s events, had both teams sticking to weapons they were most comfortable with. Especially in Xiphias’s case, who hardly changed their weapons at all during the entire Top Cut.
+
+Splat Zones at Crableg Capital started with Acute team falling into a delayed wipe little more than 10 seconds in. They were able to cap the zone, stopping Xiphias at 30\. It wasn’t long before Xiphias was back in control, and before the clock reached the halfway point, Xiphias had the knockout under their belts. 
+
+Game two went to Tower Control at Robo ROM-en. Both teams were quick to be cut in half, and shortly after, Acute team was wiped out, giving Xiphias time to clear their first checkpoint. Xiphias’s Blaster was Acute team’s biggest obstacle, always popping up to take players down in droves. Xiphias beat the clock, wiping out Acute team and driving the tower to a knockout with a handful of seconds to spare.
+
+Rainmaker at Scorch Gorge closed out the set; Acute team brought a .52 Gal and .96 Gal, but the Ink Vac didn’t stop them from struggling most of the game to keep Xiphias out of their base. Xiphias’s Rainmaker carrier dodged past a Kraken Royale and took it all the way to 17, and from there, the rest of the game was Acute team being denied any momentum. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GF_RM_scorchgorge" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/27d6fe7b-fc11-4c5a-a7c6-7de13f2ef010" />
+
+*Jay brings the Rainmaker as far as it can go, pincered by a Kraken Royale and two opponents.* 
+
+Xiphias went on to win the game 86–0, and made it to the top of the podium at the Splatoon 3 North American League 2026 Preseason Week 2 event completely undefeated all day, from the Ladder round through Top Cut\! 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="FinalBracket_e2p-p2" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9bff9438-690e-403d-821d-8893bf2bc06d" />
+
+By the end of the Preseason event, there was still more Splatoon for everyone to enjoy, with Springfest only half over. With big action waiting for next Saturday, between the start of the NA League Regular season—where points begin to count toward Playoffs—and the Splat World Series’ First Edition Global Gauntlet Qualifier 2, April remains a strong month for the best Competitive Splatoon has to offer\! 
+
+
+Original Posting Date: April 14, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/na-league-2026-e2-p2).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/na-league-2026-playoffs.md

@@ -0,0 +1,183 @@
+---
+title: "The Splatoon 3 North American League 2026 Playoffs RECAP"
+date: 2026-06-24
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *After ten weeks of consecutive Competitive Splatoon Saturdays, who takes home a podium placement?* 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="nal-2026-playoffs-recap" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c7ad57ba-4214-47bd-a519-736c4bdfffb9" />
+
+On June 20th and 21st, 2026, the Splatoon 3 North American League 2026 reached its end, and the journey from the top to the finish line took place during two livestreams lasting a total of ten hours. Like last year’s NA League Playoffs, every single set was on stream, making sure each team had a chance to shine. 
+
+Zach, Cyren, and Nine commentated the Winner’s Quarterfinals on day 1\. Starting with Winner’s Semifinals, Zach, Mellana, and Falco rounded out day one, which ended after the Loser’s Top 8\. Day two began with Jordan, Mellana, and Falco for the Loser’s Quarterfinals; after Loser’s Semifinals, Nine and Cyren swapped out Mellana and Falco to conclude the Playoffs with Jordan. CzarDB was the spec cam operator both days. 
+
+The teams who made it to the Playoffs with the highest season standings during the Regular Season were: 
+
+1. Milky Way  
+2. Cream Soda  
+3. NME  
+4. Content Cat  
+5. Moonlight  
+6. Healbook  
+7. Duck Motif  
+8. SCUBA
+
+While watching replays of sets, keep in mind that a handful of sets did see the Splattercolor Screen. While only one set, Loser’s Top 8: Duck Motif vs. Healbook, had its effects on Nintendo’s official stream for a brief moment, take caution viewing replays from other players if you are sensitive to its effects. 
+
+## **Day 1**
+
+Day one consisted of Winner’s Quarterfinals, Winner’s Semifinals, and Loser’s Top 8\. Since every set was on stream, every team had the spotlight at least twice, before two teams were eliminated from the tournament before making it to day two. 
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals Part 1: Milky Way vs. SCUBA (3–0)**
+
+Starting the event was the seed \#1 vs. seed \#8 match, Milky Way vs. SCUBA. The set would initiate a pattern of what the commentators would start to call the “trifecta” of modes: Splat Zones, Rainmaker, and Tower Control, all played one after the other. 
+
+SCUBA put up a fight against Milky Way; the final scores don’t tell the full story. Although Milky Way knocked out game one, Urchin Underpass Splat Zones, and game three, Manta Maria Tower Control, SCUBA didn’t go down without earning their fair share of points. In game two, they prevented the knockout at Scorch Gorge Rainmaker, but still lost 46–67, and were sent to the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals Part 2: Content Cat vs. Moonlight (1–3)**
+
+The sets went from the furthest range in seeds right into seed \#4 vs. seed \#5, Content Cat vs. Moonlight. Just like in seeding, the games between these two were equally as close. Content Cat did make use of the Splattercolor Screen in this set, but CzarDB did a fantastic job avoiding its audio and visual disruption from being on stream. 
+
+The set started with Urchin Underpass again, but for Turf War, where Moonlight won by just 0.06%, 49.5%–48.9%. Undertow Spillway Rainmaker was just a hair away from a knockout for Content Cat, winning 99–80. In the last two games, Moonlight won both with points in the 90s: 98–75 (Museum d’Alfonsino Clam Blitz) and 97–63 (MakoMart Splat Zones). 
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals Part 3: Cream Soda vs. Duck Motif (3–2)**
+
+The set between seed \#2 Cream Soda and seed \#7 Duck Motif was *the* set to spectate during round 1\. Many bracket predictions assumed Cream Soda would 3–0 Duck Motif, but Duck Motif showed up, with an L-3 Nozzlenose D in hand, to prove otherwise. 
+
+Cream Soda knocked out game one, Crableg Capital Splat Zones, but the start of the game was very rocky, nearly going to Duck Motif. Then Duck Motif took the next two wins: 70–59 at Robo ROM-en Tower Control, and 56.3%–40.4% at MakoMart Turf War. In a very close final two games, Cream Soda inched ahead, winning 52–50 after overtime at Inkblot Art Academy Clam Blitz, and 42–38 at Undertow Spillway Rainmaker. 
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals Part 4: NME v. Healbook (3–0)**
+
+The last set of Winner’s Quarterfinals came down to seed \#3 NME vs. seed \#6 Healbook. These teams had come across each other once during the Regular Season, during week six, where NME won 3–1 in Winner’s Finals and went on to win the event against Content Cat. 
+
+Coming full circle to start the set with Urchin Underpass Splat Zones again, NME took the knockout, but from there would start to be slowed down by Healbook. Game two, Crableg Capital Tower Control, Healbook ran the game into overtime, but NME still came out 99–25. The set ended 70–42 at Museum d’Alfonsino Rainmaker, sending Healbook to the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals Part 1: Milky Way vs. Moonlight (3–2)**
+
+Switching commentators to Zach, Mellana, and Falco, a repeat of last year’s League Playoffs Grand Finals was the highlight of Winner’s Semifinals. Last Playoffs, Moonlight went 1–3 twice against Milky Way, starting with Winner’s Semifinals, where Moonlight then won their way up the Loser’s Bracket to rematch Milky Way in Grand Finals.
+
+Mahi-Mahi Resort Splat Zones is classic map/mode between these two; although Moonlight made it to 3, Milky Way came up to knock out thanks to their ever-present Triple Inkstrikes. MakoMart Tower Control went to Milky Way as well, 84–45. Moonlight pushed the set to a game five after winning Museum d’Alfonsino Clam Blitz 53–30 and Urchin Underpass Rainmaker 53–52 after overtime. It came down to Scorch Gorge Turf War, where Milky Way won 64.3%–32.5%.
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals Part 2: Cream Soda vs. NME (3–1)**
+
+On the other side of the Winner’s Semifinals, Cream Soda went up against NME. The teams met a few times during the Regular Season Top Cut, and while every time it was Cream Soda taking the win, NME has a record of taking multiple games from them. 
+
+For the third time, the set began with Urchin Underpass Splat Zones, with a knockout for Cream Soda. NME rebounded with their own KO at Inkblot Art Academy Tower Control. Scorch Gorge Rainmaker went into overtime, but Cream Soda won again, and they closed out the set with another knockout, at Mahi-Mahi Resort Clam Blitz. 
+
+### **Loser’s Top 8 Part 1: Content Cat vs. SCUBA (3–1)**
+
+Moving into the Loser’s Bracket now, Content Cat, SCUBA, Duck Motif, and Healbook would be determining the two teams who would be knocked out of the event before day two. Up first was Content Cat and SCUBA, who had been going head-to-head in the 2026 League as early as Regular Season Week 2\. Both teams had won and lost against the other, so there was no clear winner until the dust settled\!
+
+For the first time *not* at Urchin Underpass or Splat Zones, SCUBA took the first win, at MakoMart Turf War, 52.7%–44.5%. Content Cat got the next two wins as knockouts, at both Hagglefish Market Splat Zones and Undertow Spillway Rainmaker. The last game came down to overtime, where Content Cat won their third game in a row, 71–70. 
+
+### **Loser’s Top 8 Part 2: Duck Motif vs. Healbook (3–0)**
+
+The last set of day one was between Duck Motif and Healbook, bringing a five and a half hour stream to a close. Splattercolor Screen appeared in this set and its effects were on screen briefly, so if watching the stream replays, please take caution if you are sensitive to them. 
+
+Putting to bed Urchin Underpass and Splat Zones, the set instead started with Robo ROM-en Tower Control, which Duck Motif quite dominantly won 93–47. They moved to Shipshape Cargo Co. Turf War, which again went to Duck Motif, 59.2%–36.8%. Healbook couldn’t close out Museum d’Alfonsino Rainmaker, going 36–74, and instead it was Duck Motif advancing to Loser’s Quarterfinals for day two. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="Playoffs_midpointbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/30065ddd-a90a-426e-9067-c52d23e78023" />
+
+
+## **Day 2**
+
+Day two would cover the latter half of the set, starting with Loser’s Quarterfinals and moving into Loser’s Semifinals, to Winner’s Finals, then Loser’s Finals, and last but not least, Grand Finals.
+
+### **Loser’s Quarterfinals Part 1: NME vs. Content Cat (3–0)**
+
+NME vs. Content Cat began day two, with Jordan, Mellana, and Falco starting the commentary block. Seeded \#3 and \#4, the set should have been close, but Content Cat had to contend with a team that had gotten to third place in the last North American League.  
+
+Mahi-Mahi Resort Splat Zones kicked off the day, and it was a knockout for NME. The next two games were decided by single-digit points, but NME took both for a 3–0 set: Shipshape Cargo Co. Tower Control (76–72) and Undertow Spillway Rainmaker (74–73). NME moved forward after the last 3–0 set of the Playoffs. 
+
+### **Loser’s Quarterfinals Part 2: Moonlight vs. Duck Motif (3–1)**
+
+Moonlight and Duck Motif, far from strangers with one another, especially since this was a repeat Loser’s Quarterfinals match from the last NA League. Vexen was replaced by Duck Motif’s coach, Atlas, for the first two games. 
+
+Moonlight won MakoMart Turf War by a wide margin; 66.1%–29.9%, and their streak bled into game two, Scorch Gorge Rainmaker, where they won 82–0. With Vexen returned, Duck Motif made a comeback with a knockout at Crableg Capital Splat Zones. Inkblot Art Academy Splat Zones was the closest game between the two, but it was Moonlight taking the 53–44 win and going on to meet NME in the next set. 
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: NME vs. Moonlight (3–1)**
+
+Another repeat from last year’s NA League, NME and Moonlight were once again pitted against another in the Playoffs. The set saw some interesting choices come out from Moonlight, namely in their choice of weapons, some of which the audience had never seen them use in tournament play until now. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LSF_TWmuseum" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/201d3ef4-9b48-4189-8b38-2cba80dabf3f" />
+
+*The weapon choices from each team during Turf War at Museum d’Alfonsino. Of note is Moonlight (right), who brought out a Planetz Big Swig Roller and Glitterz L-3 Nozzlenose.*
+
+MakoMart was back as a set-starting map, for Tower Control, which Moonlight won, 68–30. NME won Museum d’Alfonsino Turf War 54.4%–43.7%, then Scorch Gorge Rainmaker 44–32. Shipshape Cargo Co. Clam Blitz went all the way into overtime: Moonlight opened the basket to make a push, but lost 49–56, taking 4th place in the 2026 Playoffs. 
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: Milky Way vs. Cream Soda (3–1)**
+
+Winner’s Finals saw one last commentator swap as Jordan remained on mic, joined by Nine and Cyren for the last three sets of the tournament. Milky Way and Cream Soda, seeds \#1 and \#2, would be a fresh fight for all viewers—these teams had never faced off in any of the Regular Season Top Cut events. 
+
+Of course, game one started with Splat Zones at Urchin Underpass. Milky Way had a tough time keeping Cream Soda away from the zone for two minutes; after warming up, they took the lead from their opponent for one minute. Cream Soda had the lead and points ticking down with less than two minutes to go, and went all the way to the knockout. 
+
+Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy was a showdown between two teams who went undefeated in all Tower Control games during the Regular Season, and it was Milky Way retaining that record. Cream Soda brought the game into overtime, but could not surpass the lead that Milky Way gained in the first half, losing 43–67. 
+
+The rare Manta Maria Rainmaker pick came out, and the major points in the game were all defined by teams going down to their last player. Cream Soda got their checkpoint, then went down three players. Milky Way took the lead, then lost three players. Both times Cream Soda tried to build up momentum, losing three-quarters of their team prevented forward movement. Milky Way won their second game in a row, 71–37.
+
+We finally had an interesting game of Turf War\! …Just not for an exciting reason, rather one that caused some confusion. Cream Soda spent most of the game under the Danger\! warning. In the last 20 seconds, Thunder snuck into Milky Way’s base and started painting. In the last five seconds, the screen showed that Milky Way was the one now in Danger\!, and remained so until the end of the game. 
+
+So how did they win, 56.0%–40.5%?
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WF_TWmuseum" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7546d6b3-6738-4fbf-9fff-7ac23fae500e" />
+
+*The final second of Turf War at Museum d’Alfonsino. The visible area looks fairly even between Milky Way (blue) and Cream Soda (orange), but Milky Way has the Danger\! sign by their icons.*
+
+The Danger\! sign appears when a team is at least 10% behind their opponent in total ink coverage, and Milky Way won by 15.5%. No specials were fired off last-second to get them to have that much paint ahead of Cream Soda. This visual glitch also happened in Loser’s Finals, making it easier to detect a common variable as the cause. 
+
+In Loser’s Finals, the Danger\! sign popped up for NME (whose icons were on the left at the time), and in the same moment, the spectator cam switched to a player on the other team, shifting the sides that the teams were on in the overhead UI—NME moved from the left to the right. The Danger\! sign didn’t move with the teams, and instead showed that Cream Soda, who was now on the left, was incorrectly behind in points. 
+
+Once the spectator camera switched to back to NME, who was the actual team behind in ink coverage points, the Danger\! sign followed the correct team icons regardless of which side of the screen the team was on. The same thing happened in Winner’s Finals, only the game ended before we could see the spec cam change perspectives to see how the visual error fixed itself to correctly show that Cream Soda had less ink cover. 
+
+What a time to discover such a thing\! Hopefully this issue can be resolved in a future update.
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: Cream Soda vs. NME (3–1)**
+
+After Milky Way’s win in Winner’s Finals, Cream Soda was sent to face NME for the second time in the Playoffs. After having met in Winner’s Semifinals on day one, how have the teams changed strategies?
+
+The set started with Splat at Zones Undertow Spillway. NME was looking for a quick knockout, already at 11 ticks remaining with three minutes left in the game, but they were wiped out, letting Cream Soda retake the zones. NME was wiped out a second time, and by the time Cream Soda took the lead, they weren’t able to recover before Cream Soda knocked out. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LF_SZundertow" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/54fec7a8-cf9f-4eb0-b736-5068ace47ad4" />
+
+*As Cream Soda threatened NME’s lead, a handful of jump-ins on the glass became easy targets for Gos and Thunder, leading to NME’s second wipeout.*
+
+On day one, NME KO’d at Inkblot Art Academy Tower Control, but on day two they were struggling to keep even half of their team up at the same time. They managed to stagger respawns enough to only be delayed wiped rather than fully wiped out for most of the game, but NME’s constant numbers disadvantage resulted in another Cream Soda win, 71–3. 
+
+Game three was Rainmaker at Mahi-Mahi Resort, and anyone who watched the Regular Season weeks knew what was coming: this was *the* map and mode combination for NME. Although they were wiped out right after running the Rainmaker to 67, afterward, Cream Soda was then caught in a delayed wipeout, letting NME clear their checkpoint, then go right to the knockout. The match lasted 57 seconds\! 
+
+Then the Museum d’Alfonsino Turf War game mentioned above took place—after the game restarted due to a disconnect. NME was in Danger\! starting 45 seconds in, and despite what the official stream might show, Cream Soda was never in Danger\!, as they were almost always ahead of their opponent. The final score was 57.8%–40.2%, to Cream Soda, sending them to Grand Finals, while NME took another NA League 3rd place medal. 
+
+## **Grand Finals: Milky Way vs. Cream Soda (3–1)**
+
+Cream Soda was back to staring down Milky Way. Both teams were championship material, with star-studded veterans. Who keeps what streaks once the storm settles? 
+
+No surprises: they started with Urchin Underpass Splat Zones. After two minutes had passed, Cream Soda was already at 27 ticks to win, with only a little bit of penalty points. Milky Way was in control of the zone, only at 87\. They got decently far, but Cream Soda pushed their lead again, to 9, before Milky Way had the zone back. Both teams went down two players, and Milky Way emerged, taking the knockout with them. 
+
+Then they went back to Turf War at Museum d’Alfonsino. Again, Cream Soda struggled heavily, finding themselves in the same shoes they put NME in during the last set, always down a few players and under the Danger\! warning. The score came out to 57.4%–37.6%, to Milky Way, again.
+
+Next was Tower Control, at MakoMart this time. Another close game; this time, Cream Soda had the early lead, but it was only to 49, low for this map. Milky Way pushed the tower to 52 and was stopped. The remaining three and a half minutes was Cream Soda on defense, stopping Milky Way at every push. It paid off; Cream Soda won 51–48. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GF_TCmakomart" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/295aadd4-59ec-4325-9876-d163983a9192" />
+
+*Cream Soda’s first win in Grand Finals, at MakoMart Tower Control. This victory broke Milky Way’s undefeated Tower Control streak in the NA League at the very last possible moment\!*
+
+Game four went to Clam Blitz at Scorch Gorge; this was the last mode the teams had yet to play against one another. Milky Way opened the basket first… and then again, and again, taking their points to 52 across three pushes. At the last second, Big Bubbler set up, both teams down a player, Cream Soda scored their first points of the game. 
+
+Ten points away from tying with Milky Way, Cream Soda went down two players. Another clam in their basket. Another player down just as one respawned. The basket area cleared of allies, Cream Soda tried to jump in, only to be met with all four players of Milky Way blocking their path. 
+
+The basket closed, ending overtime with Cream Soda trailing behind 41–48. Milky Way took the Grand Finals set win, 3–1, just like Winner’s Finals against Cream Soda, and like Grand Finals against Moonlight during the 2025 NA League. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="Playoffs_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ca582165-3747-4226-bdfa-a2e18b38a20a" />
+
+The Splatoon 3 North American League 2026 is now complete\! During the closing thoughts, both Cyren and Jordan alluded to a “next time”, hinting that the future may hold more League events for Splatoon 3\. Would it be another North American League? After two successful NA events, might Nintendo try for another regional League? 
+
+Just because the official Nintendo event is over, that doesn’t mean the heat turns down for Competitive Splatoon. The summer still has the Splat World Series on the horizon, and if that’s not enough, LANs across the world are aplenty\! 
+
+Make sure to be there and take part\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: June 24, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/the-splatoon-3-north-american-league-2026-playoffs).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/na-league-2026-r1e3.md

@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+---
+title: "NA League 2026 Event #3 (Regular Season Week 1) "
+date: 2026-04-21
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *The first week of the Regular Season was so intense that by the end of it, you forget that it’s not the Playoffs yet.*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="NAL2026-r1e3" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1de746a3-4f7e-4046-887e-fce7493bce3c" />
+
+On Saturday, April 18, 2026, the Splatoon 3 North American League began its Regular Season. The training wheels were gone, and now wins started counting, earning points to qualify for the Playoffs in June. Teams only need to play in four weeks to be eligible for the Playoffs, but needed to ensure a high amount of points to make the top eight.
+
+Nine, Falco, and Nox led the commentator panel, and Power was operating the spectator camera. 
+
+Despite the day being filled with competing events like the Global Gauntlet Qualifier 2, LUTI Playoffs, and two LANs in Sunset Surge and Don’t Flounder at the Function, big names in the North American scene showed up to throw down: 
+
+1. Milky Way  
+2. SIZA  
+3. Content Cat  
+4. usagi fanclub  
+5. NME  
+6. Moonlight  
+7. Hypernova  
+8. lfn 
+
+The Splattercolor Screen was used in Loser’s Finals, and its effects were briefly on screen. As we dive into the details, if you plan on rewatching, take caution if you are sensitive to its effects.
+
+## **Winner’s Quarterfinals: Content Cat vs. Moonlight (1–3)**
+
+While Content Cat is a new team to the NA League, its players aren’t, with most having appeared in the Top Cut stream in last year’s Regular Season. And Moonlight needs no introduction by now; you know them, you love them\! 
+
+Game one, Tower Control at MakoMart; it took nearly half of the game before anyone cleared a single checkpoint. Once Moonlight started rolling, they didn’t stop, giving Content Cat no points and taking the knockout. 
+
+Game two, Clam Blitz at Urchin Underpass, notorious for its difficulty to score, saw Moonlight opening the basket within 30 seconds. Held up in mid, Content Cat had to backtrack once Moonlight snuck in and scored again. Content Cat got points on the board, but after overtime, lost 52–86. 
+
+Turf War at Scorch Gorge was next, and it only saw three splats in the first 60 seconds. It took until the latter half for things to pick up, with Content Cat losing players and seeing the Danger\! warning. At the one minute pan out, the map looked favorable to Content Cat, and true to appearances, they won, 53.8% – 44.2%. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WQF_TWscorch" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5ae3c9bf-4551-4f3a-b04f-2c232700a0b8" />
+
+*An even 98.0% total ink coverage—can you spot the 2% left uninked?*
+
+Already, the 2026 NA League was setting new records, as the total ink coverage percent from this game, 98%, beat the 2025 NA League’s record of 97.3%, set by Gourmet Race vs. BEt in last year’s Event \#10\!
+
+Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort saw Content Cat take the first lead when both teams went down two players. Moonlight had the lead when the first minute ended, never giving it up and stopping Content Cat when they were one point from taking it. Moonlight knocked out at the halfway point, sending Content Cat to the Loser’s Bracket.
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals: Milky Way vs. NME (3–1)**
+
+Advancing to Winner’s Semifinals were Moonlight, Hypernova, Milky Way, and NME, which is a team three parts fofofo (last NA League’s \#3 team). Content Cat, SIZA, usagi fanclub, and lfn were in the Loser’s Bracket.
+
+The set began on Undertow Spillway for Splat Zones. NME struggled to keep players up, almost always down at least one. They still gave Milky Way a tough fight, keeping the zone neutral to stall the points gain. In overtime, NME was ticking close to Milky Way’s lead, but was wiped out, losing 94–97. 
+
+Tower Control at Robo ROM-en was second, another difficult game for NME. Within the first two minutes, Milky Way’s push ended at just 4 points to knockout. NME was able to get some points to their name, but Milky Way’s lead persevered, 96–7. 
+
+Rainmaker at Mahi-Mahi Resort would become NME’s bread and butter—Milky Way cleared their first checkpoint in 30 seconds, but NME retaliated by taking them down three players, dunking the checkpoint, taking Milky Way down in a delayed wipe, and knocking out just after a minute into the game\! 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WSF_RMmahi-mahi" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2bf59d85-e284-4e57-8ce4-e498633c8437" />
+
+*What could have been a sub-minute knockout, if only the pedestal had been inked\!*
+
+Game four went to Turf War at Crableg Capital. At the start, Milky Way didn’t paint their base much, but it was NME who had the Danger\! indicator sooner. Milky Way had their turn with it as Now or Never started to play, and were even down three players in the last 20 seconds, but still walked out 55.3% – 40.8%, headed to Winner’s Finals.
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: Milky Way vs. Moonlight (3–2)**
+
+Those who paid attention to last year’s NA League Playoffs will recognize Milky Way vs. Moonlight as the Grand Finals set. The two teams have historically clashed multiple times, and the hosts were stoked to commentate it so early in the Regular Season.
+
+Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort saw Moonlight take a strong offense, getting the zone in 12 seconds and Milky Way down two players. They were stopped at 37, and Milky Way inched ahead, but Moonlight stopped them at 26\. Painting through Triple Inkstrikes and a Booyah Bomb, Moonlight took the lead and knocked out at 2:24. 
+
+Turf War at MakoMart didn’t bring out anything unexpected from these teams; both had a REEF-LUX 450, both had a Snipewriter 5H. Danger\! popped up in Moonlight’s overhead a few times, critically in the last minute, and they lost 39.4% – 56.6%. 
+
+Game three was Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy. Moonlight moved the tower one point, then Milky Way, and they were pushed back to 100\. Moonlight cleared the first checkpoint before Milky Way, but 20 seconds later, Milky Way had the lead; soon after, more checkpoints, and before three minutes had passed, the knockout.
+
+Clam Blitz at Crableg Capital saw no points gained until the last 40 seconds, where Milky Way scored just one Power Clam. Moonlight ran in and scored in the final six seconds, took the lead, and in overtime, a jump in sealed the basket and the win, 44–20.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WF_CBcrableg" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9fb34fae-75eb-4aa4-8192-999abca97cde" />
+
+*SSNolan with the game-winning play, getting the wipeout, providing jump-ins, and grabbing the last clam needed to close the basket.* 
+
+Game five went to Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino. Moonlight entered with a double Ink Vac comp, and it truly felt like there was one online at all times. At the halfway point, with both teams down two, Moonlight took the lead, but needed another 30 seconds to clear the first checkpoint. 
+
+Milky Way only needed 25 seconds to get their first checkpoint from there, and shortly after, took the lead to 18\. Approaching overtime, things looked good for Moonlight with Milky Way down 3, but trapped between an enemy and a Suction Bomb, they fell short of the lead, 62–82, and were sent to the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: Hypernova vs. NME (2–3)**
+
+After both Hypernova and NME went 3–1 over their opponents in Loser’s Quarterfinals, they squared up to decide who advanced to fight Moonlight in Loser’s Finals. 
+
+Game one was Tower Control at Museum d’Alfonsino. NME went all the way to 16 in a minute and a half. It took Hypernova two minutes, but they got the lead and third checkpoint, then jumped out to play defense for the last minute. In the final 40 seconds, they ended up wiped out twice, and NME beat the clock for a knockout. 
+
+For Rainmaker at Crableg Capital, NME brought the uncommon Ballpoint Splatling Nouveau for Ink Vac coverage. NME was at a numbers disadvantage frequently, but Hypernova played cautiously and hesitated to move forward. They held the lead at 9, and NME crept closer, to 14, but two wipeouts in the last 20 seconds kept them at bay, and Hypernova kept the win, 91–86. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LSF_RMcrableg" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a0c8ff0d-60f8-4675-9b20-f446354822f7" />
+
+*In the background, Synapse trades splats with DATKID to get a second wipeout over NME, six seconds after the previous one.*
+
+Game three was Clam Blitz at Scorch Gorge. Across two pushes in the first half of the game, NME brought their score down to 27\. Hypernova’s first push got them to 54, but they were caught in a delayed wipeout. At the one minute mark, NME scored again, wiped out Hypernova, and knocked out. 
+
+Shipshape Cargo Co. was chosen for Turf War—the Splattercolor Screen was used in this game, so be careful watching replays. The game was solidly in Hypernova’s hands for a majority of the three minutes, taking NME down two, three players multiple times. By the final minute, they had set up a lockout, keeping NME contained in 1/3rd of the map. 
+
+Hypernova won 63.6% – 33.7%, tying with the 2025 NA League’s total ink coverage percentage record, 97.3%\! 
+
+A game five Splat Zones is rare, and unexpected at Undertow Spillway. Early in the game, NME set the goal to reach at 34\. The teams traded wipeouts as Hypernova fought to keep up with NME’s score. In the last five seconds, Hypernova wiped out NME, and in overtime, kept them down three. Just one tick to tie, the zone was neutralized. Hypernova was wiped out, and NME took the win, 88–87. 
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: Moonlight vs. NME (3–1)**
+
+A brief respite from game five sets, Moonlight and NME would face off to determine who got their runback against Milky Way at Grand Finals. 
+
+The set started with Tower Control at MakoMart, and already 40 seconds in, Moonlight suffered a delayed wipeout and NME was down two players. It took until the halfway point for a checkpoint to be cleared, which was Moonlight’s, but they didn’t get much further after half of their team was splatted. NME took the game into overtime, but lost with a wipeout, and their score was 7–55. 
+
+The most popular Turf War stage from 2025’s NA League, Urchin Underpass, was back, and one minute in, Moonlight was the team with Danger\! in their overhead. NME went down two, but Moonlight was still behind in score. In the last ten seconds, NME was again down two, then three, and Moonlight earned their comeback, 53.8% – 39.8%. 
+
+Next, NME brought Moonlight to their turf, Rainmaker at Mahi-Mahi Resort. Running a double-Ultra Stamp comp, NME replayed the same story as before: their opponent got the first checkpoint, but it was NME going directly from their first checkpoint right into the knockout, leaving two minutes and 19 seconds to spare. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LF_RMmahi-mahi" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/50dc9db8-1c2e-49d4-9171-f26d19dfd7fd" />
+
+*Pedestal painted this time, 3z is able to squid roll to the win, protected by an Ultra Stamp.*
+
+Game four was Splat Zones at Crableg Capital. The opening favored NME, overtaking Moonlight’s score of 34, and Moonlight had to use an Ink Vac and Big Bubbler to stop NME at 4, before the knockout. Moonlight rebounded, wiping out NME a minute later, and in the last seconds, Omega got a triple, securing their knockout and set win. 
+
+## **Grand Finals: Milky Way vs. Moonlight (3–2)**
+
+Back to knocking on Milky Way’s door, Moonlight was ready to take on their biggest opponent and deepen the storyline between the \#1 and \#2 teams from the 2025 NA League. 
+
+Repeating game one from Winner’s Finals, Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort, the game could be neatly divided into one-minute segments: at 4:11, Milky Way took the lead. At 3:11, Moonlight took the lead. At 2:11, Milky Way was back in the lead. Fast forward to 0:39, Moonlight was ahead once again, and the game went into overtime. Just as Milky Way was about to tie, Moonlight’s Ink Vac protected the zone, ending the game 92–91. 
+
+Repeating game two, Turf War at MakoMart, the first minute was advantageous for Moonlight, with only one player being splatted on their side. Overall, splats were few in the game until the end. Milky Way threw out Triple Inkstrikes at the last second, which was the most crucial play, giving them just enough ink to eke ahead, 49.4% – 47.4%. 
+
+Game three was Tower Control again, but at Crableg Capital rather than Inkblot Art Academy. The result was still the same, as Milky Way rode the tower through checkpoints one, two, and three with speed, knocking out by the three minute mark. 
+
+Interestingly, game four was Clam Blitz… at Shipshape Cargo Co. But it worked out for Moonlight, scoring in the first 40 seconds. At the halfway point, as Milky Way was throwing clams to open Moonlight’s basket, Moonlight beat them to it, forcing Milky Way to turn around. Moonlight was wiped out for this, but they had the lead at 58\. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GF_CBshipshape" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e4702243-e359-40ff-88dd-5b309d41a376" />
+
+*Milky Way nowhere to be seen near their basket, instead set up by Moonlight’s basket in anticipation of scoring first.* 
+
+Once the basket closed, Milky Way was already set up and immediately scored. However, they only scored to 60\. Moonlight scored again as overtime began, ending it as soon as it started, and won the game 42–40, and tied the set again. 
+
+Game five again. Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino again. Moonlight had a double Ink Vac comp again. Moonlight cleared their checkpoint, and went to extend their lead, but the Rainmaker reset faster. Milky Way baited out an Ink Vac; taking Moonlight down two, they claimed the lead at 47\. Moonlight lost the Rainmaker in the final seconds and couldn’t pop the shield in time, and without overtime, their run ended short, 42–57. 
+
+Moonlight sitting at second place to Milky Way after two down-to-the-wire game five sets is building a strong storyline so early in the Regular Season, and as more teams end up in Top Cut, who else will enrich the narrative? When will the newly-revitalized FTWin make their entrance?
+
+With no 3–0 sets on stream, in a strangely Hagglefish Market-less event, the first week of the Regular Season has set a high standard for successive weeks to live up to. 
+
+Make sure you’re there to see it\!
+
+<img width="1919" height="1079" alt="R1E3_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8569f9a2-b4f7-4ed3-be7d-c4e910ae0c85" />
+
+Original Posting Date: April 21, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/na-league-2026-e3-rs1).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/na-league-2026-r2e4.md

@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+---
+title: "NA League 2026 Event #4 (Regular Season Week 2) "
+date: 2026-04-28
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *After farming upsets over higher seeds, Content Cat and their Stringer comp earns the adoration of the commentators and viewers alike*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="NAL2026-r2e4" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4d1496e2-4ee5-45d6-8ef2-0e3be5d3d4d4" />
+
+On Saturday, April 25, the Splatoon 3 North American League’s second Regular Season event took place. Just fifteen and a half hours after the energetic ending to Global Gauntlet 1, and 24 hours before the LAN Championship Showdown finals, the weekend was back-to-back-to-back competitive Splatoon action\!
+
+Nine, Mellana, and Magic were clocked in for commentator duty, with Piko on duty as the spectator cam operator. The top teams providing all the action this week included:
+
+1. Milky Way  
+2. SCUBA  
+3. Moonlight  
+4. NME  
+5. Duck Motif  
+6. WE FLOP  
+7. Content Cat  
+8. lfn
+
+Despite some new faces participating, top cut saw quite a few repeats from last week, including matchups and broken records. What went down?
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals: Content Cat vs. Moonlight (3–2)**
+
+On the way to Winner’s Semifinals, the stream showcased NME vs. Duck Motif (1–3), the only non 3–0 set in the quarterfinals. Milky Way vs. Duck Motif was on the other side of the bracket while the stream focused on a repeat of last week’s Winner’s Quarterfinals, Content Cat vs. Moonlight, which Moonlight had won 3–1. 
+
+Like last week, the set included Turf War at Scorch Gorge. Moonlight was the first team with the Danger\! sign in their overhead, and that luck continued into the final minute as they cycled being down two players. Although in the last 30 seconds, SSNolan got a quad, Content Cat respawned quickly, and their higher ink output won them the game, 55.1%–43.8%. 
+
+This game between these teams last week set a new total ink coverage record of 98.0%, and this week, they surpassed that, with a new record of 98.9%\! 
+
+Game two was Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino. Content Cat brought an aggressive double Ultra Stamp and double Fizzy Bomb comp that had Moonlight down three players multiple times in the game. After their first checkpoint, Content Cat ran the Rainmaker to 39; Moonlight couldn’t keep up, even with overtime, and the final score was 75–51—another win for Content Cat. 
+
+Tower Control at MakoMart, one of Moonlight’s safe picks, saw Content Cat clear their first checkpoint early, but after one swing of Omega’s Splat Roller brought them down to their final player, Moonlight quickly picked up steam, taking the lead. In overtime, the last player standing on Content Cat’s team was on the tower, but ultimately didn’t get far before being overwhelmed, ending in a Moonlight victory, 64–52. 
+
+Next was Clam Blitz… at Undertow Spillway? And it brought the tight, tense gameplay the commentators hoped for. After a minute and a half, Content Cat threw a Power Clam to score, but before the basket opened, on the other side of the stage, Moonlight opened the opposing basket just half a second earlier, bringing their score to 68\. 
+
+<img width="800" height="388" alt="WSF_undertow" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/eeafad39-1678-4110-b138-d62f76cc1fa4" />
+
+*As Content Cat is about to score, in the corner, Shadowind can be seen just barely in frame, already throwing the Power Clam at the basket.* 
+
+Both Moonlight and Content Cat scored twice each after the halfway point, and the game went into overtime. Content Cat opened the basket, but was unable to score enough clams to take the lead. With an 86–39 win, Moonlight tied the set, 2–2. 
+
+Game five was Splat Zones at Urchin Underpass. Moonlight took control of the zone first, then both teams lost two players. Content Cat made the most of it and took the lead. Moonlight barely stopped Content Cat at 6, then started to stagger, constantly at a numbers disadvantage. Paired with their low paint output weapon pool, Moonlight was knocked out and sent to the Loser’s Bracket while Content Cat advanced.
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: Milky Way vs. Content Cat (3–0)**
+
+While Milky Way and Content Cat proceeded to Winner’s Finals, Duck Motif and Moonlight went to the Loser’s Bracket to face SCUBA and NME. WE FLOP and lfn were eliminated from the tournament.
+
+Back-to-back Urchin Underpass Splat Zones wasn’t the only shocker, as Milky Way also came in with a Bamboozler 14 Mk II. Milky Way took the zone first; Content Cat persistently applied penalty points on their opponent, but struggled to keep the zone for long themselves. After a few wipeouts over Content Cat, Milky Way had a knockout with a minute remaining. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WF_SZurchin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e3bec4ba-78cf-4a30-af86-168d30f56b6f" />
+
+*Content Cat just barely reclaimed the zone from Milky Way, at 2 ticks to knockout, and set up their defenses.*
+
+Game two was Tower Control at Hagglefish Market. While the game was slow to start, after three minutes, both teams cleared their first checkpoint—Milky Way was in the lead, but after going down three players, Content Cat threatened that lead, coming within five points of pushing ahead. They were forced to retreat, and at the game’s end, were knocked out, losing in a close 60–64. 
+
+Clam Blitz at Shipshape Cargo Co., rapidly becoming a preferred map for this mode, saw both teams being halved before 20 seconds had passed. Content Cat had the right pieces in place to score, but were fended away by a Crab Tank. Despite finding themselves at the player advantage often, they struggled to get points. Milky Way took the final game 53–20, and it was Content Cat’s turn for the Loser’s Bracket.
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: Content Cat vs. Duck Motif (3–0)**
+
+Content Cat met Duck Motif, who had won 3–2 over Moonlight in Loser’s Semifinals, for the right to have the redemption shot at Milky Way. 
+
+The set began with Turf War at Scorch Gorge, which Content Cat was well prepared for. After one minute, they had Duck Motif in Danger\! already, and even at the one-minute mark overhead view, the map looked in their favor. Duck Motif lost two players in the last 20 seconds but kept pushing forward; Content Cat’s numbers and fast inking earned them the win, 53.5%–41.9%. 
+
+Game two, Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino, saw Content Cat back with their double Ultra Stamp, double Fizzy Bomp setup. Like last time, Content Cat scored first, and fast, getting to 37 before being wiped out. Duck Motif suffered their own wipeout, but came back to bring the Rainmaker to 39, three points shy of the lead. In the game’s final seconds, Duck Motif was heavily cut down in numbers, and Content Cat won, 63-61. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LF_RMmuseum" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a5e91b87-17e3-453d-8a44-fdd84d7900c6" />
+
+*Squidrolling, Kai is able to propel the Rainmaker to 39 for Duck Motif, just three points from the lead.*
+
+Preventing the set from completely repeating Winner’s Semifinals, Tower Control instead went to Inkblot Art Academy. After the halfway point, Content Cat cleared the first checkpoint of the game, taking the lead in the process. Duck Motif showed promise to overtake their opponent, but kept feeding in the last minute, ending in an overtime wipeout for their team. Content Cat advanced to Grand Finals after winning 52–39. 
+
+## **Grand Finals: Milky Way vs. Content Cat (3–0)**
+
+Content Cat, seeded \#7 out of 8, arrived to Grand Finals after upsetting seeds 2, 3, and 5, now left with the task of getting even one game from seed \#1, a feat only Duck Motif had achieved in today’s top cut. 
+
+Game one was Splat Zones at Robo ROM-en. Content Cat ran into similar problems as before, where they could keep neutralizing the zone, but couldn’t cap it. Unable to slow Milky Way down, the game ended in a fast knockout. 
+
+Game two returned to Tower Control at Hagglefish Market. The teams were in a stalemate for most of the game, with no checkpoints cleared until less than a minute remained; accomplishing this earned Content Cat the lead. Without far to go, Milky Way stole the lead and took Content Cat down to their last player. In overtime, the clock ran out before Content Cat could get to the tower, ending 45–40 for Milky Way.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GF_TChagglefish" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ae827e8b-2fa5-4248-bcee-88cfe1507051" />
+
+*It took until the last legs of the match, but with less than one minute remaining, Content Cat passed the first checkpoint of the game.* 
+
+Game three was Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino, and again, Content Cat kept up the pressure on Milky Way, but couldn’t get far enough to score. Although they were the first to score, halfway in, they only tossed one Power Clam before being wiped out. During Milky Way’s first push, they tied, being set back one point, but in a second wind of scoring, took the lead, which they retained after overtime, winning 62–20.
+
+This week’s Splatoon 3 North American League top cut stream saw even more of the upper echelon of the scene’s talent than the previous week, but one big question looms before us: who will we see for Event \#5? 
+
+With Global Gauntlet 1 and the LAN Championship Showdown season over, top teams have less competition for their attention. Is FTWin’s debut in the 2026 NA League imminent?
+
+Be there on Saturday to find out\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R2E4_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/22921f98-4660-450b-8d79-5bc50eac03e3" />
+
+Original Posting Date: April 28, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/na-league-2026-e4-rs2).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/na-league-2026-r3-e5.md

@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+---
+title: "NA League 2026 Event #5 (Regular Season Week 3)"
+date: 2026-05-05
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *FTWin is in this one*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="NAL2026-r3e5" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/bdd0ea0d-f398-4cff-9321-6b2e8f75dbcc" />
+
+On Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, the fifth event of the Splatoon 3 North American League—week 3 of the Regular Season—saw the arrival of two storied top-level Competitive Splatoon teams: FTWin and Crush Soda. 
+
+Both teams had been absent in the NA League 2026 so far to focus on the Global Gauntlet 1\. While FTWin was present under the same name in the 2025 NA League, Crush Soda (abbreviated as CS) was playing as Five. Between then and now, both teams traded a few players, with FTWin’s Hexen going to Crush Soda, and Five’s Soulja going to FTWin for 2026\. FTWin also swapped out Shak for Burstie. 
+
+FTWin and CS placed 2nd and 3rd in the Ladder Round, respectively. FTWin advanced to the Top Cut as the second seed, but due to complications with the invitation process, CS, who should have been the third seed, was removed from the Top Cut roster, leading to Lovely (whose score was tied with 37 handsome boys’ score) participating.
+
+This is the full roster of teams in Top Cut for Event \#5: 
+
+1. Milky Way  
+2. FTWin  
+3. Hypernova  
+4. FORFEIT  
+5. Healbook  
+6. Duck Motif  
+7. 37 handsome boys  
+8. Lovely
+
+With Zach, Mellana, and Chaedr running the commentary panel, and CzarDB on the spectator camera, the action captured on stream can be found recapped below\!
+
+## **Winner’s Quarterfinals: Hypernova vs. Duck Motif (3–1)**
+
+Winner’s Quarterfinals is between two household names in the top level scene, Hypernova and Duck Motif. Both are no strangers to the NA League or the Top Cut stream, being frequent participants in both seasons so far.  
+
+Game one began with Splat Zones at Crableg Capital. Duck Motif claimed the zone first and started to lock out, keeping the game in their control for about a minute. Hypernova was able to stop them at 23, taking the zone. Both teams traded the zone a few more times, but Hypernova came from behind to come out on top, knocking out with over a minute and a half remaining. 
+
+Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway saw Hypernova wipe out Duck Motif in the first 30 seconds and clear the first checkpoint afterward. Duck Motif more than recovered, bringing the Rainmaker to 6 points to knockout. Hypernova responded by taking the right path protected by an Ink Vac, but was stopped one point from the lead. However, in the process, they wiped out Duck Motif, letting them take the lead to win, 99–94. 
+
+The classic Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy choice was up next. Hypernova took the first checkpoint a minute and a half in, thanks to Super Chumps and a Big Bubbler. The run ended in a delayed wipeout, letting Duck Motif get all the way to 23\. In the last 30 seconds, they cleared the third checkpoint. Duck Motif won, 89–43 after a brief overtime.
+
+Game four was Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino. The first chunk of the game was primarily both teams bomb spamming, trying to feel out the battlefield. It took three minutes before any baskets opened; Hypernova wiped out Duck Motif to score first. Duck Motif scored next, but couldn’t pass Hypernova’s lead, even in overtime, leading to Hypernova’s third win, 44-29. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WQF_CBmuseum" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/09fd10f4-0853-47e6-ad25-5ea087d7fdec" />
+
+*Duck Motif’s Kai, so close to scoring in overtime, running right into HENLO and Flingking, who would stop the push before the overtime clock ran out.*
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals \- Milky Way vs. Healbook (3–1)**
+
+Milky Way, having gone 3–0 against Lovely, and Healbook, who went 3–1 against FORFEIT, met next in the Winner’s Semifinals. The fourth match in Winner’s Quarterfinals, FTWin vs. 37 handsome boys, ended in a 3–0 shutout for FTWin. 
+
+Predictably, Milky Way chose Splat Zones as the mode; Healbook chose Urchin Underpass as the stage. Milky Way took the zone first, but before 30 seconds had passed in the game, Healbook was in the lead. They moved up to lock out, akin to an impassable wall, giving Milky Way no chance to earn any more points, and went all the way to the knockout less than two minutes in. 
+
+Game two was Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino. Halfway through the game, Healbook cleared the first checkpoint, finding the opportunity to run it to 35\. With a minute and a half left, Milky Way wiped out Healbook, giving them space to build enough momentum to take the lead by two points, which set the final score of the game, 67–65. 
+
+Manta Maria returned to the Top Cut stream for Tower Control. The scores were fairly even after both teams cleared the first checkpoint. It wasn’t until the last minute and a half when Milky Way was able to get through the second checkpoint and drive through the third, extending the lead too far for Healbook to catch up to even in overtime, 95–22. 
+
+Game four, Clam Blitz at Shipshape Cargo Co., saw Milky Way scoring already in the first minute. In a second push a minute later, their score went to 16 remaining. Milky Way scored a third time, ending the run one point to KO. In overtime, they scored again to end the game immediately, 99–0. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="192" alt="WSF_clamsstonks" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2466a8e7-539f-49d3-8f0c-1e023a7d744d" />
+
+**“It’s what the kids call ‘stonks’ these days, Zach. This is Clams Stonks.”**
+
+*- Mellana, in response to Milky Way having 24 clams.*
+
+## **Winner’s Finals \- Milky Way vs. FTWin (1–3)**
+
+FTWin finally sets foot in the Splatoon 3 North American League 2026, and they appear on stream for the first time against Milky Way. In the 2025 League, both teams had clashed in Grand Finals multiple times, each having won against the other at least once.
+
+The teams went to Splat Zones at Museum d’Alfonsino. Milky Way brought their score to 58 in the first minute, but FTWin took the zone for just a few ticks to apply a penalty to them. FTWin took the zone again after splatting two players on Milky Way with one Splat Bomb, and gained the lead. They were stopped at one point to KO, but Milky Way expended too many resources, resulting in FTWin getting their knockout win. 
+
+Turf War at Hagglefish Market saw both teams with a Snipewriter 5H and Slosher, and a REEF-LUX 450 variant. FTWin was the first team at the Danger\! disadvantage, but had enough time to recover. Milky Way, meanwhile, didn’t, as they started staggering respawns, then wiped out in the final minute. Judd and Lil Judd revealed FTWin’s winning score, 50.7%–44.4%. 
+
+Game three was Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy. Milky Way passed the first checkpoint almost a minute and a half into the game. They were making sure FTWin had no chance to gain momentum. FTWin was able to clear their first checkpoint in the last 10 seconds, but it wasn’t enough to win; the game settled at 45–27, to Milky Way.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WF_TCinkblot" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d4a85651-2cdb-41f1-a0e6-75495d410613" />
+
+*Something you don’t see every day: locked into a close-range 1v1, Burstie’s Crab Tank rolls over ice before returning to applying pressure on Milky Way.*
+
+Rainmaker at Manta Maria wrapped up the set. Both teams bided their time to move the Rainmaker, waiting until FTWin was wiped out before it moved at all, but it took another minute still until Milky Way got their checkpoint. In the last 20 seconds, an Ink Vac escorted FTWin to the lead, and they sealed their 76–37 win in overtime with an Ultra Stamp throw from \[K\]yo, wiping out Milky Way.
+
+## **Loser’s Finals \- Milky Way vs. FORFEIT (3–0)**
+
+In Loser’s Semifinals, FORFEIT went 3–1 against Healbook, advancing to take on the challenge of fighting for the right to go to Grand Finals against FTWin. 
+
+Game one was Splat Zones at Museum d’Alfonsino. Milky Way took the lead to 36 before being briefly delayed by FORFEIT, but ultimately won the game in a knockout with a minute and a half to spare. 
+
+Game two was Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy. Ending two minutes exactly from the start, Milky Way gave no quarter and no points to FORFEIT. They cleared the first two checkpoints in about one minute, and spent the second minute with some slight detractions before clearing the third checkpoint and knocking out.
+
+Game three was Rainmaker at Scorch Gorge. This game made it all the way to overtime, with Milky Way ending up in the lead in the last 25 seconds. They shut down the Rainmaker in overtime to win, 75–36, and return to FTWin in Grand Finals.
+
+## **Grand Finals: FTWin vs. Milky Way (2–3)**
+
+Milky Way’s first time in the Loser’s Bracket in the NA League 2026 saw them fight their way back to Grand Finals regardless. As one would expect from these two titan teams, the road to the end would be a long—and close—one. 
+
+The set started with Rainmaker at Manta Maria. FTWin took a dominant start, with the first checkpoint cleared in 30 seconds, then ran the Rainmaker to 27, forty seconds later. Milky Way was able to get a checkpoint in the latter half of the game, but only turned into FTWin increasing their lead. The game ended 80–37 for FTWin. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GF_RMmantamaria" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b0fcfcb1-8766-42c5-84d0-fbd68522b631" />
+
+*As the clock reaches 0:00, ice is just one step away from grabbing the Rainmaker, resulting in no overtime for Milky Way.*
+
+Turf War showed up second, at Hagglefish Market. FTWin’s luck reversed, finding themselves on the struggling end. They had the Danger\! marker overhead more than once and kept going down in droves, even wiped out in the final six seconds. The game went to Milky Way, 60.4%–34.3%.
+
+Game three was Tower Control at Urchin Underpass. FTWin was able to fend off Milky Way better this time, but still ended up down in pairs frequently. Milky Way spent the bulk of the game keeping the tower moving forward; FTWin did get their first checkpoint, with 40 seconds to go, but were wiped out. Even with overtime, the game still ended in Milky Way’s favor, 63–38.
+
+Inkblot Art Academy showed up, but for Clam Blitz. Milky Way brought a defensive double Big Bubbler comp, but their defense wasn’t enough to stop FTWin from taking their score from 100 to 33 in one push. Milky Way responded by scoring, but only to 80\. FTWin was hoarding the “clam economy” for most of the game, holding three Power Clams at one point in the last minute. FTWin tied the set after winning 67–39.
+
+Game five. Splat Zones at Undertow Spillway. Both teams traded the zone and lead in the first minute. FTWin had the first lead breakaway, finally being stopped at 24 by a Crab Tank. They didn’t let Milky Way get far, but following another Crab Tank vs. Crab Tank fight, Milky Way reclaimed the zones and took the lead back in the last 30 seconds, wiping out FTWin and narrowly beating the clock for a knockout. 
+
+Resulting in a Grand Finals Reset\!
+
+## **Grand Finals Reset: FTWin vs. Milky Way (1–3)**
+
+For the third time, the teams went to Rainmaker at Manta Maria. FTWin moved the Rainmaker first, but Milky Way cleared the first checkpoint of the game. Milky Way continued driving forward, getting all the way to 1 point to KO at the three-minute mark. FTWin struggled to get out of their spawn, and even in overtime, they were forced to retreat, losing 32–99. 
+
+MakoMart finally appeared for the first time on stream, for Clam Blitz. Early in the game, FTWin went down three players, but Milky Way didn’t have enough clams to score, and it would take both teams another two minutes before anyone did score. Milky Way scored first, to 71\. FTWin responded by scoring to 62\. As seconds ticked down, Milky Way tied the game, then threw a few more in, for a 47–38 win.
+
+Game three went back to Museum d’Alfonsino for Turf War. Both teams focused on splatting, consistently finding themselves down half of their team, especially in the last minute. Milky Way, less than 20 seconds to go, had the Danger\! sign overhead, and even as FTWin lost players at the end, they couldn’t ink enough to recover, leading to FTWin staying alive in the set with a 53.6%–43.4% victory.
+
+Tower Control at Crableg Capital followed Turf War. FTWin moved the tower two points. Then Milky Way moved it one point. FTWin moved it one point further. A very slow opening, which FTWin would pick up by riding through checkpoint one; their push eventually stopped at 50\. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GFR_TCcrableg" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5b508532-fb44-4c1e-813a-433d14989252" />
+
+*Too fast to see in the moment, queue’s ride on the tower was stopped abruptly by an Autobomb, which hit Milky Way’s Big Bubbler and exploded.* 
+
+During Milky Way’s push, they one-upped FTWin, getting their first checkpoint, then the lead, just to 42\. FTWin kept the tower pushing into Milky Way’s side of the map, but couldn’t stay on it to press the lead. In the last three seconds, they were wiped out, ending the set on a high note for Milky Way, 58-50. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="r3e5_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d8332678-c78a-4be9-bfc1-71a7cf442fb0" />
+
+Next week, the stakes will return, higher than ever. Can any team stop Milky Way from a four-week streak as the NA League Regular Season winners? Will Crush Soda rightfully make their Top Cut debut? When will Moonlight come back? 
+
+Show up to watch the action unfold\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: May 5, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/na-league-2026-e5-rs3).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/na-league-2026-r4-e6.md

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+---
+title: "NA League 2026 Event #6 (Regular Season Week 4) "
+date: 2026-05-12
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *A fierce fight for the last Top 8 slots sees several familiar faces taking a backseat this week*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="NAL2026-r4e6" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0f81c87d-7ca2-4d15-861f-f699cdd1934b" />
+
+On Saturday, May 9, Nintendo’s Splatoon 3 North American League continued into its fourth week of the Regular Season. This event marked an important milestone for teams who had played every Regular Season week so far: only the top four weekly scores count toward Playoffs eligibility. Any lower weekly point totals earned past a team’s highest four are not applied.
+
+This week saw the return of teams already acquainted with the 2026 League’s Top 8 stream: 
+
+1. Duck Motif  
+2. FORFEIT  
+3. Content Cat  
+4. Ayanokoji  
+5. Cream Soda  
+6. Healbook  
+7. SCUBA  
+8. Swarm
+
+Notable exceptions are Ayanokoji and Cream Soda, but both have placed well in the Ladder Round. Cream Soda is familiar with the Top 8 stream regardless, as all of the players were either part of Five or FTWin in 2025 and were critical players in last year’s stream. Another note about Cream Soda is that last week, they played as CS, finally getting their runback at the stream after losing out on the previous opportunity. 
+
+Several teams that one would expect to see on stream were caught up in a hairline race for the last top cut slots. This week’s top teams were very close in Peak ELO, with ranks 7 through 11 (SCUBA, Swarm, Moonlight, SIZA, Collision, respectively)—and the bottom two seeds for the top cut stream—being decided by one single point.
+
+With Piko providing the best view for the action that unfolded, Zach, Falco, and Lily were clocked in at the commentator’s table and broke it all down for the viewers. Despite the eight teams who participated, most of the sets that were streamed were between the same four teams.
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: FORFEIT vs. Cream Soda (3–2)**
+
+By the time Winner’s Finals rolled around, the stream had seen Content Cat vs. Healbook (0–3) and Duck Motif vs. Cream Soda (1–3). Ayanokoji, SCUBA, Swarm, and Duck Motif were eliminated.
+
+Game one kicked off at Inkblot Art Academy for… you guessed it: Tower Control. Quickly, FORFEIT cleared their first checkpoint, but less than a minute later, Cream Soda followed suit then took the lead. Taking FORFEIT down three players, Cream Soda zoomed through the second and third checkpoints, knocking out at 3:13. 
+
+Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort was second; FORFEIT again took control of the objective first, holding it for almost 40 seconds until being stopped at 56\. Halfway through the game, Cream Soda took the lead, extending it to just 7 remaining. FORFEIT crept close, until the score was 10–7, holding the zone in overtime. They brought Cream Soda down to their last player and took the lead, winning 94–93. 
+
+Rainmaker at MakoMart saw Cream Soda again lose by one point in overtime. In the first three minutes of the game, they brought the Rainmaker to 30\. Things started to go downhill when FORFEIT cleared their first checkpoint in overtime and took down three of Cream Soda’s players. Protected by an Ink Vac, FORFEIT carried the Rainmaker to the lead, being wiped out at the same time, but winning nonetheless, 71–70.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WF_RMmakomart" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8d7f11ee-f3c5-4b5c-97c0-8f508cf4d076" />
+
+*FORFEIT, wiped out with the Rainmaker in overtime, having stolen the lead from Cream Soda regardless.*
+
+Game four was Turf War at Urchin Underpass. Most of the game was fought in the middle of the map, without too many breakouts, leading to a very even game. The tides turned in the last 12 seconds as FORFEIT lost two players, letting Cream Soda press forward and paint, winning 58.1%–36.8%.
+
+Game five went to Crableg Capital for Clam Blitz. Cream Soda scored first, to 71, but lost most of their players in the effort. One minute later, despite the similar player disadvantage, FORFEIT snatched the lead. Cream Soda tried another push, but got wiped out before getting ahead. Overtime was narrowly avoided when FORFEIT, missing their first clam toss, opened the basket in the final seconds, winning 43–35.
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: Healbook vs. Content Cat (3–2)**
+
+As the first set on stream, both of these teams met in Winner’s Quarterfinals, where Healbook won 3–0 over Content Cat. FORFEIT then sent Healbook to the Loser’s Bracket. These teams would fight over who advanced to face Cream Soda for the first time in Event \#6. 
+
+The set opened at Crableg Capital for Rainmaker. A little over one minute into the game, Content Cat dunked the Rainmaker into the first checkpoint, then popped the shield and ran it to 4 points to win. After a brief delay, they earned the knockout at 3:31. 
+
+Clam Blitz at Shipshape Cargo Co. did see the Splattercolor Screen used, but its effects were not on the livestream, so rewatches of the Nintendo stream are safe to view. Healbook set up a Big Bubbler under the basket to score in the first minute, but were wiped out. They did an excellent job of hoarding the “clam economy”, never letting Content Cat score once. Healbook tied the set 1–1 after their 51–0 victory. 
+
+Game three was Tower Control at MakoMart. The first half of the game was all Content Cat, bringing their score to 37\. With Len. keeping the ledges locked down with a Blaster, Healbook rewrote the story for the second half of the game, clearing the first checkpoint, then taking the lead as Content Cat lost three players. Although Healbook’s tower rider was splatted, the tower wheeled to the end, giving them the knockout.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LSF_TCmakomart" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7197fddb-5c33-44ea-a39a-e5dd9c3d245f" />
+
+*Both teams down two players, including adapt, Healbook’s tower rider, who brought the objective to the finish line one tick later to knock out despite being splatted.*
+
+Paying back the knockout, Splat Zones at Scorch Gorge was the site of Content Cat’s revenge. They took the lead first, and while Healbook put up a fight, even having the lead in their hands at one point and wiping out Content Cat, Content Cat wiped out Healbook in return, stopping them at 9 ticks to win, and locked their opponent out, earning a knockout and tying the set 2–2.
+
+Game five came down to Hagglefish Market Turf War. The teams tentatively took fights, neither going down more than one player at a time until the final minute. Most of the fights took place in mid. The crux of the game occurred in the last 20 seconds, where Content Cat suffered a delayed wipeout. Healbook won the game, 57.1% \- 38.6%.
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: Cream Soda vs. Healbook (3–2)**
+
+Loser’s Finals came down to Cream Soda and Healbook, who were both walking into their third set on Saturday’s stream, and would be duking it out over who got to have their fourth turn in Grand Finals. 
+
+Game one was Tower Control at Crableg Capital. It took a few tries, but Cream Soda took the first checkpoint of the game. They moved forward gradually, cautious of overextending. Their push ended at 31, and afterward, Healbook cleared their first checkpoint with two minutes left in the game. In overtime, Cream Soda set up a pincer on both sides of the tower to stop Healbook from advancing, to win 79–38.
+
+<img width="600" height="600" alt="LF_TCcrableg" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/752ebf79-90cd-4d43-9236-a80720277be6" />
+
+*Cream Soda’s Hexen and Gos on opposite ends of the tower’s stop at the checkpoint.*
+
+The next game was Rainmaker at Inkblot Art Academy. Cream Soda was at an early disadvantage, down three players, letting Healbook clear the first checkpoint and run the Rainmaker to 53\. Cream Soda, using their Ink Vac, took the lead to 18, but were wiped out. They later extended the lead to 6, then started to stall in the last leg of the game. They came out of overtime as the victors, 94–56.
+
+Clam Blitz at Mahi-Mahi Resort saw both teams make Power Clams fast, but take a minute and a half to score. Cream Soda’s first score was only one Power Clam. Healbook, on the other hand, brought their score from 100 to 24 in one push. Cream Soda continued to make multiple small pushes to score, and evened the board 25–24. They weren’t able to score in overtime, leading to Healbook winning 76–75.
+
+Game four went to Museum d’Alfonsino for Turf War, but both teams still brought Blasters for offensive power. Less than 30 seconds in, Healbook was wiped out; Cream Soda only had two players standing. As the last minute approached, Healbook had the Danger\! indicator overhead. Both teams splatted each other in pairs, but Cream Soda was the last to go down, giving Healbook space to ink ahead, 50.6%–46.6%.
+
+MakoMart Splat Zones was saved for last. The game went down to the wire, as a game five should—the teams traded the zone and the lead, with Healbook being stopped at just one tick to KO with less than 30 seconds on the clock. In overtime, the zone was neutralized. Healbook was wiped out. Cream Soda booyah’d as they took the overtime knockout to win the set, breaking their curse of losing in overtime by one point.
+
+## **Grand Finals: FORFEIT vs. Cream Soda (0–3)**
+
+Grand Finals began the same way as Winner’s Finals: at Inkblot Art Academy Tower Control. It wasn’t so much of a game as it was Cream Soda taking the tower for a scenic joy ride. They experienced little setbacks as they drove through all three checkpoints and won with a knockout at 3:28. 
+
+FORFEIT put up more of a fight at Scorch Gorge for Rainmaker. They cleared their checkpoint first, and kept up a strong defense to keep Cream Soda from getting their own. The teams were frequently taking one another down three players or trading wipeouts. Cream Soda didn’t get their first checkpoint until the last 30 seconds, but were able to take the lead before overtime, winning 70–36.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GF_RMscorch" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d430eeca-9e5d-4b9b-99e7-f516a9a4452c" />
+
+*After FORFEIT cleared the first checkpoint, both teams were left with one player standing, just one of many similar instances.* 
+
+Game three was Splat Zones at Crableg Capital. FORFEIT started with an early lockout; a Triple Splashdown capping the zone saved the game for Cream Soda, stopping FORFEIT at 28\. The midpoint of the game had teams applying penalty after penalty on one another, but FORFEIT losing 3/4ths of their players gave Cream Soda the chance to lock out and then knock out… 
+
+…Bringing the NA League to yet another Grand Finals Reset\!
+
+## **Grand Finals Reset: FORFEIT vs. Cream Soda (1–3)**
+
+Splat Zones started the set at Urchin Underpass. Each team had the lead in the first 30 seconds, but FORFEIT was the one running ahead with it. Cream Soda was stopped 3 ticks short of taking the lead by the middle of the game. FORFEIT found themselves in a delayed wipeout, letting Cream Soda start overtime with the zone, where they held out long enough to take the lead, 87–86.
+
+Game two was Tower Control at Hagglefish Market. In the first 20 seconds, teams were already down half or more of their players; Cream Soda made the most of it and cleared their first checkpoint. Then the second. Despite oftentimes being down more players than FORFEIT, they never let their opponent get a single checkpoint, even in overtime. Cream Soda won for the fifth time in a row, 74–30.
+
+Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino was next. Half of FORFEIT focused on the first checkpoint while the other half skirmished with Cream Soda over by the pit area. FORFEIT brought the Rainmaker to 32, received a delayed wipeout, but still moved another 16 points ahead. Cream Soda doggedly put forward their best effort, but they were wiped out twice, leading to FORFEIT winning 84–64.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GFR_RMmuseum" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/dd2739cb-b938-4749-aff3-0479e73bffc2" />
+
+*Even an Ink Vac and Zipcaster couldn’t stop the determined Hexen from trying to close the gap between scores.*
+
+Both teams mirrored a comp of an Order Splatling, Dapple Dualies, and .52 Gal for Clam Blitz at Inkblot Art Academy. Cream Soda had the chance to score first, before losing three players. FORFEIT then outscored Cream Soda by 3 points. A Big Bubbler let Cream Soda sustain a push of about 50 points. 
+
+In overtime, behind by 40 points, FORFEIT wiped out Cream Soda and jumped in a Power Clam to open the basket and remove their 10-point penalty. A nearby Power Clam expired before it could be grabbed. Losing most of their team, FORFEIT’s basket closed before any more clams could be scored, awarding Cream Soda the 71–45 victory, the tournament win, and title of team most seen on stream (five sets)\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="r4e6_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7d80ed28-6abb-4fa4-a94f-637f461367dc" />
+
+The conclusion of Regular Season Week 4 means that the season is now halfway over. Four more events are left to participate in, to try earning the highest weekly scores to qualify for the Playoffs in June. Teams need to play in at least four weeks to be eligible, but can keep striving to higher levels to maximize their four-event point output\!
+
+Original Posting Date: May 12, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/na-league-2026-e6-rs4).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/na-league-2026-r5-e7.md

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+---
+title: "NA League 2026 Event #7 (Regular Season Week 5) "
+date: 2026-05-19
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *Milky Way’s brush with “forfeit”, both the team and the term*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="NAL2026-r5e7" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e73c3684-698c-4bae-b2bd-4e05f4d5f530" />
+
+On Saturday, May 16, Nintendo’s Splatoon 3 North American League began its descent toward the end of the Regular Season. Any teams who start the League after this event will not be eligible for the Playoffs, as a minimum of four weeks are required to be played, and past this point, only three Regular Season weeks remain. 
+
+Jordan, Falco, and Cyren commentated this week’s Top Cut stream, covering the halfway point season standings. By the end of Event \#7, all of the teams in the top spots (that were shown at the start of the stream) will have played all four minimum-required weeks. The rankings after counting scores from Event \#6 last week looked like this: 
+
+1. Milky Way  
+2. Duck Motif  
+3. Content Cat  
+4. Hypernova  
+5. Ayanokoji  
+6. Moonlight  
+7. SIZA  
+8. lfn 
+
+Spots 6, 7, and 8 were all tied at 220 points, but of the three, Moonlight had only played three weeks of the Regular Season at the time of calculation. Spots 2 and 3 were also tied at 275 points, with Duck Motif pulling ahead of Content Cat due to having a higher total win count (37 vs. 34). 
+
+Looking ahead to the current week, these teams took top spots in the Ladder Round and made it to the Top Cut stream: 
+
+1. Milky Way  
+2. FORFEIT  
+3. Cream Soda  
+4. GO GO SAHUR  
+5. The Shiggy Wiggy  
+6. Swarm  
+7. Torracats  
+8. NME
+
+This week’s action was brought to viewers thanks to Power, on the spectator camera, showing the highlights of the 4+ hour stream. 
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: Milky Way vs. FORFEIT (1–3)**
+
+Winner’s Finals was preceded by Cream Soda vs. Swarm (3–0) in the quarterfinals and Milky Way vs. GO GO SAHUR (3–0) in the semifinals. In Loser’s Quarterfinals, it would be Cream Soda vs. NME and GO GO SAHUR vs. Swarm. 
+
+Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort kicked off the set. While Milky Way claimed the zone first, within 30 seconds they were wiped out, leading to FORFEIT taking the lead. Milky Way stopped FORFEIT’s score from bleeding too far to let them get the knockout, but they started overtime with a neutral zone and two players down, resulting in a win for FORFEIT regardless, 98–87. 
+
+Game two was Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino. Milky Way cleared the checkpoint in under a minute, and a fortunate Rainmaker shield pop taking down two players on FORFEIT let them run it to 24\. FORFEIT struggled to keep players active, always seeming to go down two or three at a time, not clearing the checkpoint until 16 seconds remained. Milky Way won the game, 76–42.
+
+Tower Control at Hagglefish Market was a game decided by the slimmest margin, not once, but twice. Milky Way had the first lead, which FORFEIT narrowly surpassed by one point in the final 40 seconds. Fighting the clock, Milky Way rode the tower back into enemy territory. Pressed against FORFEIT’s score, 46–46, Milky Way was pushed back to 47 after being wiped out, ultimately losing 53–54.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WF_TChagglefish" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f4a40185-a679-42f8-8071-b0a4e43ba5b6" />
+
+*FORFEIT takes the lead, using the threat of an Ultra Stamp to keep Milky Way’s attention off of the tower.*
+
+Turf War at Crableg Capital saw both teams walk in with near-identical comps, with Splat Dualies, Snipewriter 5H, and a REEF-LUX 450 variant. From early in the game, FORFEIT was in the Danger\! zone, but when it came to the critical last 30 seconds, Milky Way, caught in a delayed wipeout, had the tables flipped onto them and ended up in Danger\! They recovered in the last 8 seconds, but were just shy of the win, 48.1%–49.0%.
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: Cream Soda vs. GO GO SAHUR (1–3)**
+
+Loser’s Quarterfinals concluded with both Cream Soda winning over NME and GO GO SAHUR winning over Swarm in 3–2 sets. The victor was set to face Milky Way next. 
+
+The set began at Urchin Underpass for Tower Control. GO GO SAHUR cleared their first checkpoint in the first minute of the game and secured their path through the second by wiping out Cream Soda twice. Their push eventually ended at 7, before Cream Soda took any points. Cream Soda retaliated with a massive push of their own, reaching 14 by nearly wiping out their opponent, but couldn’t get further, finishing 86–93.
+
+Game two was Splat Zones at Crableg Capital. Cream Soda claimed the early advantage this time, getting to 69 before GO GO SAHUR took the zone and the lead before the first minute ended. Cream Soda came within three points of getting back in the lead, but a late Triple Splashdown was the start of a strained attempt to even leave their base. GO GO SAHUR won with a knockout.
+
+At Museum d’Alfonsino for Turf War, the players seemed more willing to fight than focus on the objective, leading to a Turf War that felt more fast-paced than usual. Cream Soda was in Danger\! in the first minute, but reversed that onto GO GO SAHUR in the last few seconds, for a decisive victory, 56.5%–41.8%.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LSF_TWmuseum" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1762aa69-d61b-4f9e-8f79-19b4ad6cd448" />
+
+*Both teams mirror weapon comps which consist of a Custom Blaster, Snipewriter 5H, Splat Dualies, and REEF-LUX 450 MIL-K.*
+
+Rainmaker at Inkblot Art Academy rounded out the set; again, both teams had a near-identical comp, with Splat Dualies, .96 Gal, and Custom Blaster. The game was rather sequential: GO GO SAHUR cleared the checkpoint. An Ink Vac let them swim the Rainmaker to 22\. A wipeout on Cream Soda let them get the safe knockout, to move ahead in the tournament.
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: Milky Way vs. GO GO SAHUR (3–0)**
+
+Loser’s Finals went by without flourish or fanfare—after a long wait for the set to begin, the commentators informed the viewers that GO GO SAHUR had “disqualified themselves” following Loser’s Semifinals. Their forfeit granted Milky Way an automatic 3–0 in Loser’s Finals and a swift ticket to Grand Finals for another FORFEIT (the team). 
+
+## **Grand Finals: FORFEIT vs. Milky Way (1–3)**
+
+…And so Grand Finals followed Loser’s Semifinals, the interlude between Milky Way and FORFEIT’s soon-to-be twelve games against one another this week. 
+
+The action returned with Tower Control at Museum d’Alfonsino. The game slowly warmed up, from Milky Way taking two minutes to clear the first checkpoint of the game, to them clearing the next soon after. FORFEIT didn’t get any points to their name until the last minute. Without time to build momentum, FORFEIT lost 46–72.
+
+The teams repeated Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort, right down to the one-point score difference determined in overtime. Milky Way’s Triple Inkstrikes were the hero of the game, constantly used to retake the zone from FORFEIT. FORFEIT was in the lead at overtime; the zone went neutral, and both teams were down two players. Milky Way splatted all of FORFEIT’s players cyclically, ensuring they could take the lead, 97–96. 
+
+Then they repeated Turf War at Crableg Capital with the same weapons. This time, while Milky Way was still in Danger\! for a significant portion of the game, they only lost the status right near the end, but it wasn’t enough to win. They struggled all game to even leave their base, losing 45.2%–51.2%.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GF_TWcrableg" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/595e8293-bfb1-4d71-9c66-d4ea40d9ac78" />
+
+*Power’s spec cam catches a moment of lightning-fast thinking from bran, who re-paints the ink rail yellow to stop Rumi, mid-jump, from being able to escape, resulting in a pivotal splat.*
+
+Clam Blitz, for the first and only time on stream, appeared at Scorch Gorge. Milky Way scored first, to 51; the commentators praised this strong opening, setting up for commentator’s curse to strike: FORFEIT’s first push saw them get all the way to 19\. Milky Way scored a second time, but only to 37\. Both teams were down by half in overtime. Milky Way scored, cut down FORFEIT, and barely took the win, 82–81.
+
+Milky Way winning the set 3–1 meant that the stream moved to a Grand Finals Reset\!
+
+## **Grand Finals Reset: FORFEIT vs. Milky Way (3–1)**
+
+Not done repeating Winner’s Finals, the Grand Finals Reset started with a Tower Control rematch at Hagglefish Market. Milky Way struggled to keep players up, always seeming to be down at least one. FORFEIT was able to get up to the second checkpoint; Milky Way’s final minute saw them race against the clock to contest the lead, but weren’t able to get far past the first checkpoint, losing 41–62.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GFR_TChagglefish" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/82c1e330-a318-4296-a6a9-797eed625e6a" />
+
+*Bran’s trade with Rumi saved Milky Way from a potential knockout, as FORFEIT lost their opportunity to jump in while Milky Way was stuck respawning.*
+
+Turf War returned, at MakoMart this time. Fortune was not on FORFEIT’s side, as they were under Danger\! within 30 seconds, and stayed that way for most of the game. Constantly at the numbers disadvantage, but still able to put up a fight, the final score was 55.0%–40.1%, to Milky Way, tying the set.
+
+That ill fortune was reversed onto Milky Way for Rainmaker at Scorch Gorge. Milky Way was left with one player standing more than once in the first minute, just barely able to stop FORFEIT at 10\. They were finally able to get out of their base in the last stretch to clear their first checkpoint with 9 seconds remaining, only to be sent back to spawn in a delayed wipeout, losing 32–90.
+
+Splat Zones at Undertow Spillway was Milky Way’s last chance to keep the tournament run alive. They capped the zones first, taking their score as far as 48 in one push before FORFEIT applied penalty points. Halfway through the clock, FORFEIT claimed the lead, and were stopped at just 12 ticks to KO. Milky Way brought the game into overtime, but FORFEIT overwhelmed them to take the last victory, 88–76.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="r5e7_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9c19e95d-5f45-407a-a228-2601332d87fc" />
+
+For the third week in a row, the event ended in a Grand Finals Reset. With a majority of the teams most anticipated to make it to the Playoffs having now participated in four weeks of Regular Season events, will the next week see a refreshed roster? Or will teams continue to push their highest scores to make their ticket to Playoffs definitive? 
+
+Strong contenders like FTWin, NME, and Cream Soda still need more weekly events under their belt to qualify, so we have an inkling of what’s to come for the last three weeks of the Splatoon 3 North American League. 
+
+Make sure you’re there to see it\!
+
+Original Posting Date: May 19, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/na-league-2026-e7-rs5).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/na-league-2026-r6-e8.md

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+---
+title: "NA League 2026 Event #8 (Regular Season Week 6) "
+date: 2026-05-26
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *An unusually low turnout this week, despite Nintendo banning the cheaters*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="NAL2026-r6e8" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f1cc03f7-e2b6-408d-9646-111331291180" />
+
+On Saturday, May 23rd, the Splatoon 3 North American League continued into its 8th event, week 6 of the Regular Season. After this event, only two more remained, before a brief break leading up to the Playoffs in June. 
+
+Zach, Mellana, and Sapph hosted the Top 8 livestream. As always, the stream started with a recap of what has happened so far, including the current Season Standings. This week, viewers noticed both in the livestream and on Battlefy that something drastic had occurred since the recap during the NA League Show one day prior: 
+
+<img width="1200" height="548" alt="r6e8_seasonstandings" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2d0242f2-a3d7-4bcb-a056-f11881d96e5a" />
+
+*LEFT: Season Standings from the NA League Show on Friday; RIGHT: Season Standings from Event \#8 on Saturday.*
+
+No mention of the standings from last week’s event, several teams had more points and a different win/loss ratio than before which altered their placements, and two high-placing teams were absent: FORFEIT and Ayanokoji. 
+
+It went without formal announcement that Nintendo had removed the teams. No official word explained why, but players and viewers knew: the teams were banned for breaking the rules of the NA League, and had been doing so for weeks despite appeals made to Nintendo to remove them. The teams are still searchable on Battlefy, but no longer have any points despite their win/loss records. 
+
+This week’s Top 8 stream, spectated by CzarDB, was made up of teams we’ve all seen before, with only one new face at seed \#8: 
+
+1. NME  
+2. Duck Motif  
+3. Healbook  
+4. SCUBA  
+5. Content Cat  
+6. lfn  
+7. 37 handsome boys  
+8. Endroll
+
+## **Winner’s Quarterfinals: Duck Motif vs. 37 handsome boys (0–3)**
+
+These two teams have a brief history in the NA League 2026, having met in Loser’s Top 8 during Event \#5, where Duck Motif won 3–1. Both teams have been multi-time participants of the Top 8 stream but rarely had the chance to build a storyline further.
+
+And the story has changed heavily since last time\! 37 handsome boys swept the set 3–0, kickstarting their set with a knockout at Crableg Capital Splat Zones. They picked up a 51.3%–41.3% win at Hagglefish Market Turf War. Closing the set was a low-scoring Clam Blitz game at Scorch Gorge, where 37 handsome boys took the 32–20 win to advance.
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals: NME vs. SCUBA (3–0)**
+
+NME and SCUBA were approaching the semifinals from very different quarterfinals: NME had a swift 3–0 win over Endroll, while SCUBA fought a tight 3–2 set against Content Cat. 
+
+The set would follow NME’s record, starting with a knockout at Mahi-Mahi Splat Zones. Tower Control at MakoMart slowed NME down, but they still won 55–23. Rainmaker at Scorch Gorge, similar to the last set’s final game, was low-scoring, coming down to NME eking out the lead in overtime, 33–32, to head to Winner’s Finals.
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: NME vs. Healbook (3–1)**
+
+After NME beat SCUBA, they met Healbook, who had also gone 3–0 in the previous set against 37 handsome boys. Both teams went undefeated in the Ladder Round; while NME was still undefeated where Healbook had lost a few games to lfn, if SCUBA couldn’t take a game from NME, Healbook looked like just the team to end the streak.
+
+Game one started with Splat Zones, like every other game one in the Winner’s Bracket. The map was Urchin Underpass. Healbook looked strong at the start, taking NME down three players and getting to 30\. But once NME warmed up, they took the lead. The last two minutes turned into a stalemate of teams only getting penalty points. Healbook brought the game into overtime, but lost the zone; NME took game one 88–72. 
+
+Tower Control at Crableg Capital was NME’s turn to take the early lead: from the first checkpoint through the second quickly, they finally went down two players, ending the run at 22\. Healbook took until the last minute to get through their first checkpoint, but with JJaeigh and their Sorella Brella escorting the tower, they blew past NME’s lead. Healbook gave NME their first loss of the day after winning 94–78. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WF_TCcrableg" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1b99f47d-11d2-418a-906e-45ac9c505af9" />
+
+*JJaeigh’s Inkjet, sights set on Dark after splatting a Booyah Bomb-ing Zero.*
+
+Turf War at Inkblot Art Academy was not the best for Healbook. Before the halfway point, the Danger\! indicator was over their heads, remaining there for the better part of a minute, leaving once they splatted three members of NME to take map control back. Still, in the final 30 seconds, they were down most of their players again and again, leading to NME winning 55.8%–38.2%. 
+
+Game four was Rainmaker at Mahi-Mahi Resort, which NME had a record of easily KO-ing on. NME cleared their checkpoint first, but Healbook popped the shield, taking down two of NME’s players and turning it into a wipeout. Healbook then cleared their checkpoint and took the lead. All it took for NME to turn the game on its head was two of Healbook’s players down; NME got the knockout with ample time to spare.
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: Content Cat vs. SCUBA (3–1)**
+
+Content Cat fought their way up from the Loser’s Bracket, going 3–1 over Endroll and 37 handsome boys, earning the runback against SCUBA. SCUBA had just 3–0’d lfn to get to the semifinals. 
+
+SCUBA reverse-swept Content Cat in the quarterfinals, and this set started similarly. Content Cat again won games one and two (Manta Maria Tower Control, 86–43; MakoMart Turf War, 50.9%–46.7%), and SCUBA won game three (Museum d’Alfonsino Clam Blitz, 58–40) to stop the set shutout. However, game four (Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway), went in Content Cat’s favor, 74–42, letting them continue to Loser’s Finals.
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: Healbook vs. Content Cat (1–3)**
+
+The commentators were excited to spectate this matchup between two teams forging their way with their favorite weapons, rather than the ones that were strong in the meta. For this set in particular, they anticipated the “JJaeigh vs. Hawaiian Inkjet extravaganza,” since Inkjet isn’t a special too commonly seen in top level play. 
+
+Another Loser’s Bracket set starting with Tower Control, this time at Hagglefish Market. Healbook passed the first checkpoint at the cost of three players, which led to a wipeout, then Content Cat taking their first checkpoint and the lead. After clearing the second checkpoint, Content Cat used their specials one after the other to protect their path through the third checkpoint, and finally, to the knockout. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LF_TChagglefish" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3f0c2acf-248a-4e7f-8bad-4c5be8c52f0f" />
+
+*Hawaiian’s Inkjet, deployed and on its way to keep Healbook away from the tower. Chronos’s Booyah Bomb is ready to pave the way to the KO past the checkpoint.* 
+
+As far as Clam Blitz games go, this one at Crableg Capital wasn’t unusual for the first score not occurring until halfway through the timer. Content Cat wiped out Healbook, creating an opening to score to 42 in one go. One minute later, Healbook scored and ended up tying with Content Cat, and were pushed back one point. In overtime, Healbook opened the basket, throwing in enough clams to take the lead, 60–58.
+
+During the Splat Zones at MakoMart game, the spectator camera picked up plenty of Blaster double-splats from Len. and Pika. An eager Healbook took the zone first, but were wiped out, letting Content Cat get nearly halfway through their zone timer before recovering. An Ink Vac from Content Cat kept Healbook one point away from the lead, and critically, helped take Healbook down in a delayed wipeout, for Content Cat to KO.
+
+At Undertow Spillway for Rainmaker, both teams amped the aggression up, splatting left and right, finding themselves down two or more teammates most of the game. It took three minutes for Content Cat to clear the first checkpoint, able to make a push after wiping Healbook out. A series of small, pressuring pushes brought Content Cat to 1 point remaining, where the score would settle, 99–3, for Content Cat to win the set.
+
+## **Grand Finals: NME vs. Content Cat (3–0)**
+
+For Content Cat, this was their second time in the Grand Finals of the 2026 NA League. NME’s previous highest spot was third place, making this their best placement yet. Regardless of the winner, someone would be reaching a new high score\!
+
+The set started with MakoMart Splat Zones. Content Cat took the zone from NME, getting as far as 40 before NME took it back. Nearly a minute and a half later, NME had the zone long enough to take the lead. An Ink Vac from Content Cat stopped NME at 17, but another minute later, NME still finished the game with a knockout win. 
+
+Tower Control at Hagglefish Market appeared again. A minute and a half-long push from NME saw them go from the first checkpoint all the way to 30, by the time the clock was at the halfway mark. Content Cat managed to get their first checkpoint, but were wiped out afterward. Wiped out a second time before the game ended, Content Cat couldn’t get onto the tower before overtime ended, resulting in another NME win, 79–47. 
+
+No one expected to see DATKID pull out a Sploosh-o-matic for Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway, but it worked tremendously. NME had their first checkpoint in less than 30 seconds, and Content Cat was wiped out/delayed wiped out multiple times over the course of the game. Both teams fought extra hard in the last two minutes, but ultimately, NME was a bit closer to the goal, winning 90–85, and the Grand Finals set\! 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GF_RMundertow" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f60b0bd6-76ac-4b15-a1f6-c5fedbd582be" />
+
+*After stopping Content Cat from pushing the Rainmaker past 15, DATKID pauses to “Booyah\!” before advancing. He does this twice more before the game ends.*
+
+The turnout for this week’s NA League event was shockingly low, at just 18 teams compared to the previous week’s 33\. The event shared a date with the SendouQ Season 11 Finale and multiple LANs, including MomoCon, LAN of 10,000 Lakes, Chi-Shoals \#42, and Little Dapple, which could explain the low attendance. 
+
+Another explanation could be the growing frustration at Nintendo for allowing players who were found breaking the rules (aimbot hacks, spoofing from non-NA regions, smurfing) to compete for weeks in the League, even going as far as letting them onto the Top 8 stream. The most notorious of these teams was FORFEIT, but also included GO GO SAHUR and Ayanokoji. 
+
+With Event \#8, Nintendo silently banned these teams from the NA League, removing them from leaderboards, and even returned some points to teams who had competed and lost against the cheating teams. The lack of acknowledgment from Nintendo and length of time to ban the teams has made some players lose faith in the credibility of the tournament and the administration running it. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="561" alt="r6e8_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2189153d-5fc4-482c-985b-844948898618" />
+
+Two weeks remain in the Splatoon 3 North American League’s 2026 Regular Season. At the same time, the Splat World Series 2026 has its Second Edition Global Gauntlet Qualifier and Finals, dividing player attention. With most teams having played enough events to be eligible for the NA League Playoffs, how many will be satisfied with their standings and refrain from participating in any more events? 
+
+Be there for these last two weeks to find out\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: May 26, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/na-league-2026-e8-rs6).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/na-league-2026-r7-e9.md

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+---
+title: "NA League 2026 Event #9 (Regular Season Week 7) "
+date: 2026-06-02
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *Every set this week could have been mistaken for a Grand Finals set in any other tournament*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="NAL2026-r7e9" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/dbe2da28-af73-4986-85c4-c4f5714f1a77" />
+
+On Saturday, May 30th, the second-to-last Regular Season event of Nintendo’s Splatoon 3 North American League brought household names head-to-head, for set after set of matchups that could easily be—or have previously been—saved as the best for last. Next week will conclude the Regular Season of the League, and after a one week break, teams will be back for the two-day Playoffs to determine the champion. 
+
+Fortunately, there was a bigger crowd participating this week compared to last week, and the Top Cut was full of faces we’ve all seen here plenty of times before: 
+
+1. Cream Soda  
+2. NME  
+3. Healbook  
+4. Duck Motif  
+5. Hypernova  
+6. Content Cat  
+7. lfn   
+8. Moonlight
+
+Nine, Mellana, and Rissa hosted the stream, which lasted just over four hours, and Power was working the spectator camera, bringing the best we’ve seen yet. 
+
+## **Winner’s Quarterfinals: Cream Soda vs. Moonlight (3–0)**
+
+What a treat that the Top Cut began with a matchup fit for Grand Finals\! Both teams were highly anticipated to advance to the Playoffs in June. Cream Soda blazed through the Ladder Round and through the Winner’s Quarterfinals. They won all nine sets in the Ladder Round, including sets against Moonlight and four other teams present in Event \#9’s Top Cut.
+
+Their set began with Splat Zones at Robo ROM-en, which was the closest game between these teams, where Cream Soda won 95-72. Museum d’Alfonsino Rainmaker saw Cream Soda win again, 73–40. Cream Soda closed the set with a 100-to-0 knockout at MakoMart Tower Control, cementing just how locked-in the team was.
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals: NME vs. Content Cat (3–0)**
+
+In case Cream Soda vs. Moonlight wasn’t enough of a premium set to appear early on, following that was NME vs. Content Cat, a repeat of last week’s Grand Finals. NME was looking as impressive as ever, winning all eight games in the Ladder Round—six of which were against teams who made it to the Top Cut, including Content Cat. 
+
+NME started the set with a knockout victory at MakoMart Splat Zones. Content Cat put up a bigger fight at Shipshape Cargo Co. Tower Control, but NME still came out the winner, 82–55. One more knockout, at Undertow Spillway Rainmaker, sealed NME as the set victor and saw them advance to Winner’s Finals against Cream Soda.
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: Cream Soda vs. NME (3–0)**
+
+Another stacked set, now between winners of NA League weekly events. NME had 3–0’d lfn and Content Cat to make it to Winner’s Finals, and Cream Soda had just come from a 3–1 win over Duck Motif. In the Loser’s Bracket, a close 3–2 win over Hypernova had Moonlight moving forward to meet Content Cat; Healbook had swept lfn 3–0 and would be facing Duck Motif.
+
+Winner’s Finals started with Splat Zones at Undertow Spillway. Some early fights gone unfavorably left NME far behind Cream Soda’s lead of 17, but despite more often than not being at the numbers disadvantage, NME put up a strong showing to try catching up. With seconds left, one player on NME disconnected, right before Cream Soda wiped out the team and knocked out, winning game one. 
+
+Both teams brought an N-ZAP ‘85, Snipewriter 5H, and Heavy Splatling to Tower Control at Urchin Underpass. Cream Soda waited until NME was down most of their players to make a serious push, getting all the way to 56\. From there, the game met in a stalemate for the next few minutes, until a delayed wipeout let Cream Soda extend their lead. NME earned their first points in the last five seconds, but only earned seven, losing the game 7–61. 
+
+NME tried an anchorless comp for Clam Blitz at Inkblot Academy, bringing two mid-range Shooters, a Custom Blaster, and Splat Dualies. Within 20 seconds, they had three players go down, and this would be a recurring pattern, giving Cream Soda the chance to score to 50 in one push. The game was brought into overtime, where NME was wiped out, resulting in a 50–0 win for Cream Soda, to advance to the Grand Finals.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WF_CBinkblot" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/84456baf-e5d9-41a1-82d9-0f1819f32431" />
+
+*After Cream Soda’s push ends, everyone moves to mid. NME makes an effort to ensure no one is sharking behind them, but Gos avoids detection and allows Xenith to jump in.*
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: Moonlight vs. Duck Motif (3–2)**
+
+Moonlight vs. Duck Motif was a commonplace matchup from the 2025 League, and one that favored Duck Motif more than the latter. Seeing these teams take one another to a game five set was a surprise to no one. 
+
+Mahi-Mahi Resort Splat Zones was a knockout for Duck Motif, where Moonlight would have been the team anticipated to win. Moonlight responded with two wins in a row; one at Museum d’Alfonsino Clam Blitz (77–43), and one at Crableg Capital Turf War (52%–45%). Duck Motif claimed the win at Undertow Spillway Rainmaker, 80–64, bringing in Tower Control at MakoMart, where Moonlight won by just one point, 61–60. 
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: NME vs. Moonlight (1–3)**
+
+Moonlight was also well acquainted with NME from last year’s NA League, where most of NME played under the team fofofo. They faced one another a handful of times, reaching its highest point during the Playoffs, where Moonlight beat fofofo, ending their Playoffs run in third place. 
+
+Again, Mahi-Mahi Resort Splat Zones was the choice for game one. Moonlight was in control of the zone when the water level dropped, which gave NME the space they needed to wipe Moonlight out, stopping them at 39\. NME held the zone long enough to take the lead, and although they lost it again, it was only for a brief time before they made it to the knockout, claiming the first win of the set.
+
+NME tried their anchorless Clam Blitz comp from earlier again, and again they were punished early and down three players. DATMENACE\! made up for it, getting a triple and opening up a path for NME to score—only to 80, as they were wiped out afterward. Moonlight scored next, tying 80–80, and pushed back to 81 once the basket closed. Moonlight set up a Big Bubbler under the basket to safely score again, taking the lead to narrowly win the game, 32–30.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LF_CLmuseum" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d07a60ed-c448-48bc-beda-662883172443" />
+
+*In overtime, NME groups up to make a push to the basket, led by an Ink Vac. Omega gets a triple with one dash slash, saving the game for Moonlight.*
+
+Moonlight attempted a new comp with Custom E-liter 4K and Luna Blaster Neo at Undertow Spillway Rainmaker. They ran the Rainmaker up the right-side path, taking the lead. After popping the shield, NME pressed forward, unaware of a shark behind them, which got Moonlight’s score to 41\. NME cleared their own checkpoint, but could not take the Rainmaker far enough for the lead, giving Moonlight another win, 59–53.
+
+Turf War at Inkblot Art Academy—*not* Tower Control—was a classic example of “only the last 30 seconds matter”. Moonlight struggled a fair amount, finding themselves down players frequently, resulting in the Danger\! flag above their heads. They locked in for the last 40 seconds, taking NME down players instead, and with the clock and the odds against them, won 58.2%–37.7%.
+
+## **Grand Finals: Cream Soda vs. Moonlight (3–1)**
+
+The Grand Finals set brought Event \#9 to a closed circle, with the first and last set on stream being between the same two teams. Like last week, the underdog of the Grand Finals had been sent to the Loser’s Bracket round one and fought their way up the bracket. Moonlight had an exhausting journey so far, full of game five sets—would their endurance hold up against Cream Soda?
+
+Like every other set on stream, the match started with Splat Zones, again at Robo ROM-en. Moonlight was almost a different team since the Quarterfinals, able to take and hold the lead. Consistent ability to splat enemies before they could use their special and quickly painting over specials that were used saw Moonlight win game one, 88–78.
+
+Back to Turf War so soon, at MakoMart. Each team already had one player splatted in the first ten seconds, which was representative of the rest of the game. Most Turf War games were lighter on splats, but this one was anything but. In the last minute, Moonlight faltered and returned to having that Danger\! marker overhead. Cream Soda outpainted their opponent this time, 54.3%–43.7%.
+
+Tower Control at Crableg Capital saw Wave bring in the E-liter 4K, making a world of difference for Cream Soda. They cleared their first and second checkpoint by the halfway point; from there, they focused their efforts on keeping Moonlight locked out of mid. Overtime occurred, but there wasn’t enough time for Moonlight to get back on the tower, resulting in a 13–85 loss. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GF_TCcrableg" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c31cdc20-3c13-4439-9da5-5061ffcec5e0" />
+
+*Three players on Moonlight taken down, all splatted by Wave, Cream Soda’s E-liter 4K player. Soon after, Wave completes the quad and gets the last player.*
+
+One last repeat map/mode, Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino. Cream Soda kept taking Moonlight down in pairs, shutting down any openings for pushes. Within a minute, Cream Soda had their first checkpoint, and later ran the Rainmaker to 34 before Moonlight earned any points. The game went into overtime, and Cream Soda splatted the Rainmaker carrier, earning them the 66–16 win, and second Regular Season victory\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="r7e9_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/51ba8608-4cf8-46f3-b16a-95335a018bd7" />
+
+With the penultimate week of the Regular Season at a close, thoughts turned toward which teams were most likely to qualify for the Playoffs. A handful of teams playing this week earned their fourth Regular Season weekly score, making them eligible if they had enough points after the final event. 
+
+One team who has occupied everyone’s minds with thoughts about when they would return, FTWin, recently announced that they would no longer be participating in the rest of the 2026 NA League. \[K\]yo, the team’s captain, broke the news on [social media](https://bsky.app/profile/kyochandxd.bsky.social/post/3mmpdyeetd224), citing that the main reason for FTWin’s absence was due to conflicting schedules. 
+
+With or without FTWin, the climb for the lower spots in the Top 8 roster who make it to the Playoffs is more competitive than last year, with several teams able to make major waves on the leaderboard if they can get one last good placement during Event \#10. 
+
+Don’t miss the conclusion of the ten-week League on June 6th\!
+
+Original Posting Date: June 2, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/na-league-2026-e9-rs7).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/na-league-2026-r8-e10.md

@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+---
+title: "NA League 2026 Event #10 (Regular Season Week 8) "
+date: 2026-06-09
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *“Now or Never” is playing for four teams who all have a chance at taking the single spot at the Playoffs that is within reach*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="NAL2026-r8e10" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/df159446-7b45-4164-a236-23b646318a34" />
+
+On Saturday, June 6th, the eighth week of the Splatoon 3 North American League 2026 wrapped up the Regular Season, finally determining who would make it to the Playoffs in a few weeks. The teams who made the cut were chosen based on the eight highest Season Standings; Season Standings were made up of a team’s four best weekly rankings during the Regular Season. 
+
+The teams competing this week were: 
+
+1. Cream Soda  
+2. Duck Motif  
+3. Swarm  
+4. SCUBA  
+5. SIZA  
+6. The Shiggy Wiggy  
+7. 37 handsome boys  
+8. Content Cat
+
+Cream Soda, Duck Motif, and Content Cat were already confidently secured for the Playoffs, but for SCUBA, SIZA, Swarm, and 37 handsome boys, this event was make-it-or-break-it for qualifying. Hypernova, sitting in the eighth position in the Playoffs roster at 280 points, had the only score that the latter four teams could beat. 
+
+For the last time in the Regular Season, Nine, Falco, and Popgun hosted the event, with Piko operating the spectator camera. 
+
+How did this event turn out? 
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals: SCUBA vs. SIZA (3–1)**
+
+Event \#10 kicked off with a set between two teams vying for the eighth spot on the Playoffs’ roster. SCUBA needed to get at least 4th place in this event to get enough points to surpass Hypernova. SIZA needed the run of a lifetime to get first place and earn enough points to place at the Playoffs. 
+
+SCUBA started the set on fire, picking up close wins at Scorch Gorge Rainmaker (90–72) and MakoMart Splat Zones (93–92). SIZA put a halt on SCUBA’s sweep by taking a victory at Inkblot Art Academy Tower Control, 81–62. The final game went to SCUBA, who won in a low-scoring Clam Blitz game at Museum d’Alfonsino, 39–23. 
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals: 37 handsome boys vs. Swarm (3–0)**
+
+Both 37 handsome boys and Swarm were in the running for the final spot of Playoffs, and like SIZA, needed to take first place at this event to get the chance, which wasn’t guaranteed yet at this point in the tournament.
+
+Swarm made heads turn with their weapon choice at Robo ROM-en Splat Zones—double Hero Shot Replica, Snipewriter 5H, and Custom Explosher. It wasn’t quite what they needed; despite the constant Trizookas, they lost 61–96. 37 handsome boys swept through the next two games, winning MakoMart Clam Blitz 85–23 and Hagglefish Turf War 67.7%–26.4%, advancing to Winner’s Finals after the 3–0 set. 
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: Cream Soda vs. 37 handsome boys (3–0)**
+
+For the first time in the 2026 NA League, 37 handsome boys had made it as far as the Winner’s Finals. Whether they won or lost here, they would continue to a new personal best. Neither Cream Soda nor 37 handsome boys had lost a single game yet in the top cut, raising the stakes\!
+
+Tower Control at Museum d’Alfonsino had a rough opening for Cream Soda, being down three players early, giving 37 handsome boys a head start. A minute and a half into the game, Cream Soda, fully warmed up, built up enough steam to drive through all three checkpoints with ease. Their push ended at 10, but even with a wipeout delaying the run, they came back to knock out with over a minute to spare.
+
+At Scorch Gorge Rainmaker, 37 handsome boys were down players early, but they regrouped to deny Cream Soda the checkpoint until halfway in the game. With some skilled movement, Cream Soda weaved around a Kraken Royale to get the Rainmaker to 37, and won the game 63–0.
+
+Cream Soda scored within the first minute at MakoMart Clam Blitz thanks to Gos drawing attention away from the basket. Cream Soda scored three times before 37 handsome boys finally got some points. After 37 handsome boys’ basket closed, no one else scored. Cream Soda won 85–32 after wiping out 37 handsome boys in overtime.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WF_CBmakomart" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1de857b8-285b-4c27-8bbf-cf4e43f7c9c5" />
+
+*Gos drawing three players from 37 handsome boys back behind the platform, keeping most of the enemy attention away from Cream Soda, enabling them to score safely.*
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: SIZA vs. SCUBA (3–0)**
+
+SIZA and SCUBA were set to go head-to-head once again. The winner would face 37 handsome boys for the first time, for the ultimate challenge of taking on Cream Soda. SIZA needed to win the next two sets if they wanted a chance to make it to Playoffs.
+
+The SIZA we saw in this set was vastly different than the one from Winner’s Quarterfinals. During Inkblot Art Academy Splat Zones (which was on stream for the first time this season), SIZA went 100-to-0 for the knockout win. They also knocked SCUBA out at MakoMart Tower Control, then won in overtime, 50–49, at Museum d’Alfonsino Clam Blitz. 
+
+Although SCUBA lost the set, they still secured enough points to surpass Hypernova’s season standing, tentatively taking the eighth spot at the Playoffs. If either SIZA or 37 handsome boys took first place during this event, they would tie with SCUBA, requiring a tiebreaker to determine who went to the Playoffs.
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: 37 handsome boys vs. SIZA (3–2)**
+
+Both SIZA and 37 handsome boys needed a win here to take on Cream Soda for a shot at the Playoffs. The close game five set between these two would be the first time since Winner’s Quarterfinals that any set wouldn’t end after three games. 
+
+Starting at Museum d’Alfonsino for Tower Control, 37 handsome boys cleared their first checkpoint in 40 seconds. The main focus of the midpoint was on splatting rather than pushing the tower. In the last 30 seconds, 37 handsome boys being wiped out let SIZA take the lead, knocking out just before the clock ran out.
+
+Splat Zones at Robo ROM-en was next. SIZA took the zone first; by the end of the first minute, they were locking their opponent out. 37 handsome boys broke out, stopping SIZA at 12\. SIZA threw Triple Inkstrikes, a Trizooka, and a Killer Wail 5.1 at 37 handsome boys and the zone, but were out-painted and wiped out. 37 handsome boys took the lead and the knockout win. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LF_TWhagglefish" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/aca276a3-6597-4efd-8af9-d3f9f2e0e4f1" />
+
+*The weapon selections for Turf War at Hagglefish Market. SIZA (right) brings weapons rarely seen in high level play, like the Big Swig Roller Express and Custom Explosher.*
+
+SIZA brought out an unconventional comp for Turf War at Hagglefish Market. It gave them no edge over their opponent; for half of the game, SIZA was under the Damage\! sign. In the last 30 seconds they finally hit their stride, taking three players from 37 handsome boys. With 7 seconds remaining, still in Danger\!, they wiped out 37 handsome boys and painted their hearts out, just barely winning 46.6%–45.9%.
+
+Rainmaker at Scorch Gorge saw both teams down two players in the first 20 seconds. SIZA cleared their checkpoint, then got wiped out, leading to 37 handsome boys getting their checkpoint, all in the first minute. SIZA got the Rainmaker to 33, feeling safe, until a minute later, when 37 handsome boys got it to 5\. A Trizooka took out SIZA’s Rainmaker carrier in overtime; 37 handsome boys tied the set after the 95–67 win.
+
+The set would end with Undertow Spillway Clam Blitz. First, 37 handsome boys scored to 77\. SIZA scored next, first taking the lead, then going down three players; a jump in got another Power Clam in before the team was wiped out, ending their push at 25\. 37 handsome boys scored again, but couldn’t pass SIZA. In overtime, with SIZA down players, 37 handsome boys took the lead, 78–75, moving to the next round\!
+
+## **Grand Finals: Cream Soda vs. 37 handsome boys (3–0)**
+
+37 handsome boys had one more challenge to overcome before they had a chance at the Playoffs. It wasn’t just a Winner’s Finals rematch, but the chance to give Cream Soda their first loss in the Top 8 stream. Cream Soda, who had won weeks 4 and 7 already, meanwhile, was looking to add a third event to their decorated record.
+
+…However, that momentous set would not come to pass. After nearly 25 minutes of waiting for the set to begin, the commentators informed the viewers that 37 handsome boys had not checked in for the Grand Finals, granting Cream Soda the automatic win. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="r8e10_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3fc76401-c492-434e-ac04-17ddb10e0496" />
+
+Following the announcement, the newly-updated Playoff Picture was put on screen, giving everyone clear answers about who would be participating in the Playoffs in two weeks, on June 20th and 21st: 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="playoffpicture" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/454ec959-4d2c-4a96-9a2e-ae19a7768ecf" />
+
+Without 37 handsome boys attempting to contest Cream Soda, they took 2nd place in Event \#10, leaving them to tie with Hypernova at 9th place, just 5 points behind the new eighth position, SCUBA. Spots 1–7 were pretty firm by the start of the Top 8 stream. 
+
+The Playoffs, which takes place on Saturday, June 20th and Sunday, June 21st, will start at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET, the same time that the Ladder Rounds began. With a mix of teams both new and old, and an update that majorly shook up the game, it’s about time to see how the highest level of competitive play has been redefined in the six months since the ending of the last Splatoon 3 North American League\!
+
+Original Posting Date: June 9, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/na-league-2026-e10-rs8).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/nintendo-sponsorship-brings-splatoon-3-to-80000-students.md

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+---
+title: "Nintendo Sponsorship Brings Splatoon 3 to 80,000+ Students"
+date: 2025-08-16
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/nintendo-sponsorship-brings-splatoon-3-to-80000-students](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/nintendo-sponsorship-brings-splatoon-3-to-80000-students) 
+
+# **Nintendo Sponsorship Brings Splatoon 3 to 80,000+ Students**
+
+Splatoon has long held an expansive community-run competitive scene; outside of a few major tournaments like the Splatoon World Championships, Nintendo has done little to sponsor competitive events for the series outside of Japan. In the United States, the scene is about to expand with the announcement of a partnership between the Interstate Scholastic Esports Alliance (ISEA) and Nintendo of America, which will give over 80,000 students the opportunity to compete in *Splatoon 3, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,* and *Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.*
+
+ISEA’s partnership with Nintendo of America will kick off in the Fall 2025 semester, and will be providing Nintendo Switch Online memberships and digital game download codes, with ISEA supporting the school-based events held on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch OLED systems. The partnership is expected to bring greater esports accessibility to tens of thousands of students across various age and grade ranges. 
+
+Per their website, ISEA is, “a nationwide coalition of educator-run scholastic esports organizations serving students and schools in the K-12 space.” Their goal is to help students grow across all levels and expand the use of esports in schools. ISEA’s scope covers grades 4 through 12 (elementary, middle, high school) and operates in 23 states: 
+
+![member-orgs-ISEA](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f4977a6e-d3c3-46ae-b075-a153d87fd5e2)
+*ISEA operates in 23 US States: Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.*
+
+As noted above, ISEA does not operate across all 50 of the United States, but they are open to esports entities becoming members of their organization and establishing connections in new states. It is important to note that in order to become eligible to be a member of ISEA, the esports entity has to meet the following criteria: 
+
+- Be part of a state-level organization, not just support local groups  
+- Serve at minimum ten (10) groups who would participate in esports events  
+- Be an active, registered entity within the operating state   
+- Not compete with a currently-existing ISEA organization
+
+ISEA also mandates that new organizations can only join if a current member of ISEA recommends them for consideration, so reaching out to the organization is a crucial first step. 
+
+This new partnership between Nintendo of America and the Interstate Scholastic Esports Alliance brings excitement for the future of the competitive esports scene, not just for *Splatoon 3*, but for other games as well\! It is the largest partnership of its kind since Nintendo partnered with PlayVS in April 2021, to offer *Splatoon 2* and *Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* as esports in the Fall 2021 semester. 
+
+PlayVS provides the winning teams of their yearly esports tournament—PlayVS Cup—with academic scholarships for college education across every full-season game title. In 2025, PlayVS awarded its *Splatoon 3* PlayVS Cup 1st place winning team $6,000 USD in scholarship money, and $2,000 USD to the 2nd place team. 
+
+The mission between PlayVS and ISEA is the same: to provide students with a safe, enjoyable, and accessible entry to the world of gaming, to bolster their personal, academic, and social growth. They provide organizations with support to meet these goals, whether it’s with resources, coaching, starting up, expanding, or other related needs. 
+
+If you are interested in learning more about ISEA and PlayVS, you can find them at: 
+
+Interstate Scholastic Esports Alliance (ISEA): [https://www.iseaesports.org/](https://www.iseaesports.org/)   
+PlayVS: [https://www.playvs.com/](https://www.playvs.com/) 
+
+Original Posting Date: August 16, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/november-splatfest-theme.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+title: November Splatfest Dates Announced
+date: 2022-10-07
+author: Riczi
+---
+
+There appears to be no Splatfest festivities planned for the month of October, but we officially have the dates for the next head to head to head brawl! The next Splatoon 3 Splatfest will begin on Friday, November 11th at 4PM Pacific. The event will end on Sunday, November 13th at the same time.
+
+This upcoming Splatfest is a collaboration with the Pokémon franchise. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are set to release on November 18th. Collaborating with Splatoon helps market the new games while providing yet another fun debate for Splatoon fans to fight over in the coming weeks.
+
+The theme for this Pokémon inspired Splatfest is the simple yet excrutiangly difficult decision every trainer faces when playing a pocket monsters game for the first time. Do you pick the grass type starter, the fire type starter, or the water type starter?
+
+This decision often varies from game to game. If you're struggling to pick a team, try focusing on the three new starters announced for Scarlet and Violet. There's Sprigatito the Grass Cat Pokémon, Fuecoco the Fire Croc Pokémon, and Quaxly the Duckling Pokémon.
+
+So far this Splatfest is set to follow the same pattern as before. Turf War battles between the three teams will be fought to earn Clout points that will help determine the ultimate victor. Halfway through the event, Tri-Color Turf War battles will be mixed in as a rare comeback mechanic for the two trailing teams. Watch for the Splatfest stand to appear in the lobby to select your team!

apps/web-react/content/articles/oktofest-2025.md

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+---
+title: "Oktofest 2025"
+date: 2025-10-16
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally published at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/oktofest-2025](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/oktofest-2025)
+
+# **Oktofest 2025**
+
+After what feels like years of drought for the region, Europe’s newest Splatoon LAN major comes in the form of Oktofest 2025\! Competing players will have the opportunity to write themselves into the event’s history books by becoming the first-ever Oktofest winners.
+
+Giving Europe its first LAN major after some time of only smaller local events, Oktofest brings with it the grandeur the EU scene has been missing. This is already proving successful, with 253 attendees and 24 teams signed up as of the 10th of October. Europe has long been overshadowed by the larger, much more active scene in the US; Oktofest won’t be obscured so easily, and it's now Europe’s time for the spotlight\!
+
+Oktofest promises a high-quality LAN venue experience with a prize pool of at least €2000, with all proceeds from the funds raised going to covering venue costs and creating an even bigger prize pool\! The 4v4 Splatoon 3 tournament will be limited to Nintendo Switch consoles (no Nintendo Switch 2), and attendees are required to bring their own equipment (Switch, controller, charger for your controller, and game); however, TVs, console docks, and LAN cables will be provided. Third party controllers are not allowed, to remove the possibility of an unfair advantage through macros or other programmable features; however people with disabilities are exempt from this rule and should contact the Oktofest staff via [Discord](https://discord.gg/GVd2hceFvq) to inquire further.
+
+Participants can also look forward to additional Salmon Run and Mario Kart World events, which can be signed up for during registration. A separate Event entry pass is required to take part in these events. The event hall will also accommodate artists who sign up for a merch table\! The tournament will be streamed on the [Twitch](http://twitch.tv/thatsrb2dude) and [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@ThatSrb2DUDE) channels of ThatSrb2DUDE, which is bound to increase the reach of the event.
+
+Additionally, JBL, uRage and Sandisk have all donated a range of tech goodies to be used as prizes for event winners, and Nintendo has provided merch which will be raffled to attendees, so everyone at the event will have a chance to take something home\!
+
+<img width="1200" height="1375" alt="oktofest-schedule" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/00705941-cef1-4700-9949-23c02e4eff19" />
+
+Competition registration ends on October 22nd, 2025, a few days before the event, so if you are interested in attending, keep an eye on the dates\! Oktofest will be inside the XPERION Arena in Köln, Germany, and you can learn more about the event here: [https://www.start.gg/tournament/oktofest-2025/details](https://www.start.gg/tournament/oktofest-2025/details). If you are uncertain about what you should bring, you can check out this [official Bluesky post from Oktofest](https://bsky.app/profile/oktofestspl.bsky.social/post/3lwgjw5yz5s2o) which provides a packing list, in addition to outlining some rules. 
+
+The event is planned to open at 12 PM on Saturday/11 AM on Sunday, and run until 9 PM (Saturday)/7 PM (Sunday), so be sure to tune in to the event on October 25th and 26th to see some high quality Competitive Splatoon gameplay\!
+
+Original Posting Date: October 16, 2025\.   
+This article was written by [Radha.](https://sendou.ink/u/wiper)

apps/web-react/content/articles/onward-the-journey-beyond-the-north-american-league.md

@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+---
+title: "onward: The Journey Beyond the North American League"
+date: 2026-02-06
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article Originally Posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/beep-news/onward-the-journey-beyond-the-north-american-league](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/beep-news/onward-the-journey-beyond-the-north-american-league) 
+
+# **onward: The Journey Beyond the North American League**
+
+*Competitive Splatoon’s “Great Retirement” continues past Nintendo’s biggest event in years*
+
+<img width="1200" height="620" alt="onward" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fda9f4aa-22fb-4505-9b84-df6d5fdba2ef" />
+
+Recently, [we covered the beginnings](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/beep-news/waving-goodbye-the-start-of-splatoons-great-retirement) of what became known in the Splatoon community as the “great retirement”: a wave of top-level players stepping back from competition. This phenomenon began in September 2025 with Riptide, and the second wave broke after the end of the Splatoon 3 North American League in December. 
+
+The term “the great retirement” comes from \[K\]yo, captain of one of Competitive Splatoon’s longest-running and decorated teams, FTWin. His post on [Twitter](https://x.com/KyochaNDxD/status/1984823442391052794), from November 1, 2025, stated, “The great retirement is soon upon us”.
+
+When asked to elaborate about the meaning of the post, \[K\]yo said this: 
+
+*“I kinda just like posting troll s\*\*\*, \[I know\] some people are quitting or taking breaks; this format \[of the NA League\] is just like not great so it def amplifies the dissatisfaction a bit more, like the event itself is awesome, 12 hour days not so much.”*
+
+So, what is it about the 2025 Splatoon 3 North American League that makes it “not awesome”? The experience can be summed up twofold: 
+
+1. The opportunity to participate in the first official Nintendo tournament in a long time has brought a lot of competitive players out of retirement, and a lot of new players into the competitive sphere.   
+2. Playing 5-to-8+ hours of ladder and tournament every Saturday for ten weeks is an exhausting marathon for each person’s physical, mental, and emotional state, whether they are a seasoned player or brand new. 
+
+<img width="1919" height="1079" alt="NALeague_datesinfographic" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1a778dde-35f2-48c5-bf02-1938ead826aa" />
+
+The conclusion of such a major event forms a natural retiring point, for those who have been consistently playing for a long time and need the break, those who returned from retirement just for the spectacle, or the ones who tried something new for the novelty of it and decided it wasn’t their thing. 
+
+The NA League was ten weeks plus an additional weekend for the Playoffs, during which other tournaments and LANs were also running, dividing player attention and stretching them thin.
+
+On top of the duration, it’s high levels of stress all week for players, focusing on practicing harder, paired with the tension of competing in a big-name event, with real stakes on the line and more eyes than ever before. On top of anything else they had going on. For many, they weren’t used to conditions like this and burnt out quickly.
+
+When a multi-week event is conducive to fostering stress, it creates an environment in which players feel the need to take time away from competing–and in some cases, Splatoon entirely–to recover. 
+
+After the NA League ended, it was time for a new wave of players to bow and take their leave. We spoke with three of them to get their stories: \[K\]yo and sam from FTWin, and bran from Milky Way.
+
+![FTWin_replaycodeimg](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/aac7ea10-a1bd-4c46-b110-36847012a85b)
+
+*FTWin, from left to right: \[K\]yo, sam, Hexen, Biscuit; image from FTWin’s [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/ftwin.bsky.social).*
+
+## **\[K\]yo (FTWin)**
+
+\[K\]yo, captain and one of the founding members of FTWin, competed with the team since 2017 in events such as The Squid House, Genesis 7, Splat World Series, SendouQ season finales, World Championships, and most recently, the North American League. 
+
+At the time of posting his “great retirement” statement, \[K\]yo did not publicly announce–or even hint–that he had plans to stop competing once the NA League ended. In an [interview with EE](https://www.youtube.com/live/UVe2d0chSLU?t=5044&si=M-sdqJms3_WlJmwz) at Riptide, FTWin–including \[K\]yo himself–unanimously agreed that he was the most excited for things as mundane as practicing gameplay. 
+
+Riptide 2025 took place two weeks before the NA League began, before anyone had an inkling of just what they were in for. On December 14th, day 2 of the NA League Playoffs, \[K\]yo was the first of several to announce a hiatus from competitive play. 
+
+<img width="884" height="300" alt="K yo_actuallyretiring" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7bbc98fa-bee8-4df8-ab60-35b555892518" />
+
+*Twitter post from [@KyochaNDxD](https://x.com/KyochaNDxD/status/2000328875335921758) dated December 14, 2025, of \[K\]yo announcing his break from Competitive Splatoon.*
+
+A receding passion for the game is a shared cause by many for stepping away, and not just those leaving after the NA League. Working hard and grinding out practices, matches, and tournaments is nothing new, but it wears down on anyone, and even FTWin is only made up of humans. 
+
+It isn’t like the NA League is the same old, either: week after week of the equivalent to a single-day tournament major for two and a half months straight is extreme. Performing well adds to the dissatisfaction–after enduring all that, there’s no prize for winning regular events. Only higher odds of making it to the Playoffs. 
+
+The pressure of the NA League wasn’t the final straw for \[K\]yo, and he wants it to be clear that he’s only on a break. He is not “never touching the game again”; although he hasn’t said if or when he will return, he is not done with Splatoon. 
+
+In fact, one week after the NA League Playoffs, \[K\]yo and FTWin teammate Shak co-commentated the Raise 4 RAICES Splatoon 3 charity tournament, where both drummed up hype for a mystery tournament announcement, which would later be revealed to be the second coming of the Splat World Series. 
+
+Following the Version 11.0.0 update for Splatoon 3, \[K\]yo has found a renewed interest in the game and has been playing casually and streaming, but has said that he is still undecided if he will be returning to competitive play.
+
+## **sam (FTWin)**
+
+Another member of the stacked and storied FTWin, sam, followed after \[K\]yo to announce his step away from Competitive Splatoon. He competed for over five years; his time with FTWin saw him participate in SendouQ season finales, Squid Junctions, SuperJump 6, Splat World Series, Riptide, and the North American League.
+
+Sam was part of FTWin for a majority of 2025, officially joining in April, just a few months before the Splat World Series and the NA League were first announced. Both events defined the latter half of 2025, but weren’t enough to prevent him from losing a sense of meaning when it came to Competitive Splatoon. 
+
+The official announcement of sam parting ways with competing came shortly before the NA League Playoffs wrapped up; on Twitter, he thanked FTWin and the community, and stated, “After 5+ years of playing competitively, I’m stepping down.”
+
+<img width="442" height="794" alt="sam-retirement" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/398b5d92-1984-48a4-ba07-690115e7d305" />
+
+*December 14, 2025 Twitter post from [@samacadoo](https://x.com/samacadoo/status/2000352475501711631), featuring a photo of sam next to Riptide’s Splatoon banner.* 
+
+When we reached out to get a better idea of the reasoning behind sam’s departure, we were given an answer not too far from the same one his teammate also had: both lost the enjoyment in keeping up with the demands of competition. By the sounds of it, sam had the idea of retiring on his mind for much longer. 
+
+*“In sum, kinda wanted to quit months before the League because I just didn’t feel any joy in trying to grind or find any meaning competing anymore.”*
+
+The final months of 2025 saw FTWin change drastically, with Burstie, \[K\]yo, and sam taking their leaves, but the team still has Biscuit, Shak, Hexen, and 200N. None of the three who have left have firmly stated that they have no intention of coming back, just no public plans to return at this time. 
+
+In sam’s case, he has still been active in other areas of the community. In mid-January, he posted a Splatana Stamper montage to his YouTube channel, featuring highlights from recent events and matches. 
+
+## **bran (Milky Way)**
+
+Playing for notable teams such as Starburst and Milky Way, bran has competed in major tournaments like Low Tide City, The Big House, Splatoon 3 Enter the Splatlands Invitational 2022, more than one Riptide and Area Cup event, and Splat World Series. The last event he participated in was the Splatoon 3 North American League.
+
+In an [interview with BEEP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtmkLZCoGQg) posted on October 20, 2025, bran’s feelings about the NA League approximately one month in were touched upon: 
+
+*“It’s definitely different from anything I’ve played in the past because usually with the Nintendo events, they have you play ladder just by itself one day, and then a separate top cut on like another day or week or something. So, the days definitely last a lot longer \[...\]”*
+
+Bran has seen his fair share of official Nintendo tournaments and can attest to the difference. He credited his endurance during the long NA League Saturdays to his X Rank grind sessions, but still admitted, “\[...\] but by the time it’s over, it’s exhausting.” 
+
+Self-described as a very calm and grounded player, the decision to retire and back out of all but a small few dedicated Splatoon servers can be reasoned against being an impulse choice. While we don’t know how long bran has been planning his break, it more than likely wasn’t a last-minute idea.
+
+<img width="890" height="406" alt="bran-retirement" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e917e680-8d31-474e-8b10-51d04e93b8f4" />
+
+*Twitter post from [@bran\_spl](https://x.com/bran_spl/status/2000364615855993248) on December 14, 2025, announcing his placement in the NA League Playoffs and decision to take a break to rest.*
+
+A snapshot of what bran’s “past 10 months” grind includes: In The Zone and SendouQ season finales, a summer of X Rank, qualifying tournaments for and including the Splat World Series, training with a new teammate for a Riptide pickup, and readjusting to Milky Way for the NA League.
+
+What’s next for bran? A rest that’s been a long time coming, for sure. He doesn’t have public plans to return yet, but if Nintendo announces any new major events–especially any in-person ones–it’s likely that he’ll set his sights on making it there. 
+
+He mentioned feeling prospective about the likelihood of a new, in-person Nintendo event. Nintendo has been slowly re-supporting the scenes and reintroducing official events to Japan, North America, and Europe, so perhaps they will give faces new and old the chance to get to the Worlds stage. 
+
+Examples of the aforementioned support, aside from the NA League, includes Nintendo providing LAN equipment and merchandise for Oktofest, Europe’s newest LAN major. In Japan, for the first time in three years, Splatoon 3 returned to Nintendo Live in-person with Turf War and Salmon Run tournaments. 
+
+## **What Follows The North American League?**
+
+At the end of the day, players from the bottom to the top of competitive play are still human beings, who have recognized that something needs to change to put themselves in a healthier state of mind and body. The NA League took a toll on everyone, from long days, to stress, dissatisfactory outcomes, and “non-stop action” to a damaging degree.
+
+The Splatoon 3 North American League concluded in December 2025, and as January 2026 ran its course and players have had time to settle down, there has been an undercurrent to the “great retirement” on social media, of players not yet ready to retire, but 100% feeling a lack of motivation to keep up the competitive grind. 
+
+Some of the most common reasons for the sentiment include no upcoming major events to light a fire under players, a stale and/or unpleasant meta, or just lingering burnout. Life in general is also up there, being busy with work, school, etc.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="onwardcredits" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9485b25a-972e-4947-83c6-01f5756aa95f" />
+
+Some players will be out of the competitive sphere longer than others and some may not compete again. In the coming days as Splatoon evolves, whether that be from the 11.0 patch, emergence and growth of LANs, or perhaps the next step for Nintendo’s Splatoon 3 Leagues, the playerbase will evolve just as much. 
+
+We’ve now covered two handfuls of top-level players who have recently announced a hiatus. But what about players who have returned to the scene, either from their own retirement or from the brink of quitting? 
+
+Stay tuned for stories from the other side of the coin\! 
+
+
+Original Posting Date: February 6, 2026 by [Broadcasting Esports, Every Play](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/beep-news/onward-the-journey-beyond-the-north-american-league) ([BEEP](https://bsky.app/profile/broadcastbeep.com)).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/qualifier-1-the-road-to-splat-world-series.md

@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+---
+title: "Qualifier 1 - The Road to Splat World Series"
+date: 2025-07-22
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+Article originally posted on the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/qualifier-1-the-road-to-splat-world-series) website.
+
+
+# **Qualifier 1 - The Road to Splat World Series**
+
+On Saturday, July 19, 2025, Inkling Performance Labs (IPL) held their second of three Competitive Splatoon 3 tournaments to determine which teams would represent the West at the Splat World Series in August. This event, Qualifier 1, followed SuperJump 5 and precedes Qualifier 2, which will be held on Saturday, July 26, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET. 
+
+Qualifier 1 saw 38 teams partake in the Splat Zones-only tournament – only the top two teams from this event would earn their place at Splat World Series, unlike SuperJump 5, where the top four teams earned their spot. The same will be true for Qualifier 2, which will also be another Splat Zones-only tournament to decide the last two teams for the Western roster. 
+
+The tournament was a little unusual in that the Grand Finals set was not played – the top two teams were determined from the winners of the Winner’s Bracket and the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+## **Winner’s Bracket Finals \- FTWin vs. Moonlight** 
+
+A highly anticipated match from the Sendou.ink tournament forecast, the Winner’s Finals saw FTWin and Moonlight, seeds \#1 and \#2, in a best of five. The set would go all the way up to a game five, but the final score would be 3-2, going to FTWin, with Moonlight being sent to the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+These players made up FTWin’s roster for Qualifier 1: 
+
+- \[K\]yo\!  
+- sam   
+- \<3 rafe  
+- Burstie  
+- Shak
+
+FTWin was a powerful presence in Qualifier 1, not losing any matches until Winner’s Finals, even against teams like BADVXLLIAN and New Meta, who also displayed dominating performances in their sets. 
+
+The first match of Winner’s Finals took place on MakoMart and ended in a knockout victory for Moonlight. The next match, on Museum d’Alfonsino, let FTWin tie the score with their own knockout. FTWin would win the next match on Moonlight’s counterpick to Bluefin Depot 90-60, and be followed by another Moonlight knockout on Barnacle & Dime. The game five, set on FTWin’s counterpick, Urchin Underpass, would give them the final knockout of the set.  
+
+Since no Grand Finals set was played, FTWin also earned themselves an early release from the tournament, and a secured \#5 spot on the West’s roster for Splat World Series\! 
+
+## **Loser’s Bracket Finals \- Moonlight vs. Fruittella**
+
+Loser’s Bracket Finals was not the first time Moonlight saw Fruittella during Qualifier 1, having also faced them in Winner’s Semi-Finals, where Moonlight won 3-0 against Fruittella in an odd set where a match was replayed despite the tournament rules stating that the replay would be invalid due to a player disconnect happening outside of the grace period. In the Loser’s Bracket Finals, Moonlight would win again with a final score of 3-1. 
+
+Moonlight’s Qualifier 1 roster was composed of: 
+
+- Omega  
+- Basil   
+- SSNolan  
+- Shadowind  
+- ProChara
+
+Every match in Loser’s Bracket Finals had viewers on the edge of their seats–the matches either ended in a knockout victory or were just one point away from the match going to either team. In the first match, Moonlight repeated their Winner’s Finals result on Barnacle & Dime with a knockout victory over Fruittella. Fruittella would counterpick to Flounder Heights next and win with a very close 68-67 score. Moonlight would knockout again on their counterpick to Mahi-Mahi Resort. Game four went down to the wire on Humpback Pump Track, with points and seconds ticking down for Fruittella to inch past Moonlight for a win, but at the very last possible moment, Moonlight was able to flip the zone in their favor and find victory in a final score of 79-78. 
+
+With Moonlight winning the Loser’s Bracket Finals and no Grand Finals set to give them the runback against FTWin, Qualifier 1 ended with Moonlight earning the sixth spot on the West’s team for SWS\! 
+
+## **The West’s Roster So Far**
+
+Six teams have sealed their spots on the West’s roster for the Splat World Series in August. Since SuperJump 5 took place in late June, a few changes have been made to a couple of qualifying teams; the current roster so far is: 
+
+\#1 \- PxG   
+\#2 \- Milky Way (formerly played as Milk Duds at SuperJump 5\)  
+\#3 \- Hypernova (originally \#4)  
+\#4 \- FreeFlow (replacing \#3 Vanguard)  
+\#5 \- FTWin  
+\#6 \- Moonlight
+
+Teams \#7 and \#8 will be decided at Qualifier 2 on Saturday, July 26, 2025\! 
+
+### **FreeFlow** 
+
+Vanguard, who was originally the third team to qualify for Splat World Series at SuperJump 5, would not be able to play at the SWS Finals, so their spot was passed to the runner-up team from SuperJump 5: FreeFlow. FreeFlow’s team is made up of: 
+
+- JJaeigh  
+- swish  
+- Cakes  
+- Adapt  
+- Parx
+
+## **Japan’s Roster So Far**
+
+IPL has been putting out trailers to introduce each team to the community; these videos also serve as the announcement of each team from Japan that has earned their place at SWS. We currently know of six teams on Japan’s roster, so let’s take a look at who they are\! 
+
+### **\#1 \- DragonREX**
+
+* Momo  
+* Norishio  
+* Kotaji  
+* KinoChannel
+
+### **\#2 \- Utopia**
+
+* Kyamyi   
+* Art   
+* Niru   
+* Rubytan 
+
+### **\#3 \- Takoyaki Party**
+
+* Rusu   
+* Todo  
+* Kontan   
+* Okura
+
+### **\#4 \- False Dream**
+
+* Takenoko  
+* Shuman  
+* kou   
+* Wolbo 
+
+### **\#5 \- The Invincible Fleet Reimaru**
+
+* Lobster   
+* Grandroll   
+* Naegora   
+* Reimaru
+
+### **\#6 \- Samurai Cat**
+
+* Munya   
+* Samurai Kasato   
+* Suemaru   
+* Hitokuchi Taberu 
+
+IPL will continue to release these trailers for both Japanese and Western teams, so keep an eye out in these last few weeks before the Splat World Series Finals kicks off on Saturday, August 2nd at 5 AM PT / 8 AM ET / 2 PM CET / 9 PM JT. There will be streams in both English and Japanese for this event, so don’t miss it\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: July 22, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/qualifier-2-the-road-to-sws.md

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+---
+title: "Qualifier 2 - The Road to Splat World Series"
+date: 2025-07-29
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article Originally Posted At: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/qualifier-2-the-road-to-splat-world-series](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/qualifier-2-the-road-to-splat-world-series)
+
+# **Qualifier 2 \- The Road to Splat World Series**
+
+On Saturday, July 26, 2025, Inkling Performance Labs (IPL) held the final of their three qualifying Competitive Splatoon 3 tournaments. This event, Qualifier 2, followed Qualifier 1 and SuperJump 5, and is the prelude to the Splat World Series tournament in August. Splat World Series is a collaboration between IPL and AREA CUP, bringing together the global Competitive Splatoon 3 scene and giving sixteen teams the opportunity to fight to claim the title as the best in the world. 
+
+As qualifying tournaments came and passed, tournament streams increased in numbers, showcasing just how much anticipation and excitement this event has accumulated in the community since its announcement in early June 2025\. IPL’s official Qualifier 2 streams surpassed a combined total of 500 live viewers across their YouTube and Twitch main stream and alt stream. This doesn’t include the uncountable number of viewers tuning in on competing player streams or watch parties. 
+
+Like Qualifier 1, Qualifier 2 was a single-day, Splat Zones-only tournament that did not have a Grand Finals set. The final qualifying teams were decided from the Winner’s Bracket Finals and Loser’s Bracket Finals. And the result of this packed tournament stream was… 
+
+# **Winner’s Bracket Finals: Fruittella vs. New Meta**
+
+Fruittella vs. New Meta, the Sendou.ink forecasted Winner’s Finals, gave viewers both thrills and chills in its 4-game set. Both teams are no stranger to facing off against one another, having also gone head-to-head during Qualifier 1 Loser’s Bracket Semi-Finals. In that event, Fruittella won 2-0 over New Meta to advance and was looking to repeat that same result–but New Meta was going in with all they had. 
+
+New Meta took a strong lead in the set with a knockout over Fruittella on Bluefin Depot. Counterpicking to Barnacle & Dime, Fruittella would come back with a knockout of their own, ending the match quickly in just over two and a half minutes. The third match, on Wahoo World, saw an unfortunate stream blackout as soon as New Meta took the Zone at the start, returning with Fruitella holding the Zone with a score of 13 (Fruittella) \- 41 (New Meta), and the match would end with those same numbers. Inkblot Art Academy was the final map in this set, and just when it seemed like the match would end early in favor of New Meta, Fruittella came swinging with an incredible push and ended the match on a knockout, leading to Fruittella taking the Winner’s Bracket Finals 3-1.
+
+Qualifier 2 saw these players on Fruittella’s team: 
+
+- Punchy  
+- noraa  
+- nx  
+- ringo
+
+Having earned the \#7 spot on the West’s Splat World Series roster and sending New Meta to the Loser’s Bracket, Fruittella had an early exit from the tournament to celebrate since no Grand Finals set was planned. 
+
+# **Loser’s Bracket Finals: New Meta vs. last**
+
+Having fought seed \#1 already, seed \#2 New Meta would meet seed \#3 Last in the final fight for the eighth slot on the West’s roster for Splat World Series. Seeing plenty of hype moments, it’s fitting that this set also saw the highest number of viewers watching live across all of IPL’s streams. 
+
+The set started off slow; Last would win the first match in overtime 58-42 on Flounder Heights, making heavy use of Burst Bombs and Crab Tank to secure their victory. New Meta, counterpicking to Wahoo World again, won with a knockout thanks to an excellent flank and quad wipeout from Isabel\!. Another vicious flank leading to a wipeout gave New Meta their second knockout of the set on Barnacle & Dime; Last’s counterpick to Mahi-Mahi Resort to limit the amount of space for New Meta to run around would not be enough to stop one final, definitive New Meta knockout. 
+
+New Meta won the Loser’s Bracket Finals 3-1 and their spot at Splat World Series with this team: 
+
+- Isabel\!   
+- Lucas  
+- Storm  
+- Jaysorawk\! 
+
+Jaysorawk\! is one of two players on the West’s roster to have double-qualified for Splat World Series, playing for New Meta in Qualifier 2 and for Vanguard in SuperJump 5; however, Vanguard ended up passing their ticket to FreeFlow due to team availability. The other player achieving this feat is \[K\]yo, who also qualified while playing for Milk Duds (Milky Way) at SuperJump 5 and playing for FTWin at Qualifier 1\. 
+
+# **Japan’s Final Two Teams**
+
+Now that the West’s roster for Splat World Series is complete, Japan’s final roster announcements rounded out everyone playing at the event. The last two teams announced for Japan are… 
+
+## **Final Weapon**
+
+* Natyu   
+* Miiramia   
+* Tukuyomi   
+* Azu 
+
+## **Hornet**
+
+* Millecrepe  
+* Kurokuro  
+* Ributen  
+* Kametan
+
+### **Full Splat World Series Roster**
+
+As a final recap of all the teams competing, here’s who both sides of the Splat World Series have competing for the title of best in the world: 
+
+**The West:** 
+
+* PxG   
+* Milky Way  
+* Hypernova  
+* FreeFlow  
+* FTWin  
+* Moonlight  
+* Fruittella  
+* New Meta
+
+**Japan:** 
+
+* DragonREX  
+* Utopia  
+* Takoyaki Party  
+* False Dream  
+* The Invincible Fleet Reimaru  
+* Samurai Cat  
+* Final Weapon  
+* Hornet
+
+# **Splat World Series Bracket Sneak Peek\!**
+
+After Qualifier 2 concluded, IPL shared on stream what the preliminary bracket for Splat World Series looks like: 
+
+![EarlyBracket](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c5ee3242-29ad-4ff3-a579-60ef85d86b19)
+
+According to the above bracket, Round 1 will see the following teams face off against one another: 
+
+- FreeFlow vs. The Invincible Fleet Reimaru  
+- Milky Way vs. Fruitella  
+- Takoyaki Party vs. FTWin  
+- Utopia vs. Final Weapon  
+- PxG vs. Samurai Cat  
+- Hypernova vs. New Meta  
+- False Dream vs. Moonlight
+
+DragonREX will be waiting in the Winner’s Quarter-Finals to face off against the winner of Milky Way and Fruitella’s Round 1 set. As this bracket was released before Hornet’s announcement, they are not included on this tentative infographic. 
+
+If you’re looking forward to the climax of the building Splat World Series event, this is when you can watch the live stream–in English or Japanese–and what you can expect to see: 
+
+**FORMAT:** One-day, double-elimination, Splat Zones-only Splatoon 3 tournament
+
+**WHEN:** Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 5 AM PT / 8 AM ET / 2 PM CET / 9 PM JT. 
+
+**WHERE:** 
+
+- [https://www.youtube.com/@splatzonejp](https://www.youtube.com/@splatzonejp) (Japanese Stream)  
+- [https://www.youtube.com/@IPLSplatoon](https://www.youtube.com/@IPLSplatoon) (English Stream)  
+- [https://twitch.tv/IPLSplatoon](https://twitch.tv/IPLSplatoon) (English Stream)
+
+**RULES & MAP POOL:** [play.iplabs.ink/sws-finals](http://play.iplabs.ink/sws-finals)
+
+We’re all looking forward to cheering on our favorites and seeing who comes out as the best in the world on August 2, 2025\! This is one moment in Splatoon’s Competitive history that doesn’t want to be missed\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: July 29, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/raise-4-raices.md

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+---
+title: "Raise 4 RAICES: Splatoon’s Community Script-Flip Raises 9x Its Goal for Charity"
+date: 2025-12-23
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *In one tournament played by TOs across the globe, over $4,500 USD was raised for charity*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="raise-4-RAICES_updated" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b20e08d3-1892-4f2e-802d-554c7cc9511b" />
+
+On Saturday, December 20, 2025, members of the Competitive Splatoon scene most familiar with behind-the-scenes operations put themselves center-stage to raise money for a noble cause. 
+
+Tournament organizers, commentators, content creators, and many more put their hat into the ring for four rounds of Swiss into a single-elimination bracket. Furthering the theme of a “flipped script”, two players from FTWin–one of the best Competitive Splatoon teams in the West–were commentating: \[K\]yo and Shak\! 
+
+The story begins one week prior to the tournament date, where captains for the 38 teams joined on stream, commentated by Fufu, Stormy, Cyren, and Sasu, to pick their teammates in a draft. 
+
+Every participant was ranked in skill level from 1-4 (1 being the highest and 4 being the lowest), and each team could only have one player per skill level. The draft, which ran nearly two hours long, started with just $80 donated, and by the end, had raised $767.67\! This far surpassed the event’s expected funding, $500. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="sacrificesweremade" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/68863e17-915d-4fc5-b790-bc0ed52c2152" />
+
+*The four hosts doing the “67” gesture as the total donations reached $767.67. Raise 4 RAICES’s [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/raise4raices.bsky.social) posted this with the caption, “Necessary sacrifices were made”.*
+
+The charity that the tournament was raising money for is [RAICES Texas](https://raicestexas.org/), a nonprofit organization providing pro-bono and low-cost legal assistance for immigrants in Texas (United States). The nonprofit also connects those in need to community resources, partakes in social services, and advocates for immigrants’ rights. 
+
+There were two stretch goals for the donations: the first one, at $750 raised, Popgun, host for the Popcast on Monday nights and well-known for being bald, would have to wear a wig for the entire Popcast episode on Monday, December 29\. To raise the stakes, Cyren also agreed to wear a bald cap.
+
+Going into tournament day, with the $500 donation goal already surpassed, the fun began\! The stream started with $1,531.67 in the donation bank, and would need to reach $3,000 for the second stretch goal, being an IPL sneak peek announcement\! 
+
+There were five brackets following the Group stage: Alpha (which was streamed), Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. Just about every set had at least one alternate stream from a player’s perspective–at least 40 streams were happening at once\! 
+
+The Group Stage and Round 1 of each bracket was a Best of 3, but beginning with the Semifinals, sets changed to Best of 5\. 
+
+# **Epsilon Bracket \- God’s Sacred Holy Pizza vs. Agnostic Nonbinary Centrist (0-3)**
+
+God’s Sacred Holy Pizza made their way to Finals after going 2-0 over Quote Unquote and 3-1 over Starrain. Agnostic Nonbinary Centrist started the bracket in Semifinals and went 3-1 over 30 to 40 Olives. 30 to 40 Olives won 3rd place in the bracket.
+
+Finals kicked off with Rainmaker on Undertow Spillway, then went to Clam Blitz at Scorch Gorge, and finally, to Tower Control at Hagglefish Market. Agnostic Nonbinary Centrist got the set shutout over God’s Sacred Holy Pizza, 3-0, and took the gold for Epsilon Bracket\! 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="ANCEpsilonBracketWin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5432da18-2d47-4f0b-ab02-2866ff71da4e" />
+
+*The members of Agnostic Nonbinary Centrist, from left to right: Tessaract, YELLOW (that’s me\!), Static, Sibirrino*
+
+## **Delta Bracket \- Dio and the they/thems vs. Nauty List (2-3)**
+
+Dio and the they/thems reached Finals after going 2-0 over Beating the support allegations and 3-1 over Game Changers, a team sponsored by Revolution Gaming. Nauty List made their way up from Round 1 by going 2-1 over Did you pray today? and 3-1 over El Gato Volador. Game Changers took the bronze as 3rd place in the bracket. 
+
+Delta Bracket’s Finals went all the way to a game five: Dio and the they/thems took game one, Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino. Nauty List won Urchin Underpass Splat Zones, and then Dio and the they/thems took the Rainmaker game at Scorch Gorge. Nauty List closed out the set for 1st place in the bracket by taking wins at Tower Control Shipshape Cargo Co. and the tiebreaker back at Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino. 
+
+Congrats to Ace Astro, Half, Squidoku, and Dittogami on their hard-earned win\! 
+
+## **Gamma Bracket \- 3/4th of Roger Craig Smith vs. We’re Better Together (0-3)**
+
+The Gamma Bracket saw 3/4th of Roger Craig Smith dominate their way to Finals, dropping no games against Fruit Basket Fiends or The Phantom Players. We’re Better Together went 2-1 over Violence Store and Mako Mart Employee Union, who ended up in the 3rd place spot. 
+
+We’re Better Together swept 3/4ths of Roger Craig Smith, going 3-0 in Splat Zones at Robo ROM-en, Rainmaker at Scorch Gorge, and Clam Blitz at Barnacle & Dime. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="GammaBracketWin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a5f6921e-b550-4728-9697-62bcc6a69c1f" />
+
+*Celebratory drip pic featuring Turtle, osa?, BROSHI\!, and Broken Pinky (We’re Better Together) on the left, and Jokera, lemon, Joryan, and frostiix (3/4ths of Roger Craig Smith) on the right.* 
+
+## **Beta Bracket \- Christmas Reef vs. After Shadows (3-0)**
+
+Beta Bracket’s Christmas Reef and After Shadows both advanced from Round one having gone 2-0 (against 3 Supports and a Bow, and Silence, frontline, respectively). Christmas Reef went 3-1 over sendou simps to arrive in Finals to meet After Shadows, who went 3-2 with Yuri Plane, the 3rd place team. 
+
+Christmas Reef didn’t drop one game against After Shadows, winning on Clam Blitz at MakoMart, Rainmaker at Robo ROM-en, and Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort. After Shadows took silver in the Beta Bracket, and Christmas Reef earned the gold\! 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="CRBetaBracketWin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f3e1bd9e-5e02-4e50-971b-742132eda91b" />
+
+*Christmas Reef, from left to right: Nato, Echo, thatACkid, and iMAD*
+
+## **Alpha Bracket \- Into the Soup vs. See you tomorrow (1-3)**
+
+By the time Alpha Bracket arrived, the donation pool had exceeded $3,000, unlocking the second stretch goal: an announcement from IPL about a new project, which \[K\]yo teased having a connection to. 
+
+After a close call in Round 1 of Alpha Bracket, Into the Soup beat Bunny Criminals 2-1, then went on to 3-1 the 3rd place team, No Good Ideas, to meet See you tomorrow in the Finals. 
+
+See you tomorrow arrived to the Finals set having lost no games to Team Naga or Mr. Worldwide, and having already seen Into the Soup in the Group Stage, where they went 2-1 over Into the Soup. 
+
+Game one began with Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino. See you tomorrow pushed the Rainmaker early in the game, making it to 34 in the first 40 seconds. Into the Soup countered with their own checkpoint clear before the game passed the halfway point; See you tomorrow’s response was to push their lead further, to 27\. 
+
+The game went into overtime with the Rainmaker tucked into a corner. Into the Soup was able to pop the Rainmaker shield halfway through the overtime counter, but See you tomorrow picked it up and ended the game in a victory, 73-42. 
+
+Game two was Splat Zones at Robo ROM-en; Into the Soup now kicked things off early by capping the zone 12 seconds in. See you tomorrow was able to take the lead after setting up a lockout over their opponent. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="ItSzoomout" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6d386ea4-bf40-4a5e-bd8e-b3657c45538b" />
+
+Managing to hold the zone through several of See you tomorrow’s specials, Into the Soup once more took the lead as the game reached the halfway point on the clock, but again, See you tomorrow was quick to reclaim it. They held the zone all the way up to an early knockout.
+
+Game three, Tower Control at Hagglefish Market, saw See you tomorrow move the tower slightly early into the game, which Into the Soup surpassed easily and got their first checkpoint from. They gave See you tomorrow a challenge to take the first checkpoint, and were able to pass the second one with ample time to spare. 
+
+\[K\]yo and Shak had plenty to praise about the players, between movement mix-ups, specials, and sudden doubles. At the last second, See you tomorrow was close to clearing their second checkpoint, when Into the Soup wiped out their opponent with a double on the tower, winning the game before overtime, 70-67. 
+
+By game four, the donations had exceeded $3,500, and now the game was at Barnacle & Dime for Clam Blitz. See you tomorrow snuck past Into the Soup and scored just after 30 seconds passed, all the way to 44\. 
+
+The next time either team scored, it was Into the Soup, with about one and a half minutes left on the clock. After tossing in the Power Clam, they wiped out See you tomorrow, and brought their score to 45-44. 
+
+See you tomorrow fought their way to Into the Soup’s basket and scored again, increasing their lead to 32, with 30 seconds to go. Overtime expired before Into the Soup could get across the map to contest. 
+
+With a final score of 68-55, and a set score of 3-1, See you tomorrow walked away as the winner of the Raise 4 RAICES charity tournament\! 
+
+Shout-out to the players on the top three teams of the event: 
+
+**1st Place \- See you tomorrow:** 
+
+- Alice  
+- Cactus  
+- Thoma  
+- Soren
+
+**2nd Place \- Into the Soup:** 
+
+- Radha  
+- eli  
+- Pinky  
+- WaffleCat
+
+**3rd Place \- No Good Ideas:**
+
+- Nep2ne  
+- SLett  
+- LiberoWolf  
+- yoshido
+
+<img width="703" height="800" alt="R4RalphaBracketWin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7b810dfd-feb1-49db-ad60-3942a35e7c71" />
+
+After the tournament concluded, the donation pool–thanks to one last donation from Shak–was at $4,167.69. \[K\]yo and Shak signed off with a goofy 67 emote, another reminder about IPL’s surprise tournament teaser to be announced later, and a heartfelt thank-you to the hard work of the organizers for making Raise 4 RAICES a reality.  
+
+Donations for RAICES closed 24 hours after the stream,   
+where the final donation reached a total of **$4,545.92**\!
+
+The Raise 4 RAICES tournament was a global effort, with tournament staff, creators, commentators, and more around the world participating for a good cause. In addition to those who either played or organized, a handful of artists and players also offered their skills as raffle prizes to donors in the form of art prizes and coaching sessions. 
+
+With gratitude to all of these folks: 
+
+**ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED:**   
+\[Original Message Deleted\], Anarchy NoVA, AREA CUP, Ammo Knights Café, Bad Ideas Only, Barnacle Bash, BattleDojo, Booyah Bay, Broadcasting Esports Every Play (BEEP), Bubble Burst Organization, Cephalopod Cooperative, Collegiate Cephalopod Association, Colorado Splatoon, Cosmic Clash, Craft Company, Curse Of Excalibur, Dapple Productions, Diamond Duel, Don't Flounder at the Function, Double Trouble, Dual Ink, Ink Destiny Cult, Ink Keepers Tavern, Inkling Performance Labs (IPL), Interior Designs, Leagues Under the Ink (LUTI), Leblanc Hideout, Little Squid League, MullowayIT, New England Splatoon, Off the Dial, Poker Table, r/Splatoon, sendou.ink, Shark Tank, Splat Bomb Central, Splatalittle, SplatLANs, Splatoon 3 Discord, Splatoon Peer Review, Splatoon Stronghold, SplatoonTourney, Squids Under Fire, SquidWest, Sunken Scrolls, Sunset Surge, Taki Tournaments, Texas Splatoon, The Horizon, The Ink District, To The Stars, Under Pressure, VanCoral
+
+**TOURNAMENT STAFF & PRODUCTION:**   
+Alice, Azalea, Ckk, Ely, Hollow, Lexi, Rockit, Samapuris, Strings, Tomato, Xi
+
+**COMMENTATORS:**   
+Cyren, Fufu, \[K\]yo, Sasu, Shak, Stormy
+
+**ARTISTS:**   
+Ace Astro, boop, casillus, chaedr, Chai, enya, ghostie, Hiro, McJamie, snuppy, 원 (Won)
+
+**COACHES & CONTENT:**   
+Chara, Custom, Echo, Ezio\!, Fisk, Hexen, Jared, Kera, Kbot, Reborn, Shak, Shiny, Ori
+
+Interested in watching the tournament or the draft stream? You can find them at: 
+
+Draft [youtu.be/kRpcX-mgZgU](http://youtu.be/kRpcX-mgZgU)  
+Tournament [youtube.com/live/VlU09-X...](https://youtube.com/live/VlU09-XnUEw?feature=share)
+
+Original Posting Date: December 23, 2025 at [www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/raise-4-raices-2025](http://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/raise-4-raices-2025) 
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/range-players-harmony.md

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+---
+title: "How Long and Short Range Players Can Harmonize In-Game"
+date: 2025-07-19
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+Article originally posted on the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/guides/how-long-and-short-range-players-can-harmonize-in-game) website.
+
+
+# **How Long and Short Range Players Can Harmonize In-Game**
+
+## **Turf War Always Applies**
+
+Whether you are a short or long range player, each mode you play in Splatoon 3 still employs principles of Turf War. The most critical principle that you want to maintain is control of the map by laying down ink. If a part of the map is in the opposing team’s color, then the opposing team has an advantage on that portion of the map. 
+
+### **Short Range Gameplay**
+
+As a short range player, you often rely on stealth to sneak close to your opponents before splatting them. If you have been spotted by your longer range opponent you can throw your sub weapon to force them to move or risk being damaged. Here the enemy must choose — move toward you and into your range, or move back and allow you to take space. If you are confident enough in your squid rolling skills, sometimes a well-placed squid roll can be very effective in some match ups, deflecting a shot while also moving you into a better position to splat your foe\! In a situation where you need to close the gap between yourself and an opponent who is firing on you, do not turn around or try to disengage. Turning around opens you up to attack while leaving you unable to defend yourself. Your aggression can intimidate your opponent enough to drop their guard, allowing you to get close enough to deal damage and win the exchange. 
+
+If you are in a situation where you need to disengage and retreat, use your sub weapon as a distraction. While throwing a Splat Bomb, Auto Bomb, or Torpedo is a great distraction, even deploying a Splash Wall or an Ink Mine can give you an opening to escape. You could even lay down a Squid Beakon to try soak up some damage. Get creative\!
+
+### **Short Range Supporting Long Range**
+
+If you play a shorter range weapon, it helps to lay ink down around you and your longer range teammates. Having ink to swim in keeps you mobile and breaking up larger patches of enemy ink keeps opponents from sneaking onto your side of the map. In close combat, many long range weapons are at a disadvantage — so be sure to help your long range allies with their poor match-ups\! For example, you may be able to take advantage of the visibility of your long range teammate to get some splats on those looking to take them out. A Snipewriter will usually be a lot more visible to the enemy than a short range weapon, so picking off those looking to attack your backline is a great way to help your team maintain control.
+
+Your long range teammates have your back when you’re fighting on the front line; make sure they stay alive if they find themselves needing to disengage from a fight that has gotten too close to them. Sometimes the best way to help your teammate out is to continuously lay ink down around them so they can keep moving without getting stuck in enemy ink. 
+
+### **Long Range Gameplay**
+
+As a long range player, you can put down ink at further distances, keeping areas of the map in your team’s possession without needing to get close to the opposing team. Remember to lay ink down around you and on your side of the map. If you do not keep the turf around you in your color, short ranged opponents will take the opportunity to sneak up close enough to attack you.
+
+While it is always helpful to splat an opposing team member, there are times when the best support you can give your team is to act as crowd control for the opposing team. An opponent will not be so willing to push forward or attack if they know a long range player is primed to shoot at them. Your shot does not always have to splat an opposing team member. Take shots to intimidate your opponents and hold the front line; this gives your team more dominance over the map and an overall advantage during the match.
+
+### **Long Range Supporting Short Range**
+
+If you play a longer range weapon and you see your short range teammates trying to sneak closer to an opponent, help them by making a path for them to infiltrate the opponent’s side of the map. This help can come in the form of: laying down ink with your main weapon (for example, a Charger can lay down a clean line of ink for hidden teammates to use), throwing an inconspicuous Curling Bomb or Splat Bomb, or, if it’s available, activating your special and creating a large opportunity for your hidden teammates to attack. 
+
+As an example of this long and short range synergy, let’s say there is a match where a Carbon Roller and a Heavy Splatling are on the same team. The Heavy Splatling has the ability to lay down a high volume of ink at once, from a safe distance on the map. The Carbon Roller, with its quick kill time but short range, will rely on the Splatling’s ability to lay ink down. If the Splatling wants to take advantage of the Carbon Roller’s lightning fast kill time, they will make a point to create paths across the map for the Carbon Roller to use while hiding in the ink. Once the Carbon Roller is within range, the Heavy Splatling can apply suppressing fire while the Carbon dispatches opposing team members. The Carbon’s quick kill speed combined with the Heavy Splatling’s ink output and range will break the opposing team’s line of defense, forcing them to retreat or be splatted.
+
+### **BONUS: Move As A Team**
+
+As soon as two of your teammates have been splatted, the best course of action is to disengage from any active fighting and hold as much ground as possible until your whole team is up again. Once two teammates are down that means 50% of the team is down. If you find that any of your teammates are down, especially two teammates at a time, throw your sub weapon, be distracting, stay alive, and hold as much ground as you can while your team regroups. If you are put in a disadvantageous position, the best course of action is often to try and slow down the pace of the game and hold as much ground as you can. If for example two of your teammates go down, you should consider stalling by throwing bombs and using cover to buy some time for them to regroup and get back into the fight. 
+
+When it’s time for your team to advance, check the position of your teammates. Is anyone too far ahead or behind? Are *you* too far ahead or behind your team? Make sure to spread yourselves apart enough that you all won’t get splatted by the same attack, but stay close enough that all of your attacks combine into one show of force. 
+
+Short range players excel at quick ambush kills that clear enemies out of an area quickly. Long range players excel at suppressing opponents and protecting their teammates from enemy fire by controlling space. When both types of players synchronize their efforts to enhance each other’s strengths and cover each other’s weaknesses, they create a powerful team that won’t be beaten easily\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: July 19, 2025
+
+Written by loveshank

apps/web-react/content/articles/results-from-riptide-2025.md

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+---
+title: "Results from Riptide 2025"
+date: 2025-09-13
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/results-from-riptide-2025](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/results-from-riptide-2025)
+
+# **Results from Riptide 2025**
+
+Riptide 2025 took place between Friday, September 5 and Sunday, September 7\. A memorable event for all who attended, breaking records before taking place\! 2025 marked the first year Splatoon was moved to the main ballroom at the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio. With the new location, the Splatoon 3 tournaments were able to share the venue hall with Splatoon Artist Alley and still have plenty of space to spare for crowds to gather around their favorite teams. In addition, Riptide 2025 became the largest North American Splatoon LAN in history with a final count of 481 players, beating Riptide 2024–the previous title-holder–which had a final count of 461\. Full attendance for all of Riptide exceeded 2000 registrants across all games (Splatoon 3, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Melee, Rivals of Aether I and II, Mario Kart 8 DX). 
+
+The Splatoon 3 tournament was broken up into seven phases: Group Stage, Bronze Pools, Bronze Bracket, Silver Pools, Silver Bracket, Redemption, and Top 32\. Group Stage took place on Day 1 (Friday); Bronze and Silver Pools and Redemption on Day 2 (Saturday), and Bronze and Silver Bracket and Top 32 on Day 3 (Sunday). 
+
+Riptide also included a Splatoon 3 Collegiate event featuring Swiss and Top 8 stages, crowning their own champion separate from the other Splatoon 3 tournament. 
+
+## **Bronze Bracket**
+
+The Bronze Bracket kicked off with an explosion on Saturday: a specially-scheduled set between Six-Pack Yokes Teal and Six-Pack Yokes Tangerine in the Quarter-Final. This match came with extra spice to wake up its watchers: the losing team had to drink pilk as a consequence\! Pilk, being an unholy combination of Pepsi cola and milk, just what everyone wants to drink right in the morning. 
+
+The set was quite decisive, with a 3-0 victory going to Six-Pack Yokes Teal, leaving their counterpart to move to the back of the ballroom and mix their own pilk before drinking it. Six-Pack Yokes Teal would continue their run through the Bronze Bracket, winning 3-0 over Gear Shift in the Semi-Final, and 3-1 over MILK in the Final, becoming the \#1 team in the bracket. 
+
+## **Silver Bracket**
+
+The Silver Bracket featured a team made up of Riptide commentators (cleverly named “Commentators”), but in a close set in Quarter-Finals, they would go 2-3 to HAMTPHAWKBEAN6-7gor. The latter would make their way to Finals to fight Leviakittens. 
+
+All of the sets in Silver Bracket were tough fights, with no 3-0 scores until the Finals, where Leviakittens shut out HAMTPHAWKBEAN6-7gor in a major upset. Leviakittens (\#57 overall), only seed 60, won soundly against their opponent (\#58 overall) who was seed 43\. 
+
+## **Redemption**
+
+The Redemption event had both a Winners and Losers bracket, made up of six pools. The top three teams of each pool would forge their way into the Top 32 bracket\! The two final teams in Winners Finals would advance to Top 32, along with the winner of the Losers Semi-Final.
+
+Pool K1, the first pool of Redemption, brought teams Wyrmwind, What’s Quackin?, and MatchMyDamage into Top 32\. Pool K2’s top 3 teams were Big Fat Sea Cows, Bossa Nova, and Dead Weight–who would *majorly* outperform their 93rd seed and earn a 9th overall placement at Riptide\! In Pool K3, the teams “Wait I’m The Zonink”, Devils in Disguise, and LYRE (egg woh) SUPER ULTRA DELUXE 4TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION would join Top 32\. Pool K4 sent Hollow Tide, and fan-favorites Triggerfish Zones Supremacy and PSU Blue into Top 32\. 
+
+Pool L1 was special more than most; Winners Finals began with a hype crowd; even the commentators had to note that the noise was befitting of a Sunday night Grand Finals set, at times almost being louder than the commentators themselves. Teams pjackk challenge \+ some and The Yellow Jackets bathed in the crowd’s exuberance and drew in any stragglers looking for a place to put their attention. Pool L1 would be won by pjackk challenge \+ some, going 3-1 over The Yellow Jackets; the 3rd place pool winner was Snom With A Knife. 
+
+Finally, Pool L2 would close out Redemption, adding teams wollnot, HYPE MOMENTS AND AURA, and The Lost and Found to Top 32\. Wollnot took the Losers Bracket and 3rd overall in Pool L2, with HYPE MOMENTS AND AURA at \#2; The Lost and Found at \#1. 
+
+## **Collegiate**
+
+The Splatoon 3 Collegiate event’s Top 8 ran on Sunday, crowning the first Splatoon event champion\! The Finals set was between PSU Blue and USF Gold. PSU Blue would take home their own gold as the 1st place winner in a 3-1 victory over 2nd place USF Gold. Big Fat Sea Cows took 3rd place in the Collegiate event. 
+
+## **Top 32**
+
+The final event for Riptide 2025\. Out of 32 teams, who took home the biggest wins? From upsets, to squidbagging, Rainmaker stalling, and a crowd all-too-willing to let their feelings be known, Top 32 was not lacking in energy. What the commentators thought Grand Finals would sound like from Redemption’s Pool L1 pjackk challenge \+ some vs. The Yellow Jackets match would end up doubled–or even tripled, as Splatoon fans gathered around for one last hurrah for the LAN. 
+
+The top six teams were BEt, Moonlight, Hypernova, FTWin\!, La Vaca, and Voiē Lactee. 
+
+Winners Quarter-Final saw both BEt and Moonlight be sent to the Losers Bracket; La Vaca would take down BEt 3-0. Moonlight, by far no strangers to clashing with Hypernova, would end up 1-3 in a set that had so many spectators crowded around the table that the TOs couldn’t tell which teams were playing. 
+
+Winners Semi-Final witnessed a tough set between FTWin\! and La Vaca, though the former would emerge victorious with a 3-2 victory and send La Vaca to the Losers Bracket. On the other side of the bracket, Hypernova faced Voiē Lactee, but would go 0-3 and enter the Losers Bracket. 
+
+This left the Winners Final between Voiē Lactee and FTWin\!, two teams who, at the time, were tied with a win-loss record of 7-0 at Riptide. FTWin\!, however, would be the team updating their record to 7-1 and being sent to Losers Bracket, following yet another tense close set with a score of 2-3. 
+
+### **Top 32 \- Losers Bracket**
+
+In the Losers Bracket, BEt’s journey through Top 32 would last just a bit longer, seeing them win 3-0 against LYRE in Round 5\. In Round 6, they would go 1-3 to Hypernova and take their exit from the event, tied at 5th place. 
+
+Meanwhile, Moonlight would find themselves in a humorous predicament, as their opponent in Losers Round 5 was Cleanup Crew. Cleanup Crew, a pickup team made up of ori\_, Lux, M4x, and Chara… their coach. This has happened several times in recent tournament history where members of Moonlight had to face their coach; Barnacle Bash \#9 as one example (Dollar Store Dread Comps vs. Clairen is carried). 
+
+Moonlight would win 3-0 against their coach’s team and meet La Vaca in Losers Quarter-Final. The set ended on a painful point for both Moonlight and the crowd, who expressed disapproval at the set point game being on Humpback Pump Track Rainmaker, and that the set ended with not just a Rainmaker stall, but a squidbag from La Vaca to boot. The crowd’s sentiment toward the Rainmaker mode was only a prelude to what was yet to come. Moonlight would go 1-3 in the set and also take 5th place at Riptide, tied with BEt. 
+
+La Vaca would take on Hypernova next in Losers Semi-Final. For the second set in a row, La Vaca marched to a 3-1 victory. The set point would also end up in Rainmaker (this time on Museum d’Alfonsino), but no stall tactics were employed as the match went down to the wire and La Vaca would take the lead right in the final 20 seconds of the game. Hypernova finished in 4th place, one placement higher than their seed \#5; a positive sendoff for Lexi, who has previously stated that Riptide was her last event with Hypernova (for now) as she takes a step back from competitive Splatoon. 
+
+Losers Finals gave La Vaca their shot at redemption against FTWin\!, where the stakes were high to see who would make it to Grand Finals. The first match was Splat Zones at Hagglefish Market. At the very last moment, La Vaca took control of the zone, forcing the match into overtime, and would end up retaking the lead after burning through their penalty points and surpassing FTWin\!, ending the match with an 83-82 score. 
+
+Next, the teams went to Mahi-Mahi Resort for a Splat Zones rematch as FTWin\!’s counterpick. FTWin\! had a strong opening, able to hold the zone until their objective went down into the 50s, but an unfortunate Reefslider into the water just as the water level was dropping saw La Vaca capitalize and take control for the first time. The match would go into overtime again, and La Vaca’s strong hold on the zone saw them get just one point away from matching FTWin\! before sam’s fast inking with that Stickerz Splatana Stamper recapped the zone and gave FTWin\! the win, with a score of 96-95. 
+
+La Vaca would counterpick to Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino. It would take about a minute and 15 seconds for the first points to be scored, by La Vaca, whose 30-second push from 100 to 36 points remaining gave them a major lead. Throughout the match, FTWin\! seemed to have no problem making plays or building Power Clams, but their real struggle came from actually scoring. Even with overtime padding the match length, La Vaca wasn’t able to make another attempt at the basket, but on the other hand, FTWin\! failed to score even once in the match, leaving La Vaca with a 64-0 victory. 
+
+FTWin\!’s next counterpick would be Tower Control at Hagglefish Market. Thunder’s Crab Tank was a huge pain point for FTWin\!; seemingly always active and putting up an impassable offense for La Vaca. As the clock neared the end of the match, overtime looked likely again as FTWin\! rode the tower to the next checkpoint. At the very last second, while the spectator cam was focused elsewhere, La Vaca was able to slip behind FTWin\! and retake the tower right before overtime was necessary. The final score was 62-48 in La Vaca’s favor, earning them a third-in-a-row set victory 3-1 and advancing to Grand Finals. FTWin\! finished their Riptide run in 3rd place, earning bronze at the ending ceremony. 
+
+### **Top 32 \- Grand Finals**
+
+After waiting for a few hours since their last set, Voiē Lactee finally had Grand Finals on their hands, with a very hungry La Vaca to get through. La Vaca had blazed through some of Splatoon 3’s finest top level teams, and there was just one more on the plate in front of them. 
+
+The set was given a beautiful, poetic introduction narrated by hypercube, channeling the vibe of a fairy tale reading as they recounted the story of Riptide thus far, seeing a record-breaking 481 players compete across three days. To quote hypercube’s story… “Sad may it be, an end is in sight. So for one final time… LET’S\! GET\! HYPE\!” As one may expect, this was met with raucous cheer and clappers in a frenzy. 
+
+Grand Finals began with Splat Zones on Um’ami Ruins. La Vaca took the zone first and employed a ferocious offense that Voiē Lactee couldn’t match. Gos broke into Voiē Lactee’s base and created an opening for the rest of La Vaca to join in. The crowd began chanting “Let’s go Gos\!” as he spearheaded the bullying to keep Voiē Lactee from leaving their spawn. La Vaca’s opening push brought their objective from 100 to just 11 before Voiē Lactee was able to finally put the zone in their favor, with a little over 3 minutes left on the clock. As strong as La Vaca’s initial push was, once Voiē Lactee had the zone, they were able to defend it all the way to a knockout, bringing the set to 1-0. 
+
+La Vaca counterpicked back to Um’ami Ruins (as the crowd booed), this time for Clam Blitz. The game was a stalemate for a while as players skirmished; even rousing back-and-forth chants of “Offense\!” “Defense\!” from the crowd couldn’t goad anyone into committing to score early. It took over three minutes for the first Power Clam to make it into a basket, courtesy of La Vaca, to a great applause from the crowd. 
+
+Following the basket closing was a wipeout on Voiē Lactee, which gave La Vaca a second chance to reopen the basket for another push. By the time they were done, La Vaca’s score had gone from 100 to 45 points, with one minute left in the match. With seven seconds remaining, Voiē Lactee finally got a Power Clam into the basket to add points to their name, but between Gos and Thunder taking out 3/4ths of Voiē Lactee, they weren’t able to out-score La Vaca. The set was now tied 1-1. 
+
+Voiē Lactee chose to take La Vaca to a Tower Control match at Undertow Spillway for match 3\. There was excitement as La Vaca’s Wave pulled out the E-liter 4K Scope for the match, switching off of the Snipewriter 5H. La Vaca, once more, was the first to start gaining points, though the lead was already out of their hands before 45 seconds had passed. As Voiē Lactee continued to the second checkpoint, the crowd once more tried to provoke a bold play with their “Offense\!” “Defense\!” chants, but the most that La Vaca could do was get Voiē Lactee off of the tower momentarily before they flocked back. It was enough to get the match to overtime, where La Vaca was finally able to score again, but they were stopped short after passing the first checkpoint and were now down 1-2 in the set. 
+
+As soon as the counterpick was revealed to be Rainmaker on Scorch Gorge, the crowd erupted into another round of booing, which then turned into an angry chant that we really can’t repeat here. The crowd was at their loudest during this match–rightfully so; this is Grand Finals\!–and once the match officially started, began with their “Offense\!” chants again in favor of La Vaca. They quickly brought the Rainmaker to the first checkpoint in the first 45 seconds of the match. 
+
+With three minutes left in the game, Voiē Lactee managed to assemble and get their first points to the tune of the crowd back at their “Offense\!” “Defense\!” call and response. Right as Voiē Lactee broke through the checkpoint, a big Ultra Stamp flew in and stopped the Rainmaker carrier from taking the lead. The score was 68 (La Vaca) to 69 (Voiē Lactee) with two and a half minutes remaining, and both teams only far enough to pass the first checkpoint. 
+
+The Ultra Stamp stopping the Rainmaker wasn’t enough to crumble Voiē Lactee’s formation, and soon enough, they were able to take the lead in another push, which was stopped… by another Ultra Stamp, courtesy of Xenith, who had been shattering dreams all Riptide with it. However, the damage was done, and with a comfortable enough lead ahead of La Vaca with one minute left, Voiē Lactee took a memo from La Vaca’s match against Moonlight and began the stall game. 
+
+La Vaca wouldn’t be able to recover the Rainmaker while it was in the corner, and the last 40 seconds of the final game of Riptide 2025 was defined by the crowd growing increasingly louder as they chanted more things that we can’t publish in this article. It was very clear to everyone in attendance, however, that the crowd was very displeased that Grand Finals had to end with Rainmaker stall. 
+
+La Vaca ended Riptide 2025 in 2nd place, earning silver at the victory ceremony, and the 1st place would go to Voiē Lactee in a 3-1 set. 
+
+After the cheers went up and petered out, once again, the crowd used their collective voices to let everyone know how much they disliked Rainmaker. This would flood into social media, once again sparking the debate of “Should tournaments be Splat Zones-only”?
+
+As Riptide winds down for the year and everyone travels home, we don’t have much time to wait until the action picks up again, with the Splatoon 3 North American League starting just two weeks after Riptide, on September 19, 2025, with the North American League Show. Players and collaborators have been teasing great content to come for this major event, so while the community won’t be in person while the NA League plays out, we’re certainly in for a treat with the community on stream. 
+
+We’ll look forward to watching\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: September 13, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/sendouq-faq.md

@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+---
+title: SendouQ FAQ
+date: 2023-09-28
+author: Joy
+---
+
+Update 5th February 2024: Check the new [SendouQ info page](https://sendou.ink/q/info).
+
+## What is SendouQ?
+
+SendouQ is a third-party matchmaking service for Splatoon 3, offering a more competitive alternative to the in-game matchmaking. Matches are conducted in a first-to-4 format, with maps and modes selected by the players. The service is free and open to all players.
+
+## How do I use SendouQ?
+
+Begin by logging in to [sendou.ink](https://sendou.ink) and setting up your profile. Access SendouQ via [https://sendou.ink/q](https://sendou.ink/q). Upon entry, select your placement; if unsure, pick lower—the system will adjust your placement based on performance. Specify your game mode preference and map selection. Once set, join the queue. For more details, view the [feature showcase](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIRNcTFDYzA).
+
+## Why can't I see my rank?
+
+Ranks are assigned after completing 7 sets.
+
+## Why can't I see my rank history?
+
+To view your rank history, two conditions must be met:
+
+1. You have completed a minimum of 7 sets.
+2. These sets were played across 3 separate days, according to server time.
+
+## Both teams misreported the score. What do I do?
+
+A score is accepted if reported identically by both teams. Verify the score before submission to avoid this issue. If you suspect a reported score is fraudulent, please raise the issue in the #helpdesk channel on the [sendou.ink Discord server](https://discord.gg/sendou), and be ready to provide screenshots as evidence.
+
+## The opposing team canceled the match after several games were played. What happened?
+
+Matches can only be canceled if both teams agree to it. If the match was cancelled, someone from your team accepted the cancel request thus legitimizing the match cancellation.
+
+## Why do I have more SP than my opponent but I have a lower rank?
+
+Rank updates aren't real-time. Allow a few minutes for the server to update, then check your (or their) rank again.
+
+## I haven't played in a few days but my rank dropped. What happened?
+
+SendouQ does not implement rank decay, however, ranks are determined by percentile. In this scenario, it's likely other players surpassed your SP, nudging you to a lower rank.
+
+## I won a set but didn't gain any SP. Why?
+
+SP adjustments are influenced by the relative team SP. High-SP teams gain fewer points defeating lower-SP teams, reflecting the expected outcome. To earn more SP, compete against similarly or higher-SP teams.
+
+## I won a set but lost SP. Why?
+
+SendouQ employs [openskill.js](https://github.com/philihp/openskill.js) for SP calculations. Though widely utilized and accurate, its behavior may occasionally seem counterintuitive. In rare instances, you might lose SP on a win or gain SP on a loss, albeit with small changes. You can reduce how often this can happen by competing against similarly ranked teams. For an elementary understanding, refer to the [openskill.py documentation](https://openskill.me/en/stable/manual.html). For deeper insight, the [whitepaper](https://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~cjlin/papers/online_ranking/online_journal.pdf) is available, though it requires a strong grasp of Bayesian statistics, equivalent to upper-undergraduate level math.
+
+## What if the FAQ doesn't answer my question?
+
+Join the [sendou.ink Discord server](https://discord.gg/sendou) and ask in the #helpdesk channel.

apps/web-react/content/articles/sendouq-season-10-finale-recap.md

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+---
+title: "SendouQ Season 10 Finale Recap"
+date: 2026-03-03
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+*When seed \#12 almost upsets seed \#1 during game one of the tournament, you know you’re in for a treat*
+
+<img width="1200" height="630" alt="SQ_Season_10_Recap" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7658ea1f-5a12-4179-9886-047f9c1e4759" />
+
+On Saturday, February 28, 2026, Sendou.ink held the tenth iteration of its Splatoon 3 community top cut tournament, the SendouQ Season 10 Finale. Only the top 12 ranked teams per SendouQ season are invited to participate. Season 10 covered December 2025 through February 2026, correlating with Splatoon 3’s in-game Chill Season. 
+
+The Group Stage is a Best of 5, where the two best teams between Group A and Group B advance to the single-elimination Top Cut for the Best of 5 Semifinals, with Finals being a Best of 7\. The tournament is Splat Zones-only, with a $500 prize pot reward. 
+
+The English livestream was run by [Inkling Performance Labs](https://www.youtube.com/@iplsplatoon) (IPL) with a dual stream in Japanese through a collaboration with [AREA CUP](https://www.youtube.com/@splatzonejp). The English cast for the Group Stage was Rissa and Sapph, and Cyren and OBT took over for Top Cut. The Japanese casters were Hemi and Razzy. Pipedream was on the spectator camera. 
+
+These twelve teams, ranked by SendouQ points (not seed), qualified for the Season 10 Finale: 
+
+1. BlankZ  
+2. Flow Dragons  
+3. Duck Motif  
+4. ezmd   
+5. BEt  
+6. PxG  
+7. Nala Fanclub  
+8. Hypernova  
+9. Ascension  
+10. SUPER FIGHTING MII TEAM SUPREME  
+11. Pounds  
+12. Sun-Eater
+
+Between the twelve teams, a huge handful of players were making their debut in a SendouQ Season Finale, mixed in with those who are frequent sights. 
+
+![BEEPstats_newSQdebuts](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1558acf2-7431-4e2e-9429-ea2bddc7bf07)
+
+[*Bluesky post from BEEP*](https://bsky.app/profile/broadcastbeep.com/post/3mfua7msk2c23) *listing all of the new faces appearing in the SendouQ Season 10 Finale.*
+
+## **Group Stage**
+
+Only one set per round of the Group Stage was shown on stream, so viewers didn’t get to see every piece of the action just by watching IPL’s stream. But the casters gave the highlights in between games to keep everyone up to speed. 
+
+With this being the first major tournament since 11.0.0 dropped and changed the game, paired with so many newcomers to the Finale, we got to see some fresh team comps. It took all the way until Round 5 of Groups to see the first S-BLAST ‘91 on stream, having been passed over in favor of the new powerhouses in Blaster and Custom Blaster. 
+
+The Group Stage stream bounced between Group A and Group B, following Duck Motif vs. BlankZ, ezmd vs. SUPER FIGHTING MII TEAM SUPREME, Flow Dragons vs. Nala Fanclub, Hypernova vs. Duck Motif, and ezmd vs. Nala Fanclub. 
+
+Duck Motif vs. BlankZ was an excellent set to kick off the tournament, being taken to a game 5, but once it concluded and the casters had time to see how the other sets were faring, everyone was given shocking news from Group A: 
+
+<img width="1162" height="521" alt="groupA" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/713f0bf7-dd4a-4be2-bddd-d84a6b4c3367" />
+
+Sun-Eater, a team composed entirely of players debuting in a SendouQ Season Finale, ranked Div 1 in LUTI, seed \#12 for the event, had taken PxG, seed \#1 and winners of multiple Season Finales, to a game 5 in Round 1\.
+
+Sun-Eater’s success story didn’t end there; they got the shut-out 3-0 over BlankZ and BEt and took Hypernova to a close 3-2 set, before taking a loss against Duck Motif 1-3, but still securing their spot in the Top Cut. 
+
+Meanwhile, Group B was experiencing their own nail-biting storyline: 
+
+<img width="1171" height="512" alt="groupB" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3712f74c-db24-48f2-ae45-a4fbdbb7ca7d" />
+
+Flow Dragons, another team entirely new to a SendouQ Season Finale—with the exception of Noctis, captain of EYG x Black Lotus—had torn up the entire group, not dropping a single set and losing only one game, which was to the other Top Cut qualifier from Group B, Nala Fanclub. 
+
+Round 5, between Nala Fanclub and ezmd, was a fight to determine which of the two teams would make it into Top Cut alongside Flow Dragons. Due to the set going to a game 5, regardless of the fact that Nala Fanclub lost, it still secured them just enough points to eke ahead of ezmd to advance in the tournament.
+
+## **Top Cut** 
+
+With Top Cut being between PxG (seed \#1), Sun-Eater (seed \#12), Flow Dragons (seed \#3), and Nala Fanclub (seed \#7), this marked the first time since the Season 7 Finale that ezmd (seed \#2) didn’t make it to Top Cut. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="500" alt="suneater" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b0442446-9445-4872-8528-38e1d6beb164" />
+
+*Sun-Eater, the team of Assis, Boopy, Kito, and Ace, the underdogs of the Season 10 Finale. Image source: [synapse\_spl Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/synapse_spl) stream*
+
+### **Semifinals \- PxG vs. Nala Fanclub (3-0)**
+
+The first set of Top Cut went to PxG and Nala Fanclub. Game one was at Undertow Spillway, where the game was tied at 31-32 in PxG’s favor since the game timer read 2:37, up until the end, where PxG would win by that one point, 69-68. 
+
+Scorch Gorge, a map not too commonly chosen for Splat Zones, was the counterpick for game two. Nala Fanclub struggled to get a strong enough foothold in the game to get any meaningful points; PxG ended the game in a knockout with just over one minute to spare. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="PxG_NF" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/75cd353f-9283-4421-a54b-fba1775a6777" />
+
+*Taking Nala Fanclub down to their last player, PxG would retake the zone for those last two ticks needed to knockout. Image source: [IPL YouTube stream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA-CAEyYEso)*
+
+Lastly, the game went to another double-zone map, Um’ami Ruins. PxG kept up the pressure on Nala Fanclub, continuously living in their spawn to lock out their opponent from the zones. At the two-minute mark, PxG took another knockout to seal the shutout set win, 3-0, and advance to Finals. 
+
+### **Semifinals \- Flow Dragons vs. Sun-Eater (3-0)**
+
+Flow Dragons and Sun-Eater met for the first time in the tournament at MakoMart. The game was a back and forth that got as close as it possibly could; don’t let the KO speak for itself—the score was 1-2 with Sun-Eater in the lead. The game went into overtime, where Flow Dragons would pass Sun-Eater for the overtime knockout victory. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="FD_SE" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7c56df90-d3c3-460d-bc39-e10a45495725" />
+
+*In overtime, Flow Dragons tied with Sun-Eater, just one tick from taking the win in the closest possible game of Splat Zones. Image source: [IPL YouTube stream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA-CAEyYEso)*
+
+The next game went to Wahoo World. Flow Dragons’ strongest offensive tactic in this game was to lead the charge with an Ultra Stamp, protected by an Ink Vac, which they used more than once to regain the zone. Flow Dragons knocked out Sun-Eater at the halfway point on the game timer. 
+
+The last game in the set took place at Museum d’Alfonsino. Between one team having a Mini Splatling and the other having a Splatana Wiper, there was almost always an Ultra Stamp on the field. At 3:19 on the clock, Flow Dragons wiped out Sun-Eater, and a few seconds later, took their third and final knockout win, for a 3-0 set and ticket to Finals.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="flowdragons" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3c7f4dd3-ae04-42b2-b7dc-b961bb8dac9d" />
+
+*Flow Dragons, from left to right: め, Azu, Momo, and Noctis; all but the latter are in their first SendouQ Season Finale. Image source: [IPL YouTube stream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA-CAEyYEso)*
+
+### **Finals \- PxG vs. Flow Dragons (4-3)**
+
+The Finals set of the SendouQ Season Finale changes from a Bo5 to a Bo7, where the first team to four wins takes the victory. PxG had yet to meet Flow Dragons, but Flow Dragons was coming off of a 3-0 over Sun-Eater, who had given PxG a scare, so this set was already one to keep eyes on. 
+
+Game one began at Inkblot Art Academy. PxG firmly held the zone from the onset, only stopping at 16 after Flow Dragons had to throw an Ultra Stamp, Ink Vac burst, and Triple Splashdown at the zone. They only got to 84 before PxG had the zone again, and to seal the win, they wiped out Flow Dragons seconds before knocking out at 2:20. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="urchincomps" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c473f5a9-453a-4198-9aad-c0074c2c4f72" />
+
+*PxG (left) and Flow Dragons (right) weapon comps for the Urchin Underpass Splat Zones game. Image source: [IPL YouTube stream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA-CAEyYEso)*
+
+Urchin Underpass was the pick for game two, coming with its expected comp shakeup. Both teams took their turns with the zone, but PxG struggled to hold it, finding themselves down three players multiple times. The final score was 97-74, and the win was Flow Dragons’, which was the spark that ignited what was to come.
+
+Game three went to Undertow Spillway. Flow Dragons brought in a double-Ultra Stamp setup, which was PxG’s ultimate downfall. In overtime, PxG, playing defense, lost two players to a single Ultra Stamp, leading to Flow Dragons reclaiming the zone, taking their next victory, with a score of 90-69.
+
+Eeltail Alley was PxG’s counterpick, and the game was well in their favor at the start. They took the zone first, and a single strike from Soulja’s Triple Inkstrike splatted three members of Flow Dragons. Once more, Flow Dragons had another game down to the wire, but in overtime, they would come out on top for the third time in a row, 97-92.
+
+The set was now at its match point for Flow Dragons—if PxG wanted to get their third SendouQ Finale win in a row, they needed to take the set all the way to game seven. 
+
+
+##### “One game at a time, boys. One game, outta here.”   
+##### “It’s just two games, you know.” 
+
+##### - PxG’s commentary during Soulja’s stream (@jayy\_sushi on YouTube)
+
+
+Game five was PxG’s time to remind the world about their reputation. Grey returned to his S-BLAST ‘91. Noah, on the E-liter 4K, took down two players and activated Flow Aura. With almost two minutes to spare, PxG stopped Flow Dragons’ win streak with a knockout. 
+
+Humpback Pump Track saw Noctis bring out a Gold Dynamo Roller, for its first time on stream. The commentators questioned the variant over the vanilla Dynamo Roller, but its Super Chumps did trap PxG in place for Azu to swim in and take out three members of PxG with a single S-BLAST ‘91 shot, for a wipeout. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="563" alt="Azutriple" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9fa1d166-3d0f-4165-bad2-1dea54d9f014" />
+
+*Azu’s POV getting a triple on PxG. Image source: replay code RPCK-FQXQ-XBTT-T444 from [Grey’s Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:6vphcwypqeytdzm7ffbkr7yj/post/3mfz4pygezc2n).*
+
+But the wipeout didn’t end PxG’s run just yet. They recovered in time to stop Flow Dragons right before they took the lead from them, and would continue on to get another knockout win, taking the Finals to a game seven\! 
+
+Flow Dragons’ counterpick for their last shot at victory was to Brinewater Springs, a choice called “bold” by the commentators, with reason. PxG’s E-liter 4K was a deadly roadblock for Flow Dragons, and Brinewater Springs was a playground for it, able to snipe opponents from across the map from safety.
+
+Their answer to the problem? A double-Big Bubbler composition, with a Zink Mini Splatling and Blaster, paired with a Snipewriter 5H for Tacticooler and Forge Splattershot Pro for Booyah Bomb.
+
+PxG and Flow Dragons traded the lead, but going into the second half of the game, it was Flow Dragons shortly ahead, 35-51. As the game continued, PxG stopped Flow Dragons at 12, and with 33 penalty points to burn through before getting to chip away at their 51 ticks, the road ahead was difficult, and led into overtime. 
+
+Overtime began with PxG having 12 penalty points left, and another 13 ticks to go to pass Flow Dragons. Flow Dragons was already down two players, but just as PxG ran out of penalty, Azu tossed a Booyah Bomb onto the zone, neutralizing it. 
+
+PxG reclaimed the zone quickly; Gos and Soulja focused on painting, letting Grey and Noah handle splatting opponents. Azu dipped and dived, evading the PxG offense to make their way into the zone to help Momo neutralize it, but was a hair too late, as PxG surpassed Flow Dragons’ score to take the lead, 89-88. 
+
+For the third time in a row, PxG claims gold in the SendouQ Season Finale\! Gos and Noah have now each won half of all Season Finales (five), and Soulja and Grey have won four each.
+
+![PxGvictorypose](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0a9d9a38-775c-434e-b872-0d6d1c8fe3d0)
+
+*PxG’s victory photo; from left to right: Grey, Noah, Gos, Soulja. Image source: [@greyspl.bsky.com](https://bsky.app/profile/greyspl.bsky.social/post/3mfxeifmqas2c).*
+
+With Japan’s increasing interest in Western majors, and especially with the upcoming Splat World Series sequel, 2026 seems primed for a new age of Competitive Splatoon, where the gap between Japan and the West starts closing. 
+
+
+Original Posting Date: March 3, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sendouq-season-10-finale).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/sendouq-season8-finale-recap.md

@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+---
+title: SendouQ Season 8 Finale Recap
+date: 2025-09-04
+author:
+  - name: Ckk
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/115690432351961095
+  - name: Fern
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/759473187598762014
+  - name: Samino
+    link: https://sendou.ink/u/samino
+---
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="ARTICLE_BANNER" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3cc38497-8e27-4d86-8818-20cea7b234d3" />
+
+Article originally posted on the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sendouq-season-8-finale-recap) website.
+
+SendouQ Season 8 Finale Recap  
+SendouQ seasons always end with a bang. This one was no exception. All of your favorite teams faced off this past weekend for the title of [SendouQ Season 8](https://sendou.ink/to/2091) Winner and $500.
+
+The qualifying teams can be found on the [SendouQ leaderboards](https://sendou.ink/leaderboards?type=TEAM&season=8). Here were the teams and their placements on the leaderboard:
+
+1. Voie Lactée—1st Place  
+   *(Grey, Jared, Bran, .q)*  
+2. [FTWin](https://sendou.ink/t/ftwin)—3rd Place  
+   *(Kyo, Biscuit, Burstie, Samacado, Xenith)*  
+3. La Vacca—4th Place  
+   *(Gos, Soulja, Yu\_liter, Raiki)*  
+4. [6am](https://sendou.ink/t/6am)—5th Place  
+   *(Fantarr, KITKAT, pouleyy, acer)*  
+5. [Paris Saint-Glufus](https://sendou.ink/t/paris-saint-glufus)—6th Place  
+   *(Lidl, Eliasmo, Glash, dragib, magnolia)*  
+6. [Healthy Diet Food Groups](https://sendou.ink/t/healthy-diet-food-groups)—7th Place  
+   *(Zyf, Blopwher, Ev, Stans)*  
+7. [BlankZ](https://sendou.ink/t/blankz)—8th Place  
+   *(Yushi4Ever, GoldA, piiiro, Devil, Pancake)*  
+8. [Fruittella](https://sendou.ink/t/fruittella)—9th Place  
+   *(Punchy, Crowny, Slurpcat, Aaron, TommiEcho)*  
+9. [Hypernova](https://sendou.ink/t/hypernova)—10th Place  
+   *(Synapse, Henlo, Fishyyism, Capt. Happy, Datkid)*  
+10. [Moonlight](https://sendou.ink/t/moonlight)—12th Place  
+    *(Shadowind, Omega, Basil, SSNolan)*  
+11. [ezmd](https://sendou.ink/t/ezmd)—13th Place  
+    *(SebDark, kiki, Silver, Devin4k)*  
+12. [Zipcat](https://sendou.ink/t/zipcat)—15th Place  
+    *(eli, NomNom, Frook, Tame, Nami)*
+
+*/ Honorable mentions that could not attend or declined their invitation: [Pathway](https://sendou.ink/t/pathway) (2nd Place), [Heavy Metal](https://sendou.ink/t/heavy-metal) (11th Place), [Parasail](https://sendou.ink/t/parasail) (14th Place).
+
+### Group A
+The groups for this edition were practically divided by region. In Group A, there was a diverse range of European talent across the board, and it showcased everything Europe had to offer.
+
+BlankZ had their first appearance in a SendouQ Finale. This group has been striving to stand out amidst other more notable German teams, such as Black Lotus. While their team’s performance at this event was not stellar, their attendance marked a milestone for this team.
+
+Paris Saint-Glufus is a team of old and new players proving that they deserve to keep their spot in an event like this. They were seeded last, but exceeded their expected placement in the event and in their group.
+
+Fruittella came in hot off the heels of the Splat World Series, where they not only qualified for the finals but also upset one of the best Western teams, Milky Way. According to the seeding, they were expected to exit groups into the top cut, but they did not meet those expectations on the day. They lost uncharacteristically to regional teams and fell outside of top cut qualification.
+
+Ezmd and 6am are extremely similar, both being European teams that are known for frequenting podiums in European weekly tournaments. They are no strangers to meeting each other in the latter parts of these weekly brackets and were very familiar with not only the competition but also each other. Both teams breezed through their group by winning decisive 3-0 matches against everyone in the group besides Voie Lactée and each other. They faced off in the first round of the tournament, and they were not yet aware that this encounter would determine who would qualify out of the group. It went to a tense game five where ezmd took the first two games in the set. Then, 6 am broke the momentum and forced a fifth game. In that fifth game, ezmd took control of the set back from the clutches of 6 am and earned themselves their first set win. Both teams had a similar map win/loss ratio at the end of the group, and this set gave ezmd the slight edge they needed to move on in the bracket.
+
+Last but not least, Voie Lactée was the expected top seed of this group and the entire tournament. This mostly North American group, consisting of star players from Jackpot, Starburst, and Sayonara, with a French guest appearance from [Grey](https://sendou.ink/u/grey), was formed to practice for Riptide this weekend and has been terrorizing tournaments for the past two weeks. They proved their dominance by losing only one map in the entire group stage to Paris Saint-Glufus. 
+
+### Group B  
+This side of the bracket carried North America’s fan favorites, featuring teams such as FTWin (shy guy fans), Hypernova, Moonlight, and Healthy Diet Food Groups.
+
+Zipcat is the other team making their SendouQ Season Finale debut. They were also the only fully European team in this group. This team has consistently sat outside of the top 12 leaderboard for multiple SendouQ seasons, and this season was the perfect opportunity for them to participate in the event. They were not able to secure any set wins, but took a game off Healthy Diet Food Groups before the group stage concluded.
+
+Healthy Diet Food Groups are a staple of SendouQ finales. They had their first breakout performance back in Season 6 with a top 4 finish that garnered attention because of their unique playstyle and weapon compositions. Since that performance, healthy diet food groups have not reached the highs they once accomplished. They did not go down without a fight in their sets with a decent map record to end off the event.
+
+Moonlight, North America’s sweethearts, continue their streak of SendouQ season appearances after a brief scare. They ended the season in 13th place on the leaderboard, missing the top 12 by six points. Due to bugs, delayed SendouQ points allocation, and declined invitations, Moonlight was able to show up. Their performance in the tournament was standard according to their previous standings in prior SendouQ events. Moonlight still needs a push to make grands in a SendouQ Finale, and it may require the toppling of their biggest adversary in Hypernova.
+
+Hypernova is a team that is not shy of bringing up young North American talent guided by their coach [Kbot](https://sendou.ink/u/kbot273), and their veteran captain, [Synapse](https://sendou.ink/u/sighnaps). Their identity lies in playing with weapons that feel comfortable to them in a style that suits each player individually. This version of Hypernova was unveiled at this event and started two brand new players in [Fishy](https://sendou.ink/u/fishyy) and [Captain Happy](https://sendou.ink/u/891117921642876948), two very talented North American F/As. These two players have been grinding tournaments and placing highly in the SendouQ User Leaderboards, but haven’t proved their worth on a team. The question of the tournament was whether Hypernova was going to retain their identity and perform like they had before. After this tournament, it was solidified that Hypernova had not skipped a beat. They continued their winning record against Moonlight, putting them at 4-1 since the last SendouQ season finale. They continued to play weapons that fit their unique playstyles, including Fishy’s Planetz Big Swig Roller, which shocked audiences during this tournament run. Despite not qualifying for top cut, Hypernova proved that they are here to stay regardless of roster changes.
+
+FTWin and La Vacca were the two teams expected to leave this group unscathed. Both teams had alterations to their typical roster. [Xenith](https://sendou.ink/u/xenith) was on FTWin, substituting for [Samacado](https://sendou.ink/u/sam), and [Raiki](https://sendou.ink/u/raiki) took Grey’s place in the PxG core while he was grinding with Voie Lactee for Riptide. These changes did not stop either team from dominating their groups. FTWin has consistently been runner-up to the winners of events in recent months, but their performance in this group looked phenomenal. In the head-to-head match, FTWin took La Vacca, consisting of the PxG core, to a game five and closed it out to leave the group 5-0.
+
+### Top Cut
+The first semi-finals match would be the grand finals of any other tournament, La Vacca vs Voie Lactée. Historically, these two teams have met up in events such as ITZ grand finals, with Voie Lactée taking the set. This would change with this event, where Voie Lactée would fall 1-3 to La Vacca. This was a tough loss for Grey in particular, as this was the group that he frequently played with aside from Voie Lactée. This leaves the team with their second 3rd/4th placing this month, leading into Riptide, and this event broke Grey’s streak of winning SendouQ Season Finales.
+
+In the other round, we had FTWin vs ezmd. Ezmd had a very tough match ahead of them that left them losing 0-3 to FTWin. This loss was not devastating for them as they were able to celebrate the accomplishment of making top cut in a SendouQ Season Finale. For FTWin, this was a real opportunity to take home a win in this event.
+
+In the grand finals, FTWin opened strong against La Vacca on Urchin Underpass. They took the first game and were hoping to build momentum into this set. La Vacca counter-picked Lemuria Hub and spelled doom for FTWin for the rest of the set. The set ended 4-1 in favor of La Vacca and was a stark difference from their match-up in the group stage, where their set was close. FTWin failed to secure the top spot, but had an amazing showing in this event. As for La Vacca, they continue to showcase why this core of players is the best in the West. [Yu\_liter](https://sendou.ink/u/yu) secures the three-peat, being the first player to ever win three consecutive SendouQ Season Finales. Yu is not the only repeat winner. [Jordan](https://sendou.ink/u/855150114238234645) has won two consecutive SendouQ Season Finales, and [Gos](https://sendou.ink/gosgosu) secures his third SendouQ Season Finale title, tied with Yu.
+
+### Final Standings  
+La Vacca—1st Place  
+FTWin—2nd Place  
+Voie Lactée—3rd Place  
+ezmd—3rd Place  
+6am—5th Place  
+Hypernova—5th Place  
+Fruittella—7th Place  
+Moonlight—7th Place  
+Paris Saint-Glufus—9th Place  
+Healthy Diet Food Groups—9th Place  
+BlankZ—11th Place  
+Zipcat—11th Place
+ 
+Written by: [Ckk](https://bsky.app/profile/ckk312.xyz) & [RemixedFern](https://bsky.app/profile/remixedfern.bsky.social). Published by: [Broadcasting Esports, Every Play](https://bsky.app/profile/broadcastbeep.com). Formatted by: [Samino](https://bsky.app/profile/saminospl.splstrong.com).

apps/web-react/content/articles/sendouq-season9-finale-recap.md

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+---
+title: "SendouQ Season 9 Finale Recap"
+date: 2025-12-02
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+<img width="1200" height="630" alt="SQ-Season-9-Finale-Recap_1200x630" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/906c9076-ee96-462e-93ea-f43ea96a169b" />
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sendouq-season-9-finale-recap](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sendouq-season-9-finale-recap) 
+
+# **SendouQ Season 9 Finale Recap**
+
+On Saturday, November 29, 2025, Sendou.ink held the ninth iteration of its Splatoon 3 community top cut tournament, the SendouQ Season 9 Finale. Only the top 12 ranked teams per SendouQ season are invited to participate. Season 9 covered September through November, 2025\. 
+
+The Group Stage is a Play All 5, Best of 5, where the two best teams per group advance to the single-elimination Top Cut for the Best of 5 Semifinals, with Grand Finals being a Best of 7\. The tournament is Splat Zones-only, and the reward? A $500 prize pot\! 
+
+The stream was run by [Inkling Performance Labs](https://www.youtube.com/@iplsplatoon) (IPL); Group Stage was commentated by Kyon and Rockit, and Nine and Fufu were on cast for Top Cut. 
+
+These twelve teams, ranked by SendouQ points, qualified for the Season 9 Finale: 
+
+1. PxG  
+2. ezmd  
+3. Iridescent  
+4. Moonlight  
+5. Viva La Vida  
+6. tchecks play  
+7. BlankZ  
+8. Paris Saint-Glufus  
+9. Halcyon  
+10. ANTS  
+11. Hypernova  
+12. Zipcat
+
+As the event progressed from the Group Stage to Top Cut, we were given a reminder of IPL’s next Splatoon 3 tournament major, [SuperJump 7](https://www.start.gg/tournament/superjump-7/details), which takes place next weekend (December 6 and 7). [Broadcasting Esports Every Play](https://bsky.app/profile/broadcastbeep.com) (BEEP) had a commercial looking for volunteers; interested parties can volunteer at [broadcastbeep.com/help](http://broadcastbeep.com/help). For a bit of trivia, Nine shared that Grey (PxG) has become the third player in Splatoon history to reach 5000XP in ranked solo play. This achievement follows PxG teammate Soulja–who was the second to do so–and Melon, the first player ever to accomplish the feat. 
+
+## **Top Cut** 
+
+PxG, Moonlight, ezmd, and tchecks play were the four teams who advanced to Top Cut after earning the highest scores in the Group Stage: 
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="examplegroupA" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5c23f177-ef26-498f-b0ce-0b2b7df67ccc" />
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="examplegroupB" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2124b19c-f6c1-47a4-ab59-d0eda07136a0" />
+
+Honorable mentions go to Hypernova and Viva La Vida, who took home 3rd place bronze in each of their respective groups, and tied for 5th place overall in the Finale.
+
+### **Semifinals Set 1: PxG vs. ezmd (3-1)**
+
+The Semifinals rounds of Top Cut were still a Bo5 format and each map would be on Splat Zones. The first set was between PxG, the \#1 seed and winner of Group A, and ezmd, the 3rd seed and runner-up from Group B. 
+
+Game one went to the double-zone Um’ami Ruins. PxG and ezmd sparred over the zones for about 30 seconds; PxG won the neutral fight and claimed both zones first. They wouldn’t have them for long, as ezmd used a Booyah Bomb to secure one zone and provide cover to sweep the second zone. In this push, they snagged the lead, which they held for about 40 seconds, until PxG brought out their Crab Tank and took down three of ezmd’s players, allowing them to retake. The Crab Tank felt ever-present–and will continue to feel that way throughout the rest of Top Cut–and led PxG to their first win: a knockout, at 2:38 left on the clock.
+
+Game two went to Brinewater Springs, where it was ezmd’s turn to spam specials. With their double Booyah Bomb composition, PxG struggled to keep enough paint down to keep the zone. The Booyah Bombs menaced PxG, from capping the zone with the tiniest sliver of coverage, to kickstarting a wipeout. PxG was able to stop ezmd’s zone at 18 after Gos took a wide flank route to pincer ezmd. Ezmd was not done just yet–Kiki’s S-BLAST ‘91 found a triple on PxG and stopped their zone at 2 remaining. PxG later got a wipeout on ezmd, and a Crab Tank ensured PxG’s next victory, a close 98-82. 
+
+Ezmd took the zone at Barnacle & Dime quickly, after PxG found themselves down two players–just as quick, it was suddenly ezmd down two, and with both teams halved, PxG came out with the zone in their hands. However, by the end of the first minute, ezmd was the one who had the zone back, without having lost the lead. Before another minute could pass, ezmd’s tight-knit defense led to their own knockout victory, with just over three minutes remaining. 
+
+Humpback Pump Track was next–the zone was contested heavily in the first minute; it took ezmd three tries to claim it from PxG, and after succeeding, they took the lead. Around the three-minute mark, the lead shifted after ezmd diverted excess resources to remove Gos from their base. A Booyah Bomb gave ezmd the zone back, but PxG took down three players to return it in short order. The game continued back-and-forth; by the clock’s end, ezmd had the zone and were working toward overtaking PxG. They got close, but were ultimately overwhelmed in overtime, resulting in PxG’s next victory, 88-86, and saw them advance to Grand Finals.
+
+### **Semifinals Set 2: Moonlight vs. tchecks play (3-1)**
+
+On the other size of the Semifinals was Moonlight, the Group B winner and seed \#2, versus tchecks play, the Group A runner-up and seed \#4. After this set, the stream would move onto Grand Finals\! 
+
+Unfortunately, the IPL stream had technical difficulties between the end of the previous set, which cut through the first game between Moonlight and tchecks play. 
+
+Game one was at Barnacle & Dime, where tchecks play took the zone first. Moonlight was able to take it from them after dividing their attention, then got the lead, retaining it through tchecks play deploying a Crab Tank and Booyah Bomb. A Booyah Bomb did secure the zone for tchecks play later in the game, giving them a numbers advantage over their opponent and stopping them at 22\. Moonlight retook the zone while Omega was on a five-splat spree, resulting in Moonlight’s first set win, a knockout, with almost two and a half minutes remaining. 
+
+Moonlight wasted no time taking the two zones at Undertow Spillway, but tchecks play bounced back to take out two opponents and get the lead. As one expected from the small zones on this map, possession changed frequently. Moonlight took the lead while both teams were down two; a little over a minute later, tchecks play had the lead back, just briefly, before a Booyah Bomb from Moonlight took out two players. Nearing the final minute, Moonlight had the lead for the last time, weaving through a Killer Wail 5.1 and Booyah Bomb, and running into another knockout win, with 57 seconds remaining.
+
+Robo ROM-en was tchecks play’s game, taking the zone just 11 seconds in and snatching it back from Moonlight quicker than they could hold it. Moonlight took a lead briefly, though tchecks play had it once more when the first minute passed. Tody and Alex, on separate occasions, went on a splatting streak on Moonlight, keeping them from holding the zone for long. With just 16 seconds left in the game, tchecks play had themselves their own knockout victory, keeping themselves from a set shutout. 
+
+Game four went to Mincemeat Metalworks; even faster than last game, Moonlight claimed the zone eight seconds into the game. The following turn of events happened in quick succession: tchecks play took the lead; Moonlight reclaimed the zone and used two Big Bubblers next to one another to defend it and take the lead; tchecks play, for the second time, deployed a Crab Tank and Booyah Bomb but could not take the zone; tchecks play went down three players. All culminating in Moonlight taking another knockout victory with three minutes to spare, and advancing to Grand Finals.
+
+### **Grand Finals: PxG vs. Moonlight (4-1)**
+
+Grand Finals changed the format slightly, from a Bo5 to a Bo7. The teams have fought well; of the 32 sets played in the tournament so far, an incredible 13 were 3-0 shutouts, 15 being 3-1 sets, and just 4 went to a game 5\. It now came down to PxG vs. Moonlight–who gets the gold? 
+
+Game one was at Mahi-Mahi Resort, where both teams met over the zone; Moonlight out-painted PxG for the first control, but once both teams went down two players, PxG capitalized to take the zone. They had the lead going into the second minute, bolstered by Volty getting two picks with the Trizooka. Moonlight faced a tough lockout, but managed to get the zone again with help from a Booyah Bomb, stopping PxG at 4\. A PxG Crab Tank took the zone–and multiple players–from Moonlight, and the game ended with two minutes to spare, for a PxG knockout. 
+
+Teams went to Crableg Capital for game two, where Moonlight once more struggled to get a foothold. PxG took the zone first and staggered Moonlight, keeping them respawning and controlling their movement with expertly-timed specials. The best Moonlight was able to do was neutralize the zone, but with three players down compared to PxG’s two, they were quickly wiped out and PxG took another knockout win, with just over three and a half minutes on the clock.
+
+Game three went to Mincemeat Metalworks. PxG again had the zone first, but Moonlight would get points to their name after taking down all but one player from PxG. PxG’s notorious Crab Tank struck again, retaking the zone before Moonlight could take the lead, leaving the score at a close 40-47. Moonlight, shortly after, was wiped out, and following that, PxG sealed another knockout for themselves before the game got halfway through the clock.
+
+Barnacle & Dime set game four, and Moonlight reversed their luck, opening with the zone and taking down three of PxG’s players, including a Crab Tank. While they were setting up to lock PxG out, the last player who hadn’t been splatted, Gos, ran to flank again; Moonlight was now three down and zoneless. PxG held the lead for a while, up until an Ultra Stamp took two players out, stopping PxG’s zone counter at 7\. Moonlight set up a secure defense, which then saw the lead back to them, and so close to a knockout\! But PxG, with a Killer Wail 5.1 to add the smallest obstacle in Moonlight’s way, stopped them at 1 tick to go. The victory would go to Moonlight, 99-93.
+
+Flounder Heights was the final stage for the event; before the zones had been capped, the first slice of action we saw was Volty splatting two players with a single swing of the Carbon Roller Deco. This led to PxG getting both zones under control. The rest of the story is a repeat of Crableg Capital: Moonlight was consistently down two or busy respawning to be able to mount a successful push and claim some points. The end result–PxG taking one last knockout to add the SendouQ Season 9 Finale to the team’s list of already-impressive accomplishments\!
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="SQS9F_Bracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7c12c318-187d-402d-bd1a-27a4ff64fd89" />
+
+The star-studded cast who make up PxG’s roster are hardly new to winning a SendouQ Season Finale. Yu\_liter (Noah) has won every single SendouQ Season Finale in 2025 (for a total of four); Gos has also won four Season Finales (9, 8, 4, and 2). Grey has won three (seasons 6, 7, and 9). For Volty, this is their first SendouQ win, but they have participated and placed high in multiple. 
+
+Following this event, the rest of 2025 holds plenty of potential for the competitive scene. SuperJump 7, a feast of LANs, and the Splatoon 3 North American League Playoffs as far as we know, but there’s plenty of time for more to be announced\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: December 2, 2025 
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/series-weapon-power-breakdown.md

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+---
+title: "Series Weapon Power Breakdown"
+date: 2025-06-27
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted on the [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/guides/series-weapon-power-breakdown](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/guides/series-weapon-power-breakdown) website.
+
+# **Series Weapon Power Breakdown**
+
+Splatoon 3’s Patch 10.0.0 in June 2025 introduced a new stat for high-achieving ranked players: Series Weapon Power. The introduction trailer didn’t spend much time discussing the ins and outs of this new feature, so let’s go over how to get your Series Weapon Power, Best Nine, and how it affects your matchmaking\! 
+
+## **How To Acquire A Series Weapon Power & Your Best Nine**
+
+In order to get a weapon’s Series Power, there are two prerequisites that you must meet: 
+
+1. Reach S rank or higher in Anarchy Battle.   
+2. Complete at least five matches in a series with a single weapon. 
+
+After you’ve completed the five matches, using the same weapon for each battle, your Series Weapon Power will be calculated. Once you have unlocked it, this new stat will be visible in a few different areas: 
+
+* On the Equip screen, press the ZL button while your weapon is selected and you’ll find it.   
+* In the Match menu in the Lobby.   
+* In SplatNet 3’s Weapons section, there are two tabs at the bottom–  
+  * Weapon Data for all weapons; Series Weapon Power is the first statistic in the chart.   
+  * Best Nine, which will show you your nine weapons with the highest Series Weapon Power\*. 
+
+\*In order for the Best Nine tab to display any data for you, you must have a Series Weapon Power for nine or more individual weapons. Weapons with the same kits but different variants, such as Z+F Splat Charger and Z+F Splatterscope or Splat Dualies and Order Dualie Replicas, are counted as separate weapons and will have their own individual Series Weapon Power. 
+
+Series Weapon Power and Best Nine are living statistics based on your gameplay—based on your match win/loss ratio with the specific weapon you have equipped. This means that as you play Anarchy Battle, your Series Weapon Power is being recalculated. The stat will be the same regardless of mode in Anarchy Battle, as it is tied to the weapon you have equipped. 
+
+Since there are 173 weapon kits in the game as of Patch 10.0.0, that means if you wanted to get a Series Weapon Power for every weapon, you would need to play–and win–a minimum of 865 matches (if you won every match per series), or a maximum of 1,211 matches (if you won five and lost two in every series)\! 
+
+However… 
+
+## **How Long Does Series Weapon Power Last?**
+
+Just like your rank in Anarchy Battle, once the current season ends, your Series Weapon Power will also reset. Since this stat was introduced during Sizzle Season 2025, the first reset will take place on September 1, 2025\. 
+
+Although your stat will reset in-game, SplatNet 3 will continue to show you the highest Series Weapon Power that you have achieved per weapon. Use this to keep setting goals for yourself to get better\! 
+
+## **Series Weapon Power Affects Matchmaking**
+
+When queueing up to play multiplayer, Splatoon 3 will use Series Weapon Power to try matching you with players who have a similar power to the weapon you have equipped. This is to give you a challenge and chance to grow with your best weapons, and give you an easier time to build your skills with weapons you aren’t as great with. 
+
+Does Series Weapon Power affect players outside of Anarchy Battle (Series) though? When playing in Anarchy Open, matchmaking will try to pair you against teams based on the skill level of the entire party, meaning if your party host is in S rank but everyone else is in B-C rank, you’ll be matched against a wide variety of skill levels. 
+
+It’s important to keep in mind that when matchmaking, Series Weapon Power is not the only metric being measured when trying to put you in a match. Splatoon 3 will still try to match you with players in your region, or the lobby wait time, or players with a similar connection strength, among other values. So it’s not a guarantee that you will always get into a game against other players close to you in Weapon Power when playing a Series. 
+
+Series Weapon Power is a neat little feature with a lot of nuance to it, and so far it seems to be well-received by the playerbase. It has a lot of potential to breathe new life to the competitive scene by giving players a new way to measure skill level that narrows down to weapon-specific capability, and we look forward to hearing how high it can go\!
+
+
+Original Posting Date: June 27, 2025 
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splat-world-series-finals.md

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+---
+title: "Splat World Series - Finals"
+date: 2025-08-08
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article Originally Posted At: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splat-world-series-finals](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splat-world-series-finals)
+
+## **Splat World Series \- Finals**
+
+On August 2, 2025, IPL and AREA CUP’s Competitive Splatoon 3 collaboration reached its climax: the Splat World Series Finals. Announced in late June 2025, the following weeks would be filled with qualifying tournaments and team announcements to ramp up hype to the most ambitious community-led tournament collab. The Splat World Series Finals lasted just over four and a half hours on IPL’s English stream, with AREA CUP’s Japanese stream ending just short of five hours, including an exclusive interview section at the end with one of the JP teams. 
+
+How popular was this event with viewers? After seeing an uptick in viewership from SuperJump 5, to Qualifier 1, and through Qualifier 2, the SWS Finals’ livestream exploded compared to Qualifier 2\. Qualifier 2, reaching just over 500 viewers combined between IPL’s YouTube and Twitch streams, can’t compare to IPL having over 400 live viewers *individually* on YouTube and Twitch at the peak watching period (Grand Finals set). AREA CUP’s YouTube stream reached over 1,300 viewers. That’s a combined 2,000+ Splatoon fans across the globe watching one community event at the same time\! 
+
+## **Full Splat World Series Roster**
+
+To recap of all the teams competing before breaking down the event’s results, here’s who each side of Splat World Series had competing for the title of best in the world: 
+
+**The West:** 
+
+* PxG   
+* Milky Way  
+* Hypernova  
+* FreeFlow  
+* FTWin  
+* Moonlight  
+* Fruittella  
+* New Meta
+
+**Japan:** 
+
+* DragonReX  
+* Utopia  
+* Takoyaki Party  
+* False Dream  
+* The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru  
+* Samurai Cat  
+* Final Weapon  
+* Hornet
+
+At 5 AM PT / 8 AM ET / 2 PM CET / 9 PM JT, the single-day, double-elimination, Splat Zones-only event began, with the bracket looking like this: 
+![sws-bracket-1](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/dfa11c18-d521-4d3f-9a1c-667e53e6f017)
+
+## **Winner’s Bracket Finals: The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru vs. Takoyaki Party**
+
+Winner’s Bracket Finals would see The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru, the most dominant team of the event, facing off against Takoyaki Party. By this point, both teams had only two match losses during their Best of Three sets; now that the bracket shifted to a Best of Five, it was time to see who would come out on top and advance to Grand Finals\! 
+
+The first match took place on Hagglefish Market; The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru would not give Takoyaki Party a chance to take the zone. Thirteen seconds into the match and the Fleet secured their zone and set up their lockdown. With ten seconds remaining on the objective for The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru, Takoyaki Party made a push and managed to neutralize the zone for a brief period of time, but the match would end before a minute and a half passed, with a knockout victory to the Fleet. 
+
+The second match, on Takoyaki Party’s counterpick, Inkblot Art Academy, saw the counterpicking team make a huge push at the start of the match, with Todo going right into the enemy spawn and taking down half of the enemy team before the zone timer had even gone down ten seconds. Takoyaki Party held onto this push until finally giving up the zone with 44 seconds remaining for their objective, and The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru had their turn with the zone until 76 seconds remaining, and Takoyaki Party would regain control. Just 15 seconds left to win, and the Fleet would retake the zone and go from 76 to zero, securing their second knockout victory over Takoyaki Party. 
+
+Takoyaki Party would next take the Fleet to Um’ami Ruins, where the match would rage in the center of the map as the zone flipped back and forth. The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru, with 52 seconds left for their objective and in control of the zone, would wipeout Takoyaki Party and finally shift the battleground to Takoyaki Party’s side of the map. The Fleet’s lockout attempt would get cracked by Kontan, but ultimately end up with The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru winning their third knockout victory and advancing to Grand Finals 3-0 and sending Takoyaki Party to the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+The set was in The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru’s hands from the beginning, but what made this set stand out against most was that none of the matches would take place on Urchin Underpass. Urchin Underpass was by far the most prevalent map of the Splat World Series Finals, being an incredibly popular counterpick especially from Japan’s teams. What made this map in such high demand was due to it forcing oppressive backline players to a different weapon, as Urchin Underpass’s map design favors mid- to short-range weapons much more than long-distance weapons. 
+
+## **Loser’s Bracket Finals: Takoyaki Party vs. Samurai Cat**
+
+The Loser’s Bracket Finals featured Takoyaki Party against Samurai Cat, two teams sent to Loser’s Bracket by The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru. This set wasn’t just about who would have their chance at winning the first-ever Splat World Series, but about getting a redemption shot. Takoyaki Party, seed \#7, a team composed of some of Japan’s most decorated players, predicted to earn the runback in Grand Finals; Samurai Cat, seed \#13, frequently called the “darling of the event” by the commentating team, an audience favorite, looking to show up and put their name out there as a fairly unknown team.
+
+The set began on Um’ami Ruins. Both teams would keep fighting and flipping the zone, with neither ever advancing far beyond their opponent’s score before the zone changed hands. The fighting would remain mostly condensed in the center of the map and around the zones. The match would draw on and test every player’s patience, hammering on their nerves as the match went into overtime and stayed in overtime for about 30 seconds as Samurai Cat held onto the objective and their penalty points ticked away, until finally their zone clock would tick past Takoyaki Party’s and earn them a 78-77 victory.   
+Takoyaki Party would counterpick to Urchin Underpass–a result that Samurai Cat was no stranger to, as SAMURAI KASATO, their E-liter player, was such a threat on the field that teams needed to force them to a different weapon to avoid being picked off one by one. Again, the teams playing were so evenly-matched that the clock would reach 0:00 for the second time, and the zone was neutral, with Takoyaki Party at 12 seconds on their scoreboard and Samurai Cat at 17 seconds. All Takoyaki Party needed to do was regain control from neutral and the match would be theirs; Samurai Cat, however, would sweep victory from under their feet by grabbing control and holding it long enough to out-score their opponent. 
+
+The next counterpick would be to Humpback Pump Track. The teams would play in a very circular motion, going around and around the zone trying to break the stalemate. Plenty of displacement specials on Samurai Cat’s side, while Takoyaki Party seemed to favor more aggressive options. For the third time in a row in the set, the match would go all the way to the end. With just fifteen seconds remaining, Takoyaki Party burned through their remaining penalty points and would steal the lead from Samurai Cat. Samurai Cat would end up flipping the zone in their favor with a barrage of Inkstrikes–just a hair too late\! Takoyaki Party won the match 84-58, showing their opponent that they wouldn’t be making it to Grand Finals that easily. 
+
+By this point in the tournament, as familiar as everyone was with teams counterpicking Samurai Cat to Urchin Underpass to escape their Charger, they were evenly familiar with Samurai Cat’s response to losing a match: counterpicking to Eeltail Alley, a map heavily favoring long-distance weapons. Takoyaki Party took Samurai Cat to the wire on Eeltail Alley, taking the objective from 100 down to 6 in a single swoop before the zone flipped and penalty points were applied. However, Samurai Cat, with their objective sitting at 38 seconds with only 44 ticks of penalty points, held the zone and pushed back at Takoyaki Party, ending the Loser’s Bracket Finals with a knockout victory, a set score of 3-1, and advancing to the Grand Finals. 
+
+## **Grand Finals: The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru vs. Samurai Cat**
+
+The matchup of The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru vs. Samurai Cat in Grand Finals had a gravity that wasn’t felt in Winner’s Finals. It was the set to determine which team earned the right to call themselves “the best in the world”. This was a set between competitive Splatoon veterans, with members of The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru not only being some of the most skilled, recognizable players globally since Splatoon 2–against a relatively unknown team, with not many searchable results older than one year ago. 
+
+How did this momentous set run? 
+
+Ten seconds into the first match on Mako Mart, and The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru had already taken down three members of Samurai Cat. The Fleet would lock out Samurai Cat for just over half of the objective’s timer; Samurai Cat would take the zone after managing a wipeout over their opponent. They would hold this position until they were six seconds from surpassing the Fleet’s score, but a Reefslider from Garandou set the zone back into the Fleet’s hands just long enough to give Samurai Cat penalty points before the zone left their possession. This back-and-forth of the Fleet retaking the zone just to penalize Samurai Cat before losing control would repeat itself again and again. Ultimately, The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru, despite their aggressive opening, was not able to hold the zone long enough to outpace Samurai Cat, who would end the match in a knockout victory, no Tacticooler needed. 
+
+Predictably, The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru would counterpick Urchin Underpass and force SAMURAI KASATO to switch from E-liter to N-ZAP ‘85. Samurai Cat got an early wipeout against The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru, within the first 30 seconds of the match. They moved up to try locking the Fleet out of the zone, but they were forced to back up and would shortly lose the zone as the Fleet pressed forward. The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru’s push after their wipeout was a tidal wave, crashing into Samurai Cat and giving them no chance to retake. The match ended before two and a half minutes passed in a knockout victory for the Fleet. 
+
+Unpredictably, instead of counterpicking Eeltail Alley, Samurai Cat instead chose Bluefin Depot. Distance and aim were key to winning this match, and as Samurai Cat had displayed, SAMURAI KASATO had that down lock and key. However, it was Naegora on the Mini Splatling RTL-R, constantly farming Trizookas with deadly aim, that would be the real key to The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru’s victory on Bluefin Depot. The zone flipped colors a few times, but ultimately Samurai Cat couldn’t keep up with their opponent’s offense, giving the Fleet another knockout victory, just before the match reached the three minute mark. 
+
+With it now being game four and the Fleet looking for an early set win, Samurai Cat broke out the foreseen Eeltail Alley counterpick. The match began with sweeping pushes from both teams; Samurai Cat’s opening drove their objective from 100 to 58 without interruption. Once the Fleet took control, they went further, driving their objective from 100 to 36, only stopping to a delayed wipeout caused by the E-liter. Both teams would meet in the middle for a head-to-head clash over a neutral zone–for 25 seconds the zone remained neutral during the ink fight, and it would be Samurai Cat who put out enough paint to claim the zone and take the lead once again. 
+
+With 10 seconds left to Samurai Cat’s objective, The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru grabbed the zone and tried to lock their opponent onto their side of the map, covering it in paint and making sure the final 40 seconds of the game would be a mountain for Samurai Cat to overcome. 
+
+Down to the final 15 seconds of the game and having just lost the lead, Samurai Cat broke through The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru’s wall and started to hurl Triple Inkstrikes at the zone. Slosher vs. Slosher, each trying to outpaint the other as clocks and teammates ticked closer and closer… 
+
+At 12 seconds left in the match, the ink stopped flying and the game ended in a knockout victory–and a Splat World Series win–for **The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru**\! Congratulations to the members of the Fleet who have earned the title of the best in the world: 
+
+- lobster\!   
+- Garandou  
+- naegora   
+- reimaru
+
+Regardless of the outcome of the Splat World Series Finals, Samurai Cat will no longer be a hidden gem of a team, having forged their way to the Grand Finals, and shaking up the scene with their spectacular E-liter gameplay. Samurai Cat is also walking out of Splat World Series as the only team to take two matches from the Fleet, winning one in Winner’s Finals and a second in Grand Finals, whereas the only other team to win against the Fleet, DragonReX, only won once in Round 2\. 
+
+Every team who competed at Splat World Series earned their place on the biggest stage the community has ever assembled, proving on their journey to qualification that they have the mettle of champions. Some journeys started ten years ago with the introduction of Splatoon, and others as recent as partway through Splatoon 3’s lifecycle, and the hard work that brought each team to Splat World Series is just another stepping stone as everyone continues to strive for more. 
+<img width="870" height="732" alt="SWS_WB" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8be3ce09-1fa1-43d3-8a4d-46b2d405422b" />
+<img width="1014" height="401" alt="SWS_LB" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ecebc31c-b35b-4ab3-9fc8-5f89e8af0a42" />
+
+*Sendou.ink’s full Winner and Loser’s Brackets showing the results of Splat World Series.*
+
+## **How Did The Scene React?**
+
+The performance of the Western teams at the Splat World Series Finals has sparked discussion about the state of the West’s competitive scene and the “skill gap” between Japan and the rest of the world. The discussions have centered around ideas about what the West’s teams should be doing to close the gap between regions.   
+A major focus of future tournaments that feature teams from both Japan and the West will be if Western teams can progress towards closing the gap. With so many top-level players who competed in the Splat World Series Finals saying that there is a tough climb ahead filled with necessary changes, if the West is to reach the level of competition showcased by Japan, we will have quite a fired-up scene to watch strive for greater heights\!
+
+**Grey (PxG):** 
+
+<img width="695" height="221" alt="Grey_PxG" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0c193d48-c573-4dba-a3ef-6e85274810c6" />
+
+*A Bluesky post dated August 2, 2025, from Grey, a player from PxG on the Western roster.* 
+
+Grey’s sentiment is echoed by several of the West’s players from SWS–they are disappointed in the results, but all understand from their firsthand experience what the reality of the situation is. Sheer optimism is not going to close the gap between Japan and the West.   
+	  
+**ProChara (Moonlight):** 
+
+<img width="698" height="382" alt="ProChara_2" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1467808c-494b-4957-a725-26c27f4b180b" />
+
+*A Bluesky thread dated August 2, 2025, from ProChara, the coach for Moonlight on the Western roster.* 
+
+The retrospective about the Competitive Splatoon 2 era from ProChara points out that in times when competition with other scenes was more common, the West was able to win against Japan. It comes with its own set of out-of-game challenges, but having more experience can make a major difference between winning and losing a close match. 
+
+**Burstie (FTWin):** 
+
+<img width="696" height="658" alt="Burstie_FTWin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/25fb265b-8ffd-45a0-8f16-43675f1a81d9" />
+
+*A Bluesky thread dated August 2, 2025, from Burstie, a player from FTWin on the Western roster.* 
+
+Building off of the idea of having the West play more games against JP teams, Burstie adds that there isn’t one magic fix that will put the West on the same level as Japan. The West’s top-level players are already very skilled and outstanding at what they do, and still put in substantial work to constantly improve. Closing the gap as much as possible is not going to be *easy* and will require major effort beyond just player and team level efforts. 
+
+## **Splat World Series \- Full Matches**
+
+If there were matches that you weren’t able to see during the tournament livestream since IPL and AREA CUP could only stream one match at a time, don’t fret\! IPL has been releasing not just replay codes, but also full match videos with commentary on every single game. The full off-stream match videos will be available on IPL’s [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@iplsplatoon). 
+
+If you weren’t able to spectate every match you wanted at Splat World Series, check their channel out\! IPL isn’t done with this major event just yet\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: August 8, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatfest-world-premiere-results.md

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+title: Splatfest World Premiere Results
+date: 2022-08-28
+author: Riczi
+---
+
+The Splatfest World Premiere has sadly come to a close. At least we get to know the results! Each region was able to enjoy up to 12 hours of intense turf war battles, repping their chosen teams.
+
+The Splatfest results varied slightly be region, but with many similarities. Team Rock was the most popular team, sporting the most members worldwide. Team Paper had the smallest membership, but won more Pro matches than the other teams.
+
+Each team received points for receiving the most votes and winning the most Open and Pro battles. After the dust cleared, **Team Rock** was declared the winner! Paper and Scissors took second and third depending on region, though the results went down to the wire.
+
+Regardless of if you were on the winning team or not, everyone is leaving Splatfest a winner. The new entry to the Splatoon series received a lot early praise over the weekend. New and experienced players alike walked away with great anticipation for the full release. September 9th could not come any sooner.

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatfest-world-premiere.md

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+---
+title: Splatoon 3 Splatfest World Premiere
+date: 2022-08-20
+author: Riczi
+---
+
+The Splatoon franchise is holding a global testfire for the newest entry to their series; Splatoon 3. This will give new players a chance to try out the game for the first time before purchasing. Long-time fans of the game will also get a chance to try out new weapons and maps in anticipation for the title’s release on September 9th, 2022.
+
+Players will gain access to the Splatlands and training grounds starting on August 25th, 2022. Here, you will be able to customize your character’s appearance, complete a tutorial, and test out the large arsenal weapons in the game. You can get a feel for the game’s unique shooting mechanics, which differ greatly from other popular shooting games.
+
+After initial access, you can participate in the first Splatfest of Splatoon 3. A Splatfest pits teams against each other using different themes. Players commit to a team, then compete in Splatoon’s trademark game mode Turf War. In this mode, teams of four battle against each other to ink as much ground area as possible within a three-minute window. The team with the most ink at the end of the game wins. Simple as that!
+
+The [Splatfest themes](https://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/Splatfest#Splatfest_team_names) always cover fun topics. In the past, teams have been divided into Cats vs. Dogs, Pirates vs. Ninjas, and Heroes vs. Villains. Turf War battles come with fun debates about the variety of topics selected as Splatfest themes.
+
+In Splatoon 3, Splatfests will take on a new form. There will now be three teams to choose from rather than the traditional duo. The Splatfest World Premier, which will be held on August 27th, 2022, will be a classic game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. The Turf War games also come with a new twist, featuring [Tricolor Turf Wars](https://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/Tricolor_Turf_War) for the first time. In the second half of the Splatfest, the leading team will have to stave off a comeback from the other two teams in 4v2v2 matches!
+
+You can also participate in Splatfest by checking out the Salmon Run. In this game mode, you’re part of a four person squad clearing waves of Salmonids to collect their eggs. This is a fun way to try out new weapons and practice your skills while still supporting your Splatfest team.
+
+To access the global testfire, download the free software located [here](https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/splatoon-3-splatfest-world-premiere-switch/). The Splatoon 3 icon will be downloaded to your Switch home screen and will be unlocked on the appropriate date. After downloading, you will also receive a week’s worth of Nintendo Online Services for free so you can participate in the festivities.

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-breaks-sales-record.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+title: Splatoon 3 Breaks Sales Records in Japan
+date: 2022-09-12
+author: Riczi
+---
+
+Nintendo is known for developing some of the biggest video game franchises in the world. From Pokémon to Mario to Legend of Zelda, Nintendo has created some of the most well-known and memorable games and characters in history. You would think that one of these franchises hold the record for most sales on release of a new game. You would be wrong.
+
+Splatoon 3 released in September of 2022 and it is shattering sales records in Japan. In just three days, the game sold nearly three and a half million copies in Japan alone. This crushed the previous record held by Animal Crossing: New Horizons which sold 2.6 million copies when it released at the beginning of Covid-19.
+
+The Splatoon franchise has been a fan-favorite in Japan for years. The first game released on the Wii U back in 2015, with Splatoon 2 debuting on the Nintendo Switch just a couple of years after. Despite huge success in their home country, Nintendo hasn't seen Splatoon take off in other countries quite as well. The arrival of Splatoon 3 may cause an increase in popularity in western countries where the game series hasn't quite reached yet.
+
+Splatoon has a thriving competitive scene that is welcoming new players into its ranks. Top players in the United States and Europe such as ProChara and ThatSrb2DUDE create content with the hope that players in their respective regions will enter the Splatlands with the same amount of hype being generated in Japan.
+
+If you're interested in watching or even participating in a Splatoon tournament, check out the sendou.ink calendar. It contains all of the upcoming events for Splatoon 3 with information on where to sign up and how to follow along live.

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-more-ways-to-compete.md

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+---
+title: "Splatoon 3: More Ways to Compete"
+date: 2025-09-16
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+Article originally posted on the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/guides/splatoon-3-more-ways-to-compete) website.
+
+# **Splatoon 3: More Ways to Compete** 
+
+If you’re in any way familiar with the Competitive Splatoon 3 community, it’s likely that you’ve come to understand competitive gameplay as organized 4 vs. 4 Private Battle matches and not much else. However, that’s far from the only facet of competitive play within the game, and maybe you’re someone that’s looking for something more than what’s been presented to you. Perhaps Competitive Splatoon in the traditional sense doesn’t quite cater to the ways you like to play the game, but you still want to get involved in some sort of competitive sphere for it. If that’s you, you’re in luck\! There are a few prominent communities for you to engage with and take up a different sort of competitive mantle in Splatoon 3, no prior experience needed\!
+
+## **Speedrunning**
+
+Are you a veteran of Alterna or the Spire of Order? Are you looking to push your skills within Splatoon 3’s singleplayer campaigns to the best they can be? Then speedrunning might be for you\! As the name implies, speedrunning involves trying to complete a game’s singleplayer campaign as quickly as possible. There are numerous categories for Splatoon 3 speedrunning depending on which campaign you want to run and the kinds of challenges you want to take on. The most common challenges are Any%, where you try to beat the campaign as fast as you can on a new file, and NG+, which is beating the campaign as fast as you can with all in-game upgrades equipped). The worlds of Alterna and the Memverse are always looking for new people to try their hand at becoming the fastest splatters. Climb your way to the top and stake your claim on the leaderboards\! If you want to get involved in speedrunning games in the Splatoon series, check out the [Splatoon Speedrunning Discord server\!](https://discord.com/invite/GuSyHF8NT5) Runs from the very best players can be found on [Splatoon 3’s Speedrun.com page](https://www.speedrun.com/Splatoon3).
+
+## **Overfishing**
+
+Overfishing takes Competitive Splatoon out of the city and onto the frontlines of Salmon Run. It’s you and your teammates against the ruthless Salmonids, but you’re not looking to just survive this time. Your goal as an Overfisher is to nab as many Golden Eggs as possible and blow those quotas out of the water in cooperation with other Overfishers at your skill level. Cultivating positional awareness, strategically using special weapons, and communicating with your teammates are some of the keys to becoming a skilled Overfisher, with little to no room to slack on the job if you want to bring in those sweet rewards. Think you have what it takes to make it big on Mr. Grizz’s payroll with your fellow valued employees? Give Overfishing a try\! [The Overfishing Discord server](https://discord.com/invite/pXHRffE) is a great place to start and find useful resources.
+
+## **Tableturf Battle**
+
+Although it’s not as widely acknowledged in the greater Splatoon community, Tableturf Battle still holds its place as a competitive area with a much heavier focus on strategy rather than individual skill or team dynamics. Build your deck into the best it can be and take on other passionate card game enthusiasts in a battle to claim the most space on the board\! Patience and careful decision making are your friends in setting yourself up for success and securing the victory. [The Tableturf Battle Server](https://discord.com/invite/fRT8ydhhxT) holds weekly events and has channels to discuss strategy, deck building, and get advice on your gameplay\! Additionally, if you’re not looking to play against other people, Tableturf also has its own speedrunning category if you’re just itching to show those NPCs who’s boss. You have no shortage of options to play your way, so don’t hesitate to pick up those cards and take on the competition if Tableturf strikes your fancy\!
+
+
+You can find informational videos on each of these game modes and their competitive circles on YouTube if you want to do more of your own research before taking the plunge. Most importantly, though, remember that Splatoon 3 is your oyster, and you can play however you want\! Whether you want to step into competitive play or keep a casual pace, you’ll make your own waves as long as you’re having fun along the way.  
+Have fun and happy splatting\!
+
+
+Original Posting Date: September 16, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by JessieJay.

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-na-lague-event-3-regular-1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+---
+title: "Splatoon 3 North American League Event #3 (Regular Season Week 1)"
+date: 2025-10-07
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-3-regular-season-week-1](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-3-regular-season-week-1)
+
+# **Splatoon 3 North American League Event \#3 (Regular Season Week 1\)**
+
+The Regular Season has begun for the Splatoon 3 North American League, starting on Saturday, October 4, 2025, lasting until November 22, 2025\. Points that teams earn based on their placement in the North American League will start to apply towards their eligibility for the Playoffs in December. Points earned in the Preseason do not count towards Playoff eligibility.
+
+## **The League Show Episode 3**
+
+The recap of last week’s bracket, taking up one third of episode 3’s total run time, included a nod to the many different ways that Splatoon can be enjoyed: while most competitive players prefer to play with a Pro Controller, Mellana had to give a shout-out to Adapt, FreeFlow’s teammate who plays in Handheld mode.
+
+Switching to silly time, the League Show brought in three more community members for trivia time\! Falco, Lily, and Chaedr were challenged to a set of Splatoon-related questions, and the winner was whoever reached five points first, which would end up being Chaedr. Questions–and answers–were:
+
+1. Who is the first rival you face in Tableturf Battle? (Baby Jelly)  
+2. What new ranked battle mode was introduced in Splatoon 2? (Clam Blitz)  
+3. What can Super Sea Snails be used for in Splatoon 3? (Multiple correct answers; re-rolling gear was the first answer given)  
+4. Name four seasonal Splatfests in Splatoon 3\. (Splatoween, Frosty Fest, Spring Fest, Summer Nights)  
+5. What is the relationship between Callie and Marie? (Cousins)  
+6. What exclamations can your Inkling (or Octoling) shout in Splatoon 3? (Booyah\!, This Way\!, and Ouch…)  
+7. What is the name of the rocket that appears in ‘Return of the Mammalians’? (The Spirit Lifter)  
+8. Which idol is a former member of the Octarian army? (Marina)
+
+After the trivia section, the baton was passed to Kbot and EE, for another community question segment. This time, the questions were asked at Riptide, to a handful of folks. Questions included, “Which idol group would you want to collab with the most?” and “What is your favorite thing about Splatoon?”, the latter, to which the overwhelming majority responded with “community”\!
+
+Next Zach opened up a segment of Shiny Tips\!, featuring game four of Winner’s Finals (Hypernova vs. FreeFlow at Tower Control Crableg Capital). Zach gave a play-by-play analysis of FreeFlow’s incredible tower push in overtime.
+
+The League Show concluded with a reminder of the dates for all upcoming events, including the League Show, NA League, Sunday Scrim, and Playoffs.
+
+## **Top 8 Bracket**
+<img width="1200" height="478" alt="nal_r1_ladder" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3c178276-fdaa-44f8-a4d7-bac35d385b55" />
+
+The hosts this time were Mellana, Falco, and Lily, and the spectator camera operator was Power. At the time of writing, the Top 8 stream has over 28,000 views\! The stream is almost five hours along; just under an hour longer than the first Preseason stream and about 20 minutes longer than last week’s stream.
+
+This week, the teams in Top 8 included:
+
+1. Five  
+2. Milky Way  
+3. Duck Motif  
+4. fofofo  
+5. Moonlight  
+6. Gourmet Race  
+7. Hypernova  
+8. Triggerfish Zones Supremacy (TZS)
+
+Duck Motif, TZS, and Hypernova are all teams who have previously been on Top 8 streams for the North American League.
+
+The first round, Winner’s Quarterfinals, would see these sets:
+
+- Five vs. TZS  
+- fofofo vs. Moonlight  
+- Milky Way vs. Hypernova  
+- Duck Motif vs. Gourmet Race
+
+And fofofo vs. Moonlight would be the first streamed set. If you plan on watching the replay, remember that the Splattercolor Screen is legal in this event.
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals: fofofo vs. Moonlight (2-3)**
+
+The Winner’s Quarterfinals between fofofo and Moonlight would open up to a game five set with all modes and all close games. As all other sets in this round would be decisively 3-0, they managed to pick the best set to stream\!
+
+For the first time in the NA League, the first game would be Tower Control instead of Splat Zones\! The map was MakoMart. Fofofo would take the lead from Moonlight with a minute and a half to go, and came out of overtime with the first victory of the set, 67-60. Next up was Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino. Fofofo was stopped short of a knockout just over a minute into the game, leaving their objective with just one tick to go\! Moonlight would make the same push, but since Splatoon favors the team that gets the score first, Moonlight’s Rainmaker was pulled back to 2 ticks; in overtime, the scores wouldn’t change, letting fofofo take their second victory in a row, 99-98.
+
+Turf War at Urchin Underpass saw Moonlight’s turf coverage in danger for a large part of the match, but as you can expect, the real game began in the last 30 seconds, and Moonlight clutched up for a 53.7% \- 42.7% win. Next, Splat Zones would make its entrance into the set at Undertow Spillway. As the clock read 2:47, the score heavily favored fofofo, and a fight broke out over a neutral zone, lasting 20 seconds. Fofofo won that fight, but Moonlight would end up with the lead with 19 seconds remaining, and the final score was 95-78.
+
+Game five–Clam Blitz was inevitable, and the map was Inkblot Art Academy. Both teams played slowly and safely; it would take almost three minutes for the first score of the game, which belonged to Moonlight. The situation was tense in the final 30 seconds, as fofofo had the basket open and were only two clams away from taking the lead, but the basket closed without any follow up, and Moonlight would win with a fantastic reverse-sweep set 3-2\! The final score of the Clam Blitz game was 62-30.
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals: Milky Way vs. Duck Motif (3-0)**
+
+The teams advancing to round 2 were Five vs. Moonlight, and Milky Way vs. Duck Motif. Fofofo vs. TZS and Gourmet Race vs. Hypernova would take place in the Loser’s Bracket. In this week’s Top 8 bracket, this set would be the only one to not repeat at a later time on stream; the rest of the sets would all be between teams who faced off against one another already in the bracket.
+
+Game one went to Splat Zones at Crableg Capital. Duck Motif took the zone first; by the end of the first minute, though, Milky Way had the lead and were burning through their objective fast. The game was over just after a minute and a half, ending in a rough knockout loss for Duck Motif. Tower Control at MakoMart would be next, and Duck Motif would be the team taking initiative to get points first. Two minutes into the match, Duck Motif went down three players, leading to Milky Way widening their lead. Duck Motif faced a team wipeout with two minutes remaining, and would lose the match, 11-60.
+
+Game three was Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins, and this time, Milky Way took the first points. They would try to use a Booyah Bomb for cover; Duck Motif’s Charger took a shot in the dark and incredibly found a pick. Three minutes on the clock, both teams down two players each, and Duck Motif tossed their first Power Clam into the basket. One minute later, it was back to Milky Way gaining points, but it would come at the cost of three players. Duck Motif would take their turn next with a bigger push, but get 3/4ths of their team splatted for it. The game would go to overtime and end 88-59, with Duck Motif going to the Loser’s Bracket.
+
+### **Winner’s Finals: Five vs Milky Way (3-1)**
+
+Pay close attention to this set, as we’ll be seeing plenty of repeats later down the road\! The loser of this set would be sent to the Loser’s Quarterfinals to face off against Hypernova; the other side of the Loser’s Quarterfinals would be between Duck Motif and fofofo.
+
+Game one, Splat Zones at Crableg Capital, saw 30 seconds pass by before anyone capped the zone for the first time, with that being broken by Milky Way. Five would take the zone during the next 30 seconds, and with three specials at the ready to defend their hold, they would be able to surpass Milky Way’s lead. The lead would certainly change hands a lot as these top-level teams clashed; going into the last 30 seconds, Milky Way made a push to 27-23. Just four seconds on the clock, and Five got a wipeout over Milky Way to cap off their 85-73 victory.
+
+Game two was Tower control at Undertow Spillway. Five jumped at the objective, already getting the tower on the move just 12 seconds into the match. Then at 30 seconds remaining, the action started heating up as Five threatened to take the lead from Milky Way. They would get wiped out just one point from tying the score, and took the game into overtime for just a heartbeat before the game ended, with Five’s score being 48-49. Nobody, not even the commentators, knew who won in overtime until Judd raised his flag for Milky Way.
+
+Game three at Rainmaker Humpback Pump Track started off on the wrong foot for Milky Way, in a technical sense: Jared would get disconnected 17 seconds into the game, forcing a replay, as one minute had not passed yet, making the replay eligible. Game 3.5 would see a strong start from Five, with an Ink Vac to power a push all the way to 40 just about 30 seconds in. The game would see some back-and-forth wipeouts; first on Five, then Milky Way, and again on Five with just fifteen seconds left on the clock, but the setbacks wouldn’t stop Five from taking the win, 84-63.
+
+Game four, Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino, would see Milky Way taking a delayed team wipe in exchange for their first Power Clam into the basket. They would soon make another push, bringing the score to 52-100, which would stay for a few minutes as the teams battled back and forth, until Five would get their own Power Clam into the basket. Ten seconds before the timer ran out, and Five broke open the basket again. Using Triple Inkstrikes to guard their advance, they were able to take the lead right as overtime began\! With a final score of 51-48, Five earned their way into Grand Finals and sent Milky Way into the Loser’s Bracket.
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: fofofo vs. Moonlight (2-3) (again)**
+
+It’s fofofo vs. Moonlight, again\! Get used to this pattern; there will be plenty of repeats as the Top 8 stream continues\! Fofofo, having gone 3-0 against Duck Motif in Loser’s Quarterfinals, would be going for the revenge match against Moonlight, who won 3-1 over Hypernova.
+
+The first game, Tower Control at MakoMart… Again\! This was also the map/mode in game one of Winner’s Quarterfinals between these two. The commentators would be up in delight over Basil’s E-liter 4K. And how could you blame them; an E-liter 4K getting a triple–two with one shot–in overtime and winning 63-58 while Moonlight was down one player due to a last-second disconnection is the definition of a “clutch moment”. The next game, Turf War at Um’ami Ruins, was just as close. Last week’s closest Turf War win of just 1.4% has been beaten, for a new record closest win, by just 1.2%\! Moonlight would be the team now holding that new record with their 49.8% \- 48.6% win.
+
+Game three, Clam Blitz at Urchin Underpass, was all fofofo; they were the only team to get any points until Moonlight finally scored with just 30 seconds in the match. Without time on their side, and in overtime, Moonlight would get close, but the victory would go to fofofo, 54-50. Game four would be Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino once more. Moonlight’s initial push to the first checkpoint would be the only score for about two minutes, until fofofo brought their Rainmaker to a near tie. They would inch further forward, enough to secure a lead and a 53-40 win.
+
+Another game five for these teams, ending on Splat Zones at Inkblot Art Academy. Fofofo would start with a great lead, ending at 46 points remaining to knock out. They would then go down three players, enabling Moonlight to begin their own push, which saw them take the lead. Moonlight’s score would be halted with ten points left to go; less than half of the clock remained, and fofofo would be on track to pass Moonlight’s lead. After a 20-second firefight, Moonlight was able to take possession, which they would hold all the way to a knockout victory with just over a minute to spare.
+
+### **Loser’s Finals: Milky Way vs. Moonlight (3-0)**
+
+Moonlight advanced to meet Milky Way in Loser’s Finals, to determine who would take the stage in Grand Finals. For the second time in a row, Moonlight’s game one would be Tower Control at MakoMart. After a series of small pushes, they would have the tower at the first checkpoint by the end of the first minute. Milky Way would get through the first checkpoint, but not much further, and the score would sit in place until halfway through the match. Moonlight would get through their first checkpoint, but not as far as their opponent, and once more Milky Way got the tower moving, ending the match with a score of 58-33.
+
+Game two was at Splat Zones Inkblot Art Academy, which once again, Moonlight was coming off the heels of. While the zone would be Milky Way’s at the end of the first minute, Moonlight had the 60-80 lead. Much would look the same one minute later, except Moonlight’s lead was now 23-80. Milky Way would win a 15-second neutral zone fight and take the lead with just over two minutes left. Their control would end in a wipeout as Moonlight’s Kraken Royale shredded through Milky Way’s Crab Tank. Both teams fought fiercely in overtime; Moonlight couldn’t take the zone after ten seconds of it being neutral, and overtime ended for them 84-97.
+
+Game three went to Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino. It would take about a minute and a half for the first points to be scored, this time by Milky Way, with two Power Clams and a handful of smaller ones into the basket. Going into the last minute, Moonlight would have 22 clams shared by their players compared to Milky Way’s zero, but it would still take them ten seconds into overtime to finally make their first move, however, just shy of Milky Way’s score, 41-55. Milky Way would now go to Grand Finals for another try at Five.
+
+### **Grand Finals: Five vs. Milky Way (1-3)**
+
+Grand Finals would finally kick off, Five coming from the Winner’s bracket, and Milky Way from the Loser’s bracket, with one hour and some minutes left in the stream. Get ready for some repeats and rematches, as this one went on for a while\!
+
+Reminiscent of Winner’s Finals, game one went to Splat Zones at Crableg Capital. The first minute would end with Milky Way at a 70-point lead already. After another minute, the situation was much more dire for Five, with the scoreboard 81-9. Milky Way having a Splattershot Pro and Splat Dualies meant a plethora of Crab Tanks, boosted by Five also having Splat Dualies. Crab Tank vs. Crab Tank 1v1, and Five took the win. It wouldn’t win Five the match, and they would lose in a knockout.
+
+Next was Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy. Milky Way had the tower by the time one minute had passed, but Five was sitting at a pretty solid spot, having taken the tower to their second checkpoint. Milky Way’s push ended up only being one point, and then Five was back to riding the tower to the second checkpoint. Under a minute now, and Milky Way would finally add more than one point to their name, but not get past the first checkpoint, and would get wiped out by Five as the game closed, with Five winning 47-23.
+
+Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino opened up to an explosion as Five took their first checkpoint at the 30 second mark: Five would get wiped out, but a parting Ink Vac shot took down two members of Milky Way. As everyone respawned, again the field would be leveled with two players down on Milky Way’s side and three down on Five. The numbers advantage would see Milky Way tie the score as both teams passed the first checkpoint. Neither team would get too far past the other; even in overtime, Five’s final push was short of matching Milky Way’s, ending the game at a close 63-64 for Five.
+
+Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins set the stage for the final match of Grand Finals. It would be a slow, stalemate-y one as teams skirmished in the middle of the map, never getting far enough to score. Fortunately Five was able to toss in a Power Clam as the clock reached a minute and a half remaining. The game would reach overtime, and Milky Way was able to take a quick lead, ending the game with a score of 23-20, and bringing the stream to a Grand Finals Reset.
+
+### **Grand Finals Reset: Five vs. Milky Way (1-3) (again)**
+
+Going into the Grand Finals Reset was the third time Five would face Milky Way on stream. As far as maps and modes were concerned, nothing new would rear its head as all of the map and mode combinations chosen were previously played between these teams. Twelve matches between all of the sets these two teams played, and Turf War would not be in any of them\!
+
+The first runback was to Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino, first played in Winner’s Finals game four. As Milky Way went on to score the first points in the match, at about the three minute mark, disaster struck as Queue disconnected; as two minutes had already passed, the disconnection was not eligible for a replay, so Milky Way was stuck playing the rest of the match as a 3v4. In one 23-second push, Five was able to take their score from 100 to a knockout victory\!
+
+The second–no, *third* repeat was to Splat Zones at Crableg Capital, which was game one of both Winner’s Finals and Grand Finals. Five would open with a very comfortable push, all the way to 18 points remaining to win about a minute and 45 seconds into the match. Milky Way had a low penalty and was able to chip away at their objective and would take the lead–and a knockout–as the clock reached its halfway point. Knockout for knockout, the Grand Finals Reset was now tied 1-1.
+
+Rainmaker at Humpback Pump Track, from game three in Winner’s Finals, was next. It took a minute and a half for the first team–Milky Way–to clear the first checkpoint. At about the halfway point, both teams would have another specials showdown; Triple Inkstrikes vs. Triple Inkstrikes to protect the Rainmaker. Five would win the face-off and get a triple over Milky Way, giving them the opportunity to pass their first checkpoint and move it enough to take a two-point lead. With a minute and a half remaining, Milky Way took a slightly bigger lead, 52-58, over Five, which would hold them to the end.
+
+Both teams returned to the setting of Grand Finals’ game two, Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy. The tower moved a lot in the first minute, but looking at the 82-92 score favoring Milky Way wouldn’t give that impression. Five passed the first checkpoint, and their momentum got them to a nice 28-82 score with just under three minutes left in the game. Five would go down two players and let Milky Way pass their first checkpoint, and again through the second, and with one minute to go, a triple on Five saw Milky Way take the third checkpoint and the lead, ultimately to a final score of 90-72.
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="nal_r1_bracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/575f0c63-d51c-4a19-a76c-8bab494d6291" />
+
+
+The first week of the Regular Season saw an influx of top level teams and Preseason teams returning to the official Nintendo stream for their shot at points toward eligibility for the Playoffs in December. How many will make it back to the Top 8 next week?
+
+Original Posting Date: October 7, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-na-league-event-1-preseason-1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+---
+title: "Splatoon 3 North American League Event #2 (Preseason Week 2)"
+date: 2025-09-30
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-2-preseason-week-2](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-2-preseason-week-2)
+
+# **Splatoon 3 North American League Event \#2 (Preseason Week 2\)**
+
+Saturday, September 27, 2025 saw the second stream for the Splatoon 3 North American League, the final of two Preseason events. Starting next week, the training wheels come off, and final results will matter towards determining a team’s eligibility for the Splatoon 3 North American League Playoffs in December. Only the five highest scores will count towards that eligibility, so if a team doesn’t perform their best in the first Regular Season event, there will be seven others to aim higher in\! 
+
+## **The League Show Episode 2**
+
+The NA League stream was preceded by the second Splatoon 3 North American League Show episode. This episode was slightly longer than the first episode, close to 30 minutes long. The episode began by recapping the Top 8 bracket from the first Preseason stream and highlighting key players and plays that would make-or-break a match. This segment concluded with showing the current team standings, with Duck Motif in first place with 100 points, and Triggerfish Zones Supremacy (TZS) right behind them in second place, with 95 points. 
+
+The next segment featured a handful of community figures: Cyren, Sapph, Popgun, and Falco. These four were split into groups, consisting of Cyren and Sapph vs. Popgun and Falco, and were faced with guessing a mystery weapon without being able to see what it looked like. The only clue given was what sound the weapon made… provided by the second teammate making that sound with their mouth. It was a silly segment for certain; the mystery weapons were the L-3 Nozzlenose, Tri-Slosher, E-Liter 4K, Glooga Dualies, Bloblobber, Hydra Splatling, Tenta Brella, and Splatana Wiper. An interesting facet of this challenge is that the guesser had to say the full name of the weapon, not just an abbreviation–“E-liter” did not count; the correct answer was “E-liter 4K”. Popgun and Falco won the game, finishing their guessing gauntlet one minute faster than Cyren and Sapph with the same score of 6/8 correct guesses. 
+
+Afterward, Mellana and her team of Nox, Magic, and Vicvillon showed teamwork making the Grizzco dream work in Salmon Run, talking the viewer through an entire Salmon Run shift (minus a visit from any King Salmonids). The Salmon Run segment explained Known Occurrences and tide shifts and showed off how high-level Salmon Runners cooperate to not just survive, but surpass the quota of Golden Eggs. 
+
+Following the Salmon Run showcase, Zach explained the process of how to register for a Sunday Scrim to surprise guest EE, a very well-known commentator in the *Super Smash Bros.* community. One important takeaway from this segment that hasn’t been discussed previously is that participation for the Sunday Scrim is based on a lottery system: signing up isn’t enough; you have to be selected for the chance to participate. Anyone can sign up to play, whether you’re on your own, with a friend, two friends, or a team of four, but actually getting to partake will depend on your luck. 
+
+The League Show concluded with a reminder of the dates for all upcoming events, including the League Show, NA League, Sunday Scrim, and Playoffs. 
+
+## **Top 8 Bracket**
+
+<img width="1536" height="722" alt="nal_p2_ladder" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/03ddf686-fdb1-41db-a44b-ebb4ff83b532" />
+
+
+The Top 8 stream is proving to be a huge turnout around the world–one week after the first Preseason stream, and the video on Nintendo’s YouTube channel already has over 52,000 views. Within an hour of the second Preseason Top 8 stream, the video garnered close to 20,000 views. Compared to last week, the Top 8 stream’s runtime for Preseason Event \#2’s was just over 30 minutes longer than the previous week. 
+
+This week, the Top 8 Bracket featured no returning teams from last week’s Top 8 stream. However, Xiphias, one team who was in last week’s stream came close, reaching 10th in this Preseason event. The top teams this week were: 
+
+1. Hypernova  
+2. FreeFlow  
+3. Chef Lugoli  
+4. N-ZAAP\!  
+5. FOAMS NA  
+6. Rotten Potato  
+7. DPS Mostly  
+8. Refine
+
+Hypernova and FreeFlow are very recognizable top-level teams: both qualified and participated for the prestigious Splat World Series tournament in August 2025\. 
+
+The stream opened up to some new faces; Nine was still present and acting as the host, but Jordan, Zach, and “Big Money” Mellana were not for the first time. Nine was joined by Nox and Rissa, who all explained important dates to look out for, the rules of the tournament, eligible maps and modes, and the first bracket, beginning with Winner’s Quarterfinals, which looked like so: 
+
+- Hypernova vs. Freedom  
+- N-ZAAP\! vs. FOAMS NA  
+- FreeFlow vs. Refine  
+- Chef Lugoli vs. DPS Mostly
+
+N-ZAAP\! vs. FOAMS NA would be the first set of the event, and the hosts shared their thoughts and experience with the teams on display, and the mode and map (the classic Splat Zones on Mako Mart combo) that would be up. Opening up to the first match, we were given credits to Piko, the stream’s spectator camera operator. Thanks for your hard work, Piko\! 
+
+As a reminder, the Splattercolor Screen is legal in this event, and it is featured heavily in this week’s stream, so if you have sensitivity to its visual effects, please take caution while viewing replays. 
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals: N-ZAAP\! vs. FOAMS NA (1-3)**
+
+The first match of the second Splatoon 3 North American League Top 8 Bracket, and what a pulse-pounding game\! Starting on Splat Zones at Mako Mart, the match opened to show an uncommon weapon composition on the side of FOAMS NA, with the Range Blaster, Colorz Aerospray, N-ZAP ‘85, and Order Roller. N-ZAAP\! almost had an early knockout with about a minute and a half left in the match, but FOAMS NA forced their opponent out of the zone to retake it while N-ZAAP\! had just two points left to win. At 30 seconds remaining, N-ZAAP\! would return the favor and steal the zone when FOAMS NA was one point from taking the lead. FOAMS NA had possession of the zone when the game went into overtime, and capitalizing on a numbers advantage led them to their first victory, 99-98\! 
+
+Another classic mode/map combination, Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy, was the scene for the second match. N-ZAAP\! was fairly dominant the entire match, barely yielding to FOAMS NA until a minute and a half left in the game, where FOAMS NA was able to take the lead and grow a sizable 30-point gap between the scores. At a critical point for N-ZAAP\!, they were able to get a wipeout with 21 seconds remaining to aid their final push of the game. The match would go into overtime, the tower slowly moving towards the lead, and a triple on FOAMS NA would let N-ZAAP\! repay their opponent once again and slide past them in overtime to win the game, 80-79. 
+
+Rainmaker Humpback Pump Track was up next. N-ZAAP\!’s Pezpop\! would be popping the Kraken Royale every time the Rainmaker approached. FOAMS NA’s BOWLING\!\!\! would treat viewers to a spectacle of movement, dodging the Kraken Royale around the pedestal while carrying the Rainmaker. Despite the Kraken Royale’s presence–as solid of a defense as it is–FOAMS NA would win 59-40. The final match in the set would be Turf War at Museum d’Alfonsino. Finally, we would see some significant weapon changes, with N-ZAAP\! pulling out the REEF-LUX 450 and Octobrush Nouveau, and FOAMS NA bringing out a Sploosh-o-matic. In the closest Turf War match yet, the final score would be 45.6% to 44.2%, favoring FOAMS NA, and seeing them advance to Winner’s Semifinals, while N-ZAAP\! would be sent to the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals: FreeFlow vs. Chef Lugoli (3-2)**
+
+To quote Nine following the end of Winner’s Quarterfinals, “We watched the only 3-1 set, folks”. The other sets all ended in a score of 3-0, with Hypernova vs. FOAMS NA and FreeFlow vs. Chef Lugoli being the two sets of the Semifinals. N-ZAAP\!, Rotten Potato, DPS Mostly, and Refine would be facing one another in the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+The second set would kickoff with Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino. Before the first minute was up, FreeFlow would have an early 62-100 lead over Chef Lugoli, and held onto this scoreboard until two minutes remaining. In their first push of the game, Chef Lugoli would dunk three Power Clams into the basket and abruptly steal the lead from FreeFlow. FreeFlow would get a wipeout on Chef Lugoli, but with the score now 40-62 favoring Chef Lugoli, the damage was done. It was now on FreeFlow to make a clutch play, and did they deliver in the final 30 seconds, by stealing the lead with a single clam thrown into the basket in the very last tick it remained open\! FreeFlow’s Len., a shark in the chaotic waters of overtime, got a triple on Chef Lugoli and circled their dropped Power Clam as the seconds ticked down to FreeFlow’s 63-60 victory. 
+
+Game two… A lot to say about game two\! Tower Control at Hagglefish Market, starting off quite unusually, and only getting weirder from there. FreeFlow, within the first half of the game, got wiped out three times. With two minutes remaining, a major disconnection occurred, where two members of FreeFlow and one member of Chef Lugoli DC’d. Despite the NA League’s rulebook stating that matches could only be replayed if the DC occurred in the first minute of the game, the Tournament Admin waived the rule and the match was replayed. In the runback, it was still clearly evident that several players were experiencing lag during the match, but everyone stayed intact until 15 seconds remained, where the same players disconnected. The match couldn’t be restarted, and now Chef Lugoli had the 3v2 advantage going into overtime. Although they were not in the lead, they caught up quickly thanks to their numbers. Len., however, would toss that “gg special” Booyah Bomb onto the tower to give JJaeigh the opportunity to steal the 2v3 win over Chef Lugoli, 55-52. 
+
+Splat Zones at Crableg Capital–don’t blink or you’ll miss the lead changes in this game, from FreeFlow, to Chef Lugoli, back and forth. Triple Inkstrikes and Booyah Bombs would be the stars in retaking and holding the zone. Chef Lugoli, holding strong onto a lead with 22 points to go, would stop FreeFlow, at 23 points remaining, from passing their score with a clutch zone flip. FreeFlow wouldn’t advance further in the match, and Chef Lugoli would win their first game of the set in a knockout. Chef Lugoli would run into game four–Rainmaker at Inkblot Art Academy–with full steam after their victory, and give FreeFlow a tough climb. If an early push to 25 wasn’t enough for FreeFlow to worry about their opponent having, it would quickly worsen as Makoto snuck behind enemy lines after they left the Rainmaker unattended, bringing Chef Lugoli’s lead to 18 remaining. Twelve seconds left in the match, and Chef Lugoli would secure a wipeout over FreeFlow and once again win, with a match score of 82-45. Onto game five\! 
+
+Trust a Turf War match to shake up a team’s weapon composition–every member of FreeFlow swapped to something new, accommodating a new heavily-painting main weapon in the REEF-LUX 450 MIL-K. Chef Lugoli would see two new weapon swaps, to a Splash-o-matic, and Bamboozler 14 Mk II, which REDRUM was well-renowned for in the past. While the lead at Urchin Underpass was shaky for both teams, JJaeigh would tunnel-vision on one goal: getting into the enemy base and causing as much havoc as possible. Multiple times, JJaeigh had snuck across the map and painted Chef Lugoli’s spawn yellow, forcing them to waste precious time painting over it. This would be instrumental in FreeFlow securing the final win of the set, 54.2% to 39.0%\! 
+
+### **Winner’s Finals: Hypernova vs. FreeFlow (2-3)**
+
+Hypernova would win 3-0 over FOAMS NA to meet FreeFlow in the Winner’s Finals. In the Loser’s Bracket, Chef Lugoli would be facing N-ZAAP\! and FOAMS NA would be seeing Refine. The two titans of this week’s Top 8, Hypernova and FreeFlow, would be an interesting set, with Hypernova fielding two relatively new additions (Captain Happy and Fishy), and FreeFlow’s “you never know what they’re going to pull out” playstyle wanting to favor the recently-buffed Sorella Brella.  
+
+To start, the game would take place on Splat Zones at Undertow Spillway. Things would initially look bad for Hypernova as FreeFlow cruised their way from 100 to 37 points on their scoreboard within the first minute of the game. The next three and a half minutes would see Hypernova slowly warm up and get the ground beneath their feet–with 30 seconds remaining, they would take the lead from FreeFlow for the first time, and not done yet, would even take the knockout victory with just five seconds on the clock. 
+
+For the second time in a row, Turf War at Urchin Underpass was chosen. Immediately, FreeFlow would get a triple on Hypernova, giving Len. and JJaeigh free reign to start living in Hypernova’s walls and covering the flank routes. JJaeigh, whose sole goal in Turf War seemed to be sneaking into the enemy spawn to cause as much disaster as possible, was on Hypernova’s side of the map more than FreeFlow’s. With less than one minute remaining, those distraction tactics would see all four members of Hypernova dogpiling to take out JJaeigh. This would lead to Hypernova finally pushing past the midpoint of the map to take the lead, snowballing into a triple on FreeFlow in the final 20 seconds of the game, and a Hypernova win, 50.7% to 44.4%. 
+
+Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins, a third match in a row where Hypernova began on the wrong foot. Between going down three players in the first 30 seconds, to being down 100 \- 41 by the end of the first minute, it was only a matter of time before Hypernova couldn’t recover from their opening struggles. Although they did manage one push to get close to FreeFlow’s score, with 11 seconds remaining, FreeFlow ended the game in a knockout victory for themselves and gave Hypernova their first game loss in the Top 8\. 
+
+Game four (Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy) can be summed up with two quotes from the hosts: 
+
+1. “I mean, FreeFlow, honestly, kind of needs to force a miracle \[...\]” (Nox)  
+2. “One of the most miraculous games of Splatoon I’ve EVER seen\!” (Nine)
+
+Hypernova began game four with the opening they’ve needed this entire set, managing to get through the second checkpoint in under one minute; their opening push ended with them needing 26 points to win. They would push the tower as far as 12 points to win, which sounded like it should have been a safe lead. However, in Splatoon, there is no such thing as a “safe lead”. Going into the final seconds of the match, FreeFlow had possession of the tower, which was halfway into their own spawn, and they needed to bring it across the entire map without Hypernova touching it once. 
+
+And they did it. 
+
+In overtime, JJaeigh and Cakes started on the tower, with Len. and Adapt regrouping to refresh with the Tacticooler. A Splattercolor Screen was tossed, blocking Hypernova’s view from their platform while the tower crossed the grates area. Hypernova brought out a Crab Tank, which was quickly neutralized by a Booyah Bomb. Hypernova threw Triple Inkstrikes at the tower after the second checkpoint was cleared, but no one was close enough to claim the tower while FreeFlow retreated. A Booyah Bomb took out three members of FreeFlow, and HENLO–one of two members left active on Hypernova’s side–hopped on the tower to fight JJaeigh for control. 
+
+Just 9 more points for FreeFlow to retake the lead in overtime. 
+
+JJaeigh took out HENLO, but Fishy quickly replaced HENLO to contest JJaeigh, Sorella Brella vs. Heavy Edit Splatling. Fishy went down, and Cakes joined JJaeigh on the tower. The tower sat long enough at the third checkpoint for FreeFlow to claim a hard, well-played victory over Hypernova, after nearly one minute of overtime\! With that victory, the set was tied 2-2, and it was time for another game five\! 
+
+The final pick was to Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino. FreeFlow already broke through the first checkpoint 30 seconds into the game, and pushed further to 27 points to go to knock out by the end of the first minute. A double splat enabled Hypernova to get their first checkpoint not too long afterward. Captain Happy tried to take a leap off the top grates of FreeFlow’s spinner, but got caught by the tail end of a Booyah Bomb, leaving the Rainmaker on the spinner grates, and Hypernova’s push just shy of the lead, 34-27, with two minutes to go. FreeFlow held their lead steady, splatting Hypernova’s Rainmaker carrier right as the final second ticked down, earning them a win 73-66, a reverse-sweep upset over seed \#1, and a spot in the Grand Finals set\! After two rigorous game five sets, FreeFlow deserved their break. 
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: Chef Lugoli vs. FOAMS NA (3-1)**
+
+Chef Lugoli and FOAMS NA both won over their Loser’s Quarterfinals opponents 3-1, and would now be seeing one another in the Semifinals to determine who would face Hypernova up next. Chef Lugoli would see a player substitute, with Creed Edit (Splatana player) being replaced by Ballóòn (N-ZAP player). 
+
+Starting on Tower Control at Mako Mart, FOAMS NA, with their unconventional double blaster (S-BLAST ‘91 and Range Blaster) \+ Colorz Aerospray \+ N-ZAP ‘85 composition, would take the immediate advantage by getting a wipeout over Chef Lugoli. Aside from their weapon composition, they would also deploy stall tactics, hurling bomb after bomb at the tower while it tried to pass by that raised platform in the enemy’s spawn. As unorthodox as FOAMS NA’s game was, it proved effective in earning them a 70-65 win for the first match of Loser’s Semifinals. 
+
+Game two was a Turf War at Um’ami Ruins. Unsurprisingly, both teams brought out a Splash-o-matic, with Chef Lugoli bolstering their inking power by adding a REEF-LUX 450 to the roster. It was anyone’s game for the first two minutes; even going into the final minute, there was no clear lead. As the game closed, players were scattered across the map and in one another’s spawn. Judd’s verdict was 46.4% to 43.9%, to Chef Lugoli\! Into game three, Chef Lugoli continued their win streak. It was their game from the first minute, where they got the first checkpoint, when they wiped out FOAMS NA with three and a half minutes on the clock, and when they knocked out their opponent for the win just 30 seconds later. There was a tense moment when they took the Rainmaker up the precarious left side; the carrier tried to squid roll behind the last checkpoint but instead got splatted by the Splattercolor Screen, but teamwork made their dream work\! 
+
+The final match of the Loser’s Semifinals was Splat Zones at Urchin Underpass. The first minute went quite neutrally, with both teams making small headway toward their objective. FOAMS NA would be the first to break away and climb ahead, but a critical triple from Ori\_ gave Chef Lugoli control of the zone. They held the zone through a small handful of penalty points, and drove their score down to zero, even getting a last-second wipeout over FOAMS NA before the knockout win was declared. Chef Lugoli would now go and face Hypernova in the Loser’s Finals. 
+
+### **Loser’s Finals: Hypernova vs. Chef Lugoli (3-0)**
+
+And now, what may be the penultimate set in the Top 8 stream: Hypernova vs. Chef Lugoli, with a chance at redemption against FreeFlow during Grand Finals on the line. 
+
+Hypernova in game one–Splat Zones at Crableg Capital–took an aggressive opening and earned a strong lead, only giving Chef Lugoli points toward their objective in bite-sized pieces. Ultimately, Chef Lugoli’s main downfall in the match was their inability to outpaint Hypernova. With a minute and 43 seconds left before the clock ran out, Hypernova reached zero on their objective and knocked out Chef Lugoli. 
+
+Into Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway, Hypernova would see Synapse switch to Dapple Dualies Nouveau and Fishy switch to the Zink Mini Splatling, but these major changes wouldn’t impact their dominating performance. Chef Lugoli capitalized on Hypernova’s right-side focus of the map to sneak to the right and take the first checkpoint. Hypernova would take their first checkpoint on the right, and by the halfway point on the clock, have their Rainmaker all the way at 18 points to go. Although it wasn’t a knockout, Hypernova would still win soundly, 82-44. 
+
+Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino was the combination for game three. It was a very slow match; the first points weren’t scored until halfway through the match timer, with Hypernova making their first–and only–push to take their score from 100 to 54\. The remainder of the game up until overtime was Hypernova playing hyper defense, not allowing any member of Chef Lugoli to advance past the spinner on their platform. Chef Lugoli had no problem collecting Power Clams; they just had no answer to Hypernova’s barricade. In overtime, the score was still 54-100 favoring Hypernova, but two jump-ins from Chef Lugoli brought that score to 54-60. Unfortunately, Chef Lugoli wouldn’t be able to close the distance after getting wiped out, and Hypernova won the match 46-40, and the set 3-0. 
+
+### **Grand Finals: FreeFlow vs. Hypernova (0-3)**
+
+Hypernova, seed \#1, having made quick work of their opponent in Loser’s Finals, was ready for the runback against FreeFlow, seed \#2 of the tournament, and prove that their earlier upset was a one-time feat. 
+
+Going into the first game, Splat Zones at Undertow Spillway, there weren’t any surprises in store from either teams about which weapons they picked. Hypernova took the first lead, holding the zone for about a minute before FreeFlow was able to take it long enough to grab a few points for themselves, then lose control. Since both zones at Undertow Spillway are small enough to neutralize by a Snipewriter 5H alone (which both teams had), Hypernova’s holds had to come by taking a forward position on FreeFlow’s side of the map and keeping their defense on lockdown. FreeFlow would be able to slip through on occasion; though during one of their zone possessions they did end up getting wiped out, giving Hypernova the chance to increase their lead even further, and ultimately win 87-38. 
+
+The last time Hypernova and FreeFlow played Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins, FreeFlow ended up with a knockout over Hypernova. This game was the opposite of that right from the get-go, as it took over a minute for either team to score at all. Hypernova would have three players go down, but someone was able to sneak past FreeFlow to put the first points on the board. FreeFlow would take the lead from Hypernova during their first push halfway through the game, and would also go down three players for the effort. One minute and 30 seconds remained, and Hypernova took the lead back. They would begin to slowly creep closer to an early win. Beating the clock timer and the basket timer, Captain Happy would score the final clam in the basket to deliver Hypernova a knockout victory with six seconds before they would have won anyway. 
+
+A major turning point for Grand Finals was decided with Rainmaker at Urchin Underpass. Interestingly, JJaeigh pulled out a Mint Decavitator of their own, for the first time in the entire Top 8 stream. This wouldn’t mean JJaeigh stopped doing their due diligence of causing chaos in Hypernova’s walls. Captain Happy would take the first checkpoint for Hypernova within the first 45 seconds, while in the background everyone else was fighting just beyond the pedestal. Hypernova would take this push further, but not far enough to stop FreeFlow from surpassing that lead about a minute and a half into the game. Just 30 seconds later, and Hypernova was back in the lead, and this time feeling comfortable enough with the score 28-47, they switched to playing defense. Hypernova successfully defended their lead and won the match, 72-53. They also won the Grand Finals, 3-0\! 
+
+…But that doesn’t mean they’ve won the tournament yet, either. Since Hypernova was coming from the Loser’s Bracket, that means the Splatoon 3 North American League was seeing its first bracket reset\! 
+
+### **Grand Finals Reset: FreeFlow vs. Hypernova (0-3)**
+
+The true final boss of any tournament: the bracket reset. As if winning in Grand Finals wasn’t physically, mentally, and emotionally draining enough as the underdog, there exists a sequel\! FreeFlow had to fight hard to win against Hypernova in the Winner’s Finals, and coming out of an 0-3 shutout in Grand Finals, they would have to be flashier, faster, and more locked-in than ever before. 
+
+If a bracket reset is the sequel to Grand Finals, then it’s only fitting that we would see Urchin Underpass back-to-back, this time with Splat Zones in the Urchin sequel. Again, JJaeigh switched to a weapon we hadn’t seen them play yet in this tournament, the Cometz Octobrush, in addition to Len. switching to the Blaster instead of S-BLAST ‘91. FreeFlow took a very solid lead in their opening push, down to just 20 points remaining, which would be their last push of the game. Would it be far enough to stop Hypernova? At about 3:20 on the match clock, Hypernova brought their points down to 50, with the scoreboard now 50-20. This score would remain for two minutes as teams went back and forth with zone possession, only burning through their penalties but never enough to start earning points again. Ten seconds left in the match, and Hypernova would take the lead and hold onto it–no overtime needed–for the first bracket reset win, 96-80. 
+
+Game two was played in Clam Blitz mode at Undertow Spillway. We did see some more changes from FreeFlow’s team, weapon-wise, but perhaps the most baffling was Adapt bringing in the Sloshing Machine. The inclusion of a weapon so rarely seen in top-level play today didn’t break Hypernova’s stride; their first push brought them from 100 to just 26 in the first minute of the game. FreeFlow would try to make a comeback from that, and made a significant dent in Hypernova’s lead, but the match was already over at exactly three minutes left: Hypernova had knocked out their opponent to win. 
+
+Game three, a common sight: Rainmaker at Humpback Pump Track, where anything can happen\! For this fight, everyone would go back to the weapon that they felt most comfortable with. Captain Happy would, again, take the first checkpoint for Hypernova, within the first 45 seconds. Again, it would take some time, but a triple taking down Hypernova’s players allowed FreeFlow to even the score and get their own first checkpoint. Things would remain at a stalemate for a while, but FreeFlow would get the lead with under two minutes remaining. Just 40 seconds to go, and Hypernova’s Rainmaker would be stopped with just one point left\! The delay didn’t stop them for long, and Hypernova would once again knock out FreeFlow, in the final match of the Grand Finals Reset, for a double shutout, 3-0. Winning six matches in a row against a team like FreeFlow was no easy feat. 
+
+<img width="1919" height="1079" alt="nal_p2_bracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e7729502-98be-4240-9bbf-e3d4bcb98075" />
+
+
+The Top 8 stream concluded with another rundown of what each event would have in store and when those events will take place. If this week’s action wasn’t hot enough, next week promises to raise the stakes, with scores now counting towards NA League Playoffs, attracting tougher opponents. Perhaps the most thrilling part of this entire event is the number of players, both new, current, and returning from retirement who plan on participating\! It will certainly shake up the mainstays in usual competitive play, and what an exciting thing to see livestreamed\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: September 30, 2025 
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-na-league-event-10-regular-8.md

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+---
+title: "Splatoon 3 North American League Event #10 (Regular Season Week 8)"
+date: 2025-11-25
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="splatoon-3-na-league-event-10-regular-8" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0f6cd837-9bdd-4407-b6ed-8fe5e642ee1e" />
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-10-regular-season-week-8](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-10-regular-season-week-8) 
+
+# **Splatoon 3 North American League Event \#10 (Regular Season Week 8\)**
+
+This week is the “Now or Never\!” for teams as the final stream for the 2025 Splatoon 3 North American League is at hand. The eight teams with the highest season standing, calculated by the five best weeks of play in the ten-week League, will be eligible for the Playoffs, taking place in December. Who made it in?
+
+## **The League Show Episode 10**
+
+This week’s Splatoon 3 North American League Show was also the last, as Jordan confirmed that there would not be one for the Playoffs. Jordan and Zach wasted no time getting into the highlights from last week, then diving into the season standings. In the top spots were FTWin, fofofo, Milky Way, and Moonlight, all at least 35 points ahead of the rest of the competition.
+
+Jordan, Zach, Nine, and Mellana, the original hosts of the first League Show episode, who have been along with us the entire journey, came together to share speculation on which teams to watch out for, who they think will win, and who will take the final spots in the Playoffs’ Top 8\.
+
+That was followed up by some non-Splatoon action, with all four hosts playing Mario Kart World and participating in a Knockout Tour, which Mellana took home the crown for. Zach hosted a final segment of Shiny Tips, covering last week’s Grand Finals game five, Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino, between FTWin and Milky Way. The episode concluded with a reminder of the last Sunday Scrim and the dates for the Playoffs, and an expression of gratitude for the hosts, players, fans, and community members who made the Splatoon 3 North American League the wonderful event that it was\!
+
+## **Top 8 Bracket**
+<img width="1200" height="554" alt="nal_r8_ladder" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/dce56fa2-f896-4eab-b164-44fa1e6460b4" />
+
+The set of casters to close out the final Top 8 action of the League included Zach, Kbot, and Rissa, and CzarDB was on the spectator camera. This week’s stream was quite short, at less than three and a half hours, likely due to how many 3-0 sets we had\! The teams on stream this week were:
+
+1. Gourmet Race  
+2. Milky Way  
+3. BEt  
+4. Carmel  
+5. Duck Motif  
+6. healthy diet food groups  
+7. fofofo  
+8. Sunset
+
+Despite this being the last event, we still saw a Top 8 newcomer in Carmel, who put up quite the fight in the Ladder round, finding victory over Milky Way to make their way into the fourth seed this week.
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals: BEt vs. healthy diet food groups (3-2)**
+
+The Winner’s Quarterfinals kicked off with BEt vs. healthy diet food groups. If healthy diet food groups won this set, the points they earned would be enough to guarantee themselves the 8th spot in the Playoffs. If they floundered, they had competition in Sunset, who also had an opportunity–albeit a very steep one–to take that 8th spot for themselves.
+
+Rainmaker at Inkblot Art Academy started the show and healthy diet food groups wasn’t waiting for closed doors to open. They dunked the Rainmaker into the first checkpoint 40 seconds in\! BEt used an Ink Vac to get the checkpoint; the explosion popped the shield quickly and they took a narrow lead. Healthy diet food groups was back in the lead one minute later, and the game’s final 30 seconds saw both teams throwing ink at the Rainmaker shield. The game went to healthy diet food groups, 67-39. Splat Zones at Crableg Capital saw over a minute of the score sitting at 63-66 (in favor of BEt) as teams traded penalty points, neither making forward progress. Despite the close middle of the match, BEt would get points ticking away and end up taking the win in a knockout, with little less than a minute remaining.
+
+Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino: a low-points game where both teams scored just once. Healthy diet food groups scored in the first minute, down to 71\. Four minutes passed where both teams kept one another at bay; BEt opened the basket with less than 30 seconds to go. BEt tied the score, but were wiped out, so their score was pushed back one point behind healthy diet food groups, for a one-point loss 28-29. Turf War at Hagglefish Market saw BEt unleash all of their specials at once to keep healthy diet food groups away–however, the barrage wasn’t enough to even put healthy diet food groups into the Danger\! position. BEt, instead, was the one in Danger\! as the clock passed the one minute mark. Healthy diet food groups saw that marker last, just two seconds before the match ended, foreshadowing their loss, 40.5% \- 56.1%.
+
+Time for game five, Tower Control at MakoMart. BEt’s key to success was their Crab Tank, which was clearing every checkpoint for them with its high HP safety net. Healthy diet food groups had the lead in their hands for most of the game, but things went downhill for them as BEt grew desperate for the set point. Checkpoints melted away for BEt, and like game two, they took home the knockout win with a little less than one minute remaining.
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals: Gourmet Race vs. Duck Motif (3-0)**
+
+The next set saw Gourmet Race against Duck Motif, both who went 3-0 in the previous round. On the other side of the bracket was Milky Way vs. BEt, who both went 3-2 in the previous round. In the Loser’s Top 8, the matches were Carmel vs. Sunset, and healthy diet food groups vs. fofofo.
+
+Game one went to Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy. Duck Motif was on a roll from the get-go, taking their first two checkpoints in about one minute. As another minute passed, Gourmet Race cleared their first checkpoint by dodging some specials; they wiped out Duck Motif, clearing the path for another two checkpoints to be passed. As the game neared its end, Duck Motif got wiped out twice, and for a brief period, the only player left standing among both teams was Gourmet Race’s Shiny. Gourmet Race took the first win, 90-78 after overtime.
+
+Museum d’Alfonsino was filled with energy as teams geared up for Rainmaker. Teams were frequently down two players or more, and at times, it was just a couple of players between both left on the field to hold down the base. Leads traded back and forth, teams saw wipeout after wipeout. All the action culminated in a charged overtime, where Duck Motif was closing in on Gourmet Race’s lead, using an Ink Vac and Kraken Royale to protect the Rainmaker carrier. Gourmet Race threw out Triple Inkstrikes; to no avail, it seemed, until leaf appeared out of the cover to take out the Rainmaker and end overtime, protecting Gourmet Race’s win, 72-69.
+
+Game three was Turf War at Um’ami Ruins. Redshell1 completed their trifecta of Octobrushes, having brought out one of each per game–Nouveau, Cometz, and the vanilla Octobrush. Unlike the last Turf War game, teams weren’t afraid to run to mid and pick fights with one another. The first team to see Danger\! overhead was Gourmet Race, in the last 45 seconds. Both teams were down two players in the final 20 seconds, and in the final few it was Duck Motif down all but one. The final outcome of the game: a new total ink coverage record for the NA League, at 97.3%, from a 51.0% \- 46.3% score, with the victory and set shutout going to Gourmet Race\!
+
+### **Winner’s Finals: Gourmet Race vs. Milky Way (0-3)**
+
+After a long break, Winner’s Finals saw Gourmet Race vs. Milky Way. In the Loser’s bracket, the two sets were BEt vs. Sunset and Duck Motif vs. fofofo. Carmel and healthy diet food groups were out of the tournament.
+
+The first game went to Tower Control at Hagglefish Market, which didn’t start on a good foot for Milky Way. Just 20 seconds in, and Gourmet Race was getting points and had wiped out Milky Way. Running off of that, Gourmet Race got the tower to 34, and later got their second checkpoint before Milky Way got one. Despite Gourmet Race’s strong start, once Milky Way took their first checkpoint by clearing the opposition from the way with specials, they rode the tower unimpeded through the final checkpoint for an early knockout.
+
+The next game was Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime. Another impressive start for Gourmet Race, having Milky Way down three players and the zone in their control after 20 seconds. They had the zone for a bit, but not enough to prevent Milky Way from getting the lead before the first minute was up. From there, the game was mostly in Milky Way’s control, leading to Gourmet Race losing another game in a knockout.
+
+The set point was determined with Clam Blitz at MakoMart, which was a different story than the previous two games. It was Milky Way starting the action, getting their score down to 40 in the first minute and a half. Gourmet Race had the chance to earn points twice in the latter half of the game, using Triple Inkstrikes to keep Milky Way distracted away from the basket to sneak a Power Clam in. The last 30 seconds plus overtime saw Gourmet Race wiped out twice, and ended with them sent to the Loser’s bracket after a match score of 30-73.
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: BEt vs. fofofo (0-3)**
+
+BEt and fofofo, having gone 3-0 over Sunset and Duck Motif respectively in the Loser’s Quarterfinals, were about to square off in the Semifinals. The winner would advance to Finals and have to go through Gourmet Race if they wanted to get to Grand Finals.
+
+Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime was back for another knockout, as is its reputation. BEt took the zone first and got some points, but fofofo was quick to claim it for themselves and have the lead going into the latter half of the first minute. BEt threw everything they had at fofofo–at one point, this included Killer Wail 5.1, Triple Inkstrikes, and a Trizooka all at once–but were unable to retake the zone off of it. Responding to BEt’s onslaught of specials, fofofo retaliated with Tenta Missiles and an Ultra Stamp, which wiped out BEt, and shortly after, the knockout after two minutes.
+
+Rainmaker at Crableg Capital was next, and the Rainmaker shield became a notorious opponent against both teams, with its pop used multiple times to splat opponents. BEt took the first points in the game, but were not able to get their first checkpoint from it. Halfway through the game, both teams had their first checkpoint, with fofofo still in the lead. Teams traded wipeouts: first fofofo, then BEt, and fofofo again. The end result was another fofofo win, 71-38.
+
+Tower Control at Hagglefish Market was BEt’s last chance against fofofo. Fofofo had the first points of the game this time, and moving fast, they were halfway through the second checkpoint in their opening push. Despite having to retreat, they were back to contesting the second checkpoint without delay. BEt was set up in the last minute and a half to overtake fofofo; they were approaching the second checkpoint into overtime, with a Crab Tank on the tower. An Ultra Stamp from fofofo knocked the Crab Tank off the tower, and a bomb finished off BEt in a wipeout, sealing them at fourth place after the 66-59 game.
+
+### **Loser’s Finals: Gourmet Race vs. fofofo (0-3)**
+
+Gourmet Race vs. fofofo in Loser’s Finals, competing for the redemption shot against Milky Way, who had sent both teams to the Loser’s bracket. Both teams have been impressive so far, winning every set 3-0 outside of the one that sent them to Loser’s bracket. But only one can win 3-0 this time\!
+
+Game one went to Tower Control at MakoMart. Gourmet Race got an early wipeout over the opposition, which let them get through their first checkpoint before the first minute ended. Fofofo followed, getting their first checkpoint after two minutes in. They divided Gourmet Race’s attention with specials–Gourmet Race adapted well to datkid 444’s Zipcasters, but a threat is a diverted attention span that cost Gourmet Race their lead. Fofofo was wiped out in the last 20 seconds of the game, but the setback was not enough to stop them from holding the lead, and the game’s score was 71-60.
+
+Game two was Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino. Fofofo took Gourmet Race down two players and with the numbers advantage, they took their first checkpoint 30 seconds into the game. Gourmet Race tried twice for their checkpoint; on the second attempt they were able to not just get the check, but run the Rainmaker all the way to just one point shy of the lead. Fofofo wiped out Gourmet Race and rushed the Rainmaker out of their spawn; Czar’s spec cam was able to get a wonderful shot of datkid 444’s Zipcaster stretching across the map right to a plaza post, which featured a drawing of a squid in Zipcaster form. Rounding out the match, fofofo won again, 94-64.
+
+Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime was back for the set point, starting off with fofofo playing with a knockout mentality as they locked Gourmet Race in their spawn and wiped them out. Gourmet Race was able to break out with Triple Inkstrikes neutralizing the zone, pulling fofofo away from the lockout to fight for the zone, which ended in Gourmet Race’s hands, stopping fofofo at 4 ticks remaining. It was then Gourmet Race’s turn with the zone, holding it all the way until 5 ticks remaining. The game closed with teams fighting through their penalty points, with a final score of 96-95, with fofofo going to Grand Finals.
+
+### **Grand Finals: Milky Way vs. fofofo (3-1)**
+
+The Grand Finals has arrived, for the last chance to become the victor of a Top 8 stream in the NA League\! Milky Way vs. fofofo, a repeat of their Winner’s Quarterfinals set, which went to a game 5\.
+
+The set started on Tower Control at MakoMart; by the end of the first minute, both teams had moved the tower, but no more than 10 ticks. It took halfway into the game for a team to pass through their first checkpoint, which was Milky Way. The teams continued to stalemate in mid, until less than a minute remained, when fofofo cleared their checkpoint just a hair before a Booyah Bomb overtook the tower. The game went into overtime, where again a Booyah Bomb forced fofofo off of the tower before they could take the lead, resulting in a close loss, 39-44.
+
+Next was Splat Zones at Urchin Underpass. Again, by the first minute in, both teams had points to their name, but no clear advantage either way. Near the end of the two minute mark, however, fofofo wiped out Milky Way right as they took the lead, which then saw them hold it until 22 ticks remaining before Milky Way wrested it back. It was then on fofofo to do the same, but by the time they reclaimed the zone, Milky Way was already ahead of their score. Another close game which saw overtime, but ultimately resulted in Milky Way holding their lead, 90-84.
+
+Game three, Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins, was fofofo’s time to shine, and with an opening push that lasted over 40 seconds and took their score from 100 to 41, they were set up superbly. After wiping out Milky Way, fofofo scored yet again, just enough to get through their penalty. Milky Way did score in this game, albeit just once, with only one Power Clam. Fofofo scored for a third and final time, which gave them a knockout victory with a little less than 30 seconds remaining.
+
+Game four was Rainmaker at Crableg Capital, seeing no Ink Vacs as teams continued playing with their best. Milky Way had the Rainmaker moved in the game’s first minute, but the first checkpoint to be cleared was by fofofo; this took them until just over two minutes remained on the clock. One minute later, Milky Way finally got their first checkpoint, after having the grates defended by two players, including a Crab Tank. The defense held up long enough for Milky Way to sneak into the lead. Fofofo was not able to pop the Rainmaker shield during overtime to attempt a final push, leaving the final score for them 55-60.
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="nal_r8_bracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a31046fa-722e-403d-b202-fce812d0f5da" />
+
+## **Playoff Picture**
+
+So, after the dust settled, who will we be seeing in the Splatoon 3 North American League Playoffs? Before Event \#10 began, the first seven spots were already guaranteed to qualifying teams, with the only mystery being who made which placement. The true wild card was the team who took spot \#8, as a strong showing from a handful of teams meant the spot could have gone to any of them. The roster we can expect to see in the Playoffs in a few weeks, not organized by highest points earned, includes: 
+
+* FTWin  
+* fofofo  
+* Milky Way  
+* Moonlight  
+* Duck Motif  
+* BEt  
+* Gourmet Race  
+* healthy diet food groups
+
+The Splatoon 3 North American League Playoffs will be held across Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14, 2025, beginning at 12 PM Pacific Time on both days, with the first eight sets played on Day 1, and the final stretch on Day 2\. The format will be a best of five, double-elimination tournament, and will be streamed live on the official Nintendo of America YouTube channel. 
+
+We’ll catch you there\!
+
+Original Posting Date: November 25, 2025 
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-na-league-event-4-regular-2.md

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+---
+title: "Splatoon 3 North American League Event #4 (Regular Season Week 2)"
+date: 2025-10-14
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-4-regular-season-week-2](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-4-regular-season-week-2) 
+
+# **Splatoon 3 North American League Event \#4 (Regular Season Week 2\)**
+
+The Regular Season continues for the Splatoon 3 North American League, whose latest event took place on Saturday, October 11, 2025\. The League event will last until November 22, 2025 as teams fight to earn points based on their placement, which apply towards their eligibility for the Playoffs in December. 
+
+## **The League Show Episode 4**
+
+As we can expect, the Splatoon 3 North American League Show opened up with a recap of last week’s Top 8 stream and the current team standings, with the top 3 teams so far being Milky Way, Five, and Moonlight. 
+
+The silly segment brought Rissa, Popgun, and Sapph to play hide and seek with Zach and Jordan. Played in Turf War, every match, one player would be the Seeker, and the other four had 45 seconds to ink as much turf however they wanted, with the intent to hide. After 45 seconds, the Seeker would try to splat the others before the match ended. While the Hiders could not use any part of their kit after the first 45 seconds, they could move around. The segment highlighted how Splatoon, having many of its own modes, still has potential for players to invent their own ways to enjoy the game\!
+
+After hide and seek, Mellana returned with her Salmon Run squad of Vicvillon, Magic, and Nox, to take the audience through another Salmon Run shift, to showcase how King Salmonid appearances worked and how to conquer the King. In the gameplay, the four took down Megalodontia, and explained Salmon Run scales and rewards. 
+
+Zach followed up with another episode of Shiny Tips, recapping last week’s Grand Finals Reset game four between Five and Milky Way at Inkblot Art Academy Tower Control. The NA League show then concluded with a reminder of the events yet to come, and the schedule of events moving forward. 
+
+## **Top 8 Bracket**
+<img width="1200" height="470" alt="nal_r2_ladder" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8384b668-e378-415f-8239-8087587c443d" />
+
+This week’s cast of commentators included Zach, Cyren, and Magic, and saw the return of CzarDB from the first Preseason event as the spectator camera operator. Compared to last week’s stream, which was almost five hours long, this week’s stream is just under four and a half hours in length, but had a comparable viewership at the time of writing (approx. 28,000 views). 
+
+This week’s Top 8 teams included a mix of new and recurring faces, as we geared up to see these teams in action: 
+
+1. Milky Way  
+2. Five  
+3. FTWin  
+4. Halcyon  
+5. healthy diet food groups   
+6. fofofo  
+7. Duck Motif  
+8. Hypernova
+
+FTWin would be making their first-ever appearance into the Splatoon 3 North American League starting with the fourth event; Halcyon and healthy diet food groups, while not new to the event, were new to the Top 8 stream. The other five have all been in the Top 8 in previous weeks. 
+
+The Winner’s Quarterfinals would kick off with Halcyon vs. healthy diet food groups as the first set on stream, with the entire round looking like this: 
+
+- Milky Way vs. Hypernova  
+- Halcyon vs. healthy diet FG  
+- Five vs. Duck Motif  
+- FTWin vs. fofofo
+
+As always, please keep in mind when watching replays or successive Top 8 streams that the Splattercolor Screen is active and teams are using it, which means its audio and visual effects may appear on stream. 
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals: Halcyon vs. Healthy Diet Food Groups (3-1)**
+
+Halcyon and healthy diet food groups (healthy diet FG) went to Splat Zones at Um’ami Ruins for game one. Halcyon took an early and secure lead over healthy diet FG; the zone went to healthy diet FG briefly before returning to Halcyon. Healthy diet FG took the zone again and began their lockout. A Booyah Bomb destroying Halcyon’s Crab Tank was instrumental to healthy diet FG securing the knockout win, with over a minute and a half remaining. Next in line was Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino, which saw healthy diet FG take the first points in a small push of just one Power Clam. With about two minutes remaining, Halcyon brought the score to a close 70-67, but when the clock had less than 30 seconds to go, they would take the lead, and the win, 64-33. 
+
+Game three went to Inkblot Art Academy for Tower Control, which saw an incredible opening from healthy diet FG. One minute in, and their objective had just 25 ticks to go to knock out. Things evened out after another minute as Halcyon took their second checkpoint, which became the lead, then the match, as Halcyon won in a knockout. The final game was Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway–which had to be restarted due to a disconnect. The game started slow, taking two minutes for the first checkpoint to be cleared, which would be Halcyon’s. Halcyon sprung off of that lead to turn the first checkpoint into 17 points to win. In the final 20 seconds of the game, healthy diet FG was able to get their first checkpoint with 12 seconds on the clock, but lost the Rainmaker as the clock reached zero, with Halcyon winning 83-40. 
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals: Five vs. FTWin (1-3)**
+
+Following last round’s H vs. H set, Winner’s Semifinals had on their hands an F vs. F set between Five and FTWin. Halcyon would be going against Milky Way on the other side of the Winner’s Bracket; in the Loser’s Top 8, healthy diet food groups would be facing Hypernova, and fofofo would be against Duck Motif. 
+
+Splat Zones at Urchin Underpass would start the set; a key triple on FTWin let Five stop FTWin from an early knockout by enabling them to retake the zone. The knockout went to FTWin anyway, with \[K\]yo cheering “Booyah\!” as the clock fell below two minutes remaining and the match closed early. Rainmaker at Humpback Pump Track saw new weapon picks as Five traded Thunder’s Splat Dualies for N-ZAP ‘85, and FTWin’s rafe switched to Ballpoint Splatling Nouveau. FTWin pushed to 9 points to knock out, about three and a half minutes left. In a breath-holding overtime, Five spent almost all of the Rainmaker’s timer trying to secure a safe advance. Steps from the lead, the Rainmaker timer at seven seconds, and FTWin splatted the carrier, taking their next win 91-78. 
+
+Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins was up for game three–it took over half of the match for any points to be scored as both teams clashed at a stalemate until Five took the first points. Just over a minute remaining, as sam distracted Five for a double, FTWin took the lead. Then, 13 seconds left, Five retook the lead and scored their first win, 88-64. Tower Control at MakoMart shared the same intensity; this time FTWin scored first, with their first push ending at 53 points over three and a half minutes remaining. Less than a minute later, Five took the lead, which they held onto as three players went down on Five’s side and two on FTWin. FTWin snatched the lead with 40 seconds left, and although the game went into overtime, FTWin’s final score was 66-62. 
+
+### **Winner’s Finals: Milky Way vs. FTWin (0-3)**
+
+FTWin would next face Milky Way on stream in Winner’s Finals. In the Loser’s Bracket, Five would win 3-0 over healthy diet food groups to face fofofo, who went 3-1 over Halcyon to advance to Loser’s Semifinals. Hypernova and Duck Motif were out of the tournament after the Loser’s Top 8 round. 
+
+Back to Splat Zones at Urchin Underpass for game one. FTWin was quick to take the lead, but it wasn’t the strongest, and after the first minute, Milky Way was on their way to run ahead. It took about another minute for FTWin to retake their lead from Milky Way, and at exactly the halfway point on the clock (2:30), FTWin had themselves a very early knockout victory over Milky Way. 
+
+Tower Control at Crableg Capital was game two’s setting, not seeing much in the way of difference in the weapon choices on both teams. Both had a Slosher, Splat Dualies, and Snipewriter 5H; the only differences were a Splattershot Pro FRZ-N on Milky Way and an S-BLAST ‘91 on FTWin. Similarly, the game sat at a score of 84-88 (favoring Milky Way) for minutes as both teams made it to, but not through, the first checkpoint. FTWin would be the first to do so, with 1:43 on the clock, taking their score all the way from 88 to 23\. Even in overtime, Milky Way wouldn’t have the opportunity to pass their first checkpoint, as FTWin secured another victory, 81-16. 
+
+Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino next, and had both teams trying to get a safeway before grabbing the Rainmaker. It took almost two minutes for the Rainmaker to move, which was done by Milky Way, who took it to but not through the first checkpoint; two minutes later, they would finally get it. FTWin retaliated, and with 40 seconds on the clock, they sat behind by just one point. Milky Way grabbed the Rainmaker with the intent to get it off of the platform, but a clutch Zipcaster saved the Rainmaker before it went overboard, giving FTWin the chance to steal the lead with 22 seconds remaining. The game would go into overtime, but Milky Way’s efforts weren’t enough to get past FTWin, who would now go to Grand Finals after their 67-58 win\! 
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: Five vs. fofofo (3-1)**
+
+Not done yet with the F vs. F names, as Five faced fofofo in the Loser’s Semifinals. The winner of this set would advance to Loser’s Finals against Milky Way to determine who would make it to Grand Finals and see FTWin. 
+
+Up first we saw Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime, and already close to the end of the first minute, Five had the zone down to 38 ticks remaining. While Five would end up with penalty points, fofofo’s Ultra Stamp denied Five the chance to get far. As the clock ticked past a minute and a half remaining, a wipeout preluded fofofo’s knockout loss. Tower Control at MakoMart would see even more wipeouts; fofofo would wipe out Five at the three-minute mark; 20 seconds later Five would return the favor with a wipeout of their own over their opponent. Not finished, Five would get another wipeout on fofofo just 14 seconds left in the match–all these wipeouts, however, don’t spell just how close the match was, as Five’s victory was still a close 60-54. 
+
+Game three was Clam Blitz at Inkblot Art Academy, and if the previous game wasn’t close enough, this one was just a hair from either team’s win\! Within the first minute, DATMENACE\! and 44F 3z descended on Thunder’s Crab Tank and shredded it. It cost fofofo two players, which gave Five the chance to score. Halfway through the game, fofofo made their first push–they went down three players to take the lead; the fourth would wait until Five left the open basket unattended to sneak in and score about 20 more points. Thirty seconds remaining, with three Power Clams in tow, Five tried to match fofofo’s lead, but fell short by one point, 37 to 36, and even in overtime, couldn’t add more to their name. Fofofo took their first game, 64-63\! 
+
+The final game, Rainmaker at Humpback Pump Track, was a roller coaster–slow start, but wild ride to the end\! Five got a double on fofofo to get their first checkpoint, and the scoreboard remained stagnant until just under a minute and a half remained, where a triple on Five wasn’t enough to stop them from bringing their Rainmaker to 28\. Fofofo set up to counter, got their first checkpoint, and a commentator’s blessing heralded fofofo taking the lead, 24-28. Five fought back fiercely; the clock at 0:18, Rainmaker pushed to 26, but still behind with time against them. The spec cam shone the spotlight on Gos, and with .52 Gal in hand, gave the audience a show by getting a quad on fofofo and giving Five the opportunity to knockout with ten seconds remaining in the match. 
+
+### **Loser’s Finals: Milky Way vs. Five (3-2)**
+
+The feature of last week’s Splatoon 3 North American League Top 8, Milky Way vs. Five, who fought each other for a total of 12 games across three sets (including a Grand Finals and Grand Finals Reset) were once more squaring off in Loser’s Finals. The victor would take on FTWin: who would go back to Grand Finals for the second Top 8 in a row? 
+
+It’s back-to-back to Rainmaker at Humpback Pump Track for Five; fully warmed up on the strategy, they got the Rainmaker to 38 by the end of the first minute. It wouldn’t take long for Milky Way to try for their first checkpoint, but were denied by Triple Inkstrikes, delaying their checkpoint dunk by almost a minute. Milky Way took the lead with just over a minute and a half in the match, but Five, no stranger to clutching up in the final seconds, retook their lead with 36 seconds remaining. Milky Way would bring the game into overtime and draw it out almost as long as possible, but with six seconds before the Rainmaker exploded, Five got the pick they needed for the 94-81 victory. 
+
+Splat Zones at Crableg Capital, where plenty of Crab Tanks were inevitable as both teams sported a near-same composition of Splat Dualies, Snipewriter 5H, Slosher, and a Shooter, with Milky Way having the Splattershot Pro FRZ-N and Five having the .52 Gal. The game wouldn’t go in Five’s favor, initially seeing them wiped out before the first minute was up, and again with just over three minutes remaining on the clock. They weren’t able to hold the zone for very long, and even with Triple Inkstrikes as a last-ditch effort, would find themselves on the receiving end of a knockout loss. 
+
+Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy once more saw the same compositions on both sides, but turned tides in the favor of Five. In the first minute, they were already past their first checkpoint, and would pay Milky Way back for both wipeouts last match with one wipeout halfway through the game on their way to the second checkpoint, and then again just under a minute and a half to go. After the latter wipeout, only two players were left standing on the field, belonging to Five. The match went into overtime, and Five came out victorious, 88-13.  
+
+Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino was now the set point for Five; if they won, they would go to Grand Finals. It did take just over halfway through the game for Milky Way to be the first team putting points on the scoreboard; one minute later, though going down three players, Five would claim that lead for themselves. Critically, as less than 30 seconds remained, Milky Way took the lead back, and the game went into overtime. As the seconds ticked down, Gos threw a Power Clam at the basket, but wouldn’t make it before the shutters closed and the final score for Five, 60-66, meant game five. 
+
+Turf War at Hagglefish Market, the first time a game five–Turf War, and Hagglefish Market–appeared on this week’s Top 8 stream. Both teams had a Slosher, Splat Dualies, Snipewriter 5H, and REEF-LUX 450–Milky Way had the standard kit and Five had the MIL-K variant. The first half of the game was even, but under the halfway point, things started to turn as Danger flashed in the UI for Five, warning them that they were at the disadvantage. In the final 15 seconds, chaos ensued, resulting in Five with two players standing against Milky Way’s one. The situation sounded favorable for Five on paper, but Judd’s verdict reported the opposite, as Five would sit down at third place with a 43.6% \- 52.1% final score.  
+
+### **Grand Finals: FTWin vs. Milky Way (3-2)**
+
+Grand Finals. FTWin, having made their first appearance in the North American League four weeks in after a team rework. Milky Way, returning to Grand Finals for the second Regular Season week in a row. With FTWin walking away 3-0 against Milky Way in Winner’s Finals, how will the opposition handle the runback? 
+
+Game one went to Rainmaker at Urchin Underpass. Both teams went back and forth; FTWin with the checkpoint first, then Milky Way before two minutes were up. By the halfway point, the game sat at a near-tie, 76-77 favoring FTWin. Things would look even for a bit, but a triple on FTWin would give Milky Way the lead, and with 43 seconds left on the clock, time was not on FTWin’s side, and saw the first game go to Milky Way, 54-44. 
+
+Game two was Splat Zones at MakoMart. Eager for action, everyone piled into an early battle and FTWin went down three players, Milky Way down two, giving Milky Way the numbers advantage to take the lead in the first 30 seconds. They would hold the lead firmly; FTWin grabbed the zone before it was too late, and after just one minute, the scoreboard was 80-16, with FTWin having a long way to push. They went the distance, taking the lead just over two minutes in, but less than another minute later, Milky Way reclaimed it. The score was 3-6 on Milky Way’s side; 48 seconds to go and EVERYONE got splatted, with the exception of rafe, holding down the zone enough to get FTWin the knockout victory with a little over 30 seconds to spare. 
+
+Game three at Tower Control at Undertow Spillway saw another near-identical composition from both teams–the only difference being Milky Way’s Splattershot Pro FRZ-N to FTWin’s Slosher. The game would start off on a good foot for Milky Way; at the second checkpoint one minute in, but the song would change in the next minute as FTWin wiped Milky Way out. That would snowball into FTWin taking the lead, finally getting past their second checkpoint, and into an overtime that lasted for a heartbeat before concluding, with a 54-48 victory to FTWin. 
+
+Game four being Turf War at Hagglefish Market surprised everyone, to see that Turf War wasn’t the non-optional game five that nobody wanted. We saw the usual shakeups in teams fielding a variant of the REEF-LUX 450\. An early double on Milky Way 20 seconds into the game gave FTWin the first advantage of the map. Throughout the game, Milky Way was almost consistently down more players than FTWin, even going down three members in the final 30 seconds of the match, when a numbers advantage mattered the most. The final turning point would be just how far into FTWin’s turf that they had gotten by the time they started losing ground; FTWin would not ink fast enough to win the Turf War, going 44.1% to 51.2%. 
+
+Game five. Clam Blitz. Barnacle & Dime. A minute and a half into the game, sam’s quad over Milky Way gave FTWin the first points. Not only was FTWin’s first push from 100 to 40, but Milky Way received a delayed wipeout. Down to the last minute, FTWin extended their lead, which would be a safety net as Milky Way scored their first points, 20 seconds left to go. Into overtime, Milky Way had the basket open, no penalty left, and were just a few clams away from the lead. Hexen’s Crab Tank denied the final-second lead-steal, claiming three picks, leading to a wipeout. As overtime ticked down and their opponents respawned, FTWin gathered into the middle of the match to celebrate their first NA League victory with a Booyah\! 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="nal_r2_bracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fb590fdc-63c0-4f3c-8a86-3c69ac7afb69" />
+
+FTWin made a splash with their first Splatoon 3 NA League appearance, and they promise more in the near future. With so many recognizable top level teams competing, and with smaller teams earning their place among them on the biggest streaming stage Splatoon has, the NA League continues to burn bright as the weeks pass\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: October 14, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-na-league-event-5-regular-3.md

@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+---
+title: "Splatoon 3 North American League Event #5 (Regular Season Week 3)"
+date: 2025-10-21
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-5-regular-season-week-3](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-5-regular-season-week-3) 
+
+# **NA League Event \#5 (Regular Season Week 3\)**
+
+With the conclusion of Event \#5 of the Splatoon 3 North American League, we are now halfway through the League and getting steadily closer to knowing who will be making it to the Playoffs in December\! November 22 is about one month away, so every event will start to matter as only the top five placements per team will matter toward their Playoffs eligibility.
+
+## **The League Show Episode 5**
+
+The League Show opened with Jordan and Nine recapping the results of last week’s play, and getting into the standings for the season. Currently the top three teams are Milky Way, Five, and fofofo. Hypernova and Duck Motif are tied with 135 points.
+
+They then let everyone know that participation in any League events–tournament, Sunday Scrim, or Playoffs–would earn players an exclusive Nintendo Switch Online profile picture of the event’s logo. Additionally, players who participate in the upcoming Splatoween Splatfest will also be able to get exclusive profile icons\!
+
+Jordan and Nine would continue the Splatfest talk, bringing in Lily to talk about the most memorable of the bunch. They talked about maps, themes, ink colors, the betrayal at finding yourself on opposite sides of the Splatfest of a dear friend, and even argued about Team Rice winning the Bread vs. Rice vs. Pasta Splatfest.
+
+Nine transitioned into a new segment where he gave EE a tutorial on how to get started in Splatoon 3\. This included taking EE through his first multiplayer battles and navigating movement options, positioning, specials, weapons, what information the results screen displayed, and changing up your Splashtag to stay fresh.
+
+Zach would follow up with another quick Shiny Tips segment, breaking down game five of last week’s Grand Finals between FTWin and Milky Way, Clam Blitz at Barnacle & Dime. Finally, the episode concluded with the list of dates for all events on the horizon.
+
+## **Top 8 Bracket**
+<img width="1200" height="562" alt="nal_r3_ladder(1)" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/535488d3-2ae8-47fe-9bda-701693673ae5" />
+
+This week’s Top 8 stream was hosted by Nine, Kbot, and Chaedr, with Piko as the spectator camera operator. The stream duration was almost five hours long, and as of October 19, 2025, has over 23.7k views.
+
+Even as we enter week three of the Regular season, we are still seeing new faces in the Top 8 stream\! This week, the Top 8 included:
+
+1. Hypernova  
+2. fofofo  
+3. Gourmet Race  
+4. Moonlight  
+5. Duck Motif  
+6. BEt  
+7. Its Shrimple  
+8. Halcyon
+
+BEt and Its Shrimple are appearing in the Top 8 for the first time, with the rest all having been in at least one top cut stream previously. The Winner’s Quarterfinals would begin with Gourmet Race vs. BEt, which would be a great opening set, as this is BEt’s first time in top cut, and Gourmet Race, while having been in top cut before, has not been featured on stream yet, so it will be a first for both of them\!
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals: Gourmet Race vs. BEt (0-3)**
+
+The first match took place at Hagglefish Market with Splat Zones as the mode. Gourmet Race had a brief lead before BEt swept in, claiming the lead before the first minute was up. Their lead was further bolstered by Triple Inkstrikes taking down most of Gourmet Race. Gourmet Race would stop BEt with just 15 ticks to win, and would kick off a special weapons showdown for possession of the zone, which resulted in Gourmet Race keeping it. Eventually, Gourmet Race went down three players, BEt down two, in a final fight that saw BEt take the first win of the Top 8 stream, in a knockout\!
+
+The second game, Tower Control at Undertow Spillway, saw Gourmet Race run to the second checkpoint just over a minute in, finally stopped by a wipeout. Halfway through the clock, BEt cleared the first checkpoint, took the lead, second checkpoint, then third\! Their momentum halted with a return wipeout, stopping their push with 3 ticks to go. The final result was BEt winning again, 97-43. The third game went to Clam Blitz at Inkblot Art Academy. BEt going down three enabled Gourmet Race to score the first as 2:45 remained. About half a minute later, BEt made their first push and took the lead, but went down three players again, letting Gourmet Race get ahead. A wipeout on Gourmet Race in overtime secured BEt’s 3-0 set win, with a score of 55-30.
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals: Hypernova vs. Duck Motif (3-2)**
+
+The Winner’s Semifinals set was delayed as we waited on the results of Moonlight vs. Duck Motif. In the end, the next round would see fofofo vs. BEt, with Hypernova vs. Duck Motif on stream, with Moonlight, Halcyon, Gourmet Race, and Its Shrimple in the Loser’s Bracket. This set was set for some champion action, as Duck Motif and Hypernova both won one Preseason Top 8 tournament each.
+
+After about 30 minutes since the last set concluded, Winner’s Semifinals kicked off with Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime, only for the first game to end after one minute and 17 seconds. Duck Motif took the zone as Hypernova lost three players; Hypernova did not get the chance to take the zone at all before Duck Motif had their knockout. Hypernova came back with vengeance for Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins. Thirty seconds in and Duck Motif was now down three players, giving Hypernova the chance to score down to 53\. They would score again and again, denying Duck Motif any opportunity to get a single point on the board, as Hypernova took the knockout win this time.
+
+By game three, Rainmaker at Humpback Pump Track, it seemed like both teams were trying to speedrun the set\! If Duck Motif getting a knockout in 1m 17s sounded fast, they had a new record. Just over a minute into the game, Duck Motif wiped out Hypernova and took another knockout thanks to a special weapons barrage, this time in one minute and 12 seconds. Game four was Tower Control at Hagglefish Market. Hypernova took the first points, but after going down three players, Duck Motif got the lead. Shortly after, Hypernova wiped out their opponent and got the lead as Duck Motif went down three players. Their dominating push ended with their tower at 3 ticks. The game resulted in an overtime victory for Hypernova, 94-85.
+
+Game five, mandatory Turf War, at Crableg Capital. While we’re used to seeing team compositions change to adapt to Turf War, both teams stuck to the weapons they were most comfortable with. Both teams played safely, with neither going down more than two players at once until 1:18 on the clock, when Hypernova got a critical wipeout over Duck Motif. Down to the final 30 seconds, Hypernova had one player standing to Duck Motif’s two. The final say was Judd’s, as the last looks at the map were too close to guess. The game, and set, went to Hypernova, 49.7% to 45.7%.
+
+### **Winner’s Finals: Hypernova vs. fofofo (2-3)**
+
+Moving into the Winner’s Finals set were Hypernova and fofofo. In the Loser’s Bracket, the Quarterfinals would see BEt vs. Moonlight and Duck Motif vs. Gourmet Race.
+
+Splat Zones at MakoMart started quickly; not even 30 seconds into the match, Hypernova went down three, giving fofofo the ability to continue their lead. Hypernova took the zone from fofofo, who had just 19 ticks to knock out. The zone continued to flip back and forth between the teams, neither able to get through their penalty points. As the match neared its final 30 seconds, fofofo claimed the zone after a double on Hypernova, who had tied the score, pushing them one point behind. The game went to overtime–both teams threw paint at the neutral zone in a frenzy; the key to victory was Hypernova taking down DATMENACE\!, for a final score of 87-86.
+
+Clam Blitz at Urchin Underpass saw weapons swap on both sides, with both bringing in Dapple Dualies and fofofo adding a Zink Mini Splatling. The first score would be fofofo’s; they threw two Power Clams into the basket at about 3:46. They wiped out Hypernova, and with two players left on fofofo’s team, they scored once more. Then they took down three of Hypernova’s players to score again–and repeated that same scenario. At 1:38 remaining, fofofo finally got wiped out, at the same time as their last clam was thrown, giving fofofo a knockout win.
+
+Rainmaker at Crableg Capital started off on a much better foot for Hypernova, as they took the first checkpoint in about 30 seconds. Almost at the halfway point in the game, fofofo cleared their first checkpoint, following it up with a push powered by an Ink Vac to bring their Rainmaker all the way to 5 ticks. Hypernova rose to the challenge; one minute to go, both teams down two players, and Captain Happy weaved through fofofo’s defense to bring the Rainmaker to 4 ticks. The close score would be how the game ended after overtime, with Hypernova winning 96-95 in their second one-point victory of the set.
+
+Turf War at Um’ami Ruins was the choice for game four–not game five, in a twist\! Hypernova’s weapon composition only changed by swapping the Splatana Wiper for the Deco variant; fofofo brought out an Inkbrush and REEF-LUX 450\. At the start of the last minute, the game had been mostly even, with no clear leader, but that changed as the spectator camera panned out to show the stage about 60% in favor of Hypernova. In the final few seconds, backed up in their spawn, Hypernova took a wipeout, and fofofo won 72.2% to 24.1%.
+
+Tower Control at Museum d’Alfonsino had a clear MVP: 44F 3z. The lead and second checkpoint would be in fofofo’s hands, but Hypernova still had a chance to make a move. But starting with the final minute, fofofo’s 44F 3z went on an eight-player warpath; first it was one down, then another, followed by a double with one Ultra Stamp throw for a four-splat streak. 44F 3z then hunted down Hypernova’s Snipewriter 5H to start a new streak of successful 1v1s, and find pick after pick after pick, finally going down with Half. The final score was 98-58 and saw fofofo advance to Grand Finals.
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: BEt vs. Duck Motif (3-1)**
+
+The Loser’s Semifinals set was between BEt and Duck Motif, with the winner advancing to the Loser’s Finals to see who between them and Hypernova would make it to Grand Finals. 
+
+The first game was Tower Control at Hagglefish Market; an opportunistic match that went down to the wire. It wouldn’t take long for BEt to clear their first checkpoint; they rode the tower to 19 ticks with three minutes to go. Most of BEt went down, which led to Duck Motif’s comeback. With 17 seconds left, Duck Motif was halted one point from the lead when three players were splatted. Despite their great effort, the 81-80 win went to BEt. Next, Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime, started with an early lead for Duck Motif, but after a minute, they lost three players and the lead. They tried to retake with Triple Inkstrikes, but BEt deployed their own to keep the zone. Both teams went down two players while the zone remained neutral, leading to BEt winning in a knockout.
+
+Turf War showed up as a game three pick\! It went to Um’ami Ruins for the second time on stream. Early in the game, redshell1 got a double, but that was most of the action until the final third of the game. The spec cam panned out as the clock reached 1:00, showing Duck Motif in the lead, with their spawn and the middle of the map in their color. BEt broke out of their base thanks to a Booyah Bomb and Triple Inkstrikes, and Zero\! even got an Ultra Stamp triple with less than 20 seconds to go; all of that effort still saw them end with a 45.6% to 51.0% loss to Duck Motif. The 96.6% turf coverage in this match is the highest in the NA League, beating out the previous record, Moonlight vs. fofofo in Event \#3, who had a 96.4% total turf cover.
+
+Game four went to Clam Blitz at Undertow Spillway. Wasting no time, BEt already scored halfway through the first minute, with a tremendous 30-second push that brought them down to 20\. With under a minute and a half to go, Duck Motif finally evened the scoreboard, taking the lead when drift jumped in with the pity clam before getting wiped out. Less than fifteen seconds in the game, and BEt had their basket open–just three seconds remaining and they took the lead back\! The game went into overtime, leading to BEt taking the game 94-91, and the set 3-1.
+
+### **Loser’s Finals: Hypernova vs. BEt (1-3)**
+
+The penultimate set of Event \#5, between Hypernova and BEt. Both teams had already lost to fofofo in the Winner’s Bracket, so in addition to getting the revenge match in Grand Finals, there was another reward at stake. Would Hypernova have a chance to be the first team to win a second Top 8 stream, or would BEt pull an FTWin and win the first Top 8 stream that they participated in?
+
+Splat Zones at MakoMart’s name of the game was trading. Whether it was trading zone control or trading player-for-player, the match was a back-and-forth. The first major push ended at 3:08 as Hypernova lost two players and the zone, which they took to 8 ticks remaining. When the clock reached the 2-minute range, both teams went down two players in a set of trades, repeated 30 seconds later. By the end of the third minute, BEt took the lead from Hypernova. They wouldn’t knock out thanks to Hypernova’s Tenta Missiles targeting players in the zone, raining enough ink to cap the zone. In the final two minutes, neither team got new points as they struggled to get through their hefty penalty point stock, meaning BEt would win, 98-92.
+
+Tower Control at Museum d’Alfonsino saw Hypernova make the first move, getting the tower all the way to 51 by the end of the first minute. Both teams met in the corner and fought over the tower; no specials were deployed, and still each would end up with just one player standing by the end of the brawl. BEt made an opportunity of that mess and took their second checkpoint–and the lead–with about three minutes remaining. Three minutes was plenty of time for Hypernova to fight back, and with Synapse making a home in BEt’s spawn to keep them distracted, Hypernova took the lead with a little under two minutes to go. Another minute passed, and another lead change would see BEt taking another win, 94-76.
+
+Clam Blitz at Barnacle & Dime began on the slower side. The teams kept their skirmishing in the middle of the map, with neither confident enough to push into the enemy base. It took two minutes for Hypernova to be the team to score first, and made a respectable push down to 45\. From here, they played the strongest defensive game; for most of the match, BEt had a plentiful clam economy, but even though dante\! got a triple, it took BEt until the final five seconds of the game to tie with Hypernova. Into overtime, the basket closed with the scores tied–as Splatoon favors the team who reached the points first, that meant the game closed with one point being subtracted from BEt’s score, giving Hypernova the win 55-54.
+
+Rainmaker at Urchin Underpass closed the Loser’s Final set; both teams had their Snipewriter 5H switch to Dapple Dualies for Tacticooler coverage and Squid Beakons, the ultimate key to success. The game was BEt’s as they got the first checkpoint, and just past the 3:30 mark, took the Rainmaker to 48 before going down three. They made another push to 33, ending with both teams having two players standing. Hypernova left the Rainmaker, shield popped, unattended past the grates. CMO\! snuck behind and brought it all the way to 9 points left, which was nothing easy to overcome on a tight map like Urchin Underpass. A wipeout on Hypernova with about 20 seconds remaining sealed their fate, and with a final score of 91-18, BEt advanced to Grand Finals.
+
+### **Grand Finals: fofofo vs. BEt (3-0)**
+
+The Grand Finals set, between two teams who had yet to win a Top 8 tournament. Fofofo had been in a few up to this point, but never got this far, and BEt hadn’t participated in any Top 8 streams yet, so whoever came out on top would be a major boost to their teams’ points toward qualifying for the Playoffs in December. The last time these teams fought, in Winner’s Semifinals, fofofo went 3-0 against BEt; can they do it again?
+
+Game one was Tower Control at Museum d’Alfonsino; BEt claimed the tower within the first ten seconds, then immediately went down two players for fofofo to take the lead ten seconds later. Their push saw them at the second checkpoint one minute into the match, and eventually down to 28\. Fofofo took the third checkpoint after a wipeout over BEt thanks to a Big Bubbler, but BEt’s Killer Wail 5.1 ended fofofo’s push at 2 ticks. With half of the game left to go, both teams met on the middle spinner and traded specials; BEt went down three players and fofofo two. BEt would finally get their first checkpoint in the last 15 seconds, but fofofo took the win, 98-41.
+
+Game two, Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime, saw a major weapon change on BEt’s side, now including a Forge Splattershot Pro, Splash-o-matic, and Heavy Edit Splatling. One minute in, and both teams had their time with the zone and points on the board; fofofo was currently in control and had the lead. Three and a half minutes to go, a Booyah Bomb from BEt stopped fofofo at 18 points, and took down two players with it. Fofofo retook the lead quickly; BEt deployed a Crab Tank to neutralize the zone for 17 seconds, and another Booyah Bomb secured it for them. A strong showing on BEt’s side, but all of their specials couldn’t hold the zone enough, and fofofo took a knockout victory.
+
+Game three went to Rainmaker Urchin Underpass, which BEt would remember well as the final game of their Loser’s Finals set against Hypernova. Both teams brought in some weapon changes, with BEt undergoing another major shift with Dapple Dualies, Twinklez Splat Dualies, and a returning Tenta Brella. Fofofo also switched to Dapple Dualies and brought out the Zink Mini Splatling again, and used their tools to take the first checkpoint 30 seconds in, but would get wiped out for the effort. Shortly after, BEt used their Ink Vac to take their first checkpoint, bringing the game to a near-tie. Fofofo wiped out BEt with less than a minute remaining and drove their lead to 15\.
+
+What happened next would be reminiscent of BEt’s last Rainmaker Urchin Underpass game, where they won thanks to CMO\! sneaking behind Hypernova to snatch the unattended Rainmaker. With the Rainmaker on the ramp in BEt’s base, BEt ran ahead to meet fofofo, who had two respawning players and one on the retreat. What BEt wasn’t aware of, was DATMENACE\! hiding in the smallest patch of ink right beneath them. While the rest of fofofo was taking BEt’s attention, DATMENACE\!, spamming the “Booyah\!” button, ran to the Rainmaker and dunked it for a knockout victory, and the shutout 3-0 set, earning fofofo their first Top 8 Grand Finals gold\!
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="nal_r3_bracket(1)" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d8deeaab-cb4c-4214-ac4b-71c3f55b516b" />
+
+While the Splatoon 3 North American League is already halfway over, it feels like it’s only just begun. With each week continuing to see new faces in Top 8, the teams that qualify for the Playoffs don’t seem as predictable as originally thought.
+
+Original Posting Date: October 21, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-na-league-event-6-regular-4.md

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+---
+title: "Splatoon 3 North American League Event #6 (Regular Season Week 4)"
+date: 2025-10-28
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-6-regular-season-week-4](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-6-regular-season-week-4) 
+
+# **NA League Event \#6 (Regular Season Week 4\)**
+
+As October comes to a close, the Splatoon 3 North American League brings one weekend filled to the brim with Splatoon action\! More than just the League Show, Top 8 stream, and Sunday Scrim, Splatoween was also out in full force, and across the globe, LANs were aplenty. There was something for every Splatoon fan this weekend\!
+
+## **The League Show Episode 6**
+
+The Splatoon 3 North American League Show began with Jordan and Mellana recapping the events of last week’s Top 8 stream. They showed the current season standings, which have fofofo, Hypernova, and Duck Motif in the top spots. They followed up with a highlight reel of clips from past NA League events that didn’t make it into the livestream.
+
+The promotional art for Splatoween was shown off ahead of the Splatfest that began later that night, transitioning into a segment that had community members showing off their in-game lockers and explaining the meaning behind the layout. Jordan, Mellana, Sapph, and Chara all shared their lockers in a down-to-earth, personal discussion that revealed a love for stickers, inspiration, crazy-good organization skills, and sentiment for the people that enrich our lives.
+
+This week’s silly segment returned to Riptide, where Kbot had attendees play “Guess the Stage\!”. Players were shown a zoomed-in screenshot of a multiplayer map and had to guess where the screenshot was taken.
+
+Shiny Tips came back with another edition where Zach discussed the parallel in plays from Urchin Underpass Rainmaker, between BEt vs. Hypernova and BEt vs. fofofo, where the key to victory was one player hiding by the unattended Rainmaker as the defending team ran ahead. The League Show then concluded with a reminder of events that the future still holds in store.
+
+## **Top 8 Bracket**
+<img width="1200" height="562" alt="nal_r4_ladder" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8da026e8-361b-48bd-ae60-b8ceb9d2ef15" />
+
+Our commentator cast this week included Mellana, Popgun, and Sapph, with Power operating the spectator camera. At the time of writing, the stream has over 26,000 views, with a comparable run time to last week’s event.
+
+This week, all of the teams in the top cut had previously participated in a Top 8 stream; no new faces this week\! This week, the Top 8 stream teams were:
+
+1. Five  
+2. Milky Way  
+3. healthy diet food groups  
+4. Moonlight  
+5. FTWin  
+6. Duck Motif  
+7. BEt  
+8. Triggerfish Zones Supremacy
+
+The Splattercolor Screen was used in this week’s stream and the effects did appear on screen, so for those sensitive to it, please take caution if watching the replay.
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals \- healthy diet food groups vs. Duck Motif (2-3)**
+
+Splat Zones on Barnacle & Dime opened with Duck Motif taking the zone first, briefly, before it was in healthy diet food groups’ hands, where it remained until the end of the first minute. The zone changed hands on and off; Duck Motif losing three players led to healthy diet food groups taking the first win in a knockout. The second game was Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins, where Duck Motif made a bold first score despite being three players down. Healthy diet food groups would again take down three before making their first push. They took the lead, which would hold them into the final minute. Vexen got a double on healthy diet food groups, which enabled Duck Motif to take the lead, resulting in a 74-55 win.
+
+Game three went to Tower Control at MakoMart, which opened with healthy diet food groups riding the tower 13 seconds in. Their first push went to 74; unfortunately they wouldn’t be able to move it any further as Duck Motif kept up a persistent offense. Just over three minutes remaining, Duck Motif cleared their first checkpoint, giving them the lead, and the 62-26 win.
+
+Game four, Rainmaker at Inkblot Art Academy, saw healthy diet food groups take a new approach, bringing out Mint and Charcoal Decavitators, Dapple Dualies, and Bamboozler 14 Mk I. They quickly went to a lead of 24, with style after zyf squid rolled over a Kraken Royale to inch the Rainmaker forward. Healthy diet food groups would employ stall tactics to secure a 76-29 win, after overtime. Lastly, game five, Turf War at Crableg Capital\! The most notable weapon change was blop on the REEF-LUX 450 with three slots of Special Charge Up, raining down Tenta Missiles 13 seconds into the game. With one minute to go, healthy diet food groups had the first Danger\! sign after being two players down over a 20-second period. The final looks on the map were clear: Duck Motif won, with a final score of 58.6% to 35.8%.
+
+### **Winners Semifinals \- Five vs. FTWin (1-3)**
+
+Heading into the Winner’s Semifinals is a matchup guaranteed to bring out the best top-level Splatoon gameplay: Five vs. FTWin on stream, with Milky Way vs Duck Motif on the other side of the winner’s bracket. In the loser’s bracket, it would be Moonlight against Triggerfish Zones Supremacy and healthy diet food groups against BEt.
+
+Back-to-back Crableg Capital as game one started on Rainmaker. Both teams had their first checkpoint by the first minute; FTWin took down three of Five’s players and got the lead. Five then decided it was silly squid time; both Soulja and Thunder (carrying the Rainmaker) began squid bagging on the grates leading into FTWin’s base. Shortly after, FTWin wiped out Five, leading to the first set win, 71-61. Clam Blitz was game two, at Urchin Underpass, where first minute saw both teams lose half of their team, which ended in Five scoring first. \[K\]yo\! snuck into Five’s base and tried to give jumps to FTwin but got caught; FTWin went down three. Five got wiped out in overtime, and with just two players left standing, FTWin took the lead, 26-23.
+
+Splat Zones at Inkblot Art Academy was next; Five dominated the game from the beginning, not giving FTWin a chance to take the zone at all, winning in a knockout less than a minute and a half into the game\! In game two, although Five took the first checkpoint in Tower Control at Museum d’Alfonsino, FTWin snowballed from their first checkpoint into the lead, and the second checkpoint, as Five cycled through players being splatted in pairs. Five wasn’t able to assemble a strong enough push to take the lead, ending the match 34-84, with FTWin advancing to Winner’s Finals.
+
+### **Winner’s Finals \- FTWin vs. Milky Way (3-1)**
+
+A repeat from two weeks ago, FTWin and Milky Way once again met in Winner’s Finals to fight for the best ticket to Grand Finals. Over in the loser’s bracket, the sets were Duck Motif vs. Moonlight and Five vs. BEt, as Triggerfish Zones Supremacy and healthy diet food groups exited the event.
+
+Game one, Tower Control at Undertow Spillway, saw nearly identical weapon comps on both teams: Snipewriter 5H, Splat Dualies, and Slosher. FTWin had an S-BLAST ‘91 and Milky Way brought a Forge Splattershot Pro. FTWin would be the powerhouse in this game, taking the first checkpoint and a good lead into the second half of the game, where a fantastic cycle of specials let them sweep through the second checkpoint quickly. Things faltered for them as the game reached its last leg, and they would eventually fall short in overtime, 64-65.
+
+Into Rainmaker at MakoMart, FTWin once again took the first checkpoint after splatting three of Milky Way’s players early. One minute later, they had the Rainmaker down to 19, but went down three players for it. This gave Milky Way the chance to get their first checkpoint, but forward progress was stopped by sam, who got a triple on them. In the final few seconds, as Milky Way raced toward the popped Rainmaker, it reset to the middle of the map before they could grab it and force overtime, leaving the score 81-59 for FTWin.
+
+Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino was a game where neither team scored high, only making pushes one Power Clam at a time. Milky Way was the team to score first; it wasn’t more than a minute later that FTWin wiped them out and tied the scoreboard, pushing them behind one point. Milky Way threw another Power Clam at the basket; FTWin followed up with their own Power Clam, still trailing by one point. The game went into overtime–\[K\]yo\! put up a Big Bubbler and dashed beneath the basket, providing two jump spots for FTWin, who would dunk one final Power Clam into the basket for the win, 39-30.
+
+Turf War at Hagglefish Market is a repeated game four selection from FTWin and Milky Way’s Grand Finals set two weeks ago. Most of the match was fought either around the middle block or in the side routes, with neither pushing into the enemy’s base. As 15 seconds remained, FTWin went down two players, but in the last three seconds, Milky Way was down to one player. FTWin’s fast inking earned them the 50.3% to 45.0% victory, for a total ink coverage of 95.3%, redeeming their 44.1% to 51.2% loss two weeks ago… which also adds up to a total ink coverage of 95.3%\!
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals \- Duck Motif vs. Five (0-3)**
+
+Loser’s Finals would be Duck Motif vs. Five; the winner would advance to meet Milky Way in Loser’s Finals, for the opportunity to go to Grand Finals. Five was about to show just how much they wanted their chance to win a North American League event themselves…
+
+Five speedran the first two games of the set. First, Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime, where the match had already ended one minute and seventeen seconds in. Duck Motif looked confident going into the match; after all, they beat Hypernova on this same map and mode combination at that same timestamp (3:43) last week\! This week, however, it would be Five with the speedy knockout. Five knocked out Duck Motif again in Tower Control at Crableg Capital, which started with an early wipeout over Duck Motif. An unstoppable force of Five wreaking havoc in Duck Motif’s base led Five to their knockout at the 3:25 mark.
+
+Fortunately for Duck Motif, Clam Blitz and Museum d’Alfonsino went better after switching off of their double-brush composition. Interestingly, it was redshell1–one of the West’s best Brush players–who made the switch to the Stickerz Splatana Stamper. The match started with Duck Motif taking down three of Five’s players within 30 seconds. Five scored first and got all the way to 37; finally, at 2:56, Duck Motif got their first points of the entire set, going down to 51 points remaining. The final victory would go to Five, 89-49.
+
+### **Loser’s Finals \- Milky Way vs. Five (3-2)**
+
+In Loser’s Finals, Five would be taking the runback against Milky Way from Event \#4, hoping to finally beat this adversary who has denied them a Top 8 stream victory more than once.
+
+Game one started with Clam Blitz at Inkblot Art Academy. Milky Way scored first, managing to do so twice to get their lead to 47 before Five had their first opportunity for points. It took Five until just over a minute remaining to make a small, one Power Clam push, but 30 seconds later, taking two down with Killer Wail 5.1 enabled them to score again. It was not enough to take the lead; the game went into overtime, where Five wasn’t able to overcome their opponent’s score and was left behind 45-53.
+
+Game two saw Five rush to the tower at MakoMart in the opening ten seconds to make a one-point push. Another ten seconds passed and Five took down three on Milky Way to drive the tower past the first checkpoint. Milky Way had an uphill battle to even get to their first checkpoint, with doubles, triples, and a wipeout in their way. They finally got through the first check with less than 30 seconds remaining. Since Five hadn’t pushed their tower much further, their score was surpassed with another last-second loss, 44-49.
+
+In game three, Splat Zones at Urchin Underpass, it took almost 30 seconds for either team to claim the zone–which went to Milky Way. The next several minutes had the two teams flipping zone possession back and forth. Whenever Five thought they could extend their lead, Milky Way would reclaim the zone just long enough to apply penalty points before control went back to Five. With ten seconds left in the match, Milky Way wiped out Five just two ticks before they would have knocked out, but in overtime, Five recovered to win, 98-78.
+
+Game four, Crableg Capital Rainmaker, saw speedrun-ready Five return. Not even 30 seconds into the game, Five acquired the lead and first checkpoint, taking advantage of Milky Way being down three players. As another 30 seconds passed, Milky Way got their first checkpoint and took the lead. This brought out a new fire from Five, who wanted that reverse sweep ticket to Grand Finals. Gos and Soulja teamed up to get a wipeout over Milky Way, leading to a knockout win before the clock reached the halfway point.
+
+Game five saw Turf War at Hagglefish Market for the second time on stream. Both teams came in with similar picks of Splat Dualies, REEF-LUX 450, Slosher/Order Slosher, with the only difference being the Snipewriter 5H on Milky Way’s side, and Heavy Edit Splatling on Five’s. The opening was slow as teams played safe, but around the halfway point, plays were finally happening where more than one player was down at a time. As the last minute began, Milky Way was down two players and Five only one, and more and more splats increased the tension as the Danger\! sign hadn’t appeared in the UI for anyone yet. The end result would be Milky Way making their way back to Grand Finals with a 56.7% to 37.7% final score.
+
+### **Grand Finals \- FTWin vs. Milky Way (2-3)**
+
+Running back from two weeks ago, it’s Five in third place, with Milky Way walking into Grand Finals against FTWin. Last time, FTWin won in a close 3-2 set–can they do it one more time to keep their undefeated streak in the Splatoon 3 North American League Top 8 stream?
+
+Rainmaker at MakoMart was the first game, and FTWin already wiped out Milky Way less than 30 seconds in to get their first checkpoint. Before the first minute was up, FTWin had the Rainmaker down to 25\. It took Milky Way nearly two minutes to get their first checkpoint, but once they passed it, they brought the game to a near-tie of 26-25. Almost at the 30-second remaining point, FTWin scored another wipeout, and as they played keep-away with the Rainmaker, the clock AND Rainmaker timer reached zero, giving FTWin the first set win by a narrow 75-74 lead.
+
+Clam Blitz was chosen for game two for the third time in a row at Museum d’Alfonsino. Two minutes passed before points were put on the scoreboard. FTWin used a combo of Crab Tank, Big Bubbler, and Booyah Bomb to keep their push alive, bringing their score to 57\. They would persistently score again and again after taking down three members of Milky Way at once; the only time Milky Way could score was in overtime, which wouldn’t be enough to overcome their opponent, losing 23-82.
+
+Tower Control at Hagglefish Market was next, once again seeing both teams with a Snipewriter 5H, Slosher, and Splat Dualies, with the S-BLAST ‘91 for FTWin and Forge Splattershot Pro on Milky Way. Milky Way took the lead first this time, splatting most of FTWin to open up the path to their first checkpoint. A wipeout over FTWin saw Milky Way get their second checkpoint with two minutes remaining. FTWin continued to fight, returning the wipeout on Milky Way at the 43-second mark, and getting their first checkpoint with 19 seconds to go. The game would last just a second into overtime before FTWin was forced from the tower, resulting in their first set loss, 64-81.
+
+Splat Zones at Urchin Underpass, aptly described as a “tug of war” with the zone, saw a quick wipeout on FTWin 30 seconds into the game. It wouldn’t deter them for long, as FTWin would end up in the lead just over a minute later. Reinvigorated, sam would go on a five-player splat-streak. What followed that was a series of zone flips, eventually leading to FTWin wiping out Milky Way around the two minute mark. The zone would continue shuffling over and over, next favoring Milky Way. Overtime saw FTWin with their objective ticking down without penalty, but ultimately would get capped before they could take the lead, ending with another loss, 70-77.
+
+The Top 8 stream went full circle with a game five Crableg Capital Turf War game both in Winner’s Quarterfinals and now in Grand Finals. We still saw unsurprising weapon compositions being same-y between teams, but with one twist as Milky Way brought out Custom Dualie Squelchers. At the halfway point, both teams were caught in the midst of an FTWin Booyah Bomb, and both came out of it with two players down. Milky Way saw Danger\! on their screens as the game neared its final 30 seconds, and the specials started to fly. The last looks were deceptive, appearing to be in FTWin’s favor, but instead, Lil Judd’s flag came out for Milky Way, with a 51.6% to 46.6% lead, and a new Turf War ink coverage record of 98.2%.
+
+It was time for a bracket reset\!
+
+### **Grand Finals Reset: FTWin vs. Milky Way (0-3)**
+
+The bracket has reset, and now the first team to make it to three wins takes the Top 8 tournament for Event \#6. More than just a battle of skill, this set became a battle of endurance, as players had been in non-stop action for several hours.
+
+The first game went back to Rainmaker at MakoMart. The game picked up momentum at 3:30 as Milky Way got their first checkpoint. This would be counteracted by FTWin, who wiped out Milky Way, took their first checkpoint, and the lead. There was a critical moment where FTWin stopped Milky Way’s Rainmaker carrier, but in the process got wiped out, leading to Milky Way taking the lead, just short of the final checkpoint. The lead would end up being too high for FTWin to surpass, ending with another loss for them 96-67 in overtime.
+
+The second game went to Tower Control at Crableg Capital; both teams back with their similar weapon spread, with no specials unique to one team. FTWin took the first checkpoint shortly after 30 seconds, with Milky Way following up another 30 seconds later and taking the lead with them. Two minutes into the game, and FTWin had the lead back in their hands, now with the second checkpoint behind them. They would hold onto this lead until overtime, with Milky Way clearing their second checkpoint. Milky Way rode the tower long enough to pass FTWin’s current score, and another loss was tacked onto FTWin’s record, 71-72.
+
+The last game of the stream was Splat Zones at Urchin Underpass. As we’ve seen plenty of times throughout this Top 8 bracket, the game was back and forth as the seconds and specials flew by. Rather than being a game of overcoming penalty points, it would be a task of holding the zone long enough to make a meaningful impact. The score remained relatively close, with both teams inching past one another until the final minute, where Milky Way took the lead from FTWin one final time, solidifying the set after a knockout.
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="nal_r4_bracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f2e3d6d1-b649-40e2-9451-8d3a7bf00fc8" />
+
+The Splatoon 3 North American League is now past the halfway point, and has just one month left for teams to muster their best and reach new heights. No new faces were present in the Top 8 teams this week, but that all could change as the storyline develops\!
+
+Original Posting Date: October 28, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-na-league-event-7-regular-5.md

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+---
+title: "Splatoon 3 North American League Event #7 (Regular Season Week 5)"
+date: 2025-11-04
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-7-regular-season-week-5](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-7-regular-season-week-5) 
+
+# **Splatoon 3 North American League Event \#7 (Regular Season Week 5\)**
+
+With one month left in the Splatoon 3 North American League, teams are now reaching the point where, if satisfied with their event results, can take a break. Only a team’s top five results will count toward their Playoffs eligibility, so if a team has played every Regular Season event so far, they don’t need to keep going. However, in the event of a tie, the team that has played more events is prioritized, so don’t rest on your laurels\!
+
+## **The League Show Episode 7**
+
+Jordan and Zach opened up the Splatoon 3 North American League Show’s seventh episode with a recap of the previous week’s highlights. They went over the current team standings which have Milky Way, Duck Motif, and Five in the top 3 spots.
+
+Jordan hosted a gameplay segment, “Exploring Alterna”, where three community members (Falco, Kbot, Chara) competed to see who could complete select missions in Alterna, successfully and quickly. The segment showed off each players’ skills at dodging Amped Octostamps while collecting Power Eggs, Zipcaster ability and map maneuverability, and rail-shooting prowess.
+
+Almost as a teaser of what was to come, the League Show returned to Riptide for an exclusive interview from Cyren with KyochaN (also known as \[K\]yo\!) from FTWin. The interview would consist of questions such as “What got you into Splatoon?”, “What motivates you to keep playing?”, “Who would you consider to be your biggest success story \[as a player you’ve trained\]?”, and “What moment from a past Nintendo tournament stands out to you most?”, among others.
+
+Zach would conclude the League Show with another Shiny Tips segment featuring game five from last week’s Grand Finals between FTWin and Milky Way, Turf War at Crableg Capital. The show ended with a reminder of future events still to come.
+
+## **Top 8 Bracket**
+<img width="1200" height="552" alt="nal_r5_ladder" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/96273194-2fed-4e2d-b5d9-59834993a39c" />
+
+Event \#7’s commentator cast included Zach, Popgun, and Nox, with CzarDB on the spectator camera. At the time of writing, the stream has nearly 24.5K views, with a relatively short 4-hour run time.
+
+This week, three teams were new to the top cut\! This week, the Top 8 teams were:
+
+1. FTWin  
+2. Moonlight  
+3. fofofo  
+4. Gourmet Race  
+5. ABA Chan So Cute  
+6. Duck Motif  
+7. Waypoint  
+8. Sunset
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals: FTWin vs. Sunset (3-1)**
+
+The first set on stream would be FTWin vs. Sunset; Sunset was one of three teams who have not been seen on stream before, though viewers may recognize the players (Happy, ori\_, roman, fishy). The other sets would be Gourmet Race vs. ABA Chan So Cute, Moonlight vs. Waypoint, and fofofo vs. Duck Motif.
+
+Kicking off Event \#7 was Tower Control at Hagglefish Market, a near-mirror match with both teams bringing a Splash-o-matic, Snipewriter 5H, and Slosher to the field. Neither team cleared a checkpoint until two minutes in, which would be FTWin, taking theirs to 34\. In the last 45 seconds, Sunset got their first points of the game, but couldn’t drive the tower far enough, ending game one in a win for FTWin, 66-45. Game two went to Rainmaker at Urchin Underpass. During FTWin’s first full push, they were stopped on the pedestal as every player gathered to fight around the checkpoint. FTWin got a lead to 34, but no lead is safe–with one minute left, Sunset cleared their first checkpoint. That snowballed into the lead with ten seconds remaining, and the victory, 92-66.
+
+Less than 15 seconds into Splat Zones at MakoMart, FTWin already had Sunset down three players. At 2:16, FTWin wiped out Sunset, and did it again just five seconds later as the earliest respawners took the stage and were bombarded. Sunset stopped FTWin at three points to knockout, delaying the inevitable as FTWin fought a bit longer to earn the knockout. Game four, Turf War at Um’ami Ruins, saw only FTWin adapt by including a REEF-LUX 450 MIL-K in their arsenal. At almost one minute into the game, Sunset was already seeing the Danger\! sign flash for them as FTWin invaded their base, and the warning wouldn’t go away until the final minute. In the last 30 seconds, FTWin got a devastating triple on Sunset, which would lead to the win, 60.7% \- 36.2%.
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals: Moonlight vs. fofofo (1-3)**
+
+Headed into the second round of the event, Moonlight vs. fofofo, FTWin would be going against Gourmet Race on the other side of the Winner’s Bracket. In the Loser’s Bracket, ABA Chan So Cute would face Sunset, and Duck Motif would face Waypoint.
+
+Perhaps for the first time, game one was Turf War–at Museum d’Alfonsino. Both teams had a Splatana Wiper, Snipewriter 5H, and a variant of the REEF-LUX 450\. For fofofo, an Inkbrush, and for Moonlight, a Forge Splattershot Pro, which paired with the MIL-K to spam Booyah Bombs. Having more players going into the final seconds of the game let fofofo secure the first set win, 64.3% \- 33.1%. The next game was Tower Control at Crableg Capital. Fofofo took the tower quickly, but went down just as fast, enabling Moonlight to take the tower and ride it through the first checkpoint. At about three minutes on the clock, fofofo got their first checkpoint, but just couldn’t keep their momentum into overtime, where Moonlight came out as the victors, 85-58.
+
+Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime saw fofofo take the zone first, but Moonlight was the one to hold it all the way to 5 ticks, where fofofo had to use three specials to reclaim it before the match ended early. Both teams inched as close as possible to knocking out; ultimately one was able to claim the knockout, and it was fofofo. Game four was Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins; already 20 seconds in, fofofo scored, earning a great lead to 41\. Over a minute later, Moonlight followed with their own mega push, taking the lead and driving their scoreboard to 9 points before needing to back up. Moonlight would go down three players as fofofo broke into their base with an Ultra Stamp; they would take the lead and the knockout, for the Winner’s Semifinals under their belt in a 3-1 set.
+
+### **Winner’s Finals: FTWin vs. fofofo (3-2)**
+
+Going into the Winner’s Finals, the Loser’s Bracket would see Moonlight vs. ABA Chan So Cute, and Gourmet Race vs. Duck Motif. Sunset and Waypoint would be exiting from the Top 8 after losing their sets, 1-3 and 0-3, respectively.
+
+Once more, we get surprised with a game one Turf War, at Crableg Capital this time. With the vanilla REEF-LUX 450 showing up, all three REEF-LUX 450 variants appeared in the stream\! Going into the final minute, FTWin tried to hold onto all of their specials to lock out fofofo, but this worked against them as some were held for over 20 seconds, with players being splatted before being able to use them. FTWin had Danger\! flash in the UI, and soon would be down two players. In the last few seconds, fofofo went down three players after having been consistently down two for an extended time. Judd’s final say was in favor of FTWin, 53.1% \- 43.8%.
+
+Fofofo had just come from a knockout on Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime, and they looked to repeat that against FTWin in game two. They took the zone first; by the end of the first minute, FTWin had the zone and the lead, but soon after, fofofo reclaimed possession. FTWin snatched the zone from fofofo as they reached 13 points left, but it wouldn’t be long before they had the zone back. With one minute and 43 seconds remaining, specials thrown to no avail, FTWin lost in a knockout, with fofofo now 2-for-2 for knockouts on Splat Zones Barnacle & Dime in the stream.
+
+For the first time in the NA League, the game went to Clam Blitz at MakoMart. But looking at the weapons, it looked more like Urchin Underpass. No Chargers, Dapple Dualies in play, Mini (and Zink Mini) Splatling dominating. As we’ve come to expect from fofofo, they scored early; their first push was to 65 before one minute passed. Around the midpoint, FTWin made an incredible 33-second push, bringing their score to 57, taking the lead. Fofofo swung back, taking FTWin down three players, they scored just enough to take the lead. In the final heartbeats of overtime FTWin threw a Power Clam, which would have assured their victory, but Lil Judd’s flag still waved for fofofo, as FTWin’s Power Clam was just frames too late. The final score was 56-53, for fofofo.
+
+Back to the norm, Tower Control at Museum d’Alfonsino, the early game would be fofofo zooming through checkpoints as FTWin cycled being down two players. Before the first minute was up, fofofo had their second checkpoint; it took FTWin two minutes to get their first points. With Crab Tank on the tower and Triple Inkstrikes out, FTWin took the lead halfway into the game. Not far behind, fofofo used a Big Bubbler to ensure that they overcame FTWin’s score. Evolving into an all-out brawl, FTWin got wiped out, fofofo went down three; only DATMENACE\! was alive, riding the tower through the third checkpoint. FTWin locked in for the last leg of the game: without any specials, they surpassed fofofo’s score of 12, and even returned a knockout victory back.
+
+Game five was Rainmaker at Urchin Underpass, where surprisingly, no Ink Vacs were present, and on the side of FTWin was a Nautilus 47\. But the true MVP of the game was the Ultra Stamp. Sam helped FTWin wipe out fofofo by getting a triple with an Ultra Stamp, which let them get their first checkpoint and the lead. Fofofo worked hard to out-score FTWin, but FTWin reclaimed their lead once again using the Ultra Stamp to clear a path through the grated wall. In the last few seconds of the game, fofofo had the Rainmaker and wasn’t far from outpacing FTWin, but two seconds from overtime, they would lose the Rainmaker to a thrown Ultra Stamp, securing FTWin’s five-game set win, 58-48.
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: Moonlight vs. Duck Motif (3-2)**
+
+For the past few weeks, Moonlight’s bane has been Duck Motif, always going to a game five but falling short of victory. After both teams went 3-1 in the previous round, will Moonlight surpass their bracket demon, or will Duck Motif continue to repeat the pattern to advance to Loser’s Finals against fofofo?
+
+Back-to-back Rainmaker games on stream, this time at Museum a’Alfonsino. In less than a minute, Duck Motif was stopped shy of breaking through their first checkpoint. Moonlight would instead be the first to clear a checkpoint, after about a minute and a half, after taking down three on Duck Motif–two which were from a Rainmaker double. Continuing that momentum, Shadow would get another double with the Rainmaker; further still, Moonlight got the Rainmaker to just 7 points before their push ended. Duck Motif wouldn’t be able to catch up, especially after being wiped out in the last minute, and the game ended in an overtime victory for Moonlight, 93-54.
+
+Tower Control at MakoMart continued the theme of Charger mirrors from the last match (double Splatterscopes) with two E-liter 4Ks. Duck Motif passed their checkpoint first after both teams met in mid and the resulting fight left Moonlight down three players and Duck Motif only down one. Shortly after, Moonlight returned to wipe out Duck Motif, take their first checkpoint, and the lead. A minute and a half later, Duck Motif reclaimed their lead by getting to–but not through–the second checkpoint, and they would stay in the lead until the end of the game, winning 61-46.
+
+Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins was a high-scoring game with high action as the game opened up to Moonlight wiping out Duck Motif in the first 40 seconds. They would not score off of this opportunity, but when they wiped out Duck Motif again one minute later, they would get the chance to put the first points on the scoreboard. Their push to 47 was quickly overshot when Duck Motif kicked off a 34-second push powered by Triple Inkstrikes and a Trizooka by scoring three Power Clams at once. Duck Motif’s push ended with their score going from 100 to 4\. In overtime, Moonlight would put up a tremendous fight to keep the basket open and timer running, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Duck Motif, who won the game 96-86.
+
+Turf War at Urchin Underpass saw a peculiar weapon choice from Duck Motif to not just bring out a Snipewriter on a map notorious for being unfavorable to Chargers, but it was the Snipewriter 5B, with Splash Wall and Ink Storm. It would not prove effective, as Moonlight was driving the match just one minute in, after Omega got a double over Duck Motif and led Duck Motif to seeing the Danger\! sign flash in their UI. The Danger\! sign would not leave the screen for Duck Motif until the game was over; Moonlight’s hold was too strong, leading to their win 63.9% \- 30.4%.
+
+Game five–the moment of truth, at Splat Zones Barnacle & Dime, which was currently 2/2 for knockouts in this stream. Moonlight would turn that into a 3-for-3 after securing a knockout after one minute and 22 seconds. They did not let Duck Motif get any points, finally breaking their NA League curse and winning a set against Duck Motif, letting them advance to Loser’s Finals against fofofo, who had also been giving them immense trouble in the League.
+
+### **Loser’s Finals: fofofo vs. Moonlight (3-0)**
+
+The battle of reruns was ahead for fofofo; in Loser’s Finals they had to fight Moonlight again after going 3-1 against them in Winner’s Semifinals, and should they win, they would re-face FTWin in Grand Finals as the runback after Winner’s Finals.
+
+Another set began with Rainmaker, on Urchin Underpass, which would be unforgiving to Moonlight from the get-go as fofofo wiped out Moonlight before 30 seconds had passed. This led to fofofo getting their first checkpoint, snowballing into a lead at 38\. Fofofo’s Zipcaster was their most powerful distraction tool, keeping Moonlight busy while fofofo managed to get the Rainmaker to just 1 point remaining\! Moonlight protected themselves from getting knocked out, but both teams kept trading players back and forth, denying easy forward progress. The game ended in a fofofo win, 99-51.
+
+Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime–you know what’s coming: the three-for-three knockout victory record, turned into a four-for-four as fofofo knocked out Moonlight with three minutes and 36 seconds to go. Moonlight did have a chance to get some points to their name, having taken the zone in the first eight seconds of the game, but fofofo moved too fast and had a defense too strong for Moonlight to overcome, leading to fofofo’s second win of the set in short order.
+
+Moonlight won Tower Control at Crableg Capital earlier in the stream against fofofo, but fofofo entered the match with a new fighter: the Custom E-liter 4K, the kit with Squid Beakon and Kraken Royale. The notion that an E-liter 4K isn’t a front-line aggressor or a special spammer was thrown out of the window in this match, as it felt like every time Moonlight turned their head, Harshi’s Kraken Royale was in their face, in their base, causing a commotion. The ever-present Kraken Royale, paired with Zipcaster, denied Moonlight the chance to push the tower past five points, and would lead to fofofo getting another knockout victory, and the set shut-out, 3-0.
+
+### **Grand Finals: FTWin vs. fofofo (3-1)**
+
+The winner of Event \#7’s Grand Finals between FTWin and fofofo was guaranteed to be a double winner, as FTWin won the Regular Season Week 2 Top 8 and fofofo won the following week’s stream. Although we may have had new faces this week, the winner would not be\! Every map/mode in this set would follow that theme, being repeats of matches in their Winner’s Finals set.
+
+Game one between these teams would once more be Turf War at Urchin Underpass. Compared to other Turf War games on display, this one felt personal with the unusually high number of splats between teams. Turf War is normally slow to begin, but just 30 seconds in, FTWin was already down three players, and shortly after seeing Danger\! at the top of their screen. As the game continued through its halfway point, FTWin would be seeing that Danger\! sign more often than not as they struggled to find a footing against fofofo. In the final seconds, both teams were down two players; the end result was a victory for fofofo, 52.7% \- 43.7%.
+
+Game two went to Clam Blitz at MakoMart, returning the weapon comps that looked like something for Urchin Underpass, with no Snipewriter 5Hs, and Dapple Dualies in play. FTWin scored first after a skirmish in mid left them with a numbers advantage. The game had one recurring theme: teams making pushes of just one Power Clam at a time. FTWin’s perseverance in scoring, over and over again, saw them racking up points fast, compared to fofofo, who had only scored once by the middle of the game. Fofofo looked to snag an overtime victory from FTWin as they set up a Big Bubbler under the basket and started tossing clams while FTWin was down three players, but they would regroup to shut down fofofo’s camp, ending overtime with their win, 61-52.
+
+It was time for Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime again, for viewers to sit on the edge of their seats in anticipation of a potential fifth KO in a row on the map/mode\! It looked like the early win would go to fofofo, as they held onto the lead for nearly a minute and a half, finally being stopped at 13 by FTWin’s Triple Inkstrikes. It was now FTWin’s time to turn the tide, taking the lead with two minutes on the clock, but fofofo locked in to stop FTWin at 4 points remaining. Fofofo lost the zone right as they burned through their penalty points; just 20 seconds left, and FTWin was the one out of penalty points, and although they cut it very close, we still got the 5-for-5 knockout victory on Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime\!
+
+The final game of the Grand Finals, Rainmaker at Urchin Underpass. Again, it would be the Ultra Stamp making the game for FTWin as its non-ignorable presence gave FTWin the distraction they needed to take the first checkpoint and lead from fofofo. Close to the two-minute mark, fofofo still gave FTWin a fight, taking their first checkpoint and lead. However, once FTWin’s Ultra Stamp came back out, it was another lead change after it got a double, leading to a wipeout right by the grates. This gave FTWin the opportunity to go for the knockout, which they were able to secure at the same time as a second wipeout, ending the game with just under a minute remaining, and taking the set 3-1, and FTWin’s second Top 8 stream victory\!
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="nal_r5_bracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9146afbc-594a-4901-9bd4-1cc2a7cc7846" />
+
+There were repeats aplenty in this week’s Splatoon 3 North American League Top 8 stream, but the action never gets old. Even this far into the event, new teams are still showing up, but only those who have played at minimum five events will qualify for the Playoffs in December. Who will go the distance and make it that far? We can’t say for certain yet\! 
+
+
+Original Posting Date: November 4, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-na-league-event-8-regular-6.md

@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+---
+title: "Splatoon 3 North American League Event #8 (Regular Season Week 6)"
+date: 2025-11-11
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="splatoon-3-na-league-event-8-regular-6" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8cd2ff5a-06a3-4a5c-a7de-8c402f7cb3d9" />
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-8-regular-season-week-6](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-8-regular-season-week-6)
+
+# **Splatoon 3 North American League Event \#8 (Regular Season Week 6\)**
+
+Only three more weeks are left in the Splatoon 3 North American League, and teams are starting to reach the point where they have played enough events to qualify for the Playoffs. The top five scores from each Regular Season week will be used to determine who makes it to the Playoffs, and some teams have already played in five events. While they don’t need to play more weeks, it is encouraged to try to overcome lower-scoring weeks to keep numbers high\!
+
+# **The League Show Episode 8**
+
+Jordan and Nine recapped last week’s NA League Top 8 action and relayed the current season standings, which see Duck Motif, fofofo, and Moonlight in the top 3 spots. Rain Dance, who has not been present in any of the Top 8 streams, is \#8, which goes to show that participating in every event is just as important as placing high in a few.
+
+The game played this week involved showing clips from some of the best action in the Top 8 streams so far, hiding every piece of UI information, and having Magic, Nox, and Chaedr try to guess who the player performing the action was. Highlights included Gos’s quad on fofofo, JJaeigh defending the tower in overtime, DATMENACE\!’s triple on Hypernova, Omega’s Ultra Stamp triple on fofofo, Blob’s Inkjet quad on Triggerfish Zones Supremacy, and Thunder’s quad on Milky Way.
+
+Zach hosted an outfit review segment following the guessing game, where he, EE, and Rissa showed off their characters’ outfits and ranked them from least to most fresh, including Nine and Mellana’s character fits as well. Zach then transitioned into an episode of Shiny Tips to elaborate on the plays from last week’s Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins game between Moonlight and Duck Motif. As always, the episode concluded with the dates for the rest to come\!
+
+# **Top 8 Bracket**
+<img width="1200" height="559" alt="nal_r6_ladder" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/05a4af33-0a20-4f07-a334-ebc39e22193c" />
+
+The commentator crew this week included Nine, Cyren, and Sapph, with Piko on the spectator camera. The stream lasted about four and a half hours in this game five-less Top 8 stream\! There were not new teams this week, but did see the return of DPS ONLY, who had not been in a Top 8 since Preseason Week 2 (under the name DPS Mostly):
+
+1. Gourmet Race  
+2. FTWin  
+3. Sunset  
+4. Hypernova  
+5. healthy diet food groups  
+6. BEt  
+7. fofofo  
+8. DPS ONLY
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals: Sunset vs. BEt (3-1)**
+
+The first streamed set was between Sunset and BEt; the other matchups were Gourmet Race vs. DPS ONLY, Hypernova vs. healthy diet food groups, and FTWin vs. fofofo.
+
+Event \#8 began with Splat Zones at Undertow Spillway, where the game flowed back and forth, with teams trading the lead. Sunset had the first and last moments of triumph, taking game one in a knockout victory with a handful of seconds left to spare. Game two was a different story: at Tower Control Hagglefish Market, BEt held the game in their hands, keeping the tower on Sunset’s side of the map more than anywhere else. Before even a minute had passed, they had already driven the tower to 38 points. Sunset tried fighting back, but they couldn’t even get their first checkpoint; the match ended in a win for BEt, 74-12.
+
+Game three, Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins, was tug-of-war-esque, with the lead shifting each time a team scored. Sunset scored first while BEt was down half of their team; a minute later BEt had the lead, at the cost of being wiped out. After Sunset’s next push, the game was even—then, BEt wiped out Sunset and took an enormous lead, to just one point to win\! In the final ten seconds, Sunset’s successful jump-ins with Power Clams let them take the lead right as overtime began, leading to a second knockout victory\!
+
+Game four went to Turf War at Urchin Underpass, and saw both teams wield a Slosher, REEF-LUX 450, Dapple Dualies, and Ultra Stamp. Throughout the match, it felt like there was always an Ultra Stamp omnipresent; if not physically, then being discussed by the commentators. By the final minute when the spectator camera panned out, the game looked even, but not too much later, Sunset had Danger\! on their screen for about ten seconds. Despite the scare, they would be the team winning the game and the set, out-inking BEt 52.3% to 45.6%.
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals: Gourmet Race vs. Hypernova (1-3)**
+
+The Winner’s Semifinals focused on Gourmet Race and Hypernova; on the other side of the Winner’s bracket was FTWin vs. Sunset. In the Loser’s bracket, healthy diet food groups was up against DPS ONLY, while BEt faced fofofo.
+
+Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy kicked off the set, and from the start, Hypernova was forcing Gourmet Race down two players consistently. When their push was over, Hypernova had the tower at 20\. The game’s second half saw Gourmet Race reverse the odds: in 30 seconds, they took two checkpoints and were shy of the lead. In overtime, Hypernova saved their lead, taking the win, 80-77. Rainmaker at Urchin Underpass was next and an Ultra Stamp cleared a path for Hypernova to claim their first checkpoint and get past the grates. They got a wipeout over Gourmet Race with a double from the Rainmaker. The rest of the game was Hypernova wiping out Gourmet Race–four times in the latter half of the match, which ended in another Hypernova win, 82-62.
+
+Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins saw Hypernova take the first charge to score first after dividing Gourmet Race’s attention with specials. Gourmet Race found an opening to score two Power Clams and then some, giving them a 23-point lead; soon they scored again, and in just two pushes, with about 40 seconds left in the game, Gourmet Race had their first set victory in a knockout\!
+
+Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime closed out the Winner’s Semifinals. The matchup favored Gourmet Race, who had higher painting power than Hypernova, but HENLO made a statement in the first 30 seconds by getting an Ultra Stamp-powered triple, leading to a wipeout as Hypernova took the lead. Hypernova lost the zone a few times, but their offense gave them a great defense, and with just over a minute left in the game, their knockout was secured, and they advanced to the Winner’s Finals.
+
+### **Winner’s Finals: Hypernova vs. FTWin (0-3)**
+
+After each went 3-1 in Winner’s Semifinals, Hypernova and FTWin met to determine who goes to Grand Finals and who goes to Loser’s Finals. In the Loser’s bracket, DPS ONLY and BEt were out of the Top 8 stream, and the Quarterfinals saw Sunset vs. healthy diet food groups and Gourmet Race vs. fofofo.
+
+Urchin Underpass, back for the third time, for Rainmaker twice now\! After taking the first checkpoint, with Triple Inkstrikes clearing the way, FTWin had a lead of 35\. Feeling comfortable, with two minutes remaining, they started stalling. With time against them, Hypernova fought back, taking their first checkpoint in the last minute. Grabbing the Rainmaker just frames before it reset, Flingking had the commentators losing their minds after nailing a triple on FTWin in one shot, earning the quad soon after. FTWin still took the victory, 65-57.
+
+Going back to Tower Control Inkblot Art Academy, FTWin had their checkpoint cleared first, but not too much later, Hypernova was able to out-score them by causing a distraction inside of FTWin’s base. Nothing felt safe at any point; it seemed like there was always at least one special active providing a threat to either team. Just after the halfway point, FTWin took a two-point lead over Hypernova, who tried to contest it in overtime, and though they put up a valiant effort with a last-minute double on the tower, FTWin would retake it and win 47-45.
+
+For the first time on the Top 8 stream, Turf War at Undertow Spillway appeared\! HENLO switched to the Splatana Wiper Deco, and had now played all three Wiper variants on stream. The game remained even up until the final minute–even when Piko showed the overhead view, the map looked tied. After FTWin saw Danger\! on their side with 40 seconds left, they locked in once \[K\]yo\! scored a REEF-LUX one-shot to stay alive and continue inking Hypernova’s turf. The final score was 52.3% to 45.3% in favor of FTWin, who scored the same 52.3% as Sunset in set one; if Hypernova had inked just 0.03% more, the score would have been the exact same as Winner’s Quarterfinals’ Turf War\!
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: Sunset vs. fofofo (0-3)**
+
+The Loser’s Semifinals was between Sunset and fofofo. The winner of this set would face Hypernova; regardless of the team that won, they would get a redemption shot at FTWin, who sent all three of the teams left to the Loser’s bracket.
+
+Fofofo started–and ended–the set with a speedrun mentality; Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime saw fofofo already halfway through the objective one minute in. Sunset’s saving grace was cactuszack diving into the zone and setting up a Big Bubbler. They took the lead, but lost momentum when fofofo threw specials at the zone to take it. Fofofo had their first knockout victory at 1:46. Faster still, Tower Control at MakoMart saw Sunset move the tower first, just three points. This was all fofofo would let them get; their first push saw them all the way to 65 before regrouping. With just over 3 minutes remaining, a wipeout on Sunset is what let fofofo snowball: they got their second checkpoint, wiped out Sunset again, and knocked out again at 2:08.
+
+And if you thought fofofo couldn’t do it again, Rainmaker at Crableg Capital disproved that; some composition changes saw DATMENACE\! (“datkid 444” this week), the NA League’s biggest Brush menace, switch to an S-BLAST ‘91. This was positive for fofofo, as not even 20 seconds in, Sunset was wiped out. This led to fofofo quickly getting all the way to 39\. Sunset fired back with a checkpoint clear, and using a Booyah Bomb as cover, drove the Rainmaker to 9 points\! Normally, that’s a winning score, if a team is able to defend it, but fofofo was soon back in Sunset’s base, and with an Ink Vac at hand, they were able to inch the Rainmaker forward, retake the lead, wipe out Sunset, and finally, at 2:05, knock out for the third time in a row, for a total set shutout.
+
+### **Loser’s Finals: Hypernova vs. fofofo (1-3)**
+
+Hypernova and fofofo would be the teams fighting for their revenge match against FTWin in Grand Finals. The last time these two teams fought, in Regular Season Week 3, the set went to a game five, with fofofo getting the win.
+
+Game one went to Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime once again; both teams have knocked out on this stage in this event, and for the third time in a row, it would not disappoint\! Hypernova had the zone first and held onto it all the way to 16, when fofofo finally had a successful retake attempt after multiple failed ones. It would then be fofofo holding onto the lead, surpassing Hypernova after taking them down three teammates, for Barnacle & Dime’s three-for-three knockouts in the Top 8\!
+
+Inkblot Art Academy at Tower Control–the only mode that Inkblot Art Academy has been chosen for so far this event. Fofofo took the first checkpoint, making a push to 57 early on. Hypernova wouldn’t get their first checkpoint until almost two minutes in, but once they did, their momentum let them run through the second checkpoint, all the way to 37\. Fofofo’s next run got their next checkpoint, but wiped out just shy of the lead. They returned to take the lead in the last minute, thanks to DATMENACE\!’s Zipcaster. Hypernova had won the previous two games on this map and mode, and would add another to the record after Flingking got a triple in the final seconds, leading to a wipeout on fofofo as overtime began. Hypernova just barely won, 72-71.
+
+Game three, Clam Blitz at Urchin Underpass, was not forgiving for Hypernova–less than 30 seconds in, left with one player standing, unable to stop fofofo from scoring to 60\. Another 30 seconds later, and fofofo scored again, and would yet again, for their third score in less than two minutes. It wasn’t even fofofo’s specials giving them advantage states; over and over, they were winning their 1v1s against Hypernova, who consistently were down two or more players. Hypernova did not get a chance to score at all; the final score was 65 \- 0, to fofofo.
+
+Game four was Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway, where Hypernova got an early wipeout on fofofo. This let them get their first checkpoint, but not much further than that. It wouldn’t take long for fofofo to follow up with their own checkpoint, then the lead. DATMENACE\!, hiding in the tiniest patch of ink by the Rainmaker in Hypernova’s base, was able to get the Rainmaker to 34\. Hypernova made another push to try for a game five, but ultimately could not pop the Rainmaker shield fast enough in overtime; fofofo won again, 66-48.
+
+### **Grand Finals: FTWin vs. fofofo (1-3)**
+
+Fofofo has clearly shown throughout this week’s Top 8 that they want their FTWin rematch fiercely; after losing against them in Grand Finals last week, fofofo has plenty of bones to pick with FTWin. FTWin, meanwhile, has a second-in-a-row NA League victory at stake, with the chance to become the first team to win three Top 8 streams. 
+
+Rainmaker at MakoMart was the first pick and saw DATMENACE\! back on the S-BLAST ‘91. Fofofo took points first, but they did not get the checkpoint. This meant FTWin clearing their first check gave them the lead. After that, both teams ignored the objective and instead fought for a safe path forward. The next push was fofofo’s, who got their first checkpoint with 45 seconds left on the clock. Now with a one-point difference between teams, everyone fired desperately at the Rainmaker. Fofofo popped it thanks to an Ultra Stamp, which also took out FTWin’s Heavy Edit Splatling, creating a path for fofofo to take the lead, winning 53 to 49 in overtime.
+
+Tower Control was the third mode on Urchin Underpass this week and opened up to FTWin taking their first checkpoint a little under a minute in. Fofofo struggled to get a sturdy foothold, being down two or three players constantly and ending up punished when trying to capitalize on FTWin’s jump-ins. Fofofo finally got their first checkpoint with a minute and a half remaining, but FTWin denied them an overtime opportunity to try to beat their score, ending in their first set win, 62-44.
+
+For the fourth time in a row, Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime appeared, and although it was close, it would *not* end in a knockout, finally breaking the ongoing streak. The match opened up explosively; 20 seconds in and already both teams had penalty points, and quickly saw FTWin down three players and fofofo down two as the objective ticked down for fofofo. FTWin had a tough time dealing with fofofo’s lockout, but would manage to break into mid to stop fofofo at 20 points. FTWin could not hold the zone very long–their safeguard against being knocked out was their Triple Inkstrikes, which managed to stop fofofo time and time again. Fofofo got a wipeout on FTWin as the clock reached zero, revealing the final score in favor of fofofo, 96-64.
+
+Another broken streak: Inkblot Art Academy appeared, not on Tower Control, but Clam Blitz. Fofofo, in character, scored first, despite being down two players. The one-clam score would not hold; FTWin’s first basket attempt gave them the lead easily. Fofofo countered with another push, overtaking FTWin’s score, but ended up wiped out. Capitalizing on the wipeout, FTWin retook the lead. Over the next minute and a half, they opened the basket three more times; the score was 24-71. With 16 seconds left and just two players standing, fofofo scored again… and took the lead\! In overtime, FTWin tossed in a Power Clam, but it was only enough to clear their penalty points. They went down three players, and the fourth did not have the one clam needed to take the lead.
+
+Fofofo won the game 78-76, and the Grand Finals set 3-1… But not the Top 8 stream yet, as now they had to do it again in a Grand Finals Reset\! 
+
+### **Grand Finals Reset: FTWin vs. fofofo (1-3)**
+
+The Grand Finals Reset opened up to Turf War, the last mode these two teams had yet to play against one another, and it was on Urchin Underpass. Both teams brought the REEF-LUX 450 MIL-K; FTWin saw it doing damage against them as not even a minute into the game, they were already seeing the Danger\! sign on their screens and fofofo in their base. Even going into the final minute, they were at a clear disadvantage, having been down two players frequently in the match; meanwhile it took until the last 30 seconds for fofofo to ever be down more than one player. With less than 15 seconds, FTWin still had the Danger\! warning, which would foretell the end result: fofofo winning 53.4% to 39.8%.
+
+In another first for the NA League stream, Tower Control at Barnacle & Dime was chosen\! It was less than a minute before FTWin had their first checkpoint. However, a minute later, fofofo was evening the scoreboard; halfway through the clock, they took the lead, cleared their second and third checkpoint, and were well on their way to knocking out before a wipeout ended their push at 11\. FTWin’s comeback began with a Crab Tank taking down two players on fofofo to get their second checkpoint. Triple Inkstrikes and a Big Bubbler secured their third checkpoint, and finally, with 24 seconds remaining, FTWin knocked out fofofo to tie the set score.
+
+Splat Zones at Undertow Spillway is an uncommon pick for good reason: all it takes is a sneeze to neutralize a zone, which was heavily on display in this game. Fofofo was the only one earning points for the first minute and a half; when FTWin took the zone, they had it just long enough to get one penalty point despite no progress made toward the objective, leaving them sitting at a total of 101 points to score\! They added real points to their name thirty seconds later, but the hold wouldn’t last. The latter half of the game was fofofo retaking the zone throughout countless zone neutralizations; while they scored high, they wouldn’t get a knockout that would have happened were they on any other map. The final score was a win for fofofo, 94-24.
+
+Rainmaker at MakoMart was the final game of the Top 8 stream this week. It was a slow game, moving at such a snail’s pace that by the halfway point, neither team had any checkpoints. Fofofo cleared their first checkpoint almost three minutes into the game, and was able to carry it to 36\. FTWin didn’t get any points until the last minute of the game, getting their first checkpoint with 12 seconds remaining. Rainmaker in hand, clock ticking down to overtime, and not far to go to take the lead, FTWin met an Ultra Stamp head-on, losing the Rainmaker with one second left on the clock. Fofofo got their revenge on FTWin and achieved the prestige that comes with taking a second Top 8 stream victory, and beating FTWin not just once, but twice in Grand Finals\!
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="nal_r6_bracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/91a46404-cf28-4b08-8bca-da7d28d6748f" />
+
+With just two more weeks left in the Splatoon 3 North American League and speculation already beginning to occur as teams’ season standings solidify, the next few weeks promise more hype to come\! 
+
+
+
+Original Posting Date: November 11, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-na-league-event-9-regular-7.md

@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+---
+title: "Splatoon 3 North American League Event #9 (Regular Season Week 7)"
+date: 2025-11-18
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="splatoon-3-na-league-event-9-regular-7" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a23644d0-4beb-4b7e-8211-89b3f1cadc5f" />
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-9-regular-season-week-7](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-9-regular-season-week-7)
+
+# **Splatoon 3 North American League Event \#9 (Regular Season Week 7\)**
+
+It’s the penultimate tournament for the Splatoon 3 North American League, before the roster for the December Playoffs are set\! Many teams in the Playoff Picture do not have five season scores, meaning there’s still a high likelihood of standings shifting as the final two Top 8 streams play out.
+
+## **The League Show Episode 9**
+
+In this short episode, Jordan and Mellana recapped last week’s action and showed us the current Playoff Picture. The teams in the lead are fofofo, FTWin, and Duck Motif. Gourmet Race and Triggerfish Zones Supremacy are in spots \#7 and \#8, with just a 5 point difference between the two.
+
+Next, Nine, Chara, and Vicvillon showed EE the ins and outs of Rainmaker, covering topics such as how points are earned, the goal of the Rainmaker carrier, how to reset the Rainmaker in a pinch, and more.
+
+The episode concluded with an episode of Shiny Tips that covered the Clam Blitz at Inkblot Art Academy game between FTWin and fofofo in last week’s Grand Finals set. The final week of action was relayed as a reminder to not miss the NA League’s final sendoff\!
+
+## **Top 8 Bracket**
+<img width="1200" height="561" alt="nal_r7_ladder" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/767dc45d-6bc3-4dbb-9a54-ba3531c41a46" />
+
+Mellana, Chaedr, and Magic headlined this week’s Top 8 stream, accompanied by Power operating the spectator camera. To make up for last week’s stream going game five-less, this week’s five-and-a-half-hour stream was full of game five action, courtesy of these teams:
+
+1. FTWin  
+2. Moonlight  
+3. Milky Way  
+4. Gourmet Race  
+5. BEt  
+6. Duck Motif  
+7. Halcyon  
+8. healthy diet food groups
+
+No new teams this week, but it has been quite some time since Halcyon was in a Top 8 stream, having last appeared in Regular Season Week 3\.
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals \- Gourmet Race vs BEt (2-3)**
+
+The Winner’s Quarterfinals kicked off with a stranger-to-none set between Gourmet Race and BEt. As if to apologize for having no game 5 sets on stream last week, the team managed to pick the one set in the first round that went to a game 5–the rest were all 3-0\!
+
+The set began with Tower Control at Undertow Spillway. Moving fast, BEt was just shy of the third checkpoint by the end of minute one. Gourmet Race repelled them for a while, but BEt would knock out to win with 1:01 remaining thanks to a four-splat streak from Zero. Game two ended in a knockout as well; at Splat Zones Barnacle & Dime, BEt took Gourmet Race’s early lead 20 seconds in with a single Slosher swing. Gourmet Race reclaimed their lead in due time, but BEt took it again as the game neared its final two minutes. Gourmet Race pushed in with Triple Inkstrikes and a Big Bubbler, took the zone, and were able to take the return knockout win 12 seconds early\!
+
+Turf War at Inkblot Art Academy saw its usual shakeups prioritizing the REEF-LUX 450 variants. The first try ended early due to a disconnection, but once the second game three was underway, Gourmet Race was on their back foot, already seeing Danger\! less than a minute in. The comeback was in their favor; in the final minute, by the time Power panned out the spectator cam, their fast inking saw them at a slight advantage over BEt. In the last ten seconds, BEt went down three players; Gourmet Race flooded into their base and secured another victory, 50.4% to 45.2%.
+
+Rainmaker at Urchin Underpass changed up the weapons again, to favor short range and Ink Vacs. Gourmet Race’s second push took them through the first checkpoint to 55\. BEt was not far behind: Gourmet Race down three let them snag the lead. Neither team got the Rainmaker past the grates, ending in a BEt victory, 54-47. Finally, game five, Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino. The first half saw teams take turns scoring and trading the lead. The tug-of-war was broken when Gourmet Race was unable to out-score BEt in the last minute and a half. Their only Power Clam expired with four seconds left; no Power Clam meant no overtime, and BEt winning game five 39-33.
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals: Moonlight vs. Milky Way (3-2)**
+
+Following the last set, BEt continued forward to face FTWin while the stream focused on Moonlight and Milky Way. In the Loser’s Bracket, it was Gourmet Race vs. healthy diet food groups and Duck Motif vs. Halcyon. Get ready for another game five set\!
+
+Game one opened up to Turf War at Urchin Underpass. We saw the usual adaptations, which included the inescapable Ultra Stamp; as the commentators discussed Milky Way’s Ultra Stamp prowess, Moonlight’s Omega tossed his and got a double. Nearing the last minute, Moonlight was down three players, which gave Milky Way the advantage as the spectator cam panned out for the overhead view. In the final ten seconds, however, it was Milky Way at the numbers disadvantage, giving Moonlight the chance to out-paint them, winning 51.5% to 44.5%.
+
+Game two went to Hagglefish Market, for an as-close-as-it-can-get Splat Zones game. Milky Way had the first lead, defending it all the way to 13 ticks. Moonlight used their Big Bubblers to take the zone back and hold it, to just one point remaining\! Milky Way needed to knock out if they wanted to win, which was exactly what happened, ending the game early. The next game was Clam Blitz at Barnacle & Dime, but looked more like Turf War; in the first 30 seconds, Moonlight was wiped out, and Milky Way scored to 56\. Neither team scored after that, instead fighting over control of mid. Specials flew and clams were gathered and lost, up to overtime, where the timer ran out before Moonlight’s two Power Clams opened the basket, resulting in a 0-44 loss.
+
+Game four was Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway. Milky Way moved the Rainmaker first, getting just one point before Moonlight wiped them out. Milky Way’s first checkpoint was denied three times by Basil’s sharp aim; they eventually got it after two minutes. Now it was on Moonlight to get a checkpoint, which they wouldn’t until overtime. A Big Bubbler blocking Milky Way’s Ink Vac saw Moonlight snatch the win, 51-50. Closing the set was Tower Control at Crableg Capital, where we got what we were waiting for: the E-liter 4K, brought out by Basil. Milky Way got their checkpoint first, but the end of the first minute saw them wiped out and Moonlight nearing the lead. Milky Way aimed for victory in overtime; they would be the team advancing to the Loser’s Bracket once the game closed, after Moonlight reclaimed the tower and a 61-51 win.
+
+### **Winner’s Finals: FTWin vs. Moonlight (3-2)**
+
+Winner’s Finals was between FTWin and Moonlight and on track for a third game five set in a row\! In the Loser’s Bracket, Gourmet Race faced Milky Way, and BEt faced Halcyon. Duck Motif and healthy diet food groups were out of the tournament.
+
+Splat Zones at Inkblot Art Academy started the set, seeing FTWin’s Shak (playing as Dr. Shak this week) on the Forge Splattershot Pro and Hexen with Dapple Dualies Nouveau. Moonlight took the game’s first handful of points, but halfway into the first minute, FTWin had the zone back and quickly turned it into the lead. FTWin held the zone to 10 remaining; Moonlight kept fighting to neutralize the zone and apply penalty points, and while they would get close to breaking even, overtime was not long enough for them to take the game, leading to a 96-73 victory for FTWin.
+
+Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino holds a new record for the NA League, for the fastest knockout victory\! FTWin cleared their first checkpoint at 4:17. They pressed the forward button with the Rainmaker, wiped out Moonlight at 3:59, and proceeded to the knockout at 3:57, ending the game after one minute and three seconds. Just 20 seconds between the first checkpoint to the ending\!
+
+Turf War at Urchin Underpass was Moonlight’s revenge story; Danger\! appeared for FTWin at the 1:30 mark, and while it blipped away a few times, it would be ever-present on their screens up until the end of the game. When Power panned the spec cam out, Moonlight was clearly in charge of the map, and the final result for them would be a 57.9% to 36.0% victory over FTWin.
+
+Game four’s map/mode pick to Tower Control at Barnacle & Dime appeared for the first time on stream just last week, and was back again to see checkpoints between both teams cleared with the safety of specials. Moonlight took their two checkpoints in the first half of the game, and got as far as the third one, but the second half of the game was for FTWin to creep closer to the lead. They had the tower past the second checkpoint in overtime, but a Booyah Bomb denied their chance to continue. With another Moonlight win (74-59), the stream had its third game five\!
+
+On Clam Blitz at MakoMart, neither team brought a Charger despite having some of the best Charger players in the Western scene. The game was all FTWin’s, scoring modestly in the first minute, then majorly as they took their score to 17 after a huge 45-second push. FTWin scored a third time, but only added three points after having to contend with a hefty penalty stock. Although the game went into overtime, Moonlight would not be able to score; FTWin won 86-0 and once more found themselves on the road to Grand Finals.
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: Milky Way vs. Halcyon (3-0)**
+
+The Loser’s Semifinals would be between Milky Way and Halcyon, who won their sets against Gourmet Race and BEt, respectively. The two would finally end the stream’s streak of game 5 sets and instead add to the large number of 3-0 shutouts.
+
+Game one–Splat Zones at Um’ami Ruins–ended early due to a disconnection, but was back soon with cyclical action. Neither team had more than 5 points in the first minute because the zones were neutralized by the teams running in circles trying to keep them painted. Halcyon ended up taking the first significant lead, capitalizing on Milky Way down three. Milky Way put up enough of a fight to take the lead and sent the game into overtime, where once more the neutral zone fight persisted; the timer ran out and Halcyon could not retake the lead, ending the game closely 73-79.
+
+Game two went to Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy; Halcyon was so eager to take the fight to their opponent that while Milky Way was taking the first checkpoint, most of Halcyon was instead in Milky Way’s base. The cyclical action continued in this game, and saw team fights prioritizing 1v1s–remember that good players win 1v1s, but great players win 2v1s\! The game returned to overtime with Halcyon on the tower, but a Booyah Bomb forced them off and kept them from continuing their push, adding another loss to their set record, 45-76.
+
+Game three was Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway; not a good time for Halcyon as they were wiped out twice in the first minute and a half. It took Milky Way two attempts to get their first checkpoint, but after doing so, they were able to run the Rainmaker all the way to 17\. Halcyon finally got their first checkpoint with 40 seconds left in the game, but they would not make it to overtime before the game ended with them exiting the tournament in 4th place after losing one last time, 52-83.
+
+### **Loser’s Finals: Moonlight vs. Milky Way (2-3)**
+
+Back to having game 5 sets once more, Moonlight and Milky Way again went head-to-head on stream to determine who advanced to face FTWin, and who would be taking third place.
+
+Splat Zones at Undertow Spillway is a map and mode notorious for being drawn out, as the two zones are so small that a stray bomb or sneeze can neutralize it. The solution to avoiding that is to lock out the opponent from the zones, which is what Moonlight did to Milky Way. Although Milky Way made good headway early in the game, once Moonlight took the zone from them, they were able to quickly gain the lead and hold the zone firmly in their possession until the knockout halfway into the match clock.
+
+Turf War was next at Hagglefish Market; Moonlight once more dominated the early game, taking down Milky Way in pairs, and by the one-minute map pan, they looked to have the advantage as Milky Way was down two players. The end of the game saw Milky Way advance past the midpoint of the map; Moonlight’s early advantage left them just shy of a win, only 2% from a tie, 47.3% to 49.3%. The combined ink coverage reached 96.6%, which ties with the current highest total ink coverage record set by BEt and Duck Motif from Event \#5\!
+
+Rainmaker at Inkblot Art Academy was reminiscent of the previous Rainmaker game, taking Milky Way several attempts to get their first checkpoint due to Moonlight’s Charger. It took them a minute and a half to succeed. Moonlight, meanwhile, took until the last minute and a half to get their first checkpoint, aided by specials. They made a powerful push off of that momentum, making a home in Milky Way’s base to drive the Rainmaker to 22, then to 16\. The game went into overtime, but the Rainmaker in Milky Way’s hands was kept grounded in the corner. Moonlight took the victory, 84-56.
+
+Clam Blitz has not been a favorable mode for Moonlight this week, and being at Museum d’Alfonsino did not change the outcome for them. Milky Way scored first, just one Power Clam, but it was their second push that took their score to 35 that did damage that couldn’t be recovered from. The game went into overtime, and still it was not enough for Moonlight to get any points, ending the game 0-65 and the set tied 2-2.
+
+The set point of Loser’s Finals was down to Tower Control at Crableg Capital, the same game 5 combo from Winner’s Semifinals. After the first minute, both teams were still at their first checkpoint, unable to clear it, but Moonlight was just a few ticks ahead. The middle of the clock’s timer was when the tides turned, and Milky Way cleared their first checkpoint, and then passed the lead. Things snowballed for them and they were very quickly able to take their second and third checkpoints, and definitively ended the game early in a knockout.
+
+### **Grand Finals: FTWin vs. Milky Way (2-3)**
+
+It’s FTWin’s fifth time back in Grand Finals in the NA League, and two of those appearances saw them against Milky Way. Their record is 1-1 against one another; the winner of this stream will tilt the record in their favor\!
+
+Game one went to Tower Control at Hagglefish Market. FTWin swapped out Shak for sam. The teams tested the waters against one another for the first minute; the furthest the tower had been pushed was 4 points. Shortly after, FTWin was wiped out, giving Milky Way their opportunity to put meaningful points on the scoreboard. Halfway through the game they cleared the first checkpoint; it took them another minute to pass the second and third, finally stopping at 2 ticks remaining to knock out. FTWin was able to pass their first checkpoint in overtime, but would come up short 55-98.
+
+Game two was Turf War at Crableg Capital; FTWin was the first team with Danger\! overhead, before a minute had passed, but did not have it hanging over them for long, as they wiped out Milky Way and re-established a hold. They went back to Danger\! again after going down three players in the last minute, and in the last handful of seconds, FTWin ended up wiped out. The game’s result was 38.6% to 57.3%, not in FTWin’s favor.
+
+Splat Zones at MakoMart was FTWin’s chance to reignite; by the end of the first minute, they had burned through all of the penalty points they would receive in the entire game. They were able to paint over Milky Way’s attempts to retake the zone, and solidly win their first game of the set in a knockout with over three minutes remaining\!
+
+Game four saw weapon changes to adapt to Urchin Underpass, but no Ink Vacs to account for Rainmaker. Milky Way took the early advantage, getting the first checkpoint and carrying the Rainmaker through the grates. FTWin followed up with Triple Inkstrikes to clear their way through the first checkpoint, and with a minute and a half left, took the lead as they passed through the grates and kept going, all the way to 27\. Milky Way tried to mount a push to set up for a strong overtime push, but would ultimately see the game end before overtime, for another FTWin victory, 73-55.
+
+Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino took three minutes for either team to score. In the meantime, we did see two Crab Tanks set up on the middle spinner and fight one another; somehow, both players walked away un-splatted\! Breaking the stalemate, with about two minutes left in the game, Milky Way’s jump-in assault on FTWin’s clam basket saw their first and only push bring their score from 100 to 25\. Even in overtime, FTWin did not score any clams for themselves, which meant their final score was 0-75, and they had to defend themselves once more in a Grand Finals Reset.
+
+### **Grand Finals Reset: FTWin vs. Milky Way (1-3)**
+
+The Grand Finals Reset began with Turf War at MakoMart. FTWin couldn’t get any wins this game; first, they were consistently down more players than the other team. Second, they were in Danger\! as early as one minute in. Third, a teammate disconnected halfway through, and they had to play at a permanent disadvantage. The total ink coverage was 96.6%, the same as Loser’s Finals and the current record-holding percent\! However, the win would not be FTWin’s, as their score sat at 29.5% to 67.1%.
+
+On Splat Zones at Inkblot Art Academy, another disconnection occurred, this time taking out two players on each team–this DC would result in a replay. It took 41 seconds for the zone to be claimed for the first time, which FTWin would do so, but wouldn’t hold it long before Milky Way claimed it with the lead. A Booyah Bomb from FTWin rounded out a wipeout on Milky Way, giving FTWin the zone back, and 30 seconds later, they had the lead again. Once more, however, Milky Way swarmed in and recapped the zone, holding it and regaining the lead, ending the game in a knockout.
+
+Rainmaker at Hagglefish Market, with all its shortcuts, was FTWin’s key to success. They took their first checkpoint powered by an Ink Vac, and after taking down three of Milky Way’s team, they used the pedestal to hop into the enemy base and take their Rainmaker to 9\. With another Ink Vac, they got it all the way down to 1\. With this hefty lead, Milky Way would not be able to best it; the closest they could get in overtime was to 36\. The game ended 99-64 in favor of FTWin.
+
+Tower Control at Crableg Capital lived up to its name, with Crab Tanks constantly online and in use. They were on the towers, clearing checkpoints, scrapping with one another. Milky Way got their first and second checkpoints this way, and how they got to their third checkpoint. They got all the way to 8 remaining–FTWin, meanwhile, was only able to get 8 points to their name before the game was over, with a final score of 8-92.
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="nal_r7_bracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/92a51fdc-5ba4-48a4-8d62-e5a63e36f852" />
+
+Only one week remains in the 2025 Splatoon 3 North American League. It’s “Now or Never” for the teams as they fight for the final placements to qualify for the Playoffs on December 13 and 14, to become the first-ever North American League champions\!
+
+
+Original Posting Date: November 18, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-na-league-playoffs.md

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+---
+title: "The Splatoon 3 North American League Playoffs RECAP"
+date: 2025-12-16
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *The culmination of ten weeks of nonstop Splatoon action ends with one weekend of fierce competition*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="splatoon-3-na-league-playoffs" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f273be6f-359a-4285-8f81-50b174a920e9" />
+
+On December 13 and 14, 2025, the Splatoon 3 North American League reached its peak, and the ride to the end was full of twists that kept everyone on the edge of their seat. Unlike the Preseason and Regular Season Top 8s, *every single set* was on stream, making sure each team had their time in the spotlight. 
+
+Jordan, Lily, and Nine commentated for Winner’s Quarterfinals on day 1 and Winner’s Finals through Grand Finals on day 2\. Zach, Mellana, and Falco hosted Winner’s Semifinals through Loser’s Top 8 on day 1, and Loser’s Quarter-and-Semifinals on day 2\. CzarDB was on the spectator camera across both days. 
+
+What’s the NA League without some silly games? On day 1, two more Riptide interviews yet to be seen were aired, with EE and FTWin, and Kbot and Moonlight. EE and Kbot posed questions to each team, and the team had to point to the teammate that most fit the description. Questions such as “Who is the loudest in chat?” and “Who enjoys practice the most?” were asked to the players. 
+
+On day 2, Jordan held a two-part quiz with Falco, Lily, and Chaedr, asking questions harder than any from previous quizzes, and across the entire Splatoon series. This included lore questions not available in-game, such as, “Before squids, what other animal was considered for the series?” which the answer is rabbits\! 
+
+## **Day 1**
+
+Day 1 of the Splatoon 3 North American League covered every set from the first three rounds: Winner’s Quarterfinals, Winner’s Semifinals, and Loser’s Top 8\. A snapshot of Day 1’s events are below:
+
+**Winner’s Quarterfinals:** 
+
+1. Milky Way vs. healthy diet food groups (3-0)  
+2. Moonlight vs. BEt (3-2)  
+3. FTWin vs. Duck Motif (3-0)  
+4. fofofo vs. Gourmet Race (3-1)
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="0 04percent" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/88c32fb6-e402-4c4a-8ee3-5e9a0d83ba4a" />
+
+*BEt winning against Moonlight in Turf War by 0.04%, the narrowest win margin in the Splatoon 3 North American League, beating the previous record of 1.2%.*
+
+**Winner’s Semifinals:** 
+
+1. Milky Way vs. Moonlight (3-1)  
+2. FTWin vs. fofofo (1-3)
+
+**Loser’s Top 8:** 
+
+1. BEt vs. healthy diet food groups (3-0)  
+2. Gourmet Race vs. Duck Motif (0-3)
+
+## **Day 2**
+
+Day 2 streamed each set from Loser’s Quarterfinals, Loser’s Semifinals, Winner’s Finals, Loser’s Finals, and finally, Grand Finals. 
+
+The first set of Loser’s Quarterfinals was FTWin vs. BEt. No one expected to see FTWin in the Loser’s Bracket so early in the tournament, having been sent there by fofofo. FTWin, however, put on a strong showing, shutting BEt out 3-0 and securing themselves a spot in the final four. 
+
+The second set was Moonlight vs. Duck Motif. Moonlight came out on top, 3-1, taking the other spot among the final four teams. The last teams in the tournament–Milky Way, FTWin, fofofo, and Moonlight–were all seeds \#1 \- \#4. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="bracketsofar" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8a0c80d4-02eb-41a4-8646-941c8e68467f" />
+
+In the next set, Loser’s Semifinals between FTWin and Moonlight, the Splattercolor Screen was used, so if you plan to rewatch the event and are sensitive to its effects, please take caution as those effects do show up on stream. 
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: FTWin vs. Moonlight (1-3)**
+
+Now down to the final four teams of the NA League, for a clash of goliaths. No one anticipated seeing FTWin in the Loser’s Bracket, certainly not as early as the Loser’s Quarterfinals. Moonlight, having a record of never winning against FTWin in the NA League, had one last chance to add a new record to their name in this Playoffs. 
+
+Game one was a classic Splat Zones at Hagglefish Market match. \[K\]yo\! was back with FTWin, replacing Shak after being absent for the first day of Playoffs. FTWin took the zone before Moonlight got too far with it, and they racked up points fast. Right on the dot as the clock reached 2:00, FTWin knocked them out after their Booyah Bomb couldn’t neutralize the zone in time. 
+
+Turf War at Urchin Underpass has been a popular pick throughout the League, and loves to see a weapon shakeup. Both teams brought out the Clawz .96 Gal and REEF-LUX 450 MIL-K, and a Splatana Wiper variant. 
+
+FTWin was in Danger\! before the first minute had passed, and Moonlight set up camp in their base, locking FTWin out from the rest of the map for about 50 seconds. FTWin pushed back, but Moonlight resisted–in the final 10 seconds, FTWin was down three players, letting Moonlight tie the set 1-1 after winning 55.6% to 39.7%. 
+
+Every game of Rainmaker at MakoMart has been full of quick action and curveballs, and this one stands up to the rest. Immediately FTWin made a break for their checkpoint, only to be stopped just shy of the dunk by their opponent. 
+
+After one minute passed, Moonlight, powered by an Ultra Stamp and Ink Vac, broke into FTWin’s spawn and took the lead. They kept the push rolling, moving incrementally closer to the goal. FTWin brought the game into overtime, running the Rainmaker timer to 11 ticks remaining until being taken out, ending in another Moonlight win, 65-43. 
+
+Surprises are still in store: game four went to a new map/mode combo we have yet to see at all on stream during the NA League: Clam Blitz at Humpback Pump Track\! Moonlight was running a double Ultra Stamp composition. And \[K\]yo\! even brought out the Tri-Slosher ASH-N, in a rare weapon swap from FTWin’s captain\! 
+
+This game of Clam Blitz took off without much waiting–FTWin was the first to score, to 62, while Hexen’s Crab Tank kept Moonlight back. Just 40 seconds later, Moonlight scored and took the lead to 33\. In an extended push that saw several players trading splats with one another, FTWin brought the set a new lead to surpass, 19 points. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="Basilclam" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fb387f0e-57a9-4f3f-b58d-552369e1a5f0" />
+
+*Basil, the last player standing on Moonlight, jumps in and throws the last clam to take the lead from FTWin in the last 30 seconds of game four.*
+
+The seconds were ticking down in the final minute. Omega snuck into FTWin’s base, calling for jump-ins. Jumps opened the basket, and Moonlight took the lead by just one clam\! In overtime, Basil–on the Snipewriter 5H–took down every player on FTWin, one by one, securing the 83-81 win, and leading Moonlight to a set upset over FTWin, 3-1\!
+
+## **Winner’s Finals: Milky Way vs. fofofo (3-1)**
+
+Three teams remain in the Playoffs. As Milky Way and fofofo geared up to face off, the stream showed a quiz segment with Jordan asking Falco, Lily, and Chaedr to name as many Shifty Station names from Splatoon 2 as they could remember. When the next round began, Jordan, Nine, and Lily had swapped in to commentate. 
+
+Game one was at Undertow Spillway Splat Zones. Fofofo didn’t give Milky Way time to think, already unleashing a Killer Wail 5.1 on them and taking charge of the zones in the first 15 seconds. While fofofo didn’t get far with their lead, Milky Way didn’t earn points either; the zones sat in neutral for almost a minute, until Milky Way finally took them. 
+
+Milky Way was only able to take the zone from fofofo a couple of times, and never held it for long when they had it. Fofofo wiped out Milky Way just before the game ended, leaving game one decisively theirs, 78-56. 
+
+Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino picked up around the 3:30 mark, once fofofo broke into Milky Way’s base, taking down three players and scoring all the way to 57\. One minute later, they had scored twice more–once to reduce penalty points, then to 33, after slipping behind Milky Way’s Crab Tank. 
+
+Milky Way, pressed for time, got their first points in the final 40 seconds, to 54\. In overtime, it looked like fofofo was set to take another win, but just before the basket closed, Milky Way was able to toss another clam in, tying the set after the 69-67 game. 
+
+At Tower Control at MakoMart, Milky Way moved the tower first, just a tiny bit, but once they got a Crab Tank on it, they went through the first two checkpoints with little effort. Fofofo, meanwhile, did not get their first points until the last 30 seconds. Their run was stopped after their first checkpoint in overtime, leading to a loss, 33-82. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="fofofoOT" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/55d81fd6-a362-41fd-ac10-9e130c566887" />
+
+*In overtime, fofofo clears their first checkpoint, as Milky Way charges up a Booyah Bomb at the top of the screen.*
+
+Game four, Rainmaker at Urchin Underpass, was perhaps the lowest-scoring Rainmaker game in the NA League. It took a minute and a half for the Rainmaker to move, where Milky Way only ran it to 89 before being stopped. They took until the halfway point to clear their first checkpoint, and they would not ride it any further than that. 
+
+Fofofo, meanwhile, again couldn’t get any points for themselves until the final minute; with 20 seconds to go, they were stopped just one point away from the lead. After going 23-24, fofofo was sent to the Loser’s Bracket to meet Moonlight. 
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: Moonlight vs. fofofo (3-1)**
+
+The Loser’s Finals, the last ticket to Grand Finals, between seed \#4 Moonlight and seed \#3 fofofo. Both fofofo and Moonlight have been upsetting the bracket by taking out seed \#2 FTWin and were sent to the Loser’s Bracket by Milky Way. The winner will get their revenge match\! 
+
+Game one went to Splat Zones at Um’ami Ruins–Omega sported the Carbon Roller Deco for the first time in a while, it sure worked out well for Moonlight\! They got the zones first, and set up to lock fofofo out. Shadow got a triple with an Ultra Stamp, leading to a wipeout; with two minutes left, Moonlight had the knockout victory. 
+
+Clam Blitz at Urchin Underpass was the opposite of the previous game, which ended early. Neither team scored at all in the first five minutes, despite having been in one another’s base multiple times\! 
+
+The Clam Blitz special overtime, lasting three minutes, was again driven to a stalemate. It wasn’t until the last handful of seconds before overtime timed out that Shadow, jumping in with a Power Clam, managed to score in the basket to give Moonlight the very narrow win, 20-0. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="ShadowJump" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/80f8a17a-1594-4ea8-99d8-c5f1e9c186b2" />
+
+*As overtime almost ends after eight minutes, Harshi, datkid, and Dark prepare for Shadow’s jump-in to try stopping the Power Clam.*
+
+Turf War at Crableg Capital also seemed ready for another Moonlight sweep, after fofofo had three players taken down and Danger\! placed on their screens. In the last 20 seconds the splats started rolling in–Moonlight down three, fofofo down two, and datkid 444 snuck into Moonlight’s base to wreak havoc, giving fofofo the win, 57.7% to 39.4%. 
+
+Game four was at MakoMart for Tower Control, a mode that both fofofo and Moonlight favor. Moonlight moved the tower first, but fofofo made significant progress with it, getting their first checkpoint in less than a minute. Moonlight needed a bit more time, but eventually they passed fofofo at the halfway mark after taking down two. 
+
+Shadow, the MVP of this set, was fofofo’s biggest obstacle, taking the team down in pairs time and time again with an Ultra Stamp. In overtime, Moonlight wiped out fofofo, took the win 65-46, and found themselves on their way to Grand Finals, out-performing their seed by twice now\! 
+
+## **Grand Finals: Milky Way vs. Moonlight (3-1)**
+
+The past ten weeks have all led up to this moment. Grand Finals of the Splatoon 3 North American League: Milky Way vs. Moonlight. Let’s jump into the action\!
+
+Game one went to Splat Zones at Inkblot Art Academy. Milky Way took the zone first… and the story ends there. Moonlight did not take possession once, though they made a valiant effort to try stopping Milky Way at 1, but could not claim the zone after fighting in neutral for a brief bout. 
+
+Game two was Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino–this time, Moonlight charged first, getting through their checkpoint before Milky Way. It took Milky Way over two minutes to get their first check, and once they did, the score was just one point of difference until 16 seconds remained, when Milky Way dove forward and snatched a small lead. 
+
+The fastest push we’ve seen from one end of the map to another, Moonlight took the Rainmaker from their platform all the way to Milky Way’s, to take the lead in just 15 seconds. With one second on the clock, Moonlight stopped overtime from starting and got themselves a 58-49 win. 
+
+At Clam Blitz at Barnacle & Dime, Moonlight scored first, to 71, then had to retreat after going down two players. Another minute later, with the numbers advantage, Milky Way used a Booyah Bomb as cover to break into the clam basket, scoring to 44\. They extended their lead in a second push, to a knockout. 
+
+Tower Control at Crableg Capital closed out the Grand Finals. Early into the game, Milky Way was able to get their first checkpoint. Throughout the rest of the game, they wouldn’t get past their second one. Moonlight, however, would not be able to even get as far as that, unable to get through their first checkpoint after multiple attempts. The final score of the game was 45-17, to Milky Way, and the set score for Grand Finals 3-1. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/eb1e89aa-7403-4306-bebf-e0dad731b1d4" />
+
+Twists and turns, and upsets no one expected is exactly what we hoped the conclusion of the Splatoon 3 North American League would bring. After an event of this scale, which the scene hasn’t seen from Nintendo in a long time, all that’s left to say is a big thank you to everyone involved\! 
+
+To the players, who put their heart and soul into every week.   
+To the commentators, for keeping everyone in on the action and entertained.   
+To the spectator camera operators, showing everyone the best bits of Splatoon action.  
+To the organizers, who made sure this event ever came to fruition.   
+To the community, for supporting the ride every step of the way\!
+
+We were treated to a small tease of what else is on the horizon, as Jordan Kent, our host throughout the past few months, closed out the stream by saying: “We hope you enjoyed the action, and… We’ll see you next season\! Thanks again for joining us; we’ve got more coming down the hatch for ya.”
+
+Does he mean a new season of the North American League, or could this event expand to other regions? We’ll have to wait and see what else Nintendo has in store for the Splatoon community\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: December 16, 2025 at [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/the-splatoon-3-north-american-league-playoffs](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/the-splatoon-3-north-american-league-playoffs)
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-na-league-returns-for-2026.md

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+---
+title: "The Splatoon 3 North American League Returns for 2026!"
+date: 2026-03-19
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *And also Version 11.1.0, because Nintendo hasn’t announced enough for Splatoon 3 this week*
+
+<img width="1189" height="675" alt="splatoon-3-na-league-returns" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/aded679e-b5da-4440-b9c7-8c805b8b409c" />
+
+On Monday, March 16, 2026—not on a Tuesday, as we’ve come to expect Splatoon news to be delivered on—Nintendo dropped an announcement trailer out of nowhere for the Splatoon 3 North American League 2026, following the event’s first iteration concluding just three months prior, in December 2025\.
+
+The Splatoon 3 North American League 2026 runs from Friday, April 3, 2026, through Sunday, June 21, 2026\. Like last time, it will follow the Splatoon 3 North American League Show on Fridays, League qualifying events on Saturdays, and the Salmon Run-focused Sunday Scrim on Sundays.
+
+Link to Nintendo’s announcement video on YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfjB9g3JKtk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfjB9g3JKtk).
+
+While we’ve known since December that Nintendo was planning another NA League in the future, no one anticipated that it would come this soon\! In the midst of other tournament events—LUTI, LAN Championship Series, Splat World Series, Gamers for Giving 2026, and others not yet announced—schedules are bound to be packed. 
+
+Players were very vocal about the tournament and format, and in the short time it’s been since the last NA League and the beginning of the new one, Nintendo has made some changes from the original format. 
+
+## **Registration, Teams, and Scoring**
+
+The League’s Preseason and Regular Season events will still be a ten-week event every Saturday from April 4–June 6, and after a two-week break, will culminate in the Playoffs. There will be two Preseason events as a warmup, which will not count toward season standings. The other eight weeks are Regular Season events, which **do** count.
+
+Registration on [Battlefy](https://battlefy.com/nintendovs/splatoon3-north-american-league) opened on March 16, and will remain open until 12 PM PT on the day of the event you wish to play in. In order to participate in Preseason Week 1, you have until 12 PM on Saturday, April 4 to register, but if you want to start on Preseason Week 2, registration for that event closes at 12 PM PT on Saturday, April 11\.
+
+Teams can be made of four players plus one substitute player, and no player registered on one team can also be on another team at the same time, but that player can switch teams from event to event. 
+
+Teams can also change their members, needing at least three original members to be considered the same team. **Importantly**, this only applies *until* Event \#4 (Regular Season Week 2). Changes to teams after Event \#4 on April 25 will result in a new team being created, which will affect any points earned to date.
+
+The points system is also staying the same: 
+
+<img width="1000" height="569" alt="pointsa" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/505879c4-4f42-46c4-971d-d1dcf111de1b" />
+
+*A team will earn points based on their event placement, which contributes toward their season standing. Image from Nintendo of America’s “Splatoon 3 North American League \- Announcement” video on YouTube (from September 2025).*
+
+Every participating team will earn points based on their placement in both the Ladder round and Top 8, creating their season standings. These season standings will be based on a team’s highest scores starting with Event \#3 (Regular Season Week 1). The eight teams with the highest season standings after Event \#10 (Regular Season Week 8\) will qualify for the Playoffs in June\!
+
+*New for 2026*, season standings will be determined by a team’s **four highest scores** in the weekly events. In 2025, it was based on a team’s **five** highest weekly scores, but the number has been reduced, allowing teams to take weeks off if needed, and provide more incentive to aim higher\! 
+
+## **Tournament Format**
+
+The Ladder Round remains Best of 3 sets between 12 PM–3 PM PT, followed by a one hour break before the Top 8 bracket begins at 4 PM PT. Teams must play a minimum of five games to be eligible for the Top 8 bracket. The Top 8 will still be a Best of 5, double-elimination tournament, livestreamed on Nintendo’s official YouTube channel. 
+
+During the Ladder Round, a coin flip in Battlefy’s Match Chat will determine which team picks the mode for the first match in the set. The loser of the coin flip will pick the map. However, during the Top 8 and Playoffs, the team who has the higher seed will choose the mode for the first match, with the lower-seed team choosing the map. 
+
+Between all three League seasons, after the first match, the winning team picks the mode for the next game, and the losing team picks the map. 
+
+And yes, Turf War is still included in the mode selection, alongside Tower Control, Rainmaker, Splat Zones, and Clam Blitz, and each map and mode can only be selected once per set. 
+
+*Unlike* last time, where there were only ten maps that could be chosen from, this year, the map pool has been expanded to twelve: 
+* **Scorch Gorge**  
+* Hagglefish Market  
+* Undertow Spillway  
+* Museum d’Alfonsino  
+* **Mahi-Mahi Resort**  
+* Inkblot Art Academy  
+* MakoMart  
+* **Manta Maria**  
+* Crableg Capital  
+* **Shipshape Cargo Co.**  
+* **Robo ROM-en**  
+* Urchin Underpass
+
+Scorch Gorge, Mahi-Mahi Resort, Manta Maria, Shipshape Cargo Co., and Robo ROM-en are new maps added to the pool, bringing the number of map options to twelve and replacing Humpback Pump Track, Um’ami Ruins, and Barnacle & Dime. 
+
+Splatfest Tees are still illegal gear to wear during the NA League, just in case Nintendo decides to give us another Springfest or other Splatfest re-run. 
+
+<img width="256" height="256" alt="S3_Gear_Clothing_Splatfest_Tee" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7ffabeb2-73e3-46be-ac64-faa2c0bd38c9" />
+
+*Splatfest Tee: Wearing one of these at any point during the Splatoon 3 North American League is grounds for your team to lose a match immediately\! NOT fresh\!*
+
+Disconnects will incur a rematch on the same map and mode, with one rematch being allowed per set. If a disconnect happens within the first 60 seconds of a game, then the match is eligible to be replayed. But if a player disconnects after 60 seconds pass, then the match has to be played without the DC’d player.
+
+If you’d like to read up on the full list of rules to prepare yourself for the upcoming League, you can find the 13-page PDF at [https://battlefy.com/nintendovs/splatoon3-north-american-league/rules](https://battlefy.com/nintendovs/splatoon3-north-american-league/rules). 
+
+## **What About the League Show and Sunday Scrim?** 
+
+Nintendo has confirmed that the Splatoon 3 North American League Show will return on Fridays, and the Sunday Scrim will be back on Sundays. In the NA League 2026 trailer, however, we were not given any details regarding these events.
+
+Battlefy has information about the Sunday Scrims, including QR codes to register for the Salmon Run events, as that must be done in advance. You can still sign up solo, as a duo, trio, or full squad of four, and can do so through the Nintendo Online app, rather than in Battlefy.
+
+Ability to play in the Sunday Scrim is based on a lottery—registering for the Sunday Scrim does not automatically make you eligible to participate. No points earned in the Sunday Scrim contribute to season standings, or any other factor, of the League events. Aim for the top in Salmon Run in a casual, competitive environment\! 
+
+As for the League Show, while last time we were given teasers in advance of community figures involved, this time around, it has been quiet. We have yet to know for sure who will be back or who will be new this time around. 
+
+<img width="1919" height="1079" alt="NALeagueDatesList" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c8bd3719-07e6-4c16-a57a-27094a8b2e2f" />
+
+With the League Show on Fridays, League events on Saturdays, and Sunday Scrims on, well, Sundays, and the League Playoffs returning June 20–21st, 2026, the spring season is sure to be busy for teams. How will the game evolve between now and then? 
+
+## **Version 11.1.0 Updates**
+
+Well, the game will first see a handful of updates with Version 11.1.0, released on March 18, 2026\! This patch makes changes to a handful of weapons—those overtuned and those underwhelmingly affected by 11.0.0—and also to X Rank matchmaking. 
+
+The primary changes to weapons are buffs to underused weapons who didn’t get enough shine after the major 11.0.0 update. Weapons like Splattershot Nova, Douser Dualies, and Tenta Brella, among others, see significant improvements to speed or ink consumption. 
+
+Outside of special charge nerfs, the Dynamo Rollers were the only main weapon nerfed in this patch, receiving lessened effects of ink consumption reduction when using gear with Ink Saver (Main). The Dynamo Rollers remain hungry for ink\! 
+
+The Ultra Stamp was the only special to be affected, having its 220 damage hitbox reduced by 10% when thrown.
+
+The Splattershot/Hero Shot Replica/Order Shot Replica is also the only weapon family to receive less points for special, going from 210 to 200\. A handful of other weapons all gained additional points required for special, including several Blasters and other short-range weapons, Heavy Splatling, and Dynamo Roller.
+
+As for X Rank and X Battles, these are Nintendo’s official patch notes: 
+
+* “Changed the system for matchmaking so that, rather than having players with similar X Power at that time battle each other, now players whose final X Power will likely become similar after accumulating matches will be paired for battles.
+
+* Changed the systems for matchmaking and team division to make it less likely to result in skill disparity between teams, even in time zones or regions where there are not many players.
+
+* In the Tentatek Division, players with X Power less than 2000.0 and players with X Power of 2000.0 or higher may now be matched together.
+
+* Changed the matchmaking system to allow battles against more different weapons than before.”
+
+<img width="1000" height="620" alt="XRankChanges" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/228506ed-f7af-4199-b8d0-fcdec92ddab9" />
+
+*Nintendo’s explanation for X Rank/X Battle changes.*
+
+You can find the full patch notes list at [https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a\_id/59461/\~/how-to-update-splatoon-3](https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/59461/~/how-to-update-splatoon-3). 
+
+With a promise to further balance battles in the next update, we know Nintendo will be continuing to keep an eye on the game and not drop it just yet, as we get closer to the one-year anniversary of the Splatoon Raiders announcement. 
+
+Will we make it through another Splatoon 3 North American League without any new news on the upcoming game? Perhaps get third kits part 2 before Raiders? 
+
+The only way to know is to stick with us and watch as 2026 keeps proving that it’s *the* year for Competitive Splatoon\!
+
+Original Posting Date: March 19, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/na-league-returns-for-2026)
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-1-preseason-week-1.md

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+---
+title: "Splatoon 3 North American League Event #1 (Preseason Week 1)"
+date: 2025-09-23
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-1-preseason-week-1](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/splatoon-3-north-american-league-event-1-preseason-week-1)
+
+# **Splatoon 3 North American League Event \#1 (Preseason Week 1\)**
+
+Saturday, September 20, 2025 was a busy day for the Splatoon community, with two major tournaments in Nintendo’s first North American League Preseason event and IPL’s SuperJump 6\. Approximately 420 teams were registered by the first event; not too far off from the team total from LUTI Season 16\. Those excited for the Splatoon 3 North American League were treated to a sneak peek at what was to come with a 25 minute episode of the Splatoon 3 North American League Show the previous day. Being 25 minutes long, you might be wondering just what was showcased to fill that time. If you weren’t able to watch, we’ve got the rundown below\! 
+
+## **The League Show Episode 1**
+
+Before the League Show aired, a hot topic of discussion was what exactly Nintendo planned to put in their videos, particularly revolving around community events. Many believed that Nintendo wouldn’t allow topics about outside tournaments, but to everyone’s surprise, the first episode of the League Show opened with broad coverage of the most recent Riptide, the Ohio-based LAN that took place between September 5-7, 2025\. 
+
+Following Riptide, the episode recapped the League timeline through the end of 2025, how the Preseason vs Regular Season looked, reminding viewers how the point system worked. 
+
+Then the hosts took a turn for the silly, discussing what goes into making a Splashtag. We got to learn the lore behind Mellana, Nine, and Zach’s Splashtags, and a bit about each person as a player. If you were confused while watching the Top 8 bracket stream and asking yourself, “Why do they keep calling Mellana ‘Big-Money’?”, that inside joke stemmed from this segment\! Mellana’s Splashtag title combination of “Big-Money, Big Shot” and love for stopping by artist’s alley was a hit with the hosts. 
+
+Soon after, the hosts would switch from silly to sentimental, next taking a look back on what started their individual journeys with Splatoon while the emotional end credits theme *Wave Goodbye* played in the background. Each host opened up about how the game’s first impression impacted them and what kept them around, such as playing with friends, or finding the right game balance to feel comfortable and fun. 
+
+Teased between the Riptide and League timeline segments was an interview with one of the Splatoon community’s most well-known figures, Chara, which took place after the Splatoon journey talk. The interview, which was taken at Riptide, between Nine and Chara, went over topics such as game modes and Chara’s journey as a competitive player, content creator, and coach for Moonlight. The interview ended with the big question: “What does Splatoon mean to you?” 
+
+After the interview ended, Mellana walked everyone through the process of signing up for the Splatoon 3 North American League. Steps were shown on screen how to register as a player and as a team on Battlefy, where to find the League rulebook, and how to find your Switch Support Number. 
+
+The first episode of the Splatoon 3 North American League Show concluded with a recap of each event’s start time and dates and what to look forward to in the next episode, and sending everyone off with the Squid Sisters’ classic, “Stay Fresh\!” 
+
+## **The Top 8 Bracket**
+<img width="1200" height="560" alt="NALp1_ladder" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f13b43bd-6063-4974-a439-0d81ab7c82a7" />
+
+With a large majority of top-level teams being preoccupied with SuperJump 6 this Preseason weekend, plenty of rising stars in the competitive community had their time in the spotlight on Nintendo’s official North American League Event \#1 stream. The Top 8 stream lasted close to four hours long. These were the teams who earned their place on Nintendo’s stream this week, ordered by ELO score, which determined Top 8 seeding: 
+
+1. TZS (Triggerfish Zones Supremacy)  
+2. Duck Motif  
+3. BADVXLLAIN  
+4. Laniakea  
+5. Impulse  
+6. Xiphias  
+7. Mischievous Mog (Mischievous Moggers)  
+8. What’s Quackin?
+
+The YouTube and Twitch stream began before the tournament itself, with a countdown to the start time, and some ads for various Switch 2 titles and DLC expansions. Nothing new to report for the Splatoon series just yet, but with as much promotion as it is getting over the next few months, it’s hard to believe that at some point, Nintendo won’t sneak in something new. 
+
+The hosts opened up the Top 8 stream with an explanation of rules, reminding everyone that sets will be a Best of 5 (Bo5), who chooses the map and mode, which maps were in the rotation, and that the eligible modes were Turf War, Splat Zones, Clam Blitz, Tower Control, and Rainmaker. 
+
+Throughout the event, the hosts were very accommodating to new and casual watchers, taking the time to explain the objective of each mode and how it worked. They talked common team strategies, how penalty points were applied, and when competitive jargon popped up, explained those terms as well. The commentary was very entry-level friendly, which hopefully made the stream accessible and informative for the audience of almost 3,000 across the YouTube and Twitch streams\! 
+
+The bracket started with Winner’s Quarterfinals, where the sets looked like this: 
+
+- TZS vs. What’s Quackin?  
+- Laniakea vs. Impulse  
+- Duck Motif vs. Mischievous Mog  
+- BADVXLLAIN vs. Xiphias
+
+The first streamed set of the first-ever Splatoon 3 North American League went to BADVXLLAIN and Xiphias\! Unfortunately, not every set was streamed; only one set per round was shown, and by the end of the Top 8 event, only five of the eight teams got to play on screen. 
+
+One important thing to note that players are often used to in community-run tournaments, which was not mentioned anywhere on Battlefy or in the rulebook, is that Splattercolor Screen **is** allowed in NA League matches. If a player is sensitive to the effects of the special, it’s recommended that they either swap with a substitute player or bring it up in the Battlefy Match Chat to see if the opposing team is willing to accommodate. As a viewer, if you plan to rewatch the first Top 8 stream or watch future streams, please be aware that teams are using the Splattercolor Screen and the color effects are shown on-stream without warning. 
+
+### **Winner’s Quarterfinals: BADVXLLAIN vs. Xiphias (3-0)**
+
+As the set began between BADVXLLAIN and Xiphias, no one was surprised to see that the first mode was Splat Zones, on Barnacle & Dime. As each mode and map is only allowed to be played once, neither can be an option again in the Bo5 set. Barnacle & Dime would be a mainstay of the tournament, showing up in every streamed set except for Grand Finals, which no other map can say the same of; appearing in more sets than Splat Zones, even\! 
+
+The first match of the NA League explosive and definitive, ending with a breath-holding six seconds where a neutral zone was fought over, tooth and nail; BADVXLLAIN with one point and no penalty points remaining, and Xiphias vying to make sure that their first match didn’t end in a knockout. Although Xiphias couldn’t prevent the knockout, the first game was still very close–they had only 18 points left on their objective. 
+
+The next two matches would end up in overtime. Second was a Tower Control match on Mako Mart, where BADVXLLAIN would win 61-22, thanks to what appeared to be a Zipcaster zipping its way onto the tower to claim it just a handful of seconds into overtime. The third and final match of Winner’s Quarterfinals was a Rainmaker match on Humpback Pump Track. Xiphias made a strong final push in overtime, but their Rainmaker carrier got caught between a rock and a hard place–a Splash Wall and a Zipcaster–ending the run. 
+
+### **Winner’s Semifinals: TZS vs. Laniakea (0-3)**
+
+Onto the next round, it would be Triggerfish Zones Supremacy vs. Laniakea on stream, with Duck Motif vs. BADVXLLAIN on the other side of the Winner’s bracket. Impulse, What’s Quackin?, Xiphias, and Mischievous Moggers would be sent to the Loser’s Bracket, where the first two rounds would be played off-stream. 
+
+The first match of TZS vs. Laniakea would be on Barnacle & Dime, again, but this time for Clam Blitz. By now, all four modes that we’re used to seeing in tournaments have been played out, and the question remaining would be which team was bold enough to counterpick Turf War (or force a match of Turf War in a game 5, where no other option was available). TZS took the lead first with an impressive 44 points remaining off of one push, but a crazy quad from Blob’s Inkjet opened up a path for Laniakea to drive their score from 100 down to 51 and nearly even the playing field. The match would go into overtime with Laniakea in the lead, and TZS wouldn’t be able to catch up, leaving the first match in Laniakea’s hands, 77-56. 
+
+The second match, Splat Zones at Um’ami Ruins, would be much closer, but still end up in a victory for Laniakea, 97-81. The next match, Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy, saw TZS take the lead first, but a wipeout on their team would snowball into Laniakea taking the lead up to the critical second checkpoint. The score would remain 56-73 in Laniakea’s favor for over a minute before they would make another push, driving their lead even further to 20-73 with two and a half minutes remaining. TZS would fight back and make incremental movement forward, but Pepé’s impressive stand for survival on the tower surrounded by Laniakea would eventually be shut down, ending in another victory, 80-63, for Laniakea. 
+
+### **Winner’s Finals: Laniakea vs. Duck Motif (0-3)**
+
+Teams would take quite a while to prepare in between sets, and to fill in the time and give the commentators a break, Nintendo replayed some clips from the League Show. Meanwhile, in the Loser’s Quarterfinals, BADVXLLAIN would see What’s Quackin?, being the only team facing both duck-themed teams in the event. TZS would be against Xiphias, with Impulse and Mischievous Moggers leaving the Top 8 bracket. 
+
+Splat Zones would once again be the first mode of the set, on Mako Mart. The match would be quite even for a while, with Laniakea creeping closer to taking the lead. Duck Motif’s Kera would get a triple of splats, ending Laniakea’s push, and would snowball into Duck Motif securing a knockout victory. 
+
+Unfortunately for Laniakea, that would be the theme of this set: Duck Motif getting knockout after knockout, next on Tower Control at Hagglefish Market, and lastly in Clam Blitz at Barnacle & Dime. While Duck Motif certainly was a tough opponent throughout the tournament, what Laniakea’s 0-3 set score doesn’t show is how close each match was. They put up a fight every time, with every match lasting longer than two and a half minutes; in the final match’s case, even taking as long as the final 20 seconds of the game for Duck Motif to win. 
+
+### **Loser’s Semifinals: BADVXLLAIN vs. TZS (0-3)**
+
+Between the transition from the Winner’s Bracket to the Loser’s Bracket, there was a very long intermission lasting almost 30 minutes, in which the hosts took the time to thank the spectator camera operator, Czar, and play more clips from the first League Show. When the action picked back up, we did see a roster change on the side of Triggerfish Zones Supremacy, swapping out DRF for KrakenMare, who wasn’t in TZS’s first few matches. This player substitute would be a great topic for the commentator team, who put plenty of emphasis on how small changes can have a great impact on a match’s outcome, whether it could be a weapon change or a player change. 
+
+That impact was front and center in this set. TZS would open the set with two knockout victories over BADVXLLAIN, on Clam Blitz at Um’ami Ruins and Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway. The Clam Blitz game was fairly close, down to less than a minute remaining before TZS won. The Rainmaker game, however, looked like it would be in BADVXLLAIN’s favor, but once TZS got the Rainmaker in their hands, they took their score from none to won in just 23 seconds\! 
+
+The final match in the set would mark the first appearance of Turf War on-stream, on Barnacle & Dime\! As the winner of the previous match picks the mode, and the loser picks the match, this would also be the first of many times that TZS would be the sole team on stream who picked Turf War. As their team’s schtick is to “knowledge check” their opponents by picking uncommon weapons, maps, and modes that their opponents may not be as experienced with, this Turf War recurrence falls right in line with expectation. In a very close game, TZS would once again end up on top, winning the Turf War game 53.5% to 42.5%. 
+
+### **Loser’s Finals: Laniakea vs. TZS (2-3)**
+
+In Loser’s Finals we got to see the runback set between Laniakea and TZS, giving the refreshed and on-a-roll TZS the opportunity to pay back Laniakea for their earlier 0-3 loss in Winner’s Semifinals. 
+
+TZS would start the set by picking Turf War again; Laniakea chose Urchin Underpass as the map. Urchin Underpass was a risky choice for Laniakea, as it is known to favor short-range weapons, which TZS was a team with mostly short-range weapons. But Laniakea understood the assignment and brought in a REEF-LUX 450 Deco to put its superior main weapon ink output and large Reefslider explosion to great use. The final score was very close, with a 49% to 44.7% score, with TZS as the Turf War victors. 
+
+The next match would be Rainmaker at Crableg Capital. From the previous set, TZS has shown that Rainmaker is their mode, and their opening push from 100 to just 21 further proves it. Splat Bombs would continue to terrorize Laniakea on this map, being the Rainmaker carrier’s doom more than once. They would make one push to go from 100 to 70 points, but no further. TZS, meanwhile, would keep rolling forward. Laniakea was able to prevent a knockout, but still lost the match 30-96. 
+
+Starting with Clam Blitz on Barnacle & Dime, then next in Splat Zones at Um’ami Ruins, Laniakea would knock out TZS twice in a row, looking for a reverse sweep in the set. The Clam Blitz game was fairly even despite its back-and-forth, but Laniakea would wipe out TZS enough times to fill their basket. The Splat Zones game, while starting fairly normally, fell into Laniakea’s favor at the 4-minute mark and remained that way until their victory was claimed. 
+
+Our first and only game 5 on stream went to Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy. Laniakea was forced to accept Tower Control as the last mode yet to be played, with TZS picking the map, but one couldn’t call this a disadvantage, as Laniakea won their previous set against TZS on this same map/mode combination. With all the confidence to repeat that victory, the match began, and after a little over a minute, the victor would already be decided, with a sound knockout from… TZS\! Nothing changed between the two teams’ compositions, but the mentality break proved to be crucial to TZS’s win and entrance into Grand Finals. 
+
+### **Grand Finals: Duck Motif vs. TZS (3-1)**
+
+And here it is… Time to decide the first champion of the Splatoon 3 North American League\! Although it was only the Preseason and none of the scores counted towards the Playoffs, the teams playing knew that it truly was now or never for them in the spotlight. Next event, and especially once the Preseason ended, the League would be seeing tougher competition pile in, and a harsher grind to get to the Top 8\. 
+
+TZS chose to start Grand Finals with Turf War; if they wanted to win the event, they would first need to win Grand Finals, and then win again in a bracket reset. Duck Motif chose Museum d’Alfonsino as the map. This match would treat viewers to the first of many clashes against two players considered among the best North American Brush users: Redshell on the Octobrush, and KrakenMare on the Inkbrush. 
+
+Once the final map was shown off, painted to a total of 95.3%, the score was 51.9% to 43.4%; TZS was taking the win, having done so on every Turf War match (which they picked) on stream. 
+
+Next, we would see Crableg Capital return, for Clam Blitz. Unfortunately, TZS wouldn’t get a single chance to add any points to their name. Duck Motif would keep breaking the basket and dropping in clams, and a wipeout over TZS sealed the game, with a knockout victory for Duck Motif. The next game would be Tower Control on Urchin Underpass; the scores would remain close, with the lead being traded over and over. TZS had a good lead going into the final minute of the game, but in the last 20 seconds, Duck Motif just barely snuck ahead. The game would go into overtime, but TZS would not get any more points before Duck Motif retook the tower, winning 75-62. 
+
+TSZ would pull out one more player substitution before the end of Grand Finals, this time replacing Smork and bringing back DRF for a Rainmaker match on Humpback Pump Track. TZS would take the first checkpoint after 30 seconds had passed. Another 30 seconds later, and Duck Motif also dunked the Rainmaker onto their first checkpoint, leading to a 61-60 score with TZS just barely in the lead. Duck Motif would drive the Rainmaker to 27 points remaining, and get a wipeout over TZS\! However, TZS was able to recover and stop them with 10 points remaining. TZS would see plenty of wipeouts on their team in the duration of this match, but still make sure that Duck Motif got no further towards the last checkpoint. 
+
+TZS finally started to put more points towards their objective with one minute left on the clock, but after losing the Rainmaker in Duck Motif’s base, Duck Motif was able to grab it and move to an inopportune location on the map. In overtime now, TZS took the Rainmaker and carried it along the lesser-traveled left path of Humpback Pump Track; three members of TZS went down and left the Rainmaker carrier to retreat to the middle of the map. A flank from Duck Motif ended the overtime, and concluded the Grand Finals set with a 90-62 victory. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="NALp1_bracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ba1963dc-f9af-433a-9e23-3e9ec621fe5b" />
+
+With Grand Finals over, after nearly four hours of Splatoon and commentary, the Splatoon 3 North American League Top 8 stream gave viewers another reminder of the NA League schedule for all events. The commentators shared their sentiments about the stream (and a cheeky “Off the Hook” reference), with a short highlight reel showing some of the stream highlights, capping off with a Switch 2 ad before the stream closed. 
+
+Did you play during the North American League on Saturday, September 20 and capture an awesome clip? If you’re in Nintendo’s official Splatoon 3 Discord for the event (the invite to this Discord group, here: [https://discord.com/invite/splatoon2-nao](https://discord.com/invite/splatoon2-nao)), you can go to the “Replay Codes” channel and submit the match’s replay code number, the timestamp of the clip, with a brief description of the action. There’s a chance that your clip may be featured in a later episode of the League Show or Top 8 stream\!
+
+Original Posting Date: September 23, 2025   
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-competitive-guide.md

@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+---
+title: Splatoon Competitive Guide
+date: 2023-04-07
+author: TeddinotTeddy
+---
+
+If you're new to the Splatoon competitive scene, you're in the right place. In this guide, I'll be walking you through everything you need to know to get started. I've outlined every section in the table of contents so if you only need one specific piece of information you can always just skip around.
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+- [Discord Communities](#discord-communities)
+- [Finding a Team](#finding-a-team)
+- [Scrimmaging-Practicing](#scrimming-practicing)
+- [Participating in Tournaments](#participating-in-tournaments)
+- [Other Resources](#other-resources)
+- [Takeaways](#takeaways)
+
+## Discord Communities
+
+Discord communities can provide almost everything you need to get started. You can find teams, play in scrims and tournaments, and get better. But, there are so many communities out there it can be hard to find the ones you need. Luckily there is a server called [Inkopolis Crosswalk](https://discord.gg/R5dFQnKu). Inkopolis Crosswalk contains a list of servers for all needs. Whether you want to join some tournaments, find a salmon run crew, or discuss some data mines Inkopolis Crosswalk has it all. Some other important servers are included in Crosswalk but are important enough that I felt I should highlight them. Sendou.ink (the very website you're on) is the hub for Splatoon 3 competitive, but Sendou also has a [Discord server](https://discord.com/invite/sendou). Now if you want to be directly amid competitive Splatoon 3 [Leagues Under The Ink](https://discord.gg/3hr4gFWQPA) is the largest online Splatoon league.
+
+## Finding a Team
+
+Finding a team can be difficult at times. You need to know who's looking for a team or if you're even good enough to be a part of a team. The good thing is, there are teams for all kinds of skill levels. In LUTI (Leagues Under The Ink), there are multiple divisions, you have the highest division: X and you can be as low as 11 but there are places for all kinds of skill levels across leagues. In most Discord servers there usually is a channel called "looking for team" or something along those lines. DM (direct message) a user to determine whether they have a team already, how serious they plan on being, and also how they want to compete (as in what tournaments, online or in person, and how often). You can also look on other sites like Reddit and Twitter to look for more people or you can post your own "looking for team" messages (make sure to provide all the information I previously mentioned to make it easier to find the right people).
+
+## Scrimmaging-Practicing
+
+Scrimmaging and practicing are pretty much the same thing. If you're looking for a team to scrim with, as always, there are channels and Discord servers that you can use. It's best that you find a team close to your skill level that matches your team's schedule. If you can find a team like that you may have a scrim buddy on your hands. A scrim buddy can be super useful because you'll have a team that you can go against consistently and they'll get better as your team gets better. Aside from scrimming it's always best to review your gameplay. Look out for mistakes you constantly make and try to correct yourself. If you don't know what you're doing wrong getting a second opinion can be useful. You can share replay codes with others as there is usually a channel dedicated in most servers to share replay codes.
+
+## Participating in Tournaments
+
+Inkopolis Crosswalk has a tournaments channel. They have a ton of servers for all kinds of tournaments varying in intensity (how competitive they are). Each tournament has its own ways of signing up so look for an about channel or help desk. If those don't help, you could always ask someone else. Also, make sure the tournament you're joining supports your time zone. They don't always account for Europe or Asia, so double-check. Remember, you might not win on your first go, but what's important is that you bounce back. Playing these tournaments as much as you can gives you some experience and help you get out there.
+
+## Other Resources
+
+I tried to cover the gist of competitive Splatoon, but there is always more to learn. Check out other servers for any questions you might have. There are also some great content creators that you can follow that'll help you improve.
+
+Content Creators (might have other socials than the ones linked):
+
+[ThatSrb2DUDE](https://www.youtube.com/@ThatSrb2DUDE):
+Has a great guide for competitive Splatoon 2, but it still holds up well today as not much has changed. In general, they make a lot of easy-to-follow guides in competitive Splatoon.
+
+[ProChara](https://www.youtube.com/@ProChara):
+Chara provides a ton of information regarding meta and the state of competitive Splatoon. Regularly features other import figures in Splatoon competitive. Chara is a competitive player for Last Resort Splatoon
+
+[Squid School](https://www.youtube.com/@SquidSchool):
+Exactly what it sounds like but 10x more fun. They have a lot of lessons on how to get better. Great if you're trying to improve as an individual. The channel is run by a pro player, Gem.
+
+[Splatoon News](https://twitter.com/SplatoonNews_):
+Latest news on Splatoon 3 including tournaments and other competitive events.
+
+## Takeaways
+
+Inkopolis Crosswalk is your friend, everything you need, tournaments, guides, content creators, all that is there. Participating in events will help get your name out there so just play a lot. Hopefully, this was helpful in your Splatoon journey.

apps/web-react/content/articles/splatoon-liquipedia.md

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+---
+title: Splatoon added to Liquipedia
+date: 2022-09-25
+author: Riczi
+---
+
+Splatoon players are now able to add information to [Liquipedia](https://liquipedia.net/); one of the fastest growing esports wikis available to the public. This depository will contain information on tournament winners, top teams, and notable players in the Splatoon competitive scene.
+
+The wiki is affiliated with Team Liquid, one of the best esports organizations in the world. Notable players signed with Team Liquid are Super Smash Bros Melee legend [Hungrybox](https://twitter.com/LiquidHbox) and [nitr0](https://twitter.com/nitr0), a top CSGO player with nearly a quarter million followers on Twitter.
+
+Liquipedia breaks down their pages into six sections:
+
+- Teams
+- Transfers
+- Tournaments
+- Games
+- Maps
+- Statistics
+
+Each section covers a different ascent of the competitive scene of each game. Right now you can view some of the history of [FTWin](https://liquipedia.net/splatoon/FTWin), perhaps the most dominant North American team in Splatoon history to date.
+
+If you are a long-standing member of the Splatoon community, consider helping out to build up the games Liquipedia page [located here](https://liquipedia.net/splatoon/Main_Page) with any information you have. This will help build the competitive Splatoon scene and create a record of the game to be remembered for years to come.

apps/web-react/content/articles/starburst-wins-pax-west.md

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+---
+title: Starburst Wins PAX West Invitational
+date: 2022-09-05
+author: Riczi
+---
+
+Labor Day weekend provided the first glimpse at the competitive scene for Splatoon 3. Four of the best teams in North America were invited to compete at PAX West. Those teams were:
+
+- Mad Titans
+- Super P
+- Starburst
+- Jackpot
+
+Each team contains some of the best players from the Splatoon 2 competitive scene and they put on a show during this short tournament. The official Nintendo Twitch stream almost reached 4,000 concurrent viewers for this inaugural Splatoon 3 tournament.
+
+The tournament began with Turf War battles. Each team played the others once to determine seeding for the semifinals. This was a best of five round, covering each of the four ranked modes; Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz.
+
+The final round was between Mad Titans and Starburst. The Mad Titans swept their way into the finals, but Starburst endured one of the most intense five game series in recent memory. Each game versus Jackpot came down to the wire, including a game of Clam Blitz that didn't see a single team score for the full four minutes of regulation.
+
+That didn't stop Starburst from taking complete control over the finals. They won four straight games in demanding fashion, claiming the first tournament title of Splatoon 3 before the game has been released to the public.
+
+This tournament also gave us a brief view at the early meta we can expect in Splatoon 3. The NZap 85 was the most common pick, as the Tacticooler special is currently viewed as the most optimal kit. Taking a sip from the Tacticooler boosts your run and swim speed and drastically reduces your respawn time while the perk is active.
+
+There were also a number of .52 Gals in the tournament. This was a very popular weapon toward the tail end of Splatoon 2. While it has a slightly different kit, it appears that the main weapon is still a force to be reckoned with.
+
+Other than that, it was refreshing to see some new weapons that haven't been seen as frequently in Splatoon 2 competitive play. Chargers and blasters are making a comeback since Ink Armor isn't around to directly counter them. We even saw some Splatana gameplay despite the weapon being brand new and underexplored.
+
+Splatoon 3 will be available for purchase and download this week on September 9th. The competitive scene is only growing, and it's not too late to join the community.

apps/web-react/content/articles/superjump-5-the-road-to-splat-world-series.md

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+---
+title: "SuperJump 5 - The Road to Splat World Series"
+date: 2025-07-01
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted on the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/superjump-5-the-road-to-splat-world-series) website.
+
+# **The Road to Splat World Series: SuperJump 5**
+
+On June 28 and 29, 2025, Competitive Splatoon 3 tournament SuperJump 5, hosted by Inkling Production Labs (IPL), saw close to 100 teams come together and battle it out in a Best of 5 double-elimination event, where all teams were guaranteed to make it to Day 2\. Every ranked mode (Rainmaker, Splat Zones, Clam Blitz, and Tower Control) was on the board, but the most exciting aspect of the event was Day 2, where the top four teams would earn their place representing the West on August 2, 2025 at Splat World Series, the ambitious collaboration between IPL and AREA CUP. 
+
+Which teams rose above the rest and earned their place as the first four members of the West announced for the Splat World Series? 
+
+# **Splat World Series Western Qualifying Teams:**  
+
+## **PxG**
+
+The players who make up PxG:
+
+* Grey  
+* Gos  
+* Soulja  
+* Yu
+
+To say that PxG had a dominant run in SuperJump 5 would be an understatement. In the entirety of Day 2, from the beginning of Alpha Bracket to winning in Grand Finals, PxG only lost *one single game*. 
+
+In the Winner’s Finals, PxG sent another SWS-qualifying team, Milk Duds, to the Loser’s Bracket, but would end up seeing them again in Grand Finals, where both times they won 3-0. 
+
+## **Milk Duds**
+
+The members of Milk Duds who played at SuperJump 5 are: 
+
+* Ice\!  
+* Jared  
+* \[K\]yo  
+* .q
+
+Milk Duds became the second team to qualify for the Splat World Series after finishing Winner’s Semi-Finals 3-2 against Hypernova and going into Winner’s Finals against PxG. 
+
+Milk Duds went 0-3 against PxG in Winner’s Finals and were sent to the Loser’s Bracket, but would soon see PxG again, after they went 3-0 against Vanguard in Loser’s Finals to return to Grand Finals. In the Grand Finals, they went 0-3 to PxG a second time, but all of the matches the second time around were very close. 
+
+## **Vanguard**
+
+Vanguard’s team roster for SuperJump 5 included: 
+
+* jaysorawk\!  
+* phoenix  
+* Erza  
+* Raiki
+
+Vanguard holds the honor of being the only team at SuperJump 5 to win a match against PxG, which occurred in Winner’s Semi-Finals, where PxG sent Vanguard 1-3 to the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+In Loser’s Quarter-Finals, Vanguard faced Aura, a team who was highly expected to be one of the qualifying teams crowned for SWS at this event. At the end of the second game, Vanguard was 0-2, but locked in to advance, winning 3-2 against Aura, and going on to win 3-1 in Loser’s Semi-Finals against Hypernova. Vanguard finished their SuperJump 5 run going 0-3 in Loser’s Finals against Milk Duds and securing spot 3 of the West’s team for SWS. 
+
+## **Hypernova**
+
+These players make up team Hypernova: 
+
+* Synapse  
+* \[UF\]datman  
+* henlo  
+* Lexi
+
+Another team who managed to win 3-2 against the highly-anticipated Aura and move forward in the event, where in Winner’s Semi-Finals, Hypernova would lose 2-3 to Milk Duds and be sent to the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+In Loser’s Semi-Finals, Hypernova would go against fellow SWS-qualifying team Vanguard but would have their SuperJump 5 run ended with a 1-3 score. Despite the run ending sooner than they may have wanted, they still secured fourth place in the event and earned their right to represent the West at the Splat World Series\! 
+
+# **Grand Finals: PxG vs. Milk Duds**
+
+What did the Grand Finals of SuperJump 5 look like? The final set of the event gave us a taste of what we’ll be seeing for Qualifier 1, Qualifier 2, and Splat World Series, as all of the games were Splat Zones. Each match was pretty close, but in the end, PxG’s reign would be absolute, and they would come out the other side as the champions of SuperJump 5\. 
+
+Match 1: 
+
+- Map: Mahi-Mahi Resort  
+- Mode: Splat Zones   
+- Result: PxG knockout 100 \- 20 against Milk Duds
+
+Match 2:
+
+- Map: Shipshape Cargo Co.  
+- Mode: Splat Zones  
+- Result: PxG wins 25 \- 36 against Milk Duds
+
+Match 3: 
+
+- Map: Barnacle & Dime   
+- Mode: Splat Zones  
+- Result PxG wins 19 \- 21 in the last few seconds against Milk Duds
+
+The next set of qualifying Western teams will be determined at IPL’s Qualifier 1, running Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET. This event will be a single-day double-elimination tournament, Splat Zones only. Only the top two teams from this event will qualify for SWS. 
+
+# **Splat World Series \- First Eastern Qualifying Team**
+
+Following SuperJump 5, on June 30, IPL released a trailer announcing the first Eastern team participating in Splat World Series\! The team spotlight video focused on DragonREX, which is comprised of: 
+
+* Momo  
+* Norishio  
+* Kotaji  
+* KinoChannel
+
+IPL will continue to release team spotlights in the future to announce which teams will be competing in Splat World Series. 
+
+# **Surprise Announcement\!**
+
+During a commentator’s break between shifting the stream from Winner’s Bracket to Loser’s Bracket for the Loser’s Semi-Finals, viewers were treated to a surprise trailer\! Collegiate Cephalopod Association (CCA), the college-level Competitive Splatoon organization, announced a special invitational edition for their fifth Booyah Bowl event: ***CCA Booyah Bowl All-Stars***. 
+
+The SuperJump 5 advertisement, which was read on stream, said: 
+
+“The CCA celebrates five years of history with a special edition of their Booyah Bowl invitational, inviting talent from every era of CCA history to play in a special, one-of-a-kind invitational. Join the CCA on Saturday, July 12 for all of the competition and festivities.”
+
+More information regarding CCA Booyah Bowl All-Stars will be coming soon\! 
+
+With all of the buzz surrounding the Splatoon community lately, there are plenty of eyes on the scene and all of the cool things that we’re doing. With the Splat World Series about one month away, the sequel to SuperJump 5–SuperJump 6–announced for September 20 \- 21, 2025, CCA Booyah Bowl All-Stars on the horizon, and Nintendo recently announcing the Splatoon 3 North American League, the scene has no intention of slowing down. Let’s look forward to the future and everything it holds\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: July 1, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/superjump-6.md

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+---
+title: "SuperJump 6"
+date: 2025-09-25
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/superjump-6](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/superjump-6)
+
+# **SuperJump 6**
+
+Between September 20 and 21, 2025, the Competitive Splatoon 3 major from Inkling Performance Labs, SuperJump, celebrated its promotion to quarterly-per-year with its sixth iteration. Following in the steps of SuperJump 5, which was in June 2025, and its predecessor, SuperJump 4 (July 2024), from this event onward, IPL plans to host the major every three months. 
+
+SuperJump 6 shared a weekend with the Splatoon 3 North American League, resulting in an abnormally low turnout of just 56 teams, compared to the roughly 100 teams that SJ5 and 4 had. However, SuperJump 6 wasn’t without a star-studded cast, being the bigger prize for several top level teams, who chose to take part in the major over the first Preseason League event. 
+
+The tournament was a two-day double-elimination event where all teams were guaranteed to make Day 2, seeded into the bracket based on their performance in the Day 1 groups. Sets were played to a Best of Five (Bo5), and all ranked modes (Tower Control, Rainmaker, Clam Blitz, and Splat Zones) were in rotation. While a ticket to Splat World Series was not the victor’s reward this time, there was a respectable $250 USD starting prize pool at stake. 
+
+## **What are You Looking Forward To?** 
+
+Between sets, viewers were treated to a handful of surprises. Interviews from Popgun with various commentators and teams, asking each what it means to them that SuperJump was now a quarterly-recurring tournament, and what it would take for the teams to win their first SuperJump. 
+
+An advertisement for the upcoming late-October European LAN, Oktofest, was also presented. The ad promoted the LAN’s Splatoon 3, Salmon Run, and Mario Kart World events and 2,000€ minimum prize pool. If you’re interested in joining the first-ever Oktofest, you can find more details at [start.gg/tournament/oktofest-2025](http://start.gg/tournament/oktofest-2025). 
+
+To an even greater surprise for the viewers, a beautiful cinematic trailer announced the return of Prism Break\! Now with a new double-elimination format that will seed players based on their sendou.ink power. No group stages to earn placement, just competition at your level from the get-go. Prism Break: Metamorphosis is scheduled to run biweekly on Sundays, hosted by Under Pressure, beginning at 10 AM PST / 12 PM CST / 1 PM EST. 
+
+## **Winners Semi-Final: FTWin vs. Moonlight (3-0)**
+
+As the earlier interview would remind everyone, FTWin has yet to claim a SuperJump victory for themselves. Seed \#2 and eager to earn the gold, FTWin breezed past Heavy Metal and BlankZ in earlier sets. Hot on their heels was Moonlight, seed \#3, who was meeting FTWin after previous set wins against Envy and Fruittella. In their interview with Popgun, when asked what team they “wanted a piece of” the most, Moonlight’s answer was FTWin, and SuperJump 6 was more than happy to oblige. 
+
+The first two clashes these teams had in the set were pretty similar: Splat Zones, resulting in a knockout victory for FTWin. The first match, on Humpback Pump Track, was over in less than a minute and a half, all of the points to FTWin, going 100-0 immediately against their opponent. Moonlight was able to put up a stronger showing on the next match, at Mahi-Mahi Resort, even taking the lead from FTWin once, but would still lose the match. 
+
+Rainmaker at Scorch Gorge was the last match in the set. The victory would still go to FTWin, but Moonlight would be able to stave off another knockout. Viewers would get to see an exciting shake-up in Chargers on the field, with both teams bringing out the Splatterscope to take advantage of the recently-buffed Ink Vac special. Moonlight’s Basil would take this one step further, having sported a different Charger in each match; first the oh-so-recognizable Snipewriter 5H, then the E-liter 4K, and lastly the Splatterscope. FTWin would be the team sniping the victory–of the match, and the set–with a final 60-36 score, and advancing to Winners Finals. 
+
+## **Winners Finals: PxG vs FTWin (3-2)**
+
+PxG was the last hurdle in FTWin’s way to add a SuperJump win to their books. Seeded \#1 for the tournament, PxG had all eyes on them. Their stake? Winning a second SuperJump in a row, having won SuperJump 5 last June. PxG wasn’t playing at their usual display of shutout set domination, with their current set scores looking like 3-1, 3-0, and 3-2 before entering Winners Finals. With a few of their teammates re-acclimating after playing on opposing teams leading up to Riptide, PxG was looking shakier than usual, and that weakness was what FTWin was banking on exploiting. 
+
+Starting with Splat Zones–get used to this; every set from here on out begins with Splat Zones\!–at Um’ami Ruins, FTWin would manage to take a small lead for themselves early. The end result, however, would look much like their Humpback Pump Track match against Moonlight, with FTWin in Moonlight’s shoes, losing the match in a knockout after about a minute and a half. The next match wouldn’t look much better for FTWin. In Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy, the tower was sitting in FTWin’s base longer than anywhere else, with PxG able to get their score to just 7 points left to knock out. In the final minute and a half, FTWin struggled to get six points for themselves, with one of them being earned in overtime, but ultimately PxG would win again, 93-6. 
+
+The third game marked FTWin’s rise to the occasion–another Tower Control match. At Shipshape Cargo Co., FTWin’s opening push to 39 points remaining seemed like a high bar to meet. PxG would match that push and surpass it by five points, just shy of three minutes left in the match. FTWin would take the lead back with one minute to go, and with Crab Tank on the tower, cruise their way into a knockout victory of their own\! Up next was another game of Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort, which FTWin heavily favored. PxG wouldn’t let them have their way easily. The zone flipped hands frequently, and by the halfway point, was looking like the last win PxG needed to advance to Grand Finals. The last half of the game was all FTWin, forcing PxG to a game 5 by earning another knockout victory\!
+
+PxG would take an early lead over FTWin, down to 44 points remaining already one minute into the Splat Zones match at Barnacle & Dime. Both teams were playing safely; there was scarcely a moment where more than two players were down among all eight. A Booyah Bomb at about two minutes left in the match prevented FTWin from taking the lead; with three players down and PxG out of penalty points, the lead grew ever distant. \[K\]yo, with a Reefslider, a “Booyah\!”, and a dream, slid into the zone to recap it before PxG could get too far ahead. Soulja tossed Triple Inkstrikes at the same time Sam hurled in a Booyah Bomb, and it was the Inkstrikes that recapped the zone for PxG. Soulja’s Inkstrikes retaking the zone a second time ended FTWin’s run in overtime, with a final score of 81-71, sending PxG to Grand Finals and FTWin to the Loser’s Bracket. 
+
+## **Losers Semi-Finals: Oro Jackson vs. Moonlight (2-3)**
+
+Of all the sets on stream at SuperJump 6, Oro Jackson vs. Moonlight had to be the most edge-of-your-seat set. It had everything\! Knockouts\! Close games\! All four modes\! Game five\! Storylines\! Oro Jackson hadn’t participated in SuperJump since SJ4 in 2024, where they were looking to reach above their previous \#3 placement. Moonlight was also looking to break their SuperJump bad luck streak and get a victory over FTWin. Whoever won this set would see FTWin in Losers Finals for a second chance at entering Grand Finals, with a minimum placement of \#3. 
+
+Opening on Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime, no surprises in the first minute: Moonlight took the first lead, then Oro Jackson took the zone. As the clock approached four minutes remaining… Oro Jackson was ahead of Moonlight. And they kept going. And going. From 100, down to just 3 points remaining, until Moonlight was able to flip the zone in their favor and give Oro Jackson a hefty 74 penalty points, with three minutes left in the game. All of a sudden, now it was Moonlight on a roll, close to passing Oro Jackson’s score. The fiercest fights took place in the last two minutes, with neither team able to burn through their large penalty point stock. Oro Jackson would take the first game, with a close score of 97-90. 
+
+Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort showcased Moonlight’s slow-and-steady playstyle; first Moonlight took the zone, then lost the zone, then lost the lead, and Oro Jackson climbed closer to their goal. Moonlight would incrementally close the gap between scores. In the last two minutes of the game, they locked in to sweep Oro Jackson from behind. Knowing that an early victory was all theirs after scoring a wipeout with five ticks to go, Moonlight turned to the spectator camera and cheered “Booyah\!” as the match closed. Next up, Rainmaker at Undertow Spillway, would repeat a feat from the North American League’s own Losers Semi-Finals, where the match would be over in short order. As the camera focused on Promano taking out Nolan at the last checkpoint, in the background, Basil snuck by and dunked the Rainmaker at exactly four minutes remaining in the match, earning Moonlight their second knockout in a row\! 
+
+Clam Blitz would be next, for the first time on stream since Winners Quarter-Final, on Scorch Gorge. An early wipeout on Oro Jackson gave Moonlight the first score of the game, and they would make a second, bringing them to a 31-100 lead that they would hold until two minutes left in the match. The next 30 seconds, however, would see Moonlight down three players, giving Oro Jackson their golden opportunity. They closed the gap, with a single Crab Tank fending off the majority of Moonlight, in what the commentators described as “the push of a lifetime”, to go 100 \- 0 in a single push and win in a knockout\! 
+
+The set was then tied 2-2. The last game was Tower Control at Mako Mart. Oro Jackson moved the tower just one point before retreating. Moonlight returned with moving the tower two points forward before backing off, but taking down three members of their opposition gave them the first checkpoint in the game’s first 30 seconds. Oro Jackson broke through their first checkpoint with three and a half minutes remaining. Their continued push was broken up several times, but with determination, they pressed forward and took the lead with two and a half minutes to go. In the final minute of the match, the tower wouldn’t stray too far from the middle of the map, constantly contested. Fifteen seconds left now, and Oro Jackson started adding points to their score again, pressed against Moonlight defending their lead. However, the defense would wipe out the offense with ten seconds remaining, and Moonlight was back to cheering for their 51-44 victory while their opponents were still respawning. 
+
+## **Losers Finals: FTWin vs Moonlight (3-1)**
+
+Moonlight was back to knocking on FTWin’s doorstep, eager for the runback. Their earlier set against FTWin was shaky, but in Losers Finals, they were a different team, more than ready to fight over who wanted to win SuperJump 6 more. There were no closer scores at this event than in this set\! 
+
+The two opening matches were Splat Zones. Up first, Hagglefish Market; both teams were constantly one-upping each other, never holding the lead for long. Just under two minutes on the clock, and FTWin was stopped from knocking out with one point left to go\! FTWin’s specials menaced Moonlight’s scoreboard, adding penalty after penalty as the clock ticked down. \[K\]yo’s Reefslider and Hexen’s Crab Tank were especially dominant, taking the zone and wiping out Moonlight with ten seconds to go. The final score was 99-94, for FTWin, and the next Splat Zones game would go to Robo ROM-en. Moonlight’s minute-long opening push gave them a huge advantage, with the score set at 26-100. FTWin retaliated, but by the halfway point, Moonlight was out of penalty points and once more moving forward. Both teams would fight in the zone, keeping it neutralized for about 15 seconds, before FTWin won the firefight. They would win the battle, but not the match, with the score ultimately favoring Moonlight 97-70. 
+
+The two closing matches were Tower Control. Starting at Inkblot Art Academy, the tower didn’t travel very far in either direction; by the halfway point, the lead was barely in FTWin’s hands, 84-70. FTWin would slowly advance, but struggle getting the tower past the uninkable ramp and through the second checkpoint. Moonlight would succeed in holding the tower at the second checkpoint long enough to surpass FTWin’s score with one minute to go. Just three seconds left in the match, and FTWin was back at their second checkpoint, and took the lead by just a hair, 50-48, before overtime was needed\!
+
+Lastly, both teams would go to Mako Mart, where the first minute was more skirmishing than tower-riding. Neither team would get past the first checkpoint until two minutes had gone by, with FTWin taking the lead from Moonlight in the process. Going into the final minute and a half of the game, FTWin had what felt like a safe lead, with 14 points left to go compared to Moonlight’s 75\. But there was no time for them to rest, especially in the last 30 seconds, where Moonlight rode the tower through two checkpoints and into overtime. It took a Booyah Bomb from Sam, that “gg special” that everyone has felt at least once, to keep Moonlight off the tower long enough for FTWin to take it, and the set, with a final score of 86-67. 
+
+## **Grand Finals: PxG vs FTWin (3-0)**
+
+Now it was FTWin’s turn for their chance at redemption\! On the grand stage sat PxG, already one SuperJump win to their name, and approaching them was FTWin, who wanted that title for themselves. 
+
+For the last time in this tournament, we would see Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort. FTWin would take the role of aggressor, taking down two members of PxG in the first 15 seconds and claiming the zone in the process. PxG would ink fast enough to take the zone from FTWin, but FTWin moved even faster, splatting PxG’s players by doubles and triples to take back their territory. PxG found their footing halfway through the game and managed to finally take a small lead from FTWin by keeping them preoccupied in their base. At the final minute, the score was almost even, with PxG in the lead 32-35, both teams having about 25 penalty points. Less than 20 seconds now, and PxG was back to earning points again; FTWin went down three players in the last ten seconds, and the clock ran out before PxG could take the knockout. The final score was 96-65. 
+
+FTWin’s counterpick was to Tower Control at Shipshape Cargo Co. From the onset, they were outpaced by PxG, who had managed to ride the tower to the last checkpoint in the first minute and a half; meanwhile FTWin had yet to take any points. FTWin wouldn’t ride the tower towards their objective until almost halfway through the game, but would manage to hold it through half of the first checkpoint before needing to retreat. For over 30 seconds, FTWin would throw everything at their disposal to keep PxG from advancing through the last checkpoint, and would eventually succeed at driving their opponent away as the game approached 45 seconds from ending. They kept up the momentum, clearing the first checkpoint with 15 seconds to go, but once their tower-defending Crab Tank got splatted, no one else could jump on the objective before time was up. PxG once again took the game, winning 74-48. 
+
+The final game of SuperJump 6 was Tower Control at Hagglefish Market. FTWin, again, with a major first push, riding the tower from 100 to 51 in the first minute, finally being stopped by a Booyah Bomb and Trizooka from PxG. Like hornets, they would swarm back in, this time having to be warded off by Soulja’s Triple Inkstrikes thrown from inside PxG’s base. It took two minutes, but the tower was finally out of PxG’s base, and the defending champions were able to make their first push of the game, consisting of just three points. One minute later, Grey would get the tower through the first checkpoint. Grey and Gos danced on and off the tower, dodging specials and taking turns advancing the objective until finally PxG was in the lead. FTWin made their last push of the game with 15 seconds on the match clock, but would ultimately be wiped out in overtime, leading to an 85-54 win for PxG, and a 3-0 shutout victory in Grand Finals\! 
+
+<img width="871" height="675" alt="sj6-finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e835a288-9445-4a56-bbc3-55cefa28b063" />
+
+PxG now holds two consecutive SuperJump victories. Will they be able to claim a third, when SuperJump 7 returns on December 6-7, 2025, just one week before the Splatoon 3 North American League Playoffs? 
+
+Original Posting Date: September 25, 2025   
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/superjump-7.md

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+---
+title: "SuperJump 7: 2025's Hypest Grand Finals"
+date: 2025-12-09
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+<img width="1200" height="600" alt="superjump-7" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4ab97d80-f788-4b19-b818-e6e534fc424f" />
+
+Article Originally Posted At: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/superjump-7](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/superjump-7) 
+
+# **SuperJump 7: 2025’s Hypest Grand Finals**
+
+On Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7, 2025, Inkling Performance Labs (IPL) hosted the 7th iteration of their recurring Splatoon 3 major, SuperJump. With over 50 teams competing and guaranteed to make it to day two, the weekend was full of Splatoon action in one place for competitors from North America, Europe, and Japan.
+
+Starting on day two, commentating the first block (up to Winner’s Finals) were Nox and Raze, and for the second half of day two was Nine and Rissa. The tournament is a double-elimination where Winner’s Bracket is a Best of 5, and Loser’s Bracket is a Best of 3 (up until Loser’s Quarterfinals). Every set starts with Splat Zones, then shifts to a map and mode counterpick from the losing team. The prize pool starts at $250\!
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals \- Life expectancy 2025 vs. Duck Motif (L 3-0)**
+
+After quite an exciting SuperJump 7 so far, from upsets to disconnects, the event began to boil down starting with Winner’s Semifinals. Life expectancy 25, who managed to upset Milky Way in Round 1 and 3-0 them, was facing Duck Motif, who has been tearing up the Splatoon 3 North American League week after week.
+
+Splat Zones at Robo ROM-en was already seeing Duck Motif locking out Life expectancy 25 in the first 30 seconds. The game appeared on track to end early for Duck Motif–Life expectancy 25 was able to slip through and cap the zone, long enough to earn a handful of points and stop Duck Motif at 18\. A series of small pushes is what saw Life expectancy 25 back in the lead. The catalyst was Duck Motif’s Redshell1, overextending with a Zipcaster, being splatted; Duck Motif couldn’t regroup, and Life expectancy 25 took the win in a knockout.
+
+Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino, the first of only two Rainmaker games on stream past Winner’s Semifinals, followed a similar game flow as its predecessor. Although Life expectancy 25 had a small lead from the onset, Duck Motif ran the Rainmaker through the first checkpoint and to a comfortable lead of 24\. Halfway through the game, Duck Motif was wiped out, which opened the door for Life expectancy 25 to sweep the game out from under Duck Motif in another knockout\!
+
+Clam Blitz closed the set at Inkblot Art Academy. Less than 30 seconds in, Duck Motif was down three. Life expectancy 25 was able to throw in some clams, but ended at 71 in a wipe out. Duck Motif scored next, powering their push with three specials, but only managed to score one Power Clam. The next two minutes were slow, as there was neither enough paint nor players around to make a safe push when a chance arrived. Duck Motif, who had sneakily left a Squid Beakon in Life expectancy 25’s base, scored and took a one-point lead in the final 30 seconds of the game. The time crunch was no matter for Life expectancy 25, as they scored in the last 10 seconds, and wiped out Duck Motif in overtime to secure a 65-30 win.
+
+## **Winner’s Finals \- Special Grade vs. Life expectancy 25 (3-1)**
+
+As the commentator block shifted hands, viewers were shown the trailer for the Raise 4 RAICES charity tournament\! Raise 4 RAICES is a Splatoon 3 tournament with a catch–TOs leave the behind-the-scenes to compete\! Teams are built with four players, one per skill level, so every team is evenly-matched. R4R’s goal is to raise as much funding as they can for [RAICES](https://raicestexas.org/), a nonprofit that provides accessible legal assistance for immigrants and asylum seekers in Texas. You can watch the trailer video at [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWxEw2QdkS0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWxEw2QdkS0).
+
+When the action kicked back up, it was at Shipshape Cargo Co. for Splat Zones. Special Grade, a pickup of mostly PxG players \+ Futa, from Japan, was holding the zone at the end of the first minute, but Life expectancy 25 was in the lead. Special Grade took the lead a minute later while locking Life expectancy 25 into their base–they tried throwing specials to force Special Grade back, but each one was too disconnected from the others that it lost staying power. Special Grade knocked out for the first win, with just under half of the match clock left.
+
+Game two was the second and last instance of Rainmaker on stream. It was at Museum d’Alfonsino. Quickly, Special Grade had Life expectancy 25 down three players and the first checkpoint under their belt. The tables turned, and less than a minute later, Special Grade was the team down three. With the opponent still respawning, Life expectancy 25 got their first checkpoint and the lead. Still in the first half of the game, the score flipped one more time as Special Grade was in Life expectancy 25’s base before a blink. While the game went into overtime, no new leads were attained, and the final score was Special Grade winning 86-58.
+
+Game three, Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort, had both teams fighting the first minute and a half, neither holding it longer than a handful of seconds. It took Special Grade moving all four players into Life expectancy 25’s base to keep them far away from the zone for the lead to move significantly. Life expectancy 25 took about 40 seconds to break free, and when they did, they were able to cap the zone, barely stopping Special Grade from knocking out. Their hard work favored them; after taking down Special Grade three players, Life expectancy 25 locked the zone down, took the lead, and knocked out a win with over a minute and a half remaining\!
+
+Life expectancy 25 took initiative on Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy by taking the tower first, pushing it with protection from a Big Bubbler just seconds into the game. It wasn’t a far lead, so it wasn’t a surprise when Special Grade overtook it on their path to clearing their first checkpoint. The game belonged to Special Grade, doggedly riding the tower to another knockout, wiping out Life expectancy 25 along the way. With a 3-1 set score, Special Grade was, predictably, on their way to Grand Finals next.
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals \- Fruittella vs. Milky Way (0-3)**
+
+Not missing the beat, the next Splatoon organization to get a shout-out was BEEP (Broadcasting Esports Every Play), playing their studio commercial from last week’s SendouQ Season 9 Finale, looking for volunteers. Anyone interested can check out BEEP’s volunteer form at [broadcastbeep.com/help](http://broadcastbeep.com/help).
+
+Then we were onto the Loser’s Semifinals, between Fruittella and Milky Way\! Both teams had an incredible SuperJump 7 journey so far, having lost in Winner’s Round 1 and climbing all the way through the Loser’s Bracket to meet. This set would continue the storyline between these two from Splat World Series, where Fruittella 0-2’d Milky Way in an upset victory in Loser’s Round 1\.
+
+The all-Splat Zones set started at Humpback Pump Track. Milky Way took possession of the zone in the first 15 seconds, with specials already online. Fruittella had their turn with the zone; they got the zone to 84 before it sat neutral as the teams went back and forth. Each time Fruittella neutralized the zone, they went down two or more players, giving Milky Way the zone back. Fruittella still pushed–several specials were thrown at the zone in the last minute, and it was Fruittella in control once the dust settled. In overtime, they were out of penalty points and in possession, but a wipeout ended their run, in a close game, 71-80.
+
+Another Splat Zones, at Um’ami Ruins. Fruittella had the zone for the majority of the first minute, only letting Milky Way get a couple points, but never the lead, until close to two minutes in, when Fruittella was down two players to give Milky Way the zone. Two opposing Triple Inkstrikes were tossed; Fruittella got the zone afterward, stopping Milky Way at 15\. Milky Way had Fruittella in a tight lockout as the seconds ticked down, but Fruittella’s specials paved the way for them to grab the zone. Milky Way, who was in the lead, ended up in control again before the match ended, and it was another loss for Fruittella, 67-85.
+
+The closest Splat Zones between these two in this event was at Barnacle & Dime. Triple Inkstrikes were the MVP of this game, but the bulk of the action was between those, Booyah Bombs, and Crab Tanks. Fruittella’s tried-and-true method to keep getting out of their base and recapturing the zone was a Booyah Bomb \+ Triple Inkstrikes combo, and Crab Tanks were vital to Milky Way and Fruittella taking the lead at least once. In the last 30 seconds of the special-heavy game, it was Crab Tank vs. Crab Tank; as the two dueled, Milky Way took the lead one final time against Fruittella, and was the team advancing to Loser’s Finals after going 95-89.
+
+## **Loser’s Finals: Life expectancy 25 vs. Milky Way (0-3)**
+
+The Loser’s Finals was a rematch of Winner’s Round 1, where Life expectancy 25 sent Milky Way 0-3 into the Loser’s Bracket. As the tournament continued, both teams put forward their best effort, and were now head-to-head once more to determine who would go to Grand Finals against Special Grade.
+
+Game one, Splat Zones Mahi-Mahi Resort, was over before the action had a chance to marinate. Life expectancy 25 took the zone first but was quickly sent back by Milky Way, who took the lead. After the first minute, Life expectancy 25 wiped out Milky Way and tried to start a lockout, getting the lead after outpainting Milky Way and their specials. Just after Milky Way lost the lead, they took the zone out from under Life expectancy 25; about 30 seconds later, the lead was once more theirs, and they ran all the way to a knockout with it.
+
+Game two, Tower Control at Hagglefish Market, had Milky Way taking the first points as Life expectancy 25 was cut down to one player through the use of specials. This got Milky Way their first checkpoint, but it wasn’t much later until Life expectancy 25 was on their heels and taking the lead, powered by a Booyah Bomb and Ultra Stamp. Milky Way made two attempts to reclaim the lead, and the second one, at less than 40 seconds to go, succeeded by keeping Life expectancy 25 back with specials. Life expectancy 25 could not get close enough to take the tower, and ended up with another loss, 57-81.
+
+Both teams took their turn with the zone at MakoMart within the first minute; Life expectancy 25 had the zone first thanks to their specials deploying sooner. Going down a few players gave Milky Way the zone just before the first minute’s end; this resulted in them taking the lead. It was another 30 seconds before Life expectancy 25 stopped Milky Way’s zone timer at 39, kicking off a series of back-and-forths with zone possession. It began to feel like Life expectancy 25 could only make something happen when their Ultra Stamp was out, which was a weakness that they could not make up for before Milky Way took the game–and with it, the set–in another knockout.
+
+## **Grand Finals: Special Grade vs. Milky Way (1-3)**
+
+The Raise 4 RAICES trailer appeared again, preceding the Grand Finals\! Special Grade vs. Milky Way, the Grand Finals set that everyone was anticipating, just not through the journey that it took to get there. Between Special Grade nearly losing in a game 5 set to BEt and Milky Way having to claw their way up from Loser’s Bracket after winning no games in the Winner’s Bracket, this SuperJump 7 had plenty of surprises\!
+
+Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime arrived, to do what it does best: provide one team with a knockout win. In the first 10 seconds, Special Grade had the zone–Milky Way spent the next 30 seconds skirmishing and gaining a numbers advantage, and after getting the zone… that was it for Special Grade. The first game of the Grand Finals went to Milky Way without much spectacle.
+
+Game two promised a different story: at Um’ami Ruins for Splat Zones, the action was faster and hard-pressed. Special Grade took the lead as the clock passed minute one, and the score began to get out of easy reach for Milky Way. Nearing the halfway mark, Milky Way stopped Special Grade at 23, and the tug-of-war continued. Milky Way, in the last 40 seconds, sitting behind Special Grade’s lead, took the zone after throwing Triple Inkstrikes and a Booyah Bomb together. At the last possible moment–the same frame the clock reached 0:00–Milky Way took the lead, negating overtime, and took the game by a hair, 78-77.
+
+Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy was Special Grade’s last chance to avoid a shutout, and the start of the game did not look good for them, as early on, they were down half of their team and Milky Way was already through the first checkpoint. Seeing two down on each team was a common sight. During one of these moments, while Milky Way was regrouping, Special Grade took their first checkpoint and the lead. They kept up the effort and protected the tower, getting through the second checkpoint late in the game, and finally broke Milky Way’s Loser’s Bracket streak by handing them a loss after winning, 72-32, after overtime.
+
+Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino saw the first major weapon change: Gos switching from the Splash-o-matic to Splattershot Pro FRZ-N. After two minutes had passed, teams had yet to score, but Special Grade had the biggest share of the clam economy. Almost halfway through the game, Milky Way scored first, throwing three Power Clams at once. Though they used specials to break in, Special Grade’s last-second effort to score only amounted to one Power Clam before being forced back, and they would not score a second time, ending the set with a third loss, 20-60, after overtime.
+
+Bringing SuperJump 7 to a Grand Finals Reset\!
+
+## **Grand Finals Reset: Special Grade vs. Milky Way (3-2)**
+
+This may be the closest SuperJump set ever–and it may not be a stretch to call it the closest set ever in all of Splatoon, with two games going so down to the wire that it came down to just a few frames.
+
+Game one went to Splat Zones at MakoMart, where Gos switched from Splattershot Pro FRZ-N to Splattershot. The points ticked down fast for Milky Way, that by the time Special Grade regained the zone just after the first minute, Milky Way had it down to 22\. The teams were so focused on the zone that it went back-to-back-to-back before settling into someone’s hands firmly. With just 4 seconds left, Triple Inkstrikes capped the zone for Special Grade, giving them an overtime dream. Special Grade held on long enough to overtake Milky Way, and the Grand Finals Reset was looking in their favor after the 92-91 win.
+
+Game two was back to Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino. Teams scored faster this time, but each team only scored twice: once to get points to their name, the second to only reduce penalty points. The first score belonged to Special Grade, almost two minutes into the game, and they got down to 54\. Halfway through, Milky Way snuck into Special Grade’s base and scored to 60 before having to retreat. Special Grade scored again with a minute and a half remaining, but just one Power Clam, cutting through their existing penalty stock…
+
+Milky Way once more slipped behind Special Grade and others jumped in, assuming their landing was covered with a Booyah Bomb. Milky Way opened the clam basket and eliminated their penalty points, then got wiped out before anyone could score, thanks to a bomb that wasn’t destroyed by the Booyah Bomb. To add further to the injury, as Milky Way had no Power Clams left and could not make one in time, the game ended for them, 40-46, without overtime.
+
+Game three went to Tower Control at Hagglefish Market. Special Grade scored first, and with more than just a touch-and-go push, they had their first checkpoint cleared after the first minute. Afterward, both teams went down two players. Milky Way took the tower from that, and with a Crab Tank set on it, they earned a few points before Special Grade kicked off a minute-and-a-half-long skirmish over mid where the tower didn’t move. It took Milky Way until the last minute to get their first checkpoint, and they kept going, taking the lead and several players down with them. The game ended 56-49.
+
+Game four went to the classic combo Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy. Special Grade was once more in charge from the onset, having the first checkpoint behind them not even 30 seconds in. While Milky Way also got their first checkpoint nearly two minutes later, it wasn’t until 1:44 that they took the lead. They took it through the third checkpoint, which would be tough to beat in so little time, but Special Grade tried\! At the last second before overtime, Special Grade cleared their second checkpoint, then held the tower through Triple Inkstrikes and a Booyah Bomb, but lost it just a few points away from the lead, 86-94.
+
+Of all the surprises one could expect in a game five, Special Grade counterpicking the runback at Tower Control Inkblot Art Academy was one that wasn’t on anybody’s list\! Nobody changed weapons. Special Grade still got the first points. However, it was Milky Way who took the lead in 30 seconds, and getting through their second checkpoint after a minute and a half must have made Special Grade second-guess their choice. They got their first checkpoint around the three-minute mark, but struggled to get the tower past the uninkable ramp. Being down three players in the final 30 seconds looked bleak...
+
+Special Grade rallied themselves and invaded Milky Way’s base in overtime, and managed to reach the second checkpoint with Gos and Futa on the tower. Gos was splatted; Futa retreated, only to be splatted as well. Grey delivered a perfect S-BLAST ‘91 direct on Jared, who *appeared* to be on the tower after dodge-rolling onto it, but…
+
+![dodgeroll](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a2aa09b8-d428-433c-ad4a-b61b4266fe43)
+
+*Image originally posted by [@bugbgy.bsky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/bugbgy.bsky.social)*
+
+The dodge roll kept him suspended in the air just enough that the touch didn’t count. 
+
+Next, Special Grade had to contend with the rapidly-dwindling overtime timer. Grey and Soulja dashed for the tower; Soulja kept the tower and cleared the second checkpoint.
+
+How close was Special Grade to losing the tower due to vacancy in overtime? Well…
+
+<img width="985" height="554" alt="overtime" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/46bacf03-f882-4a63-a2da-0f10102c1589" />
+
+*The Overtime\! gauge in the match UI, as Soulja climbs the tower.*
+
+That Overtime\! meter looks pretty empty\! But a few heartbeats later, Special Grade had the 59-58 victory and the SuperJump 7 win\! After two back-to-back frame-perfect scenarios, there probably won’t be any other game of Splatoon, ever, that comes this close. 
+
+<img width="1082" height="716" alt="bigbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/76079980-c71e-4472-863e-69c983b8fc14" />
+
+After such a rush, it’s hard to believe that anything can beat the action seen in SuperJump 7\. December is still not over; next week has the culmination of the Splatoon 3 North American League–the Playoffs–on Saturday and Sunday, and following that is the community’s Raise 4 RAICES tournament, featuring TOs across the globe competing for charity\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: December 9, 2025 
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/swiss-championship-2023.md

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+---
+title: Swiss Championship 2023
+date: 2023-05-21
+author: 공주 Alice & Chilliboi
+---
+
+The Swiss Championship is part of the official Nintendo European Championship tournament to crown the best team in Europe. The tournament took place as a LAN tournament at the [Fantasy Basel](https://fantasybasel.ch/de) on the 18th of May 2023. There were no qualifiers for it.
+
+A total of 9 teams traveled across Switzerland to Basel to compete in this event. [BryBry](https://twitter.com/BrybryPokebip), who won the championship himself in the past, TOed the tournament at the location.
+
+The winners are:
+1st: Golden Ratio
+2nd: Préférence Pêche
+3rd: [Bish n' Chips](https://sendou.ink/t/bish-n-chips)
+
+Golden Ratio, our Swiss Champion 2023, won the tournament without dropping a single game. [Trizy](https://sendou.ink/u/tristan), [Phoenix](https://sendou.ink/u/phoenix), [96Magi](https://sendou.ink/u/96magi) and [RevengeZ](https://sendou.ink/u/revengez) showed how experienced they are and proved themselves worthy of the title with a clean sweep of the competition.
+
+Préférence Pêche got second. They had an amazing performance but in the end, it was not enough to beat Golden Ratio on the big mainstage of Fantasy Basel. The team members here were [XploRiver](https://twitter.com/Spl_River), Roylouk, [Depito](https://twitter.com/Depito5) and [Hugeaux](https://twitter.com/Hugeaux_). Whilst they may not have won the title, they did get some other cool prizes!
+
+[Bish n' Chips](https://sendou.ink/t/bish-n-chips) took the bronze. Moments before the grand final, they played their match for third and emerged victorious. [Oni](https://sendou.ink/u/344123679329878016), [Swordi](https://sendou.ink/u/swordi), [Yorumi](https://sendou.ink/u/yorumi) and [Kosmos](https://sendou.ink/u/490576772363059210) were the members of this team that rightfully earned their place. Getting third is nothing to be ashamed of with this level of competition, and they also got some cool prizes to take home.

apps/web-react/content/articles/sws26-recap-GG2-finals.md

@@ -0,0 +1,245 @@
+---
+title: "SWS26 Recap: Global Gauntlet 2 Finals"
+date: 2026-06-19
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *With all but one team being new to the Global Gauntlet Finals, does the West do better or worse than last time?*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="SWS26Recap_GG2F" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/dae751de-12f4-4c83-ae65-918ced3750a9" />
+
+On Friday, June 5th and Saturday June 6th, the Second Edition Global Gauntlet Finals concluded the warm-up arc leading up to the Splat World Series Finals. Four qualifying events and one previous GG Finals created a measurable journey streamed live in two languages by Inkling Performance Labs (IPL) and AREA CUP.
+
+The English stream was split into two commentary blocks, beginning with Cyren and Magic and ending with Kbot and Zach. Pat, Sasu, and Fufu provided an analysis desk panel and pre-show. Ely operated the spectator camera for the IPL stream. 
+
+The Japanese stream was hosted by Hemi and Momo, the captain from Japan’s team swing from the First Edition Global Gauntlet. Vital provided the spectator camera POV for AREA CUP’s stream.
+
+## **The Teams**
+
+While many of the same players were returning to the Global Gauntlet, one team stood out from the rest: the West’s PxG, the only team coming back under the same name, with the same roster. All other teams were newly formed, with a mix of players both new and returning.
+
+**The teams and players who made up the West’s roster:** 
+
+1. PxG: Grey, Gos, Noah (Yu\_Liter), Jordan (soulja)  
+2. Milky Way: bran, .q, ice, Jared  
+3. Rinascita: Volty, Yeti, y0shell, phoenix  
+4. Crickets: Silver, kiki, Mino, Jay  
+5. Healbook: Jovan, prosper, Len., adapt, Cakes  
+6. New Meta: Isabel, Lucas, Storm, Homengous, Landon
+
+**The teams and players who made up Japan’s roster:** 
+
+1. Always Here: Goyame, Hisatsurukou, Sena, suemaru  
+2. CutieNK: tkf, Naenae, 9ray, Kae  
+3. King of Ham: Todo, Inaten, Sofu, Tanaha  
+4. mellow good: Wolbo, Grandroll (Garandou), Shuta, Shito  
+5. Yamato Spirit: Natyu, Azu, Gehorin, Renorua  
+6. Vacuum World: SAMURAI KASATO (Kasato), Hitokuchi, Chiaki, Utan
+
+Originally, The avengers and ezmd were meant to play for the West after qualifying from the SendouQ Season 11 Finale, but both declined the offer. IPL invited SWS25 veteran Healbook (who participated as FreeFlow) to the West’s roster. 
+
+## **The Gauntlet**
+
+The main event, “The Gauntlet”, was a six-round, Best of 5 Round Robin where Western teams only faced Japanese teams, to maximize playing time with the opposite region.
+
+Like the Global Gauntlet Qualifiers, the Finals were a Splat Zones-only tournament with all stages legal. The main deviation from the norm is the strike/select system:
+
+* When the set begins, both teams take turns banning two maps each. The higher seed gets to pick their two maps of choice to ban first.   
+* The first map that the teams play on is randomly selected out of the pool of non-banned maps. The randomly-selected map is **not** banned after game one.  
+* After the first game, the **winning team** bans two more stages. The **losing team** selects the map for the next game.   
+  * This continues after each game until the set ends.  
+* Map bans reset after the set concludes and will not carry into the next set.
+
+On the day of the GG2 Finals, a few teams between both regions had some last-minute roster changes as players were unavailable. For PxG, this saw Basil—Moonlight’s E-liter 4K player—subbing in for Noah. Crickets brought Thunder (Crush Soda, Azure) in to sub for kiki as a Blaster player. Always Here forfeited their set against New Meta, resulting in a win for New Meta. 
+
+### **Round 1 \- PxG vs. Vacuum World**
+
+The Second Edition Global Gauntlet Finals started at Barnacle & Dime. The first map strikes were Urchin Underpass, Marlin Airport (Vacuum World), Hammerhead Bridge, and Wahoo World (PxG). Both teams mirrored an E-liter 4K and N-ZAP ‘85. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R1_PxGopening" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/df784d92-4172-4261-a123-1e1197d94d28" />
+
+*Noah, PxG’s E-liter 4K player, was temporarily unavailable, so the team recruited Moonlight’s Basil for a few sets after reaching out to both her and Devin4K from ezmd, per soulja’s stream.*
+
+Vacuum World began the match with the zone, holding it through PxG’s Triple Splashdown and outpainting their opposition, who was down two players. The domination was clear: PxG went down three players, then as the clock read 3:41, Vacuum World knocked out. The first victory of the GG2 Finals came in a blinding one minute and 19 seconds, stopping the best of the West. 
+
+Vacuum World banned Manta Maria and Humpback Pump Track. PxG selected MakoMart as the map for game two. The story wouldn’t repeat itself twice in a row.
+
+Back with a vengeance, PxG wiped out Vacuum World in the game’s opening 30 seconds. Vacuum World’s only way to ward PxG away from the zone was to set up a Big Bubbler and Ink Vac, merely delaying PxG’s retake. With a minute left on the clock, PxG returned Vacuum World’s knockout with a win of their own, tying the set.
+
+PxG’s map strikes were Undertow Spillway and Hagglefish Market. Vacuum World selected Robo ROM-en. 
+
+Early in the game, both teams’ primary painters were splatted—Vacuum World won the zone. They set up an early lockout on PxG, able to keep them down multiple players at a time, even wiping them out. Vacuum World earned another fast knockout, this time in just over a minute and a half.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R1_Vrobo" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5ec185d0-ddfb-47a0-8b1b-5e5a65b2a709" />
+
+*Negitorodo mid splat-streak, taking PxG down five players in the span of 15 seconds, helping Vacuum World set up their lockout.* 
+
+Vacuum World banned Lemuria Hub and Bluefin Depot. PxG made the choice to select the double-edged sword, Flounder Heights, as their counterpick, banking on their ability to set up on the zone before their opponent could, knowing retakes were difficult on this map.
+
+It took almost a full minute before points started ticking down more than one at a time; it was Vacuum World in control after taking PxG down two players. PxG did eventually gain control of the zones, but a flank from SAMURA TAN stopped PxG at just 74\. PxG struggled to get back in, losing players every time an opening appeared. The set ended in one last KO, going to Vacuum World, 3–1. 
+
+By technicality, New Meta was the only Western team to win their set in Round 1 (since Always Here forfeited due to… not being there). In a rough opening for the West, the only teams to win games were PxG and Rinascita, only winning one game each.
+
+### **Round 2 \- Milky Way vs. mellow good**
+
+Milky Way had just lost 0–3 against Yamato Spirit, and mellow good was coming from a 3–1 win against Rinascita. Mellow good banned Marlin Airport and Crableg Capital. Milky Way banned Mincemeat Metalworks and Hammerhead Bridge. Both teams brought a Snipewriter 5H, Heavy Splatling, and one kind of Slosher once the random map selection was revealed: Brinewater Springs.
+
+Mellow good’s Reefslider was a major thorn in Milky Way’s side; despite the special’s zone “cheesability” being nerfed, it was still highly effective at capping the zone fast, and did so multiple times, keeping Milky Way from taking the lead. Proceeding into overtime, mellow good had the lead and Milky Way was locking their opponent out. Milky Way was able to take the lead in overtime, winning 94–93. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R2_Mbrinewater" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/de979ea0-da55-4e1b-9512-9676ee409e76" />
+
+*In overtime, Grandroll’s crucial Reefslider got caught on a ledge and missed the zone. Milky Way wiped out mellow good after the blunder and took the lead, winning the game.*
+
+For game two, Milky Way chose to strike Urchin Underpass and Sturgeon Shipyard. Mellow good’s map selection was Mahi-Mahi Resort. 
+
+Grandroll’s Reefslider continued to menace Milky Way, and in return, Milky Way’s Triple Inkstrikes were their answer to quickly retake the zone. Milky Way tried to catch up to mellow good’s lead of 14, but were stopped at 21, and mellow good had the opportunity to increase their lead to 4 in the final seconds. In overtime, Milky Way lost the zone, giving mellow good their first win, 96–79. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R2_Wmahimahi" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/73c80c7e-a563-41c8-b8b8-1c72e5308071" />
+
+*Grandroll just barely slips through Milky Way’s reach, riding the game-winning Reefslider into the zone, capping it in overtime for mellow good.*
+
+Game three saw mellow good choose Lemuria Hub and Humpback Pump Track as their map strikes. Milky Way opted to take mellow good to Undertow Spillway, a map which they have proven to be good at in almost any mode. 
+
+While mellow good had control of the zones first, after taking down two of their players, Milky Way took possession, and shortly afterward claimed the lead, bringing their points to 31 until mellow good was able to stop them. Milky Way ended the game in the set’s first knockout, only 45 seconds ahead of the clock running out. 
+
+Milky Way next banned Robo ROM-en and MakoMart, striking maps that would enable Grandroll’s Reefslider. Mellow good’s map choice was Hagglefish Market. 
+
+Mellow good took the lead from Milky Way early in the game, finally stopped at 21 after Milky Way outpainted them over a neutral zone firefight. Both teams incrementally pushed their scores in turn—mellow good remained ahead. In the second-to-last minute, mellow good went down three players. Milky Way set up a lockout, taking the lead right before wiping out mellow good and knocking out, ultimately winning the set. 
+
+Not just the West’s first win on stream, but this victory also broke Grandroll’s unbroken set win streak starting all the way back with Splat World Series 2025, including all of the SWS26 events. In other Western wins, PxG won their set against Yamato Spirit 3–0, New Meta took one game off of Vacuum World, and Rinascita took King of Ham to a game five set, but lost 2–3. 
+
+### **Round 3 \- CutieNK vs. Rinascita**
+
+CutieNK, so far, had been steamrolling their competition, going 3–0 over both Crickets and Healbook. Rinascita had won at least one game in each of the previous two sets, but no set victories just yet. The spotlight this event was on the JP teams, with each appearing once on IPL’s stream, and Rinascita was the last Western team in the trifecta of themselves, PxG, and Milky Way to be casted. 
+
+Game one’s map strikes from CutieNK were Eeltail Alley and Manta Maria. Rinascita banned Humpback Pump Track and Wahoo World. Having been banned twice so far, the map selection ended up going to Marlin Airport. 
+
+The early game was controlled by Rinascita, taking their lead to 31, supported by a wipeout on CutieNK. A second, delayed wipeout on CutieNK kept them from taking the lead around the three-minute mark. By the halfway point on the clock, CutieNK took the zone from Rinascita while both teams were down two players. Pushing up, they locked Rinascita away from the zone and won the game in a knockout. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R3_Rmarlin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8b58f470-77ca-4da9-b472-3ed9c8270b32" />
+
+*From the top rope, Volty swings and trades splats with CutieNK’s Naenae and tkf, bringing both teams down to two players. CutieNK would recover faster, leading to their KO victory.*
+
+Game two went to MakoMart after CutieNK banned the double-zone Flounder Heights and zone-moving Bluefin Depot, both maps which also had considerable heights to contend with.
+
+Like last game, Rinascita’s aggressive opening led them to an early lead into the 30s. Around the 3:30 point, CutieNK’s Triple Inkstrikes and Trizooka stopped Rinascita’s points gain; CutieNK’s strong hold got them the lead about 45 seconds later. Rinascita was able to stop the knockout at the halfway point, but the game still ended in CutieNK’s favor with a KO, just ten seconds slower than the previous set. 
+
+Game three went to a third “M” map in a row, Mincemeat Metalworks, after CutieNK banned Lemuria Hub and Sturgeon Shipyard. CutieNK brought their own Carbon Roller Deco, mirroring Rinascita’s, and paired with the Splattershot, also gave CutieNK a double Trizooka comp. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R3_Cmincemeat" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6327bb2a-3218-4f99-ad0b-659b24978b74" />
+
+*CutieNK throws three specials—Super Chumps, Triple Inkstrikes, and a Trizooka—at Rinascita to recap the zone, right before Rinascita would have cleared their penalty points.*
+
+CutieNK needed their specials to break Rinascita away from the zone time and time again as they staggered behind their opponent the entire game. Rinascita took CutieNK down three players multiple times. The match went down to the wire—overtime began with half of both teams freshly respawning. CutieNK, with no penalty, needed 11 ticks to win, and they went the distance, closing the set after the 79–78 win. 
+
+Once Round 3 ended, the results for the West included another PxG 3–0, this time over mellow good, joining Milky Way in adding another loss to Grandroll’s previous perfect SWS streak. Milky Way themselves went 2–3 with King of Ham. Crickets and New Meta went 1–3 in their sets. 
+
+### **Round 4 \- PxG vs. King of Ham**
+
+Beginning with Round 4, Kbot and Zach traded places with Cyren and Magic to take over for the second half of the event. PxG was currently on a winning streak, 3–0’ing their two previous opponents. King of Ham was, similarly, on a winning streak, but each set of theirs so far had gone to a game five before deciding the victor. 
+
+By now, Noah had warmed up and joined PxG, letting Basil off the hook. PxG banned Urchin Underpass and Manta Maria after King of Ham banned Undertow Spillway and Mahi-Mahi Resort. Game one went to Scorch Gorge, and immediately all eyes were on King of Ham’s double Splatling (Zink Mini and Torrentz Hydra), triple Big Bubbler \+ Triple Inkstrikes special weapon combo. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R4_Kscorch" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fc917723-214a-4aa8-a85a-aec1b88d1c18" />
+
+*Spotlight on the weapons King of Ham (right) brought to the match: Mint Decavitator, Zink Mini Splatling, Splat Brella, and Torrentz Hydra Splatling.*
+
+King of Ham capped the zone first, but both teams traded the lead multiple times over the course of the game. PxG’s primary focus was keeping the Torrentz Hydra Splatling out of play as much as possible to reduce the long-range threat and Big Bubbler. King of Ham got to 1 point remaining before time was up, and PxG couldn’t knock out before the match closed. King of Ham took game one 99–91. 
+
+For game two, King of Ham banned Lemuria Hub and Shipshape Cargo Co. Going back to a map which they’d knocked out on earlier, PxG selected MakoMart. King of Ham traded one Splatling for a Clawz .96 Gal and the other swapped to a Nautilus 47\.
+
+Although PxG was able to take King of Ham down to their last player several times in the game, that didn’t stop King of Ham from taking points in strides, starting with stealing the lead from PxG early on. PxG didn’t have the same kind of painting power that King of Ham did, which led to King of Ham taking the victory by knockout. 
+
+For the second set in a row, game three went to Mincemeat Metalworks. King of Ham chose Flounder Heights and Bluefin Depot to strike, leading to PxG’s map selection.
+
+PxG ran with the lead, down to 14 by the halfway point in the game before being handed a hefty penalty. PxG inched closer to the knockout, but were stopped by a Heavy Splatling and its overwhelming paint output. In the last second of the game, King of Ham surpassed PxG’s lead, leaving no time for PxG to initiate overtime. The game ended 95–92 for King of Ham, giving them their first 3–0 of the event. 
+
+PxG, meanwhile, was left with their first 0–3 since facing EmpEror in the previous Global Gauntlet Finals. New Meta, however, won their set against mellow good, 3–2. All other Western teams went 1–3, except Healbook, who also had a 0–3 set. 
+
+### **Round 5 \- Milky Way vs. Always Here**
+
+Always Here had won all of their sets (aside from their first set against New Meta, which they forfeited) in a fairly dominant showing, at least 3–1. Milky Way had won their set against mellow good, but otherwise only had a record of six wins in 16 games. Always Here had been making their way through the West in lowest-to-highest seed order, and were on their last stop before seeds \#1 of both regions clashed.  
+
+Their game one had Milky Way banning Bluefin Depot and Barnacle & Dime, and Always Here striking Lemuria Hub and Inkblot Art Academy. The map chosen at random was Robo ROM-en, a map which Milky Way had axed in a previous round.
+
+Milky Way was at the advantage first, getting their zone timer to 40 while keeping Always Here’s player count down. Even when they lost the zone for the first time, they took it back quickly. Always Here just needed to break Milky Way’s formation once to set up their defense on the zone, and from there carried the game to a knockout at 2:33.
+
+Next, Always Here opted to strike Urchin Underpass and Humpback Pump Track. Milky Way selected Brinewater Springs to take their opponent to. 
+
+Within 10 seconds, Always Here secured the zone, and before the first minute was up, were locking Milky Way into their spawn. They were stopped at 16 by Milky Way’s Booyah Bomb, and went down in a delayed wipe. Always Here tried to lock out again, but went down three players twice, letting Milky Way rack up points. In the last 15 seconds, Always Here was wiped out. Milky Way won the game with a close 98–84. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R5_Mbrinewater" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ff436546-7f7c-4489-a11a-ca184b54c2f4" />
+
+*Each team is down to just their Charger player while the zone is neutral. Always Here’s .52 Gal throws a parting Ink Vac shot, which helps Always Here take the zone, stopping Milky Way at 2 ticks to KO.*
+
+The set now tied, Milky Way’s map strikes were Mincemeat Metalworks and Flounder Heights. Always Here selected MakoMart. 
+
+Milky Way took their points in one major leap, going from 100 to 20 in one minute. After losing the zone in a 2v2, Always Here closed the gap, stopped at 44 briefly before burning through their penalty and taking the lead. Milky Way’s Booyah Bomb took the zone from Always Here, left at 4 ticks. As the game neared its final minute, Milky Way once more grabbed the lead, leading into a knockout, putting them ahead in the set.
+
+Milky Way’s next map strikes were Eeltail Alley and Hammerhead Bridge. Always Here selected Um’ami Ruins as the map, hoping that the two zones would give them an edge and keep the set alive. 
+
+Another strong opening from Milky Way saw them take the zones and bring their lead all the way down to 13 by the halfway point, before Always Here got any points. As we saw before, all Always Here needed was one good opening into the zones to lock Milky Way out, and their opponent struggled to get back in. One Milky Way wipeout later, and Always Here knocked out to bring the set to a game five.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R5_Aum&#39;ami" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c123be8d-51ad-46ff-b1f9-d597d37ac848" />
+
+*Streamer Sena gets a quad on Milky Way by the map’s elbow, keeping the zones secure long enough for Always Here to take the lead and go right to the victory.*
+
+Milky Way’s second game five—and the first one on stream—took place at Wahoo World after Always Here banned Crableg Capital and Manta Maria. 
+
+Like the other games, Milky Way’s opening brought them close to a knockout—this time to 19, before staggering respawns gave Always Here the opportunity to lock down the zone. Both teams went down two players in the last 30 seconds as Always Here took the lead. Milky Way brought the game into overtime, but an Ink Vac secured the 96–86 win for Always Here, giving them the 3–2 set win.
+
+There were no set wins for the West in Round 5, but Milky Way and Crickets both won two games, and PxG had one. While not the best round for Western wins, it was far from the worst, which was to come… 
+
+### **Round 6 \- Yamato Spirit vs. Rinascita**
+
+The final round of the Second Edition Global Gauntlet Finals streamed the set between Yamato Spirit, who had not been on stream yet, and Rinascita, who was on stream for the second time. Yamato Spirit had mixed results so far, winning 3–0 over Milky Way and Healbook, but losing 0–3 to PxG, and coming from a close 3–2 with Crickets. With a paint-focused comp, Yamato Spirit was looking to be a tough fight for Rinascita. 
+
+Game one’s map strikes from Yamato Spirit were MakoMart and Urchin Underpass. Rinascita’s strikes were Humpback Pump Track and Manta Maria. The match went to Inkblot Art Academy, where Yamato Spirit’s bold weapon picks—specifically from Azu—sparked many a comment between the casters, live chat, and players. 
+
+A daring Inkjet opening from Azu, who brought the Annaki Splattershot Nova, scattered Rinascita. Splash Walls set up by their ramp funneled Rinascita into predictable routes to get to the zone, giving Yamato Spirit the advantage while defending. In what would become a recurring theme, Yamato Spirit’s high painting output was too much for Rinascita, and Yamato Spirit knocked out at 3:41. 
+
+For game two, Yamato Spirit banned Lemuria Hub and Crableg Capital. Rinascita chose to take their opponent to Bluefin Depot, where they would be able to put up more of a fight with the moving zone and high verticality.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R6_Ycomps" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1f7ff140-93fa-4c4e-b6f4-825e09901a68" />
+
+*Rinascita’s composition remained static throughout the set, but Yamato Spirit’s weapons all changed at least once, minus the Dynamo Roller. Azu changed weapons each game.*
+
+A double from Volty in the opening gave Rinascita their first points in the set, but the 9 points they gained weren’t enough to get the lead from Yamato Spirit. Yamato Spirit’s Dynamo Roller gave Rinascita the most trouble, equally in part to its paint spray and splatting power. This was the best game Rinascita had in the set, and Yamato Spirit still won by knockout before half of the game passed.
+
+The last map strikes from Yamato Spirit were for Mincemeat Metalworks and Shipshape Cargo Co. Yamato Spirit spawned in looking ready for Turf War with their Dynamo Roller, Custom Splattershot Jr., Order Splatling, and REEF-LUX 450\. 
+
+In the first minute, Rinascita scored one point. This was all they could get amid Yamato Spirit’s overwhelming paint. They had found Rinascita’s weak spot and were doing everything they could to exploit it. The game ended in less than two minutes, in a third and final knockout for Yamato Spirit. 
+
+Not just for Rinascita, but for the West as a collective, Round 6 was indisputably the roughest round between both Global Gauntlet Finals events. Every Western team lost 0–3, with the exception of PxG, who only won one game against Always Here. 
+
+<img width="1100" height="644" alt="GG2F_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/96ab7ac4-8abe-4a44-98ab-238a0bee8cdf" />
+
+## **The Warm-Up for the Global Stage Concludes…**
+
+Compared to the First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals, more teams from the West won more sets; PxG and FTWin combined won three sets at the GG1 Finals, where this time around, PxG, New Meta, and Milky Way won five sets between themselves. On a single-game scale, the West also won two more games at the GG2 Finals (32) than during the GG1 Finals (30). 
+
+Counting New Meta’s default 3–0 when Always Here forfeited against them, the West won 35 individual games, five more than the previous event\!
+
+Unfortunately, not every Western team took home at least one win against Japan like last event—Healbook, despite some close games, went 0–3 each set. On the flip side, there weren’t any teams who won every single game like EmpEror had. CutieNK, who had the highest win rate from Japan, lost two games. Vacuum World, the runner-up, lost only three games total.
+
+In case you missed any events during the Global Gauntlets, you can check out IPL’s [Splat World Series: Global Gauntlet \#1](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsJtNA8co7rbsx6QUnGvKuKptcbSGcROB) playlist on YouTube, which features their REWOUND series of videos, providing full commentary to the unstreamed matches from both Finals events\! 
+
+Now that the two Global Gauntlets have wrapped up, what’s next for the Splat World Series 2026 season?
+
+The summer will be full of events for teams from both Japan and the West to qualify for the Splat World Series 2026 main event in August. Eight teams per region will be sent to the SWS Finals, for a total of sixteen teams. 
+
+The first qualifier is the [Eastern Qualifier](https://sendou.ink/to/3373/info), exclusive to Japan. Originally, this event was set to take place on July 11th, but was [**rescheduled to Saturday, June 27th**](https://bsky.app/profile/iplabs.ink/post/3moejxusbr22p). It will still use the Eastern Timeslot of 4 AM PT / 7 AM ET / 1 PM CET / 8 PM JT. The Eastern Qualifier will be rebroadcast at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET for Western audiences on the original date, July 11th. 
+
+The top four teams from the Eastern Qualifier will earn their spot on Japan’s roster for the SWS Finals. The other four teams representing Japan will be selected by AREA CUP. 
+
+There are two qualifiers for the West: one on [July 18th](https://sendou.ink/to/3374/info), and one on [July 25th](https://sendou.ink/to/3375/info). Both of these events will use the Western Timeslot, 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET / 2 AM JT. The top four teams from each Western Qualifier will advance to the Splat World Series 2026 Finals. 
+
+The final showdown takes place on August 7th and 8th, 2026, during the International Timeslot (8 PM PT / 11 PM ET **on Friday evening** / 5 AM CET / 12 PM JT **on Saturday afternoon**) on both days, for an event that begins on Friday evening and concludes on Sunday morning, for North American players—for European players, the event starts on Saturday morning and will finish mid-morning on Sunday. 
+
+Don’t let the release of Splatoon Raiders on July 23rd hoard all of the attention. The best Competitive Splatoon action that the world has to offer is around the corner\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: June 19, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sws26-recap-gg2f).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/sws26-recap-gg1-finals.md

@@ -0,0 +1,283 @@
+---
+title: "SWS26 Recap: Global Gauntlet 1 Finals"
+date: 2026-05-23
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *Welcome to the warm-up to the global stage. Will the West win more than one game this time?*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="SWS26Recap_GG1F" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/609794ff-2389-4d5b-b2db-3b541d31c32b" />
+
+On Friday, April 24th and Saturday, April 25th, the First Edition Global Gauntlet reached its peak with the Global Gauntlet Finals, with a dual English-Japanese stream hosted by Inkling Performance Labs (IPL) and AREA CUP. The event was so highly anticipated that even [Sendou.ink souped up the platform](https://bsky.app/profile/sendou.ink/post/3mkc6shqjns22) to be able to provide special features in time for the Finals.
+
+To warm up for the Best of 5 Round Robin tournament, half an hour before the stream opened, Kbot and Popgun hosted a preshow, featuring special guest Shadowind. The trio also provided an analysis desk. 
+
+On the IPL English cast stream, Pat and Sasu ran with the first commentary block, and Fufu and Dark picked up the second half of the action. Hemi and Nitorabichi were locked in for commentary on the AREA CUP Japanese stream. Ely operated the spectator camera throughout the event.
+
+## **The Teams**
+
+Each team participating in the Global Gauntlet 1 Finals earned their place by either being one of three top Western teams from one of two qualifiers, or being hand-picked by AREA CUP to represent Japan. 
+
+**The teams and players who made up the West’s roster:** 
+
+1. FTWin: \[K\]yo\!, Biscuit (\<3 rafe), sam, Burstie  
+2. ezmd: Silver, Devin4K, phoenix, kiki  
+3. Azure: xenith, Volty, y0shell, hexen, Thunder  
+4. PxG: Grey, Gos, Noah (Yu\_Liter), Jordan (soulja)  
+5. Black Lotus: Noctis, anger, Naives, piiiro  
+6. No Mercy: Obito, SnipeZ\! (MESMERIZER), σri\_, Coolace, Ant
+
+**The teams and players who made up Japan’s roster:** 
+
+1. ZEST: Chocopero, shuma, Riukun, kou  
+2. Utopia: Rubytan, Art, Inaten, Kashiwa  
+3. 07 Quartet: Suemaru, SAMURAI KASATO (Kasato), nemu 𝛼, Zitachi   
+4. EmpEror: lobster\!, naegora, Neespa, Chiaki  
+5. swing: Momo, Norishio, reimaru, Sena  
+6. ISM rhythm: Livia, Grandroll (Garandou), Yocchan Ika, Goyame
+
+## **The Gauntlet**
+
+The main event, dubbed “The Gauntlet”, was a six-round, Best of 5 Round Robin where Western teams only faced Japanese teams, as the Global Gauntlet’s main goal is to maximize playing time with the opposite region.
+
+Like the Global Gauntlet Qualifiers, the Finals were also a Splat Zones-only tournament with all stages legal. The main deviation from the norm is the strike/select system:
+
+* When the set begins, both teams take turns banning two maps each. The higher seed gets to pick their two maps of choice to ban first.   
+* The first map that the teams play on is randomly selected out of the pool of non-banned maps. The randomly-selected map is **not** banned after game one.  
+* After the first game, the **winning team** bans two more stages. The **losing team** selects the map for the next game.   
+  * This continues after each game until the set ends.  
+* Map bans reset after the set concludes and will not carry into the next set.
+
+### **Round 1 \- PxG vs. ZEST**
+
+The first map bans went to Urchin Underpass and Manta Maria on the side of PxG. ZEST banned Mahi-Mahi Resort and Crableg Capital. The randomly-selected map for game one was Robo ROM-en. 
+
+The tension crackled in the air for the West as the Global Gauntlet 1 Finals kicked off. ZEST took control of the zone first, and throughout the game, continued to push up into PxG’s spawn to lock them out, even wiping them out after Shuma got a triple near the halfway point. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R1G1_Robo" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/81a588be-6777-4b3d-80d8-f08c075c2c2e" />
+
+*Shuma gets the wipeout on PxG, enabling ZEST to set up a Crab Tank on the platform and keep their opponent locked out from the zone. This play gets ZEST all the way to 13\.*
+
+PxG earned handfuls of points at a time, but never enough to take the lead… until Grey repaid the triple, allowing PxG to move up and take their score from 55 and some penalty points to the knockout, with 14 seconds to spare. 
+
+And the West rejoiced\! We had our one win against Japan\! Not only that, but reports rolled in that FTWin had *also* taken a game from JP team swing, ensuring that however the rest of the event played out, the GG1 Finals would have a better result for the West than 2025’s Splat World Series. 
+
+PxG, the match winner, banned Humpback Pump Track and Wahoo World next. ZEST picked Brinewater Springs as the stage.
+
+ZEST’s runback paved a brutal path for PxG to climb; thirteen seconds into the game, Chocopero was in PxG’s spawn, scoring a triple. ZEST extinguished PxG’s attempts to rally up; PxG managed their first points of the game with a Triple Splashdown, stopping ZEST at 15\. Points started to roll in for PxG, but ZEST took the zone back, and the lockout began anew. PxG tried retaking with Triple Inkstrikes, but capped the zone too late—ZEST had the KO.
+
+The set was tied 1–1. FTWin reported another win against swing—a knockout. For game three, ZEST banned Eeltail Alley and Lemuria Hub. PxG counterpicked to Bluefin Depot. 
+
+PxG, for the first time in the set, took the zone first. They didn’t hold it long before ZEST, with Chocopero pulling out his famous Squeezer, swarmed in. In a blink, they had the lead. PxG’s Triple Inkstrikes saved the game, stopping ZEST at 9\. The inciting incident which let PxG close the score gap was a wipeout, three-quarters thanks to soulja.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R1G3_Bluefin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f9dcf7af-904a-4dae-96aa-3c8d205a519e" />
+
+*A double with a Splat Bomb, a third over a Splash Wall and from around the wall—soulja leads PxG to wipe out ZEST and rein the game back in.*
+
+Triple Inkstrikes, putting in overtime this game for both sides, stopped PxG at 33, then later prevented ZEST from burning all of their penalty points. In the last minute, PxG took the lead, but were stopped one tick from knocking out. Noah, taking two players down with one E-liter 4K shot, helped PxG take the zone and keep it, for a 99–91 win.
+
+PxG and FTWin, both with two wins against Japan—*but wait, there’s more:* ezmd *also* won their first game, against ISM rhythm. Half of the West’s teams now had that accomplishment that only PxG was able to earn last year. 
+
+For game four, PxG banned Inkblot Art Academy and Shipshape Cargo Co., leading to ZEST choosing Sturgeon Shipyard as the map.
+
+ZEST had game four in the palms of their hands nearly the whole two minutes the game lasted. No Triple Inkstrikes could fuel an extended PxG push this time—the team managed 8 points total, to ZEST’s knockout, sealing the ending with a wipeout on PxG. 
+
+The set, tied again, headed for a decisive game five. Ezmd finished 1–3. Azure, Black Lotus, and No Mercy went 0–3. FTWin lost to swing in a reverse sweep, 2–3. All eyes were now on PxG, the last Western team standing in Round 1\. Could they take the set? 
+
+ZEST banned Museum d’Alfonsino and Mincemeat Metalworks. PxG selected MakoMart.
+
+PxG took the zone first, only for 4 ticks before being wiped out and losing the lead 30 seconds in. ZEST’s opening got them to 39\. Two minutes in, PxG’s fights denying ZEST their retaking specials let them secure the lead. They kept the pressure up, making sure ZEST rarely had two players on the field at once. One last time in Round 1, PxG’s Triple Inkstrikes capped the zone at the crucial last second, giving them the knockout\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R1G5_PxGwin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/bad48c3b-8a22-4607-8a9a-464aa4686d6c" />
+
+*“We knew PxG was the team to look at, to see a victory for the West. And they deliver: ROUND ONE, they get the 3–2 and win this set. Beautiful play right here, by PxG.” — Pat*
+
+The first win for the West was by no means easy, even for a team like PxG, who otherwise hasn’t dropped a single set in any other tournament so far in 2026\. Both teams won on their counterpicks—the set came down to PxG taking the first win at Robo ROM-en, the random map selection. 
+
+### **Round 2 \- ezmd vs. 07 Quartet**
+
+The follow up to the euphoric Round 1 saw ezmd vs. 07 Quartet, who was coming off of a 3–0 over Azure. The preliminary map strikes from ezmd were Urchin Underpass and Humpback Pump Track, and 07 Quartet’s were Manta Maria and Inkblot Art Academy. This left an opening for the inevitability no one wanted: Lemuria Hub\!
+
+The E-liter 4K players, Devin4K and Kasato, were the stars of the first 30 seconds, between Kasato splatting another player only 5 seconds into the game, to the spec cam catching both of them having a friendly peekaboo game with one another: 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R2G1_Lemuria" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ecb30d90-5202-4956-a26a-cca0160b0577" />
+
+*Kasato and Devin4K have a playful exchange with one another. They aren’t paying attention to the objective, but Zitachi, sneaking closer, intends to crash the party.*
+
+While the E-liters had their fun, 07 Quartet capped the zones. They pressed forward hard, locking ezmd out so oppressively that it would be more appropriate to call what happened *spawn camping*. Just one minute and seventeen seconds in, 07 Quartet knocked out. Both Kasato and Suemaru avoided being splatted the entire game. 
+
+While ezmd didn’t win the first game of Round 2, another Western team took their first win against Japan: Azure, against Utopia, scoring the knockout. After 07 Quartet chose to strike Marlin Airport and Scorch Gorge, ezmd’s Eeltail Alley selection would be instrumental in them paying their opponent back.
+
+Ezmd claimed the zone first while 07 Quartet was staggered, thanks to Devin4K getting three splats in 30 seconds. Constantly down two or three players, 07 Quartet was now in the same shoes they put ezmd into the previous game. From 100 to 0, ezmd knocked out in just over a minute and a half. 07 Quartet couldn’t even neutralize the zone.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R2G2_Eeltail" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/faf8bb79-cf25-4236-a990-2541206cce90" />
+
+*From silly to serious, Devin4K leads ezmd to an early zone capture by taking out three opponents in the first 30 seconds, including one just frames from escaping via super jump.*
+
+For game three, ezmd chose to strike Mahi-Mahi Resort and Brinewater Springs; 07 Quartet selected Flounder Heights as the map. 
+
+07 Quartet secured their “king of the hill” status early by taking ezmd down to their last player. Their lockout was so tight-knit that at one point, Suemaru took a break behind a wall and stood still until an Autobomb sniffed them out. Ezmd used all of their efforts to barely take one zone over and over, but couldn’t get a full cap. Desperate and staggered, the game came to a messy end—a knockout for 07 Quartet.
+
+The next maps to be banned were Hammerhead Bridge and Museum d’Alfonsino. Crableg Capital was ezmd’s choice to make their last stand. 
+
+The zone belonged to ezmd at the start, but by the end of the first minute, both the zone and the lead were 07 Quartet’s. More than that, 07 Quartet had most of the map control, and above all else, the aggression to keep ezmd from dropping off their platform to get to the zone. Once the zone went over to 07 Quartet, ezmd couldn’t get it again. The final game in the set went to 07 Quartet in another knockout. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R2G4_07Qwin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a3a54296-8f38-4312-a8ee-fdb83d3ea2c8" />
+
+*The members of 07 Quartet, from left to right: Zitachi, Nemu Alpha, Suemaru, and Kasato, who were about to play back-to-back on IPL’s stream.*
+
+After the KO-heavy set, IPL’s stream briefly tuned into \[K\]yo’s stream to see how FTWin was faring against ISM rhythm, waiting for Round 2 to end before Round 3, which would be between FTWin and 07 Quartet. 
+
+Once the results of the round rolled in… the West hadn’t won a single set in Round 2\. PxG had finally lost a set in 2026, having gone 2–3 against swing. Azure also had a 2–3 set loss, against Utopia. Both ezmd and FTWin went 1–3, and Black Lotus and No Mercy faced another 0–3. 
+
+### **Round 3 \- FTWin vs. 07 Quartet**
+
+By the time this set kicked off, two other sets in Round 3 had already concluded: Azure and Black Lotus had both lost 0–3, to EmpEror and ZEST, respectively. Fortunately, the teams were quick with their strikes (FTWin with Eeltail Alley and Bluefin Depot, 07 Quartet with Manta Maria and Urchin Underpass), so the games could kick off quick\!
+
+The map was Crableg Capital, where 07 Quartet was fresh from dominating ezmd. The story wasn’t the same with FTWin, whose aggressiveness outmatched 07 Quartet’s. All four members of FTWin were in 07 Quartet’s base—yes, even the Snipewriter 5H—giving their opponent no safe place to stand. Within two minutes, FTWin secured their knockout victory. 
+
+FTWin banned Brinewater Springs and Museum d’Alfonsino. 07 Quartet selected the double-zone Um’ami Ruins as their map, a calculated choice seen through their double .52 Gal comp (and by extension, double Splash Wall comp).
+
+Like the last set, the outcome of game one was contrary to game two. FTWin struggled to keep players up, backs against the wall of their spawn as 07 Quartet splatted them one after the other. The tactic of literally walling off chokepoints using Splash Walls helped 07 Quartet take the knockout without letting FTWin get a single point.
+
+<img width="1000" height="563" alt="R3G2_Um&#39;ami" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/76e0007c-b169-45c5-b31d-875398d5d9cf" />
+
+*07 Quartet’s Splash Walls effectively kept FTWin locked into their side of the map, forcing the players to take one of two vulnerable side routes.*
+
+After their quick victory, 07 Quartet banned Humpback Pump Track and MakoMart. FTWin counterpicked to Wahoo World. The weapon picks left a lot of situations down to main weapon skill, as no one on 07 Quartet had bombs, and only one player per team had a quick-deploying, high-damaging, painting special. 
+
+The first half of the game was textbook Splat Zones: the zone flipped, the lead changed hands, teams didn’t overextend and led charges with specials. At the halfway point, FTWin, with 1 tick remaining, was wiped out, keeping 07 Quartet alive. FTWin recouped, then got wiped out again. Growing desperate as 07 Quartet ran out of penalty points, three members of FTWin super jumped in, promptly getting punished by Zitachi. 
+
+Only three of FTWin’s players super jumped in. Who—and where—was the fourth one?
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R3G3_WahooWorl" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e254c59c-e4a7-4a04-8832-bed4c0dc9a81" />
+
+*\[K\]yo\!, taking the opposite route to the zone while 07 Quartet was occupied with FTWin’s jumps, throws Triple Inkstrikes and caps the zone, stopping 07 Quartet at 13\.* 
+
+\[K\]yo\! took the zone and held on long enough for FTWin to respawn. In the final 15 seconds, armed with an Ink Vac, 07 Quartet took FTWin down three players and claimed the zone, initiating overtime. The Ink Vac returned in overtime. FTWin was down two players. 07 Quartet was out of penalty points. 
+
+The zone went neutral as 07 Quartet reached 3 ticks remaining. \[K\]yo\!, again with the hero play, got behind 07 Quartet and unleashed the Triple Inkstrikes onto the zone. Although he was quickly splatted, all three Inkstrikes were thrown, painting the zone pink and giving FTWin the very, very close victory, 99–97. 
+
+At set point for FTWin, they picked Barnacle & Dime and Undertow Spillway as strikes; 07 Quartet responded with Inkblot Art Academy as their map selection.
+
+The zone was claimed by 07 Quartet first, but not for long; FTWin splatted three opponents and had the zone within the first minute. Shortly after, the lead was theirs as well. Ticks flew by, coming to a halt at 13 when 07 Quartet’s Triple Splashdown capped the zone. FTWin wiped out 07 Quartet and locked them away from the zone while clearing their penalty points, and wrapped the set up with another knockout. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R3G4_FTWin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d41d340f-6c67-4f8c-8e5f-47348230313a" />
+
+*“It’s FTWin. They can do it. They CAN do it; they’ve shown that they can do it, over and over. Now, the big question is: WILL they do it?” — Pat, start of Round 3, Game 1*
+
+Following the end of FTWin’s 3–1 set, which was the most dominant Western win over Japan yet, the results from the rest of the round revealed that Japan had won every other set. PxG took one game from ISM rhythm, but ultimately ended up 1–3. The other Western teams went 0–3.
+
+### **Round 4 \- FTWin vs. Utopia**
+
+FTWin stayed on stream while their opponents swapped places. They were set to face Utopia, a team with whom they had a history together: FTWin vs. Utopia was the very first game on stream of the 2025 Splat World Series Finals. While Utopia did win that set 2–0 with KOs, FTWin gave them a tough fight. 
+
+Popgun, Kbot, and Shadowind hopped on stream for an analysis desk segment while Pat and Sasu traded places with Dark and Fufu. FTWin banned Museum d’Alfonsino and Um’ami Ruins—the former pick being unsurprising, as the first map FTWin met Utopia at and lost. Utopia’s strikes were Marlin Airport and Robo ROM-en. The action resumed at Flounder Heights\!
+
+Game one was a different tune between these teams than last year, which was great for Utopia—FTWin, not so much. They went down three players quickly, and while respawning, Art terrorized their base, pulling FTWin’s full attention and netting Utopia half of the zone timer uncontested. Fully shutting down FTWin, Utopia knocked out in less than a minute and a half.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R4G1_Flounder" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/81805808-1231-43a2-b4ee-8fbff75af42a" />
+
+*Utopia’s Art, not just living rent-free in FTWin’s spawn, but charging them for the space, too\! Art’s diversion bought Utopia 40 ticks before they were splatted.*
+
+Utopia banned Eeltail Alley and Shipshape Cargo Co. The map that FTWin selected was Wahoo World, which was also the game two map these teams played on in Winner’s Quarterfinals last year. While FTWin had just lost at Flounder Heights, another Western team earned their first victory against Japan on that map: No Mercy, vs. ISM rhythm. 
+
+Utopia kept their cheery tune alive in game two, every bit as aggressive as before. Art pincered FTWin from behind, pulling all of the aggro again while the rest of Utopia took shots from afar. Again, another sub-minute and a half knockout from Utopia. Two games into the set, and FTWin hadn’t earned a single point yet.
+
+The next two maps to be banned were Crableg Capital and Lemuria Hub. FTWin selected Urchin Underpass as the next, and potentially last, map of the set.
+
+FTWin finally breathed life into the set, earning points and taking the lead from Utopia early. The teams pushed back and forth with one another; Utopia just barely snuck past FTWin for a one-point lead. FTWin pushed back harder, cutting short Utopia’s specials, to take the lead back. They went down three players, but their momentum let them topple into the knockout, keeping the set going. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R4G3_Urchin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e807265e-b4e3-4b38-9b4a-4b3e64d8e7fb" />
+
+*Biscuit and his Heavy Splatling, carrying all of FTWin’s hopes and dreams, outpaints the 3v1 to bring FTWin’s first win of the set.*
+
+FTWin’s choices for map strikes were Brinewater Springs and Bluefin Depot; Utopia turned around and selected MakoMart, which would favor both teams well. 
+
+Utopia’s holds on this zone were few, but lengthy, while FTWin was forced to take points in bursts. FTWin’s paint output was slightly less than what Utopia had; they made up for it with fights. The gap between points started closing, and after taking Utopia down three players, they secured a strong enough foothold to seal the knockout, with a Triple Splashdown for flourish, and tie the set 2–2. 
+
+The moment had arrived for FTWin, to make-or-break the reverse sweep on their SWS demon, the only returning JP team from last year. They banned Undertow Spillway and Barnacle & Dime. The IPL stream saw Hammerhead Bridge for the first time, as Utopia’s pick.
+
+Despite the long map, Utopia’s farther-reaching comp secured the zone in 11 seconds. FTWin was cut down to two players, then three, beginning to stagger heavily as Utopia pushed up further and further. While Utopia was locking out, FTWin managed to take the zone for a mere three ticks to give themselves some points, but the run was snuffed out just as quick. For the third KO in the set, Utopia won in less than two minutes.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R4G5_Utopiawin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/143b5c94-9fb1-4063-9944-b0550d8fc9c3" />
+
+*Rubytan and Inate share a fist bump to celebrate the Round 4 win, bringing their set record to a 2–0 against FTWin.* 
+
+The 2–3 loss for FTWin was the best the West brought to Round 4; PxG, Azure, and No Mercy had all gone 1–3, and ezmd and Black Lotus trailed at 0–3. 
+
+### **Round 5 \- Azure vs. swing**
+
+Azure and swing shared their first time on stream in Round 5\. Azure banned Sturgeon Shipyard and Lemuria Hub. Swing banned Crableg Capital and Shipshape Cargo Co. Their set started at Eeltail Alley, bringing to light a fight between top level Roller players in Volty (Azure) and Sena (swing). 
+
+The game began in favor of Azure, running to the zone and getting key picks while capturing the objective. They kept fights at the edge of the zone, but were pushed back too far, letting swing in. Swing, once the zone was in their control, went from 100 to 0 and claimed the knockout win.
+
+Swing’s strikes targeted Azure’s E-liter 4K and Carbon Roller, removing Bluefin Depot and Humpback Pump Track from the map pool. Azure pulled out the MakoMart pick. 
+
+Azure was the team coming out swinging from the onset in game two, getting an early wipeout on their opponent and taking the lead. Swing couldn’t approach the zone without losing players; they had to take Azure down by half to finally stop them at 18\. For all of Azure’s offense, they struggled when put on defense, letting swing get points in strides. What looked like a win for Azure ended up a KO for swing in the final minute.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R5G2_MakoMart" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2b04d6a3-82a1-4591-815a-ff388c19bdb6" />
+
+*“I feel like a kid on Christmas, Dark. I am giggling and kicking my feet all the way throughout this.” — Fufu, on Volty’s early-game pressure keeping swing away from the zone.* 
+
+Azure’s last chance to stay in the set took place at Um’ami Ruins, after swing banned Flounder Heights and Brinewater Springs. At no point had anyone on either team changed weapons yet, sticking with their strongest to the end.
+
+Swing earned the first points of the game while Azure persistently neutralized the zones, unable to cap them. Azure’s first point gain was just that—one point—until the halfway point where they finally built up steam. They closed the distance, just five ticks to the lead, when Norishio’s Zipcaster shot in, taking down two players in one go. All momentum lost, Azure was locked out from the zones and suffered another knockout. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R5G3_swingWin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3f04442a-aab6-40cb-bbd2-43489a37c598" />
+
+*The members of swing, from left to right: Sena, reimaru, Norishio, Momo, winning the first 3–0 set on IPL’s stream.*
+
+As Round 5 came to a close, the calendar turned for West Coast players, passing midnight Pacific Time and putting everyone on the same Saturday in time for the final round of the GG1 Finals: the highest seed of both regions, PxG vs. EmpEror. 
+
+### **Round 6 \- PxG vs. EmpEror**
+
+PxG and EmpEror were both walking into the final round of the event from a 3–0 sweep in Round 5\. The difference was, for PxG, this was the first 3–0 the West had all morning. EmpEror, meanwhile, had a perfect 3–0 record for every single set, not losing once. 
+
+And yet, before the set even began, the West had reason to cheer: Black Lotus, who had yet to win once, finally won their first game: a knockout against 07 Quartet. Going into the set with every Western team having at least one victory over Japan, the stream revisited Wahoo World for the third time, after PxG banned Urchin Underpass and Flounder Heights, and EmpEror banned Eeltail Alley and Bluefin Depot.
+
+From the start, PxG played like they were going to be THE team to hand EmpEror their first loss of the day. Forcing a delayed wipeout on EmpEror not once, but twice in the span of 60 seconds, PxG took their lead to 39 before EmpEror rallied up. Although it was only halfway through the clock, it felt like an eternity passed, and as EmpEror took the lead, that eternity turned into the blink of an eye. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R6G1_WahooWorl" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/755c82ec-19f6-492a-adf4-467f22df15b5" />
+
+*Both teams fought viciously for the zone. Over the span of ten seconds, every player gets splatted at least once, some twice.*
+
+PxG struggled to get close to the zone, no matter what angle they took. Triple Inkstrikes paused EmpEror’s points at two remaining, but with only Gos left standing, EmpEror outpainted the opposition to take yet another knockout.
+
+EmpEror banned Museum d’Alfonsino and Marlin Airport. PxG counterpicked to a different ‘M’ stage, Mincemeat Metalworks, which was also appearing for the first time. EmpEror forgoed their backline, leaving the ranged support to their .96 Gal while the rest of the team sported close-range picks. 
+
+Again, PxG looked in top form at the opening, taking the zone first and earning a handful of points. The game was adaptation on the spot for EmpEror as they got a feeling for how PxG would approach, and when they broke through once, PxG wasn’t able to get back in, even with Triple Inkstrikes. Another clean knockout for EmpEror. 
+
+EmpEror’s strikes went to Mahi-Mahi Resort and Lemuria Hub. PxG put all of their bets on ol’ reliable: MakoMart. It was now or never to break EmpEror’s dominating streak\! 
+
+The winds had changed direction, blowing at EmpEror’s backs. Their adaptation period had ended. The zone was in their hands first, and never left it for the rest of the game. Perhaps for the first time in all of 2026 so far, PxG had no chance to breathe before their opponent was in their face, wiping them out, delivering a knockout in just one minute and thirteen seconds. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="R6G3_EmpErorWin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a27404db-5b3d-4489-b7d7-87cb0a005f6f" />
+
+*EmpEror, the team who broke PxG’s perfect formal tournament streak, while maintaining their own lossless run.* 
+
+EmpEror was the only team during the Global Gauntlet 1 Finals that PxG could not win at least one game against. Compared to 2025, where the crowning achievement was one single game the entire event, to only one set without a win, the improvement is clear. Not just from PxG, but from the rest of the West as well, with each team winning at least once—and most of these teams weren’t even at last year’s Splat World Series. 
+
+The skill gap between regions is still large. But to help close it further before the Splat World Series 2026 main event, there is one more Global Gauntlet to look forward to\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="573" alt="GG1F_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c78a95a9-7be8-4f15-af91-7dee6363b27f" />
+
+## **The Second Edition Global Gauntlet**
+
+The sequel to the First Edition Global Gauntlet has been moved up in schedule by one week. The first GG2 Qualifier has been eliminated, instead merging with the SendouQ Season 11 Finale, which takes place on Saturday, May 23rd, 2026\. 
+
+The following week, on Saturday, May 30th, the Global Gauntlet 2 Qualifier will be held. The top three teams from each qualifying event will be invited to the West’s roster for the GG2 Finals, regardless if they participated in the GG1 Finals or not. 
+
+Both the SendouQ Season 11 Finale and Global Gauntlet 2 Qualifier take place during the Western Timeslot: 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET / 2 AM JT. 
+
+The Global Gauntlet 2 Finals have also been moved up one week, and take place during the International Timeslot: 8 PM PT / 11 PM ET on **Friday evening** / 5 AM CET / 12 PM JT on **Saturday afternoon**. For NA players, this means the GG2 Finals begins **the night of Friday, June 5th** and will roll over into the next morning. For all other regions, the event will start **early in the day on Saturday, June 6th**. 
+
+In case you missed any events during the First Edition Global Gauntlet, you can check out IPL’s [Splat World Series: Global Gauntlet \#1](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsJtNA8co7rbsx6QUnGvKuKptcbSGcROB) playlist on YouTube, which features their REWOUND series of videos, providing full commentary to the unstreamed matches from the Finals\!
+
+Make sure you tune in for the next Global Gauntlet to catch the best talent in the world\!
+
+Original Posting Date: May 23, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sws26-recap-gg1f).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/sws26-recap-gg1-q1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+---
+title: "SWS26 Recap: Global Gauntlet 1, Qualifier 1"
+date: 2026-04-16
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *The Global Gauntlet’s first stop is Knockout City, determining the first three qualifiers in the most decisive matches back-to-back we’ve seen* 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="SWS26Recap_GG1Q1" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/146b6e64-26e0-4672-8d37-150352d09caf" />
+
+On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Qualifier 1 for the First Edition Global Gauntlet took place, the first of six total events in IPL and AREA CUP’s Global Gauntlet sub-series, leading up to the Splat World Series 2026\. 
+
+With the day already packed with Splatoon, between this event, the Splatoon 3 North American League 2026, and LANs all taking place, the competitive spirit was in the air. The GG Qualifier 1 attracted 20 teams all vying for one of three available tickets to the First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals later in the month. 
+
+Teams who didn’t make the cut this week can try again, same time and place, in the GG Qualifier 2, which will determine the West’s final three teams for the First Edition Finals.
+
+As a refresher on the format of the tournament, all SWS26 events will be Splat Zones-only. The Global Gauntlets are double-elimination, with qualifiers taking place during the Western Timeslot (10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 7 PM CET), and follow a strike/select system: 
+
+* When the set begins, both teams take turns banning two maps each. The higher seed gets to choose their two maps of choice to ban first.   
+* The first map that the teams play on will be randomly selected out of the pool of non-banned maps.  
+* After the first game, the **winning team** bans two more stages. The **losing team** selects the map for the next game.   
+  * This continues after each game until the set ends.  
+* Map bans reset after the set ends and will not carry into the next set.
+
+With Cyren and Magic commentating all of the action, and Ely on the spectator camera, and some of the most visually-stunning production quality Competitive Splatoon has ever seen, this qualifier isn’t a tournament to skip\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GG1Q1_MakoMartLoadingScreen" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f7109698-4153-4f47-a719-80f580ff25b8" />
+
+While the Splattercolor Screen did make an appearance in the final set, its effects were not on stream, so viewers sensitive to its audio and visual disruption can safely watch.
+
+## **Winner’s Round 2: fred vs. NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT (1-2)**
+
+The first set of the First Edition Global Gauntlet Qualifier 1 began with Winner’s Round 2, between fred and NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT. The first set would be a Best of 3, and all others would be a Best of 5\. There was a slight mishap in the first round with the strike/select system, but it was fixed for all teams once the round ended.
+
+Game one was at Inkblot Art Academy, after NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT banned Urchin Underpass and Brinewater Springs. Fred banned Bluefin Depot and Shipshape Cargo Co. 
+
+One minute in, fred had the lead, but it was NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT who was taking points free of penalty. The two teams had a stalemate around a score of 35 (fred) \- 59 (NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT), but a crucial double from fred’s E-liter 4K Scope taking the opponent down to their last player sealed the knockout victory for fred, with a minute and a half remaining.
+
+Game two was at Mahi-Mahi Resort, after fred banned Flounder Heights and Undertow Spillway. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WR2_strikeselect" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a532d174-f83e-421b-b467-8212c91898d1" />
+
+The match began with NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT taking the zone, and already one minute in, they were just 34 ticks from winning, still in charge. Fred hardly had a chance to even neutralize the zone; by 3:40, NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT had gone from 100 to 0, for a fast knockout win. 
+
+Game three was at Barnacle & Dime, after fred banned Robo ROM-en and Crableg Capital. It was set point for both teams now—whoever won would be advancing\!
+
+The zone flipped possession a few times in the first minute, with each team having the lead for a brief moment. Fred was extending their lead, getting all the way to 38 before being stopped. From 83 and 14 penalty points, NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT rose to the occasion and went all the way to the KO. The team collectively Booyah’d as the zone reached zero, with two and a half minutes to spare.
+
+The first set ended in an upset, with seed 13 sending seed 5 to the Loser’s Bracket\!
+
+## **Winner’s Quarterfinals: FTWin vs. healthy diet food groups (3-0)**
+
+With the bracket shifting to a Best of 5, FTWin would be set to take on healthy diet food groups—two well-known names in the tournament scene, with FTWin returning after their hiatus from the 2025 North American League. 
+
+Game one went to Eeltail Alley, with FTWin’s map bans being Lemuria Hub and Mincemeat Metalworks, and healthy diet food groups’ bans being Mahi-Mahi Resort and Urchin Underpass. 
+
+It took nearly 30 seconds for the zone to be capped, but FTWin took point first. A minute into the game, \[K\]yo got a double and popped aura as healthy diet food groups suffered a wipeout. Less than a minute later, FTWin knocked out, having gone 100 to 0\. 
+
+Game two went to Museum d’Alfonsino, after FTWin banned Hammerhead Bridge and Sturgeon Shipyard. 
+
+FTWin claimed the zone almost immediately, kickstarting the intense matchup between teams. FTWin went down two players, giving healthy diet food groups the chance to take the zone, stopping them at 45\. Shortly after, healthy diet food groups took the lead, until eventually they went down three players and FTWin took the zone.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WQF_museum" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/292df216-e9d0-49eb-8e92-16c9b3ceb6b3" />
+
+*Down three teammates, Zyf holds the zone in neutral against FTWin long enough for healthy diet food groups to respawn and take the zone.*
+
+FTWin did reclaim the zone, and with one minute remaining, they had the lead again. But they kept going down multiple players, which healthy diet food groups capitalized on to get the zone. Their points burned fast; in the final seconds, teams fought over a neutral zone. The clock ran out, and FTWin emerged as the victors, 87-78.
+
+Game three went to MakoMart, after FTWin banned Um’ami Ruins and Scorch Gorge. 
+
+Healthy diet food groups went for the zone first, having it for a short time before FTWin took it. A minute and a half in, FTWin wiped out their opponent and extended their lead. Next, both teams inched their points forward, precariously taking small leads from one another. 
+
+First FTWin was stopped at 35\. Healthy diet food groups took the lead—FTWin stopped them at 7 points remaining. Then FTWin held the zone long enough to get to 3, before healthy diet food groups applied a penalty to them. FTWin eventually made their way to a knockout, with less than half a minute remaining.
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals Part 1: FTWin vs. NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT (3-0)**
+
+Both Winner’s Semifinals sets would be on stream, as the winner of each set would earn their ticket to the 1st Edition Global Gauntlet Finals. The first ticket would go to the winner between FTWin and NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT, each having their second time on stream\! 
+
+Game one went to Inkblot Art Academy again; FTWin banned Urchin Underpass and Sturgeon Shipyard, while NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT banned MakoMart and Robo ROM-en. 
+
+FTWin had some interesting choices with their comp, bringing a Luna Blaster Neo and double Wave Breaker. NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT was able to get halfway through their objective before FTWin locked in and took the zone for the first time. FTWin’s paint control and constant Wave Breakers led them to the knockout with 50 seconds left on the clock.
+
+Game two was at Mahi-Mahi Resort, after FTWin banned Um’ami Ruins and Manta Maria. 
+
+The match slowly snowballed for FTWin, really gaining momentum after the first minute when NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT went down three players. FTWin was able to lock their opponent out and get a knockout, with over two and a half minutes to spare.
+
+Game three was at Brinewater Springs, after FTWin banned Undertow Spillway and Hammerhead Bridge. Again, FTWin brought a comp that made the commentators double-take, having Custom Blaster and Custom E-liter 4K, for double Kraken Royale. 
+
+FTWin was ambitious, taking the zone and moving right up to their opponent’s spawn. The lockout crumbled, and NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT halted FTWin’s advance at 33\. While NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT occupied the zone and FTWin was down three, azealia (Sam) snuck into the opponent’s spawn and popped the Kraken Royale, safely offering a jump to \[K\]yo for the team to pincer and retake zone.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WSF_brinewater" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a0ff5092-09fa-4147-90b5-53aa5e8a4502" />
+
+*FTWin’s pincer, with \[K\]yo and Sam in the opponent’s spawn area.*
+
+The teams continued to fight until their penalties were nearly gone, before the zone flipped and reapplied points. With 1:25 remaining, FTWin wiped out NEVER GIVE UP NEVER WHAT, took the lead, and came close to knocking out, winning 94-66 and taking the first seat to the First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals\!
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals Part 2: hi vs. ezmd (1-3)**
+
+The second ticket to the first GG Finals would go to the winner between hi and ezmd; the loser of the set would have one last chance to try to earn their spot by winning in Loser’s Semifinals. 
+
+Game one went to Marlin Airport after ezmd banned Humpback Pump Track and Urchin Underpass, while hi banned Lemuria Hub and Crableg Capital. The first start of the game saw a disconnect, but was quickly back in action after a reset. 
+
+Ezmd started strong the first minute; even after going down three players, Ant kept the dream alive and stalled hi long enough that even at the numbers disadvantage, ezmd didn’t lose the zone. Ezmd was stopped at 7, then once more at 5, but in a twist, all the way from 34 and a handful of penalty points, hi swept in for the knockout.
+
+Game two went to Barnacle & Dime; hi’s banned stages were Hammerhead Bridge and Um’ami Ruins. 
+
+Both teams traded multiple times over the course of the match: splats, zone, leads, specials. Halfway through, hi stopped ezmd at 5 using a critical Ink Vac to take away a Booyah Bomb and any ink ezmd threw at the zone. Ezmd came back with a wipeout on hi, and as the objective ticked down, Devin4K on the E-liter 4K got a double right before they knocked out. 
+
+Game three went to Sturgeon Shipyard after ezmd banned Flounder Heights and Manta Maria. 
+
+Hi had the zone first and held it for over a minute, but going down three let ezmd take possession, and shortly after, the lead. The teams clustered together at both ends of the wide zone, throwing special after special to stop one another. Amid the chaos, the game ended a little after two minutes had passed, with ezmd walking out as the winner. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WSF_Sturgeon" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1a7f9145-e7d8-441b-a360-328b125182b4" />
+
+*Ezmd’s Booyah Bomb targets hi’s Crab Tank in the corner, while their Killer Wail 5.1 and Ultra Stamp (chrome) target the Booyah Bomb.* 
+
+Game four’s map was Scorch Gorge, after ezmd banned Inkblot Art Academy and Undertow Spillway, seemingly favoring to ban the double-zone maps, as none were left in the pool after Undertow Spillway was out.
+
+Ezmd was quick to take the zone, and quicker to go down 3, giving hi the lead 30 seconds in. The large zone with obtrusive center pillar made keeping the zone capped difficult; after a 34-second neutral state, ezmd claimed it and regained the lead. The Charger players shined in this match, with the PoV capturing a handful of excellent shots. Despite being wiped out with 47 seconds left, ezmd clutched the win, 87-83. 
+
+The second seat at the first Global Gauntlet Finals belonged to ezmd\! One spot remains to be claimed in this week’s qualifying event\!
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: Azure vs. hi (3-2)**
+
+The stage to earn the last ticket to the 1st Edition Global Gauntlet Finals in this qualifier went to perhaps the most deserving storyline, Azure vs. hi. Not on stream, the two met earlier in Winner’s Round 3, where the winner, hi, was decided in a game 5\. The two sets between these two were the only sets in the entire event that went as far as a game 5\. 
+
+Game one was set at Scorch Gorge for the second time in a row; Azure banned Flounder Heights and Humpback Pump Track, while hi banned Crableg Capital and Robo ROM-en, despite the latter having previously won against Azure on Robo ROM-en. 
+
+Azure took the first extended lead when hi went down two players in the first minute. As soon as Volty made it into hi’s side of the map, the game was hers; immediately getting two-for-one at a ledge, followed by a third for a triple and aura. Looping back around to the zone, Volty sniped another with a Trizooka, and caught an Ultra Stamp below a ledge, bringing Azure to the first knockout of the set after a minute and a half. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LF_scorch" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/44fe54e0-c3d7-4f00-93bf-12807f8f0471" />
+
+*Volty’s two-for-one splat on hi’s Zink Mini Splatling and Snipewriter 5H.*
+
+Game two was at Sturgeon Shipyard; Azure banned Lemuria Hub and Museum d’Alfonsino. In Winner’s Round 3, these teams played on Sturgeon Shipyard, where hi took the win.
+
+The game went nearly as fast as the previous one, only in the other direction. Just 20 seconds in, Azure was down three. Hi took the zone and tried locking out, but was unsuccessful. Both teams ended up down three while hi’s points ticked down—Azure was wiped out, and hi tied the set after a knockout just after two minutes in.
+
+Game three went to Brinewater Springs. Hi banned Manta Maria and Um’ami Ruins, likely due to losing to Azure at Um’ami Ruins in their last set. 
+
+Azure took the zone in a swift 10 seconds. After some lead shuffling, Azure was once again ahead, finally stopped at 29 after hi disrupted their flow with a Big Bubbler. While hi was down three, Azure, despite being down two themselves, pressed forward to lock out, and with about two and a half minutes left, Azure took the knockout.
+
+Game four went to Marlin Airport. Azure banned Hagglefish Market and Shipshape Cargo Co., crushing Cyren’s dream of getting to commentate a set on Hagglefish Market during this event.
+
+Not even 20 seconds in, hi wiped Azure and were locking them out; by the one minute mark, they had the zone down to 30\. While Azure managed to cap the zone, they struggled to maintain control for long and suffered from a lack of paint on the ground. Hi knocked out, bringing these two teams back to another game five set\! 
+
+Game five, to determine the third qualifier for the GG Finals, was at… Bluefin Depot. In a burst of sarcastic commentator’s cursing (or perhaps clairvoyance?), Cyren and Magic predicted hi’s map bans, being Mahi-Mahi Resort and MakoMart. 
+
+Azure had the first lead in the game, able to get it down to 48\. Even after being down three players twice, they regrouped well enough to prevent hi from taking the lead from them during their vulnerability. Hi did eventually take the lead, by just two points, but 30 seconds later, Azure was ahead, and after the two-minute mark, had their hard-fought victory, once more in a knockout\! 
+
+After ten games across two sets, Azure rose from their Loser’s Bracket run to overtake hi and claim the final ticket from the qualifier to the First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="GG1Q1_finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/54ff918b-32fe-4537-bba1-0397f59401bc" />
+
+*Winner’s Finals, Loser’s Finals, and Grand Finals were not played in this event, as the top 3 teams were already decided and earned their place at the GG1 Finals.*
+
+The event attracted several of the West’s best talent, and the outcome shows it. On stream, the overwhelming majority of matches ended in a knockout, with only three not wrapping up early, and even in those games, the scores were close, and none of them incurred overtime.
+
+With the entire event featuring map bans, what were the event’s favorite maps to throw out? Urchin Underpass was the most banned map (20 strikes), with Flounder Heights (19 strikes) and Crableg Capital (17 strikes) taking second and third place. The top three selected stages were Hagglefish Market (8 selects), Undertow Spillway (5 selects), and Museum d’Alfonsino/Sturgeon Shipyard/MakoMart (3 selects each). 
+
+### **Who Has Qualified So Far?** 
+
+Three and a half hours of intense Splatoon gameplay later, and the West has its first three contenders for the First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals on April 24, 2026: 
+
+1. FTWin  
+2. ezmd   
+3. Azure
+
+On Japan’s side, AREA CUP will be selecting teams to participate in the Global Gauntlet Finals. So far, three of them have been revealed: 
+
+1. Zest  
+2. Utopia  
+3. 07 Quartet
+
+Last year, both FTWin and Utopia participated in the premiere Splat World Series tournament and will be returning faces, at least in full by FTWin—Utopia’s roster has changed slightly, replacing Kyamyi and Niru with Inaten and Kasiwa. Samurai Kasato, captain of 07 Quartet, also competed in SWS 2025 as part of Samurai Cat, the second-place team. 
+
+On April 18th, the action returns for a second qualifier to determine the West’s final three teams who will go head-to-head against Japan’s handful of chosen teams. Which teams will we see come out on top? What new surprises lie in store? Make sure you’re there to see the spectacle\! 
+
+
+Original Posting Date: April 16, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sws26-recap-gg1-q1).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/sws26-recap-gg2-q1-sqs11-finale.md

@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+---
+title: "SendouQ Season 11 Finale (SWS26 Recap: Global Gauntlet 2, Qualifier 1) "
+date: 2026-05-30
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *The Sendou.ink x IPL x AREA CUP collaboration adds new stakes to a quarterly major*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="SWS26Recap_SQS11F-GG2Q1" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d71c8459-7201-4b88-91b4-91397a87d2a7" />
+
+On Saturday, May 23rd, 2026, Sendou.ink’s 11th seasonal Splatoon major, the SendouQ Season 11 Finale, ran with a new twist: in collaborating with Inkling Performance Labs (IPL) and AREA CUP, the Season 11 Finale was converted into the first of two qualifiers for the upcoming Second Edition Global Gauntlet. The top three teams from this event would be the first to earn their way to the GG2 Finals on June 5th.
+
+Since the schedule for the Second Edition Global Gauntlet had to move everything up one week, rather than have the qualifier on the same day as the SendouQ Finale and the North American League, the Finale became the GG2 Qualifier 1 event. 
+
+This time around, the event had a new addition: one week prior was the brand-new SendouQ Season 11 Finale Qualifier, in which the top four teams from *that* event were invited to the Season 11 Finale, in addition to the top 12 ranked teams from the SendouQ season leaderboard. 
+
+As far as this event goes, it still remained a Splat Zones-only tournament, starting with a Best of 5 Groups Stage in which the top two teams per group advanced to the Top Cut. In the single-elimination Top Cut, Round 1 was a Best of 5, and the Semifinals and Finals to follow were Best of 7\. 
+
+The English commentary crew included Falco and Popgun for block 1, and Kbot and Rissa for block 2, with Pipedream operating the spectator cam. Hemi and Razzy were providing a Japanese stream, with DaiP on the spec cam.
+
+## **Top Cut Round 1: The avengers vs. Poltergeist (3–0)**
+
+The avengers vs. Poltergeist was a matchup waiting to continue the story from the SendouQ Season 11 Finale Qualifier. Both teams entered the season finale tournament from the qualifier from opposite ends of the bracket: The avengers from the Loser’s Bracket, and Poltergeist from the Winner’s Bracket.
+
+The avengers, seed \#14, went 2–1 in sets, 3–0’ing and upsetting seed \#3 王KING王 and seed \#6 DOOM DESIRE, only dropping games to seed \#11 healthy diet food groups, losing the set 2–3. Poltergeist, seed \#10, upset seed \#7 37 sexy boys team 2 3–0, lost 1–3 to seed \#2 ezmd, and lost in a 1–3 upset to seed \#15 aple 🍎. 
+
+Their set began at Mincemeat Metalworks. The avengers capped the zone first, getting to 69 before Poltergeists’s Triple Inkstrikes snatched the zone. Poltergeist was quickly wiped out, and they struggled to take the zone at all for the rest of the game—when they could manage to get out of their base. Halfway through the match timer, The avengers knocked out for the win. 
+
+Game two saw The avengers bring in a Bamboozler 14 Mk I, swapping Killer Wail 5.1 weapons from the previous game’s Rapid Blaster Pro Deco. In the opening clash for the zone at Urchin Underpass, both teams went down two players, and Poltergeist won the objective. The early advantage would not save them down the road, as they once more struggled to keep all four players up on the field, losing a second time in a knockout.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="TCR1_Urchin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d89bdf1b-f888-4e82-b6b7-87ad070412b9" />
+
+*Poltergeist’s Custom Blaster player tried to save the game, but was just frames shy of capping the zone before The avengers knocked out.*
+
+Hagglefish Market was the last map of the set; once more, Poltergeist got the zone first, but could not hold onto it for long. They fared much better this game, even wiping The avengers out at one point, but only delayed The avengers’ third knockout win. Poltergeist tied with 王KING王, Epitaph, and So What for 5th place.
+
+## **Top Cut Semifinals: snails vs. King Hatano Fanclub (4–1)**
+
+Snails and King Hatano Fanclub were the other two teams who made their way into the Finale from the Qualifier event, making the Top Cut stream exclusive to the Finale Qualifier teams. The players on these teams shouldn’t surprise anyone, with snails being PxG, and King Hatano Fanclub being a Fruittella pickup with tung tung.
+
+Snails, as expected, arrived at the Semifinals without losing a single game and KOing each match. King Hatano Fanclub’s record was not too far off, winning all but one game, their perfect run stopped by Sun-Eater in the Group Stage.
+
+Um’ami Ruins was the map for game one. Snails took both zones before any players were splatted. The teams took turns having the upper hand; King Hatano Fanclub was in the lead for most of the game. Snails, who had been playing a slow, steady game so far, turned the game around with a delayed wipeout. They moved up to lock out, took the lead, and seconds later, won in a knockout.
+
+Flounder Heights, another double-zone map, had a wipeout within the first minute, putting King Hatano Fanclub in a very unfavorable situation early on. They managed to stop snails after 80 ticks by dividing the team and taking down two players. Snails got back in, and Noah splatting two players with one E-liter 4K shot let snails hold the zone longer, finally stopped at 9 by an Ink Vac shot. The game ended 91–67 for snails.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="TCSF_Um&#39;ami" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/df1763f1-6eac-4458-8f7a-3afc06126313" />
+
+*Grey, facing the camera, calls “This way\!” to his teammates before turning around and getting a direct shot on an enemy super jump, earning his team the delayed wipeout.*
+
+Game three, at Urchin Underpass, was the only time any players between both teams changed weapons, and it was just Noah switching to a Heavy Splatling. Snails was primed to easily knock out, but No Motion jumped in with a Triple Splashdown, splatting two of snails’ players, leading to their delayed wipeout and stopping them at 11\. This was only a setback for snails, and one minute later, they knocked out a victory again.
+
+Back to double-zone maps, Undertow Spillway was the first time King Hatano Fanclub took the zone before snails. They brought their lead to 28 before losing three players, letting snails in. Snails’ hold let them take the lead just barely—King Hatano Fanclub tied with snails on their next push, but lost the zone. When they bounced back, they took a slight lead over snails, and in overtime, got their first win, 79–74.
+
+Snails was not afraid to put pressure on King Hatano Fanclub at Mahi-Mahi Resort, moving up onto the platform multiple times to lock out. Like in game one, King Hatano Fanclub struggled to take the zone, let alone hold it, never getting more than 20 points. With over two minutes left, snails knocked out and advanced to the Finals.
+
+## **Top Cut Finals: snails vs. The avengers (4–0)**
+
+Appearing twice each during the Top Cut stream, the final set came down to snails and The avengers. Between the previous set ending and this one beginning, the stream switched to ezmd’s Semifinals game seven against The avengers, a sneak peek at who would end up facing snails for the gold. 
+
+Returning to Um’ami Ruins for game one, again snails captured both zones before any squids were splatted. The avengers could hardly move beyond the ramp leading into their base due to snails’ offensive defense. In a last-ditch effort, one player snuck onto the zones to Triple Splashdown, but was caught and splatted, resulting in a wipeout on The avengers as snails knocked out to win.
+
+Urchin Underpass again saw The avengers try to distract snails with 3/4ths of the team while the Triple Splashdown user went for the zone, which again ended with The avengers in a difficult spot. Yet they tried it a third time, succeeding to only neutralize the zone before snails captured it again. Once more, snails won with a 100-to-0 knockout, just one second longer than the previous game.
+
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="TCF_Um&#39;ami" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a24ce771-dc25-42a4-88bd-2f52094f8c03" />
+*Three teammates down and points ticking for snails, King Hatano Fanclub’s Tako rushes to the nearest zone to Triple Splashdown, only to be met with a wipeout.*
+
+For a change of scenery, the teams went to Wahoo World. Tako scored a double on snails, bringing The avengers to their first points of the set. By the end of the first minute, The avengers had the lead, and it was snails desperately using Triple Splashdown on the zone to cap it. Steadily, snails pushed into the zone, regaining control, and eventually the lead, for another knockout.
+
+Brinewater Springs was the closest game between the two; in the first few minutes, both teams traded the zone and lead back and forth. The avengers had a much higher paint output than snails, able to stop them at 6 ticks to go, and snails’ response was to send Gos to spawncamp them. The avengers broke back into the zone; just two ticks from the lead, snails stopped them at 8, and the final score settled at 94–92, to snails.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="TCF_snails" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/dae476c9-3107-400b-932f-8a541ce9bb25" />
+
+With the conclusion of the Season 11 Finale, Grey, Gos, and Noah have all won three SendouQ Season Finales in a row, just adding more prestige to PxG’s already heavily-decorated name. Yeti’s achievements in the tournament were far from anything to scoff at, either: 
+
+**“\[Yeti\] contributed \[...\] 51 splats and assists in Finals ALONE. Across four games. If that’s not impressive, and also not MVP-worthy, I don’t know what precisely is.” —Kbot, on Yeti’s N-ZAP ‘85 gameplay in Finals**
+
+As the SendouQ Season 11 Finale acted as Qualifier 1 for the Second Edition Global Gauntlet, the top three teams from this event—snails, The avengers, ezmd—were given tickets to the GG2 Finals. However, one of the teams declined the offer, so the GG2 Qualifier 2 will instead be offering spots at the Finals to the top four teams of the event, rather than the top three. 
+
+At the time of writing, the only team registered for the GG2 Finals is PxG. Who else will be representing the West? Which teams will AREA CUP choose for Japan’s roster? 
+
+Stay tuned, because we’ll be finding out soon enough\!
+
+Original Posting Date: May 30, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sws26-recap-gg2q1-sqs11f).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/sws26-recap-gg2-q2.md

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+---
+title: "SWS26 Recap: Global Gauntlet 2, Qualifier 2"
+date: 2026-06-05
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *The West needs five teams for the Global Gauntlet 2 Finals—four will be determined here\!*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="SWS26Recap_GG2Q2" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8fc30eaa-7180-4a73-801e-e4624d1dd95b" />
+
+On Saturday, May 30, 2026, IPL hosted the second qualifier for Western teams to pick up a spot to compete in IPL and AREA CUP’s second region-vs-region invitational, the Global Gauntlet. The two Global Gauntlets serve as warm-ups between regions before the main Competitive Splatoon event of the summer: the Splat World Series 2026\. 
+
+All SWS26 events are Splat Zones-only tournaments, with all stages legal. Map selection follows a strike/select system:
+
+* When the set begins, both teams take turns banning two maps each. The higher seed gets to pick their two maps of choice to ban first.   
+* The first map that the teams play on is randomly selected out of the pool of non-banned maps. The randomly-selected map is **not** banned after game one.  
+* After the first game, the **winning team** bans two more stages. The **losing team** selects the map for the next game.   
+  * This continues after each game until the set ends.  
+* Map bans reset after the set concludes and will not carry into the next set.
+
+For this event, Winner’s Bracket Rounds 1 and 2 were Best of Three sets, followed by Best of Five Winner’s Semifinals and Loser’s Round 4 sets. The tournament ended after the Winner’s Semifinals and Loser’s Bracket Round 4, not advancing to Winner’s Finals, Loser’s Semifinals/Finals, or Grand Finals, as the top four teams from the event would all be given an invitation to the GG2 Finals.
+
+Commentating the three hour event were Fufu and Sasu, and on the spectator camera was Ely, bringing the hype, highlights, and action to viewers on both IPL’s [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/IPLSplatoon) and [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@iplsplatoon) streams. 
+
+### **Winner’s Bracket Round 1 \- Swarm vs. healthy diet food groups (2–0)**
+
+The Second Edition Global Gauntlet Qualifier 2 began with Swarm vs. healthy diet food groups. The first two rounds of the event were a Best of Three, so there was little room for mistakes to be made. The final outcome came down to just a few ticks, just a few seconds, and was perhaps the closest set all day, despite the surface-level 2–0 score. 
+
+Game one, Swarm banned Bluefin Depot and Lemuria Hub, while healthy diet food groups banned Flounder Heights and Crableg Capital. The randomly-selected map was Inkblot Art Academy; coming down to overtime, Swarm won in overtime, 93–92. 
+
+Game two, Swarm chose to strike Hagglefish Market and Mahi-Mahi Resort; healthy diet food groups selected Museum d’Alfonsino. The game went to overtime again, with healthy diet food groups losing the zone just 5 ticks from the lead, losing 90–94—Swarm advanced to the next round. 
+
+### **Winner’s Bracket Round 2 \- Polaris vs. New Meta (0–2)**
+
+Swarm, New Meta, Polaris, Sonion, and Sun-Eater advanced from the first round. Polaris and New Meta were the only teams fighting another advancing opponent; all of the other teams instead faced a higher-seeded team who began the tournament in Round 2 (Milky Way, Rinascita, and Crickets). 
+
+Polaris banned Barnacle & Dime and Bluefin Depot, and New Meta banned Urchin Underpass and Wahoo World. Game one was at Undertow Spillway, where New Meta knocked out in about a minute and a half.
+
+New Meta next banned Crableg Capital and Lemuria Hub, and Polaris counterpicked to Robo ROM-en. The game came down to overtime, and from the tie, New Meta neutralized the zone, forcing Polaris back one point, and claimed the win, 86–85.
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals Part 1 \- Milky Way vs. New Meta (3–0)**
+
+New Meta advanced to face Milky Way in the first qualification match of the event. The winner of this set would finish the tournament early with a ticket to the Global Gauntlet 2 Finals taking place the following week. 
+
+For game one, Milky Way banned MakoMart and Museum d’Alfonsino. New Meta banned Barnacle & Dime and Bluefin Depot. The map selected at random was Robo ROM-en.
+
+Milky Way capped the zone first, traded with New Meta, then ended up back in the lead before the first minute ended. They set up a lock out to secure a major amount of points, and by the time New Meta broke free, the best they could do was neutralize the zone a few times before Milky Way knocked out.
+
+For game two, Milky Way’s map strikes were Sturgeon Shipyard and Eeltail Alley; New Meta’s map selection was Wahoo World. 
+
+Early on, New Meta suffered a wipeout, losing the lead, but reversed the situation onto Milky Way, taking them down three players and getting the zone back. Their hold lasted until 10 ticks to KO, but they struggled to maintain control when they kept going down in pairs. In a fight over neutral, Milky Way cleared their penalty points to take the lead, and New Meta narrowly avoided the knockout, losing 90–96.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WSF1_WahooWorld" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5647acf9-3353-44c5-be41-fdfcab16ee49" />
+
+*Halfway through the game, Isabel gets a triple splat, stopping Milky Way’s zone timer at 19 ticks before they could take the lead from New Meta.* 
+
+For game three, Milky Way banned Urchin Underpass and Humpback Pump Track. New Meta counterpicked to Flounder Heights, resulting in both teams mirroring a Tri-Slosher Nouveau and Heavy Splatling. 
+
+It took about 45 seconds for the zones to be capped; Milky Way had to take New Meta down three players to do so. New Meta was able to use a Reefslider to take the zones once, but they couldn’t hold them for very long. They struggled to get back after being splatted, and would ultimately take another knockout loss and be sent to the Loser’s Bracket while Milky Way finished their tournament run and qualified for the GG2 Finals.
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals Part 2 \- Rinascita vs. Crickets (3–1)**
+
+On the other side of the Winner’s Semifinals was Rinascita and Crickets. While the team names may not be familiar, the players certainly are\! Rinascita is made up of Volty, y0shell, phoenix, and Yeti; the latter being fresh off of a win with PxG at the SendouQ Season 11 Finale. The players on Crickets included kiki, Mino, Silver, and Jay. Between the two teams, three-quarters of ezmd were present and about to fight\! 
+
+Game one went to MakoMart after Rinascita opted to strike Lemuria Hub and Museum d’Alfonsino, and Crickets chose to strike Flounder Heights and Urchin Underpass.
+
+In a very quick game, Rinascita took Crickets down three players to take the zones and held firm, getting the lead in short order, and within a minute later, had the knockout. The match lasted less than a minute and a half.
+
+Game two went to Barnacle & Dime as Crickets’ choice of map after Rinascita banned Manta Maria and Undertow Spillway. 
+
+Again, Rinascita took the zone and lead from Crickets after taking the team down to their last player. Y0shell, for good measure, even splatted two players with one E-liter 4K shot, and for good measure took another for a triple. Rinascita was stopped at 10 ticks remaining, and in two major pushes that followed, in the last stretch, Crickets was able to take the lead and go all the way to the knockout, tying the set.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WSF2_BnD" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8b848cf7-6a09-44be-8df5-d6813fb72269" />
+
+*Dueling Crab Tanks between Yeti and Silver, who did this at least once per game. It would become evident as the tournament continued that Silver really liked Crab Tank vs. Crab Tank.*
+
+Game three saw Crickets ban Eeltail Alley and Brinewater Springs. Bluefin Depot was Rinascita’s map selection. 
+
+Crickets were never far from Rinascita in terms of points during the game. First Rinascita brought their score to 39, then Crickets followed up and fell just short of the lead at 40\. Rinascita then moved to 15 ticks remaining. As overtime began, Crickets was at 17, but the zone was quickly overtaken by Rinascita, giving them the win, 85–83.
+
+Game four went to the last available double-zone map, Um’ami Ruins, once Rinascita banned Robo ROM-en and Wahoo World. 
+
+Rinascita got all the way to 14 ticks before Crickets had a chance to get any points for themselves. In a major push of their own, Crickets nearly evened the score, 29–14, with almost half of the game timer left. Rinascita lost the zone just two ticks from KO’ing. Overtime began—the zones were neutral, Crickets had no penalty and needed 8 ticks to win. The overtime clock ended before the zones were capped, and Rinascita won, 98–91.
+
+Milky Way and Rinascita both had now completed the tournament, earning their spots at the Second Edition Global Gauntlet Finals. Only two more spots remained to be claimed on the West’s roster\! 
+
+## **Loser’s Round 4 Part 1 \- Sonion vs. New Meta (1–3)**
+
+Moving into the Best of Five Loser’s Round 4, the third qualification match was between Sonion, who hadn’t been on the IPL stream yet, and New Meta, who was coming back for their third time on stream. 
+
+For game one, after New Meta banned Barnacle & Dime and Bluefin Depot, and Sonion banned Flounder Heights and Urchin Underpass, Robo ROM-en was the randomly-selected map. 
+
+Sonion took the lead from New Meta briefly before New Meta took it back within a handful of seconds. This time, they took the lead to 16 before Sonion’s Crab Tank was able to splat New Meta’s players, giving Sonion the chance to get more points. New Meta attacked from different angles, regaining the zone, and wiped out Sonion as their final ticks melted away, giving them the knockout.
+
+Game two went to Hagglefish Market. New Meta’s map strikes were MakoMart and Crableg Capital. 
+
+Sonion took the zone first this time, but the scrappy match saw both teams trade the lead, and as the action intensified, traded only penalty points as the zone changed sides more and more. A wipeout on New Meta gave Sonion the chance to get an impactful lead, and the game concluded in favor of Sonion, 93–64.
+
+For game three, Sonion banned Undertow Spillway and Wahoo World. New Meta selected Manta Maria as the map afterward.
+
+Both teams went down three players while the zones were neutral, leaving Sonion’s Snipewriter 5H player and New Meta’s N-ZAP ‘85 player standing. Neither player engaged the other until their teammates respawned, and New Meta came out with not only possession of the zones, but the knockout win.
+
+Game four saw New Meta strike Mincemeat Metalworks and Brinewater Springs. Sonion picked Mahi-Mahi Resort as their map of choice to make a final stand. 
+
+Within 20 seconds, Sonion had the zone, taking New Meta down in a delayed triple. New Meta reversed this onto Sonion, taking their opponent down three to get the zones and lead. A delayed wipeout on Sonion kept New Meta in control, going from 100 ticks to only 1 tick remaining, before Sonion bounced back. A double on Sonion gave New Meta the zone back, to knockout shortly after, winning their ticket to the GG2 Finals\!
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LR41_Mahi-Mahi" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/289fec86-1de9-4a50-b561-d96d2006a25b" />
+
+*Landing on the water normally means an instant splat, unless you’re Isabel, who rolled right onto the pool and safely made it back to land with another dodge roll, right before knocking out.*
+
+## **Loser’s Round 4 Part 2 \- Polaris vs. Crickets (1–3)**
+
+The final match of the second Global Gauntlet 2 Qualifier, for the last spot on the West’s roster for the Finals. Both Polaris and Crickets had their time on stream already, but neither had a chance to win yet, and only one would walk out with it. 
+
+Game one went to Robo ROM-en, *again*, by random selection. The map strikes were Eeltail Alley, Mincemeat Metalworks (Crickets), Manta Maria, and Flounder Heights (Polaris). Both teams brought their Snipewriter 5H and an Order Slosher. 
+
+Crickets lost the zone to an enemy Crab Tank, and returned the favor by taking the zone back with their own Crab Tank, right before Polaris could get the lead. Another Crab Tank, plus Triple Inkstrikes, let Polaris hold onto the zone long enough to take the lead by one point, but lost it immediately. Polaris’s inability to hold the zone for long led to a win for Crickets, 88–67. 
+
+For game two, Polaris selected Mahi-Mahi Resort as the map after Crickets chose their map strikes, Humpback Pump Track and Urchin Underpass. 
+
+Triple Inkstrikes were the key player from this game onward, helping both teams secure the zone time after time. Crickets having a Triple Splashdown boosted their instant zone-cappability, and in overtime, were the reason they were able to outpaint Polaris’s Triple Inkstrikes to take the lead, winning 87–86. 
+
+For game three, Polaris chose Hagglefish Market, their hopes riding on this one last chance to stay alive in the set. Crickets chose to strike Sturgeon Shipyard and Brinewater Springs.
+
+Very quickly into the match, Crickets were wiped out, letting Polaris burn away points. Over a ten-second period early into the game, nearly every player was splatted at least once, sent to respawn. As overtime began, the zone was neutral, with Polaris in the lead. Both teams threw Triple Inkstrikes; Crickets’ were slightly earlier than Polaris’s, letting Polaris’s Inkstrikes paint over their opponents’, taking the zone to win, 74–81. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LR42_hagglefish" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/de25d39d-2ede-40f9-970d-3cb99f46fe42" />
+
+*Sam (Polaris) and Silver (Crickets) engage in a Crab Tank fight; a frequent occurrence in this set, and this game in particular, where this happened at least three times.*
+
+Game four had Polaris banning Undertow Spillway and MakoMart, leaving the map selection up to Crickets, who chose the knockout-favoring Barnacle & Dime. 
+
+Polaris started the game with the zones, only losing it when a Crab Tank forced them to retreat. Crickets kicked up their aggression, locking out Polaris and even wiping them out while they were still in spawn. Before the game clock was halfway through, Crickets had knocked out for the win, sealing their deal with the West’s roster for the GG2 Finals\!
+
+<img width="879" height="1000" alt="GG2Q2_finalbrackets" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d4e87171-82a7-4cda-ab40-7fc551c276ee" />
+
+
+## **The Second Edition Global Gauntlet Finals: Who’s Going?**
+
+The four teams for the West decided during the Second Edition Global Gauntlet Qualifier 2 were very accurate to seed, with seeds \#1 and \#2, Milky Way and Rinascita, taking the first two tickets in the Winner’s Bracket, then seeds \#3 and \#4, Crickets and New Meta, taking the Loser’s Bracket tickets. The only upsets at this event were by just one seed placement.
+
+The first few teams for the West’s roster were decided during the SendouQ Season 11 Finale, where PxG and The avengers accepted their spots at the GG2 Finals. A third team was supposed to be chosen as well, but the third place team, ezmd, declined the offer. Later, The avengers would drop from the event, and in their place, IPL invited Healbook, [who accepted the offer](https://bsky.app/profile/iplabs.ink/post/3mni7c5nvy223), excited to return to the global stage after SWS25. 
+
+As IPL ramped up the hype leading up to the Finals, participating teams were slowly announced throughout the week. These are the 12 teams who will go head-to-head in the region-vs-region Global Gauntlet 2 Finals:
+
+**From the West:** 
+
+1. PxG  
+2. Milky Way  
+3. Rinascita  
+4. Crickets  
+5. New Meta  
+6. Healbook
+
+**From Japan:** 
+
+1. Vacuum World  
+2. King of Ham  
+3. CutieNK  
+4. Always Here  
+5. Mellow Good  
+6. Yamato Spirit
+
+The Second Edition Global Gauntlet Finals will take place during the International Timeslot, which is 8 PM PT / 11 PM ET on Friday, June 5th for North America and 5 AM CET / 12 PM JT on Saturday, June 6th for the EU and Japan.
+
+Later in the day, another tournament series will be wrapping up, with Nintendo’s Splatoon 3 North American League reaching its eighth and final week of the Regular Season, determining who will make the cut for the Playoffs on June 20 \- 21st. Saturday will certainly be packed full of the highest level of Competitive Splatoon action\! Make sure you’re tuning in\!
+
+Original Posting Date: June 5, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sws26-recap-gg2-q2).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/sws26-recap-westernqualifier1.md

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+---
+title: "SWS26 Recap: Western Qualifier #1"
+date: 2026-08-02
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *It’s time for the West to earn their right to compete on the global stage.*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="sws26_westernqualifier1" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/71cba717-e36a-49bd-b6bb-a214b50ffab3" />
+
+On Saturday, July 18th, the first of two Western Qualifiers for the Splat World Series Playoffs was hosted on IPL’s [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@iplsplatoon) and [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/IPLSplatoon) channels. A total of 22 teams signed up to secure one of three tickets to the SWS26 finale in early August. 
+
+The tournament was a double-elimination Splat Zones-only event featuring a strike/select system for maps, offering a layer of strategy to counterpicking. The storyline developed across nearly four hours of competitive Splatoon action. 
+
+Kbot and Pat opened the event on the commentator block, and starting with the second Winner’s Semifinals set, Magic replaced Kbot and joined Pat on the mic. Ely was operating the spectator camera throughout the tournament.
+
+### **Winner’s Rounds 2 and 3**
+
+Winner’s Round 2 was the first round on stream—Winner’s Round 1 was skipped—and began with NOnexistenceN vs. 37 (a pickup primarily of players from team 37 handsome boys from the North American League). In the Best of Three set, 37 came out on top after knocking out their opponent at Crableg Capital and Mahi-Mahi Resort.
+
+After the first set, a second game from Winner’s Round 2 was streamed and saw Hypernova face off against Whirlwind, a pickup of players from Usagi Fanclub and Doom Desire. Hypernova knocked out the first game at Shipshape Cargo Co., but Whirlwind tied the set with a knockout at Um’ami Ruins. Hypernova took the set win after winning 90–81 at Barnacle & Dime. 
+
+Hypernova returned for Winner’s Round 3 (Quarterfinals) to take on Thriller Bark, a team half composed of players from Black Lotus. After three knockouts at Hagglefish Market, Barnacle & Dime, and Undertow Spillway, Thriller Bark advanced to the Winner’s Semifinals. 
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals 1: Rip pig 9 vs. Pathway (3–1)**
+
+The first two qualification matches of Western Qualifier \#1 were during the Winner’s Semifinals round, and would conclude the Winner’s Bracket—the tournament did not continue to Winner’s Finals or Grand Finals. The first qualification match on stream was Rip pig 9 vs. Pathway (Zekrom, cap, Miner, speck; from team Poltergeist). 
+
+Rip pig 9 banned Eeltail Alley and Lemuria Hub. Pathway banned Urchin Underpass and Flounder Heights. The first game opened with a disconnect, but shortly after continued at Crableg Capital. 
+
+Rip pig 9 steamrolled through game one; Pathway was barely able to be more than a bump in the road. Pathway’s Booyah Bombs slowed Rip pig 9 down, but could not stop Rip pig 9 from knocking out with more than a minute remaining on the clock.
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="rp9Victory" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1a6f9813-e503-4470-a2e8-936727c0176f" />
+
+*The players of Rip pig 9, all well-known among top level Competitive Splatoon: DATKID (playing as william jr), Xenith, phoenix, and y0shell.*
+
+After Rip pig 9 chose their map strikes, Museum d’Alfonsino and Bluefin Depot, Pathway selected Um’ami Ruins. Pathway’s opening saw them almost get the 100-to-0 knockout, but were stopped just short at 3 ticks remaining. The game went to the very end, and Pathway emerged victorious, 97–77. 
+
+Pathway’s map strikes were Brinewater Springs and Mincemeat Metalworks. After Rip pig 9 chose Barnacle & Dime as the map selection, the commentators were excited to see y0shell bring the Inkline Tri-Stringer.
+
+Two minutes into the game, Rip pig 9 was stopped from *also* attempting a 100-to-0 knockout, left at 2 ticks remaining. Pathway got some points to their name, but the knockout was inevitable, and Rip pig 9 had just one more win to take the set. 
+
+Game four went to Hagglefish Market after Rip pig 9 banned Scorch Gorge and Shipshape Cargo Co. This game saw more of a fight between teams, with the lead changing hands a few times. Pathway, unfortunately, was wiped out twice in the latter half of the game, and their Triple Inkstrikes couldn’t cap the zone in time before Rip pig 9 took another knockout and the first ticket to the Splat World Series Playoffs. 
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals 2: FTWin vs. Thriller Bark (3–0)**
+
+Between Winner’s Semifinals sets, Kbot swapped out with Magic on the commentator block. The set between FTWin and Thriller Bark would be the second ticket to the SWS26 Playoffs, and also the last set of the Winner’s Bracket. The loser of this set would have one last chance in the Loser’s Bracket to earn a spot on the West’s roster. 
+
+The map strikes included Um’ami Ruins and Barnacle & Dime from FTWin, and Mahi-Mahi Resort and Shipshape Cargo Co. from Thriller Bark. Game one’s map was randomly chosen, and the selection was Marlin Airport. Thriller Bark, for all of their dominance early in the tournament, fell in less than a minute and a half to FTWin, only able to get 17 points before their opponent took the zone and never gave it up.
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="WS2_marlin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1cbf3743-693e-42b0-b867-5279ab9625c4" />
+
+*An Ink Vac shot from Burstie splats two of Thriller Bark’s players, leading to the team having three players down and enabling FTWin to further lock their opponent in their base.*
+
+FTWin chose to strike Undertow Spillway and Flounder Heights. Thriller Bark selected MakoMart as their counterpick. Thriller Bark was able to run away with the lead, to 21\. FTWin kept taking their opponent down by three players, which let them get closer and closer to the lead. FTWin, at 1 tick remaining, knocked out again after their Super Chumps capped the neutral zone. 
+
+For game three, FTWin banned Humpback Pump Track and Manta Maria; Thriller Bark’s last selection was Hagglefish Market. While Thriller Bark had the zone first, it wasn’t long before FTWin took the lead. Afterward, they wiped Thriller Bark out, cementing their third and final knockout, and their place on the West’s roster at the SWS Playoffs.
+
+### **Loser’s Quarterfinals: Pathway vs. NOnexistenceN (2–1)**
+
+Before the final ticket was given out, the stream turned to the Loser’s Quarterfinals, to watch a storyline from earlier in the event develop. Both Pathway and NOnexistenceN returned to the stream; NOnexistenceN had beaten 37 2–1 in the Loser’s Bracket to redeem themselves after Winner’s Round 2, and Pathway was coming in off their loss against Rip pig 9\. 
+
+NOnexistenceN took game one at Shipshape Cargo Co. in a knockout. The next two games, at Um’ami Ruins and Undertow Spillway, ended in knockouts for Pathway, sending them to the Loser’s Semifinals for the last set of the tournament.
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: flower man vs. Pathway (3–2)**
+
+Flower man vs. Pathway was not a fresh faceoff in the event—both teams met in Winner’s Quarterfinals, where Pathway won 3–0 against flower man. The final set between the two went all the way to a game five, with each game ending in a knockout.
+
+The set started on Robo ROM-en, a map previously selected by flower man in their earlier set. Flower man’s map bans were Urchin Underpass and Bluefin Depot, while Pathway banned Crableg Capital and Flounder Heights. 
+
+Pathway started the game with the zone, but flower man quickly took the lead less than 30 seconds in. Pathway tried to recap the zone with two specials, but ended up down three players instead. They stopped flower man at 5 ticks remaining, then ended up at 10 ticks remaining themselves before their progress was stopped. With 12 seconds left on the clock, flower man won the match in a knockout. 
+
+Game two’s map strikes from flower man were Museum d’Alfonsino and Marlin Airport. Pathway selected Um’ami Ruins, a stage they had shown to be very proficient on against Rip pig 9 and NOnexistenceN. 
+
+The game began the same as Pathway’s game against Rip pig 9, except Pathway was Rip pig 9 in this case: their opponent got all the way to 3 ticks remaining before they were able to stop the snowball before it became a knockout. Pathway recovered, splatting several players from flower man to keep their hold secure. Flower man was wiped out in the last minute and a half, leading to Pathway’s knockout. 
+
+Game three went to Manta Maria following Pathway striking Brinewater Springs and Shipshape Cargo Co. The zones and the lead traded hands, from flower man to Pathway, then back to flower man, where flower man then wiped out Pathway and went on to knockout with just under a minute and a half on the clock. 
+
+Flower man’s next map strikes were Hammerhead Bridge and Eeltail Alley. Pathway elected to go to Hagglefish Market. 
+
+A delayed wipeout on flower man let Pathway extend their lead nearly to a knockout, before flower man’s Reefslider took the zone, stopping Pathway at 2 ticks. Between a wipeout and a delayed wipe from another flower man Reefslider, the outlook for Pathway wasn’t looking good. Thanks to their earlier points gain, they were able to secure the knockout with about a minute to spare. 
+
+With the set tied 2–2 and a game five to decide the victor, Pathway opted to strike MakoMart and Humpback Pump Track. To the appall of the commentators, the last game of the Western Qualifier \#1 would be decided at Scorch Gorge. 
+
+Both teams were already down two players in less than 30 seconds. Pathway ended up at a numbers disadvantage consistently. Although they had the first lead in the game, before the first minute was up, flower man was already ahead. 
+
+Down to their last player just a minute and a half in, Pathway found themselves taking fourth place in the tournament after flower man claimed the last knockout, third place overall, and the fifth slot on the West’s roster for the Splat World Series Playoffs.
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="flowermanVictory" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/19bbaeb7-143b-40cb-a391-bec82222ff91" />
+
+*Team flower man, seeded \#11, who forged their way to the global stage in August, upsetting teams like \#3 seed Pathway, the Black Lotus pickup Thriller Bark, and BlankZ.* 
+
+The West’s roster now has five teams with invitations to the SWS26 Playoffs. The roster so far includes PxG and Milky Way, who were invited from the Global Gauntlets. Per a [post on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/xshadowind.bsky.social/post/3mqxb3i6g322i) from Moonlight’s Shadowind dated July 18th, 2026, he will be joining Milky Way’s roster for the Playoffs in place of Ice.
+
+With the conclusion of this event, Rip pig 9, FTWin, and flower man are joining the other two invitees. Milky Way is not the only team playing with a modified roster, as FTWin’s roster, at least for this event, included leafi and SnipeZ\! in place of Sam and Biscuit. 
+
+Three spots still remain open on the West’s team. Meanwhile, for Japan, four teams were already announced in [IPL’s Kickoff PV trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFKuDxcTITo): 
+
+1. King of Ham (led by Todo)  
+2. GaoGao Dragon (led by Momo)  
+3. Vacuum World (led by Hitokuchi Takeru)  
+4. CutieNK (led by TKF)
+
+Due to low signups for the Eastern qualifier, the event was canceled. The other four teams to round out Japan’s roster will be decided by AREA CUP closer to the Playoffs. 
+
+What does the 2026 season of Splat World Series have left on the horizon? There is still the Western Qualifier \#2, taking place on Saturday, July 25th, which will decide the West’s final three teams. After that, it’s time for the two-day Playoffs starting on August 7th (8 PM PT / 11 PM ET **on Friday evening** for NA; 5 AM CET / 12 PM JT **on Saturday afternoon** for non-NA). 
+
+With plenty still in store, make sure you’re there to see it all go down\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: August 2, 2026
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/sws26-recap-westernqualifier2.md

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+---
+title: "SWS26 Recap: Western Qualifier #2"
+date: 2026-08-05
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *Three seats remain on the West’s plane to the global stage. Who will earn the right to join them?*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="sws26_westernqualifier2" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/09cc6840-a28b-4765-b150-955f189dfef7" />
+
+On Saturday, July 25, 2026, the second and final Western qualifier in Inkling Performance Labs (IPL)’s Splat World Series 2026 events ran, with a total of 11 full teams competing for one of three last spots on the West’s roster for the main event in August. Streams were held on both IPL’s YouTube and Twitch channels. 
+
+Like its predecessor, the Western Qualifier \#2 was a double-elimination Splat Zones-only event with a strike/select system for maps, offering a layer of strategy to counterpicking during the nearly four hours of competitive Splatoon action.
+
+This time, Dark and Zach commentated throughout the entire event, with Ely operating the spectator camera. 
+
+### **Winner’s Rounds 1 and 2**
+
+The first match, a Best of Three, was between Takedown, the recent Swim or Sink 234 winners, and OwO, a pickup including a few players from BlankZ. Takedown, living up to their name, took down OwO in a fairly dominant fashion, winning 95–69 at Undertow Spillway, and getting a knockout victory at Shipshape Cargo Co. 
+
+Winner’s Round 2—the quarterfinals—saw the return of two teams from last week, Poltergeist and NOnexistenceN, and changed from a Best of Three to a Best of Five.  
+
+Across a set that went all the way to a game five, Poltergeist knocked out at Brinewater Springs and Robo ROM-en to start. NOnexistenceN tied the set by winning the next two games: a knockout at Mahi-Mahi Resort and 94–89 at Um’ami Ruins. At Barnacle & Dime, Poltergeist went the distance to stop NOnexistenceN’s reverse sweep and advanced to their qualification match. 
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals 1: Aeternus vs. Ascension (3–2)**
+
+The first qualification match was between Aeternus and Ascension. Both were coming out of the quarterfinals after a 3–1 victory; Aeternus over Takedown, and Ascension over Thriller Bark. 
+
+Aeternus started by banning Urchin Underpass and Flounder Heights. Ascension banned Manta Maria and Bluefin Depot; the random map selection was Marlin Airport. 
+
+After two delayed wipeouts in a row, Ascension found themselves on their heels as Aeternus surged past their lead, all the way to 2 ticks remaining. Ascension inched their score closer to their opponent’s, but in the final minute, were down three players and unable to mount a defense in time to stop Aeternus from knocking out. 
+
+Aeternus’s map strikes were Humpback Pump Track and Undertow Spillway. Ascension opted to go to MakoMart for their runback, and everyone was taken by surprise to see a Custom Goo Tuber on the side of Aeternus. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="CTuber" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/aa1aaf22-d679-43d2-92e6-f4b70d74887a" />
+
+*As the match opens, Jay (in-game name: † weapon\!) is seen bringing along a Custom Goo Tuber, a weapon that the commentators weren’t sure if it had ever been seen in high level tournaments.*
+
+Jay’s Custom Goo Tuber didn’t seem like the best play for Aeternus, as they were the first player splatted in the game, leading to two delayed wipeouts in the opening minute. In the latter half of the game, Aeternus recouped enough to take the lead until they found themselves down three players, where Ascension secured control of the zone and knocked out, tying the set 1–1.
+
+For game three, Ascension struck Sturgeon Shipyard and Scorch Gorge. Hagglefish Market was Aeternus’s answer, and it was exactly what they needed. In the first minute, Aeternus wiped out Ascension, then locked Ascension out of the zone, ending the match in a win with 3:40 left on the clock. 
+
+Aeternus’s next decision was to strike Eeltail Alley and Inkblot Art Academy. Ascension returned with a Brinewater Springs selection. Early aggression got Aeternus the zone first, but they weren’t able to defend it, losing the lead before one minute had passed. Ascension made their way to 10 ticks remaining before the zone traded hands; in overtime, their lead held out, giving them the 90–84 win, once more tying the set (2–2).
+
+Game five meant after this match, the first of three final slots on the West’s team for Splat World Series would be filled. Ascension banned Mahi-Mahi Resort and Crableg Capital. Aeternus selected Barnacle & Dime as the map. 
+
+Aeternus took points by the handful; long holds of the zone gave them an early lead that Ascension struggled to catch up to. It felt like Aeternus had measured control of the game the entire time; they were the victors of the game after a knockout at 1:41, sending Ascension to the Loser’s Bracket for one final shot at a ticket to the Playoffs.
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals 2: Content Cat vs. Poltergeist (3–1)**
+
+On the other side of the Winner’s Bracket, Content Cat and Poltergeist were ready to fight over the second to last roster slot. The first map strikes were Flounder Heights, Crableg Capital (Content Cat), Wahoo World, and Manta Maria (Poltergeist). 
+
+Game one took place at Urchin Underpass. Content Cat took the zone first and followed it up with taking Poltergeist down by three players, not just once, but twice within the span of 30 seconds. While locking Poltergeist out, Content Cat then had most of their players splatted. Despite the setback, Content Cat was able to quickly return and defend the zone, leading to a 100-to-0 knockout. 
+
+Content Cat’s next map strikes were to Eeltail Alley and Museum d’Alfonsino. The first few minutes at Um’ami Ruins were messy with zone swaps and lead changes. With a minute and a half to go, Content Cat was one point behind Poltergeist with no penalty points and the zone neutralized. After specials fired off, Content Cat was left standing to take the lead. When the clock reached zero, Content Cat was the victor, 91–77. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="WSF_Um&#39;ami_WQ2" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ef37b147-1f1b-4f2e-a557-6b33993a2591" />
+
+*Poltergeist’s Miner takes care of Content Cat’s Chronos and Hawaiian; with Content Cat down three players, Poltergeist was at least able to avoid losing by knockout.*
+
+Brinewater Springs was the next stage after Content Cat struck Inkblot Art Academy and Marlin Airport. Content Cat continuously pushed at Poltergeist’s elbow, pressuring them back wherever possible. Poltergeist’s Booyah Bomb and Triple Inkstrikes gave them a way to cap the zone from a safe distance. The scores were quite close throughout the game, but after overtime, it was Poltergeist with the 83–81 win. 
+
+The last game was at Hagglefish Market, after Poltergeist banned MakoMart and Hammerhead Bridge. Every time Poltergeist took the zone, it was back in Content Cat’s hands before long, and they held it for longer each time. With over a minute and a half to spare, Content Cat took the knockout victory, securing the \#7 spot on the West’s Playoffs roster in a few weeks. 
+
+### **Loser’s Quarterfinals: Poltergeist vs. Takedown (2–3)**
+
+Poltergeist returned to the stream to face off against another Tri-Stringer team in Takedown. The set went all the way to game five to determine who would advance to Loser’s Semifinals for the last chance to qualify for the Splat World Series finale. 
+
+Takedown won game one at Flounder Heights. Poltergeist tied the set after knocking out at Barnacle & Dime, then followed with another knockout victory at Hagglefish Market. Takedown kept themselves alive in the set with a close 84–83 win in overtime at Urchin Underpass, leading to one last game at Mahi-Mahi Resort, where Takedown took the last victory, 83–68, in an upset from seed \#8 over seed \#3. 
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: Ascension vs. Takedown (3–1)**
+
+The final chance to join the West at the Splat World Series Playoffs had arrived. Ascension had just defeated NOnexistenceN 3–1 on the other side of the Loser’s Quarterfinals. Takedown had upset both seed \#4 Thriller Bark and seed \#3 Poltergeist to get this far—would they get one last upset over seed \#5?
+
+Ascension’s map strikes were Flounder Heights and Manta Maria. Takedown’s strikes were Museum d’Alfonsino and Crableg Capital. The random selection for game one was Mahi-Mahi Resort. 
+
+Takedown struggled to get down from their plat for the first minute and a half of the game; once they were able to, they took the zone from Ascension, stopping them at 14 and wiping them out. Ascension rebounded very quickly, and was able to secure game one as a knockout victory. 
+
+The next game was at MakoMart, selected by Takedown after Ascension struck Urchin Underpass and Humpback Pump Track. This one saw more back-and-forth between the teams. Halfway through, Ascension was able to get ahead of Takedown and take the lead to 11\. As the final seconds neared, Ascension stopped Takedown just shy of the lead, resulting in another Ascension win, 89–83. 
+
+Sturgeon Shipyard and Wahoo World were Ascension’s map strikes; Takedown selected Hagglefish Market. The first chunk of game three was in Takedown’s favor, able to wipe out Ascension twice. Around the 2-minute mark, Ascension took the lead, but lost it one minute later, and a handful of seconds afterward, Takedown had the win by knockout.
+
+For game four, Takedown struck Brinewater Springs and Eeltail Alley. Ascension selected Um’ami Ruins. After one minute, Ascension claimed the zone from Takedown, stopping them at 47, and from there it was a downhill ride for them. Ascension got the knockout two and a half minutes into the game, rounding out the West’s SWS26 Playoffs roster\! 
+
+<img width="1024" height="616" alt="SWSWQ2finalbracket" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b35d3d31-05a2-463d-836d-d827aaa3f585" />
+
+*The Winner’s Bracket for the Western Qualifier \#2. Since the top three teams earned their prize, the event only went up to the semifinals in both Winner’s and Loser’s brackets.* 
+
+With the Western Qualifiers coming to a close, the final three teams to ride to the Splat World Series 2026 Playoffs have been decided: Aeternus, Content Cat, and Ascension. They will join Rip pig 9, FTWin, and flower man, who were last week’s qualifier winners, and PxG and Milky Way, who were invited after the Global Gauntlet Finals wrapped up.
+
+Five teams from Japan—King of Ham, GaoGao Dragon, Vacuum World, CutieNK, Rush—are known at this time, announced at the same time as PxG and Milky Way’s invitation and on IPL’s social media. The other three JP teams will be announced in the days leading up to the SWS26 Playoffs. 
+
+When will the Playoffs take place? Day one of the two-day Playoffs start on August 7th (8 PM PT / 11 PM ET **on Friday evening** for NA; 5 AM CET / 12 PM JT **on Saturday afternoon** for non-NA). Day two for NA starts on Saturday evening on August 8th; for everyone else, it will be early in the day on Sunday, August 9th. 
+
+Don’t miss the chance to see who will join The Invincible Fleet Reimaru as the second team to crown themselves the best in the world. You will be able to see that event streamed live on IPL’s [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/IPLSplatoon) and [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@iplsplatoon) channels; AREA CUP will also have a dual stream in Japanese. 
+
+Original Posting Date: August 5, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sws26-recap-western-qualifier-2).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/sws26recap-gg1-q2.md

@@ -0,0 +1,187 @@
+---
+title: "SWS26 Recap: Global Gauntlet 1, Qualifier 2"
+date: 2026-04-23
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *To no surprise, PxG qualifies for the Global Gauntlet Finals—more interestingly, who’s going with them?*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="SWS26Recap_GG1Q2" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ccce8fcd-0d46-4e9d-840d-1206964d3ab5" />
+
+On Saturday, April 18, 2026, the second qualifier for IPL and AREA CUP’s global tournament series, the Global Gauntlet, took place to decide the final three Western teams who will compete at the First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals. 
+
+Last week, the first three teams—FTWin, ezmd, and Azure—earned their seats, and all six teams from Japan have been revealed by this point. You’ll find all of the teams participating at the end of the article\!  
+
+The double-elimination, Splat Zones-only tournament saw 15 teams step into the ring, including heavy-hitters like PxG, Sun-Eater, healthy diet food groups, and nm. Popgun and Sasu commentated the action, and Ely was on the spectator camera. 
+
+After nearly three and a half hours of action, what went down? 
+
+## **Winner’s Round 1: healthy diet food groups vs. Sooo nights at a lan 😂 (1–2)**
+
+Kicking off Qualifier 2 was healthy diet food groups, returning from Qualifier 1, and Sooo nights at a lan, a pickup with players who were on team hi last qualifier. The first two rounds of the event were Best of 3 sets. 
+
+Game one, the random map selection, went to Hammerhead Bridge, after healthy diet food groups banned Flounder Heights and Crableg Capital, and Sooo nights at a lan banned Humpback Pump Track and Manta Maria. 
+
+Healthy diet food groups was the first team to take the zone, after 35 seconds of fighting over it in neutral. Midway through the game, Sooo nights at a lan got close to taking the lead, but needed a second push to get it, and began to lock out once there. Healthy diet food groups prevented the knockout, but still lost the game, 76–88. 
+
+Game two went to Museum d’Alfonsino, after Sooo nights at a lan banned Sturgeon Shipyard and Shipshape Cargo Co. 
+
+Once more, healthy diet good groups started with the zone. They didn’t get too far before their opponent took the zone, then the lead. After going down two players each, healthy diet food groups ended up back in the lead, and this would flip-flop a few times before a tense clash in the final seconds where healthy diet food groups stopped Sooo nights at a lan and took the win, 85–81. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WR1_museum" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/eecd54d2-1d8e-49a1-b663-9bed15a90afb" />
+
+*Just five ticks from losing the lead, healthy diet food groups neutralized the zone and would quickly cap it, just before the game ended, securing their win.*
+
+Game three went to Brinewater Springs; Mincemeat Metalworks and Eeltail Alley were healthy diet food groups’ map strikes. 
+
+Sooo nights at a lan, who selected this map, chose well; they kept the game in their hands for pretty much the whole, short match. After wiping healthy diet food groups out after two minutes had passed, the game ended in a knockout victory for them, and they advanced to the next round. 
+
+## **Winner’s Round 2 \- Black Bull ♣️🐂 vs. NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT (2–0)**
+
+The second round in Winner’s Bracket was between Black Bull, a pickup of Black Lotus players, and NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT, another returning face from Qualifier 1\. This set was still a Best of 3, but the next would be a Best of 5\.
+
+Game one, Brinewater Springs, was randomly chosen after Black Bull banned Eeltail Alley and Crableg Capital, and NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT banned Urchin Underpass and Humpback Pump Track. 
+
+The game began with NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT taking the zone, but within the first 30 seconds, Black Bull took possession and the lead. Black Bull’s run was stopped at 49, but was just a small bump in the road, as they ended up knocking out just past the three-minute mark. 
+
+Game two, Mahi-Mahi Resort, was NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT’s selection after Black Bull banned Museum d’Alfonsino and Mincemeat Metalworks. 
+
+Once more, NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT led the game from the start, taking Black Bull down three players, getting all the way to 11 before Black Bull set up a Big Bubbler in the corner to safely break their way into the zone. Just when 11 sounded like a safe lead, Black Bull got the 100-to-0, taking the game just one second slower than the previous one.
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WR2_mahi-mahi" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c0296f46-4ae7-448b-a2e6-2300acd06156" />
+
+*SOUL WORLD rallies their Black Bull teammates to the Big Bubbler, initiating the play that would lead the team to a 100-to-0 victory.*
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals Part 1 \- PxG vs. French \+ Kenshin (3–1)**
+
+The bracket skipped over Winner’s Quarterfinals and went right to Winner’s Semifinals, transitioning from a Best of 3 to Best of 5\. PxG was set up to face French \+ Kenshin, for the first of Qualifier 2’s three tickets to the First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals. 
+
+Game one was at Hagglefish Market, chosen after PxG banned Urchin Underpass and Barnacle & Dime, and French \+ Kenshin banned Crableg Capital and Hammerhead Bridge. 
+
+French \+ Kenshin claimed the zone first and was able to get to a respectable score of 61 before PxG locked in. Two minutes into the game, PxG took the lead, being delayed at 34 before knocking out with just over two minutes to spare. 
+
+Game two was at Mahi-Mahi Resort; PxG banned Um’ami Ruins and Undertow Spillway.
+
+A disconnect (which would be some foreshadowing for later) caused the game to reset, and once it started in full, PxG’s opening saw them hold the zone to 34, where French \+ Kenshin finally capped the zone after several attempts of only neutralizing it. French \+ Kenshin was wiped out by the two-minute mark, and seconds later, PxG had another knockout. 
+
+French \+ Kenshin’s game three selection was Inkblot Art Academy, after PxG banned Shipshape Cargo Co. and Wahoo World. 
+
+French \+ Kenshin’s opening push got them incredibly far, to 25, before PxG could take the zone. It took PxG about a minute to take the lead, and they were so close to knocking out, but were stopped at 4\. With one minute remaining, French \+ Kenshin at 9 and PxG at 4, Gos disconnected, and PxG was not able to maintain their lead, losing it in the final 20 seconds, and French \+ Kenshin had their own knockout in the books. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WSF_inkblot" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4801d7a9-80ca-4bb5-840d-a05a3d52279a" />
+
+*PxG held the lead in the 3v4 for an impressive amount of time, but one E-liter 4K can’t keep the zone against three opponents.* 
+
+PxG counterpicked to MakoMart after French \+ Kenshin banned Museum d’Alfonsino and Mincemeat Metalworks. 
+
+PxG came back with a vengeance in this game, wiping out their opponent twice in the first minute. PxG made it to 21 before French \+ Kenshin took the zone from them, but only for four points before they cycled being down two players, and ultimately, PxG took the final knockout, securing their \#4 spot at the Global Gauntlet Finals\!
+
+## **Winner’s Semifinals Part 2: Sooo nights at a lan 😂 vs. Black Bull ♣️🐂 (2–3)**
+
+On the other side of the bracket, for the second ticket to the GG Finals, was Sooo nights at a lan and Black Bull, for their second time each on stream. Sooo nights at a lan (seed 10\) has upset seeds 7 (healthy diet food groups) and 2 (nm) to get this far, and was looking to upset another in Black Bull, who was seed 3\. 
+
+Urchin Underpass was game one’s map; Black Bull banned Inkblot Art Academy and Museum d’Alfonsino, and Sooo nights at a lan banned Wahoo World and Manta Maria.
+
+Sooo nights at a lan started the match with the zone, but by the end of the first minute, Black Bull had the zone and lead, ticking down points, and almost knocked out, finally losing the zone at 2\. With 70 ticks and 24 penalty points, Sooo nights at a lan went the distance in one sweep, knocking out as the clock read 2:10. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="WSF2_urchin" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9d5efaed-6595-40b9-8dcd-0a86d662dd5f" />
+
+Game two went to Um’ami Ruins by Black Bull’s choice, seeing strikes on Hammerhead Bridge and Mincemeat Metalworks. 
+
+The first major lead in the game occurred after Sooo nights at a lan, who only had a lead of 1 point, won a 20-second firefight over the neutral zones, and was able to get to 55 before Black Bull had their turn. Black Bull locked out their opponent, taking them down three players to get the lead, and knocked out for the win. 
+
+Game three went to Scorch Gorge as Sooo nights at a lan’s counterpick after Black Bull banned Humpback Pump Track and Shipshape Cargo Co.
+
+It took 40 seconds for the zone to be capped; Sooo nights at a lan had it up until they reached 42\. After having the zone for about 30 seconds, Black Bull was in the lead and extended it to 19\. Both teams started to trade possession, and Sooo nights at a lan tied with Black Bull, unfortunately ending up one point behind after they lost the zone. However, they came back and wiped out Black Bull, getting the win with time to spare.
+
+Game four, Black Bull’s counterpick, went to Robo ROM-en. Sooo nights at a lan banned Bluefin Depot and Crableg Capital. 
+
+Sooo nights at a lan had a strong lead, keeping ahead of Black Bull even after they took the zone. Black Bull eventually got their lead after wiping out Sooo nights at a lan, and their opposition couldn’t regroup and retake, resulting in another knockout for Black Bull. 
+
+After trading wins, the set was tied 2–2, going to a game five, where Black Bull banned MakoMart and Undertow Spillway. Sooo nights at a lan selected Hagglefish Market.
+
+First Black Bull had the lead, then Sooo nights at a lan had the lead, both in the same minute. The zone flipped back and forth, finally settling with Black Bull, who sealed the game with a Triple Splashdown for the knockout, set win, and \#5 spot at the GG Finals\!
+
+## **Loser’s Round 4: Sun-Eater vs. Sooo nights at a lan 😂 (1–2)**
+
+Once the Winner’s Bracket concluded, the stream would see two sets in the Loser’s Bracket to determine the final Western team for the GG Finals. Since this was not Quarterfinals, it was another Best of 3 set. 
+
+As some fun trivia provided by Ely, we learned that Sooo nights at a lan was named that because one of their players, Nightmare, couldn’t play in the tournament due to playing at the Sunset Surge LAN. 
+
+Game one, Mahi-Mahi Resort, was selected from the map pool after Sun-Eater banned Shipshape Cargo Co. and Marlin Airport and Sooo nights at a lan banned Crableg Capital and Hammerhead Bridge. 
+
+Although Sun-Eater began with the zone, they lost it quickly. The water on the map was already dropping before the first minute was up, as Sooo nights at a lan extended their lead. One minute and a half into the game, Sooo nights at a lan knocked Sun-Eater out.
+
+Much to the dismay of the commentators, Sun-Eater selected Wahoo World for game two. Bluefin Depot and Museum d’Alfonsino were banned. 
+
+Sooo nights at a lan’s recurring tactic was to use their Crab Tank to paint the zone offensively, and again and again it worked against Sun-Eater. Each time, Sun-Eater bounced back stronger, ending up back in the lead. In the final seconds, they secured their win by taking the zone back, and the final score was 77–63. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LR4_wahooworld" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/487c8624-82a2-4f9d-81f2-a3d6094796d4" />
+
+*The Crab Tank that caused Sun-Eater so much trouble, just one of the many instances where it both protected and painted the zone.* 
+
+Game three, determining who went to Loser’s Semifinals, went to MakoMart after Sun-Eater banned Humpback Pump Track and Flounder Heights. 
+
+Sun-Eater started strong, holding the zone for most of the first minute. While their respawns kept staggering, Sooo nights at a lan capitalized to take the lead. Both teams kept one-upping the other with the lead. The only game to go into overtime, and Sun-Eater was just one point away from winning before Sooo nights at a lan overpowered them, winning 91–90 and advancing to face nm in Loser’s Semifinals. 
+
+## **Loser’s Semifinals: Sooo nights at a lan 😂 vs. nm (0–3)**
+
+The final ticket to the GG Finals on April 24th\! This was not the first time Sooo nights at a lan met nm in this tournament—in fact, Sooo nights at a lan was the team who sent nm to the Loser’s Bracket 2-1 in Winner’s Round 2\. While Sooo nights at a lan had taken every set thus far to the last possible game, nm meanwhile had torn through the Loser’s Bracket 2–0 in every set. 
+
+While waiting for the set to start, nm was in the Twitch chat talking with Popgun and Sasu, and revealed that the name “nm” stands for “No Mercy”, which was exactly what they were about to put on display. 
+
+Game one went to Sturgeon Shipyard. Nm banned Humpback Pump Track and Undertow Spillway. Sooo nights at a lan banned Hagglefish Market and Manta Maria. 
+
+Early on, nm claimed the zone, taking down two players on the opposing team. Sooo nights at a lan tried to paint with their Crab Tank, but it was shot down before it could even neutralize the zone. Going 100-to-0, nm ended the first game in a knockout. This was the first game one in the entire tournament that Sooo nights at a lan didn’t win. 
+
+MakoMart was selected for game two after nm banned Flounder Heights and Um’ami Ruins. 
+
+Nm guarded the zone so well that Sooo nights at a lan could only take shots at the objective from afar. Sooo nights at a lan was able to take the zone a few times this game, but never held it for long. After a wipeout, nm earned another knockout victory. 
+
+<img width="1000" height="562" alt="LSF_makomart" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fcb71cd9-9926-4d26-b7e9-3f3e6de36a8c" />
+
+*Sooo nights at a lan, using their Crab Tank to try breaking into the zone, only for it to be taken out momentarily by an Ultra Stamp.*
+
+Game three, match point for nm, went to Brinewater Springs after Urchin Underpass and Inkblot Art Academy were banned. 
+
+Leading the charge with an Ink Vac, nm took the zone first. After going down two players, Sooo nights at a lan had a chance to take the zone and keep their opponent at 40 points. They took their turn with the lead, defended it against nm a few times, but nm had the last say, wresting control and getting one final, decisive knockout to end the set 3–0 and take the \#6 spot on the West’s GG Finals roster\! 
+
+### **The First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals: Who’s Going?**
+
+The First Edition Global Gauntlet Finals takes place during the International Timeslot, which is 8 PM PT / 11 PM ET on Friday, April 24th for North America and 5 AM CET / 12 PM JT on Saturday, April 25th for the EU and Japan. 
+
+From the West, the six teams have been decided: 
+
+1. FTWin  
+2. ezmd   
+3. Azure  
+4. PxG  
+5. Black Lotus (Black Bull)  
+6. No Mercy (nm) 
+
+From Japan, AREA CUP has revealed all six teams attending: 
+
+1. Zest  
+2. Utopia  
+3. 07 Quartet  
+4. EmpEror  
+5. swing  
+6. ISM rhythm
+
+EmpEror, a newly-announced addition to Japan’s GG Finals team, is composed of Lobster and Naegora, two champions from Splat World Series 2025’s \#1 team The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru, along with Neespa and Chiaki. 
+
+Speaking of The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru, their player Reimaru is competing as part of ‘swing’, a group made up of Momo and Norishio from last SWS’s team DragonReX, Reimaru, and Streamer Sena. Momo recently played in the SendouQ Season 10 Finale last month on Flow Dragons, with Black Lotus’s captain, Noctis, and took the second place silver, next to PxG’s first place gold. 
+
+The last-announced team, revealed one day before the Finals take place, ISM rhythm, has the final player from The Invincible Fleet Rei Maru, Grandroll, playing with new teammates Livia, Yocchan Ika, and Goyame. 
+
+Following the Splat World Series last year, the West has made a strong showing of taking part in more Japanese events, such as AREA CUP, or just meeting together for scrims. The Global Gauntlets, created as a warm up to prepare both sides for the Splat World Series, will give players much to strategize over after the premiere Finals event.
+
+Last time teams of this caliber met, only PxG walked away with a win over a Japanese team. How has the West used their time to close the gap? 
+
+Be there on April 24th to find out\! 
+
+Original Posting Date: April 23, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/sws26-recap-gg1-q2).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/ten-splatoon-tips.md

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+---
+title: 10 tips that will make you a Splatoon pro!
+date: 2022-11-03
+author: Sendou & Kaldemar
+---
+
+[This article was originally made for Nintendo. With their permission rereleasing it this time on sendou.ink. It is aimed for new players especially but also contains useful tips for all.]
+
+Splatoon 3 is here! Whether you are a newcomer or Splatoon veteran we've compiled some tips that you'll surely find helpful. We are Kaldemar and Sendou. We're both long time Splatoon fans and have won the last two Splatoon 2 Nordic championship tournaments. Here are our best tips that'll take you a step (or ten) closer to being a true profreshional!
+
+## 1. Get familiar with motion controls
+
+Since the first entry to the series, Splatoon has been known for the excellent implementation of motion controls in which the controller's gyroscope acts as a third joystick of a sort. You can adjust the sensitivity of the motion controls and it's a good idea to do just so to find the settings suitable for you. Motion controls can also be turned off but practically all of the best players use them.  
+It's only natural that this way of controlling your character might feel a bit weird if you're new to it. However, we do recommend you give motion controls a go. You will eventually get used to them and before you know you'll be left wondering how you ever managed to play shooter games with just joysticks!
+
+## 2. Play the story mode
+
+Naturally we have a competitive viewpoint on Splatoon and online play is where we spend most of our time playing the game. Still, it's undeniable that Splatoon games have always included excellent story modes. The solo campaign is also a great opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of the game as well as a variety of weapons in the game. It's also an ample opportunity to get used to the motion controls.
+
+## 3. Try different weapons
+
+Splatoon 3 introduces two new weapon classes in the form of Stringers and Splatanas. All of the old weapons from Splatoon 2 will also make their return. This means that Splatoon 3 will eventually have a huge selection of weapons to choose from. So which weapon should you choose? The short answer is to try everything out without prejudice. More experienced players will often tell you which weapons are strong in their opinion, but you shouldn't let this affect your judgement too much. The general opinion on the strongest weapons changes all the time especially when the game is patched. The most important thing is to find a weapon that works for you personally.
+
+Here’s another approach you can take. Let's say you start liking the Crab Tank special weapon during playing the Story Mode. In this case you might want to check out all the weapons that have this special. On the other hand, if you find a weapon that you like but it's special does not suit you, worry not. The patches will bring another variation of the main weapon into the selection.
+
+## 4. Spread your ink!
+
+Every new Splatoon player will start with Turf War which will teach you that painting the map is essential. You will find spreading your ink important in other game modes as well. If a part of the map is covered in enemy ink, venturing there carelessly is a very efficient way to get splatted. Enemy ink damages you and makes you move slower. The enemy might also be hiding in their own ink. We'll discuss this in detail later into the article.
+
+You should take the opportunity whenever there's a chance to expand your team's turf. This'll make it harder for the opponent to move up and you'll have upper hand on any area you've already painted.
+
+## 5. Control your movement
+
+Movement is a very important part of Splatoon gameplay. In this game you don't only run and jump but you can also swim in your ink and climb painted walls to reach new areas. Splatoon 3 also adds two new mechanics to your movement options in the form of Squid Roll and Squid Surge. Having good movement skills was already important but with these new techniques this aspect of the game will only become more pronounced.
+
+You should make yourself hard to hit. If the opponent has easy time predicting your movement, you will be an easy target. Combining good aim and movement is challenging but luckily you can practice this as much as you want on the practice range.
+
+## 6. Use your special wisely
+
+Painting also increases your special meter. After the meter is full you can use your special weapon. These powerful tools have the potential to turn the tide of the battle in an instant. Specials are fairly strong on their own, but you can unlock their full potential by working as a team with your mates. The newly introduced specials Tacticooler and Wave Breaker provide a great example of this.
+
+Once you activate Tacticooler your whole team can grab a drink from the fridge you set up. Among other things, these beverages boost run speed, swim speed and respawn time for whoever drinks them. Considering this, you will achieve the best results if every member in the team grabs one of these tasty drinks.
+
+Wave Breaker on the other hand is a special weapon that emits waves that mark and damage the opponent once activated. You can avoid these waves rather easily by jumping over them. But here's the twist: if you set up Wave Breaker on an area where there is a battle going on between the teams, the situation is going to get a bit sticky for your opponent. Dodging becomes way harder if the opposing players have to divide their attention between the waves and you and your teammate's crossfire.
+
+Splatoon 3 features a variety of specials, both old and new. When using any of them you should try to think how to use them to benefit your whole team. A special weapon used far away from everyone else might often fall a bit short of your expectations while using multiple specials together with your mates is more than likely going to bring you closer to victory.
+
+## 7. Hide and sneak up on your opponent
+
+One unique thing about Splatoon is that you can hide anywhere. Just dive in your own ink and stay still to become invisible to your opponent. This is a perfect opportunity to ambush an opposing player. Attacking an unsuspecting squid will give you a clear advantage in the fight.
+
+The more your team paints the more opportunities you have for hiding. Try to choose your hiding spot from an important area on the map where you are likely to encounter an opponent and time it so that no one is there to see where you hide. Also keep in mind that when you venture into an area with a lot of enemy ink, you're risking getting ambushed yourself.
+
+## 8. Master the different game modes
+
+At launch Splatoon 3 has four Anarchy Battle game modes that are Splat Zone, Tower Control, Rainmaker and Clam Blitz. All of these modes have a different objective so it's a good idea to read through the short explanation that the game offers on each one of them. What all of the modes have in common is that you should plan your strategy around the objective. For example, even though only one person in your team has to ride the tower on Tower Control it's still a good idea for the rest of the team members to stay relatively close to the tower. This way they can protect that one mate who is riding the tower and that person can likewise help the rest of the team in their fights while advancing the objective.
+
+## 9. Observe your surroundings
+
+Once you are comfortable with the basics of Splatoon one important thing you should focus on is observing your surroundings. Try to keep track of where your teammates are at any given moment so you can help them if need be. It's always easier to win fights with a mate on your side instead of alone. Also pay attention to where your opponents are so you won't get caught off guard. One handy way to get information on each team's movements is to check the map from time to time by pressing the X button. You might also want to keep an eye on the icons on the top of the screen since they tell you which team has the man advantage and more specials at their disposal at any given time. Based on this information you can more readily decide if you should make an offensive move or if it might be a better idea to defend instead.
+
+## 10. Stop and think
+
+Learning any skill efficiently requires constant self-evaluation. Periodically ask yourself: "what should I be doing right now to win this match?" Should I be painting to establish control, or should I be trying to eliminate the opposing players? Would now be a good time to advance the objective? Where are my teammates and the opponents? In other words, try to keep the things discussed in tips 4-9 in mind and form a complete strategy in your mind. Splatoon is a fast-paced game and the tide of the battle can change in seconds so having the ability to adapt fast will surely be of use to you.
+
+Finally, don't worry if you're struggling to focus on all of the things discussed here simultaneously. In addition to Turf War and Anarchy Battles Splatoon 3 offers variety of other things to do like the Salmon Run game mode and the all new Tableturf Battle card game. These among other things can be a good change of pace if you're feeling a bit stuck in terms of improving your gameplay. From time to time, Splatsville will also be engulfed in the exciting festivities of Splatfest which will introduce you to the new Tricolor Turf War battles. In the end, the most important thing is to play on your own pace and have fun! Booyah!

apps/web-react/content/articles/the-splatoon-3-north-american-league-news-drop.md

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+---
+title: "The Splatoon 3 North American League News Drop!"
+date: 2025-09-04
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/the-splatoon-3-north-american-league-news-drop](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/the-splatoon-3-north-american-league-news-drop). 
+
+# **The Splatoon 3 North American League News Drop\!**
+
+After teasing the Splatoon 3 North American League over two months ago, Nintendo finally released the details on September 2, 2025\. They dropped a heavy load of information about the League, so let’s break into what their announcement trailer did—and didn’t—say. 
+
+## **What *is* The Splatoon 3 North American League?** 
+
+The Splatoon 3 North American League encompasses more than just competitive tournaments on Saturdays. It is a ten-week, weekend-long event that includes The Splatoon 3 North American League Show hosted on Fridays, the League events on Saturdays, and The Splatoon 3 North American League Sunday Scrim (on Sundays). The event will conclude with The Splatoon 3 North American League Playoffs in mid-December. More on those below, but for now, let’s focus on the meat of the event: the tournament. 
+
+The tournament season will start on September 20, 2025, and end on November 22, 2025\. It is divided into two seasons: the Preseason, and the Regular Season. The first two weeks are the Preseason; any scores accumulated during the Preseason will NOT count towards a team’s final scoring for The Splatoon 3 North American League Playoffs. 
+
+The eight consecutive weeks following the Preseason will be how teams earn scores to qualify for the Playoffs. A team’s five highest scores from the Regular Season will be the determiner for their Season Standings. Registration for the events will be on Battlefy and opened on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, and will last up until each event’s starting time. For example, to be able to play in Event \#1 on September 20 (the first Preseason event), you have between 9 AM Pacific Time on September 2 and 12 PM Pacific Time on September 20 to register. If you’d like to play in Event \#2 on September 27 (the second Preseason event), the registration period is between 9 AM PT on September 2 and ends at 12 PM PT on September 27\. 
+
+Teams can be made of four players plus one substitute player, and no player registered on a team can also be on another team. Each League event (including the Preseason) will be a Ladder round, so teams will be playing against others near their own skill level. The Ladder rounds are expected to begin at 12 PM PT and end at 3 PM PT; sets will be played in a Best of Three (Bo3). Each week, the top eight teams from the Ladder round will move forward into a Best of Five (Bo5) double-elimination bracket (Top 8\) for a chance to earn even more points towards their season score. The League rules state that a team must play at least five matches in order to qualify for the Top 8 of the week. Top 8 will be streamed, with an anticipated start date of 4 PM PT\! 
+
+We’ve mentioned scores and points a few times already; here’s the deal with that: 
+
+<img width="1000" height="569" alt="pointsa" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2e92b4b0-7662-4a21-83ba-0b7170c6727c" />
+
+*A team will earn points based on their Event placement which contribute toward their Season Standing. Image from Nintendo of America’s “Splatoon 3 North American League \- Announcement” video on YouTube.* 
+
+Every participating team will earn points based on their placement in both the Ladder round and Top 8, creating their Season Standings. These Season Standings will be based on a team’s highest scores starting with Event \#3 (Regular Season Week 1). The eight teams with the highest Season Standings after Event \#10 (Regular Season Week 8\) will qualify for the Playoffs\! 
+
+The Splatoon 3 North American League Playoffs will be held on December 13 and 14, 2025\. The two day event will see the top eight teams from the Regular Season go head-to-head in another Bo5 double-elimination bracket. Only the first eight matches of the Playoffs will be played on Day 1; the rest will be on Day 2\. 
+
+### **Tournament Ruleset**
+
+Nintendo has released a 13-page PDF containing the entire ruleset for The Splatoon 3 North American League, which covers the Preseason, Regular Season, and Playoffs. While we won’t cover everything that the rulebook does, we will share some highlights. 
+
+**All** Splatoon 3 modes are included in the League: Tower Control, Clam Blitz, Rainmaker, Splat Zones, and yes, Turf War\! Below is the list of eligible maps for every League event: 
+
+* Hagglefish Market  
+* Undertow Spillway  
+* Museum d’Alfonsino  
+* Inkblot Art Academy  
+* MakoMart  
+* Um’ami Ruins  
+* Barnacle & Dime  
+* Humpback Pump Track  
+* Crableg Capital  
+* Urchin Underpass
+
+During the Ladder round, a coin flip in Battlefy’s Match Chat will determine which team picks the mode for the first match in the set. The loser of the coin flip will pick the map. However, during the Top 8 and Playoffs, the team who has the higher seed will choose the mode for the first match, with the lower-seed team choosing the map. Between all three League seasons, after the first match, the winning team picks the mode for the next game, and the losing team picks the map. Each mode and each stage can only be picked once per set. 
+
+Disconnects will incur a rematch on the same map and mode, with one rematch being allowed per set. If a disconnect happens within the first 60 seconds of a game, then the match is eligible to be replayed. But if a player disconnects after 60 seconds pass, then the match has to be played without the DC’d player. 
+
+For a full treasure trove of rulesets, FAQs, support, and more for the League events, you can check out the event’s Battlefy page: [https://battlefy.com/nintendovs/splatoon3-north-american-league/rules](https://battlefy.com/nintendovs/splatoon3-north-american-league/rules). 
+
+## **The Splatoon 3 North American League Show**
+
+The Splatoon 3 North American League Show will be hosted at 10 AM PT every Friday preceding a Saturday League event. The first League Show will be on September 19, 2025\! These shows will feature “core community members” discussing the previous week’s matches, the upcoming League matches, share advice, interviews with players, and even have some silly games for the hosts to partake in. 
+
+The fact that Nintendo’s official 2025 Splatoon 3 North American League informational trailer outright stated that there will be panels with community members–in addition to featuring a handful of them delivering this information to us\!–is an incredibly exciting collaboration for the scene. Well-known community figures have been announcing their involvement with the League—names like ProChara, Vicvillon, Popgun, Kbot, and Cyren are just a few who you can expect to see combining with Nintendo on this major event. 
+
+## **The Splatoon 3 North American League Sunday Scrim**
+
+The Splatoon 3 North American League Sunday Scrim, like the League Show, will accompany the League events; the Sunday Scrim will follow Saturday’s tournament sets with a more relaxed, casual competitive environment. The first Sunday Scrim will be on September 21, 2025, and events are set to begin each day at 12 PM PT. It seems to be centered on Salmon Run rather than ranked modes and Turf War. There is not an official Nintendo PDF stating the guidelines for the Sunday Scrim, but we do know these facts: 
+
+Anyone can compete in the Sunday Scrim, across any skill level. Whether you want to play solo, as a duo, a trio, or a quad\! Participating does require registering beforehand, though registration for this event is hosted in the Nintendo Switch Online app, under SplatNet 3’s Tournaments button, rather than on Battlefy. 
+
+Although there will be a competitive aspect to this event, with the goal being to earn the top scores weekly, the Sunday Scrim will not contribute to any League scoring. 
+
+<img width="1200" height="513" alt="3eventsa" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/74aa0f29-6e82-4302-91ed-c49b5202a4bc" />
+
+What a year 2025 has been for Splatoon\! The events and breaking news just keep rolling in\! The Splatoon 3 North American League and its accompanying League Show and Sunday Scrim promise to wrap up the year with explosive action and hype all around. A major turnout in this event will hopefully convince Nintendo to bring the same level of attention to the competitive Splatoon scene outside of Japan and North America. 
+
+Missed the trailer or want to return to it? It can be found on Nintendo of America’s YouTube channel, here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEzrnAgRl8A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEzrnAgRl8A). 
+
+Original Posting Date: September 4, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/the-splatoon-peer-review-server.md

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+---
+title: "The Splatoon Peer Review Server: A Catalyst for the Scene's Growth"
+date: 2025-10-02
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/guides/the-splatoon-peer-review-server](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/guides/the-splatoon-peer-review-server)
+
+# **The Splatoon Peer Review Server: A Catalyst for the Scene’s Growth**
+
+Improving community connections and individual player ability is difficult in Splatoon; many players ask themselves how to achieve these things at one point or another. The Splatoon Peer Review Server has recently gained traction as a way to grow the scene’s analysis in a collaborative way and answers that question.
+
+## **What is the Splatoon Peer Review Server?**
+
+The Splatoon Peer Review Server (or the SPR Server for short) is a Discord server dedicated to utilising teamwork and communication through peer review in order to help aid the progression of Splatoon players at all levels of play.
+
+Peer Review refers to the process of analysing and giving feedback on certain clips in a player’s match to ultimately help them gain a better sense of understanding as to what went wrong, what they could have done differently, or simply how the situation in question occurred the way it did. It makes sure to include everyone in the process of reviewing so that as many viewpoints as possible can be conveyed. This makes it a very valuable tool to a player’s progression, helping them learn mechanical in-game skills and gain a better awareness of how games unfold. Furthermore, it also lets them lend a hand to other people, creating more connections with others to improve the scene’s communication, strengthening community ties.
+
+## **How does it work?**
+
+The Splatoon Peer Review Server follows a simple structure in order to maximise the efficiency of communication between members and to make it as easy as possible for people to get their gameplay reviewed. All that is required is for you to be on the server\! 
+
+To ask for some peer review, all you have to do is make a post in the \#lf-peer-review channel, using the template for making a post in \#peer-review-guidelines.
+
+After creating this post, anyone on the server is welcome to step in and help you with your issues. Often, help will be in the form of a Discord call on dedicated Peer Review voice channels, where if you allow drop-ins, other people can also join the call to learn with you and provide their own reviews and tips. The clips you wish to review can be shown on the call through screen-sharing. Many players in the server have a capture card so that they can screenshare from using your replay codes, as well.
+
+## **What else can you do in this server?**
+
+As mentioned above, this server is not just for asking others to review your clips, it is also for you to help others\! One of the most important stages in growing a community is giving back to it, and this is exactly what the Peer Review server offers. You do not have to be a top level player to review gameplay with others, as the skills required to analyse gameplay are different to the skills required to carry out gameplay of the same skill. Any help that can be given to others is good help, so don’t be afraid to reach out and lend others a hand\!
+
+The Splatoon Peer Review Server also offers other resources, such as general text channels or general voice channels for meeting other players and discussing in-game questions or simply chatting together\! Alongside these tools, there is a questions and advice section if you would prefer your questions to be answered in text form.
+
+## **Why is peer review specifically important?**
+
+The Splatoon Peer Review Server is based heavily around the concept of reviewing the gameplay of others, but why is this emphasised over other methods to improve gameplay, such as coaching?
+
+Peer review allows players to collaborate more effectively than the traditional coach-to-player approach as it removes the idea that one player knows much more than another simply because they have evidence that they might have more in-game skill. While on the surface this may not seem like an issue, it can result in people not speaking out when it comes to generating ideas or giving help, reducing the amount of aid a developing player receives. To quote Echo (an admin of the Splatoon Peer Review Server): “There is still an infinite amount we don’t know about what’s possible and what can work in this game. As a scene, I believe we would grow much faster and with a bigger breadth of ideas if people were more open to listening to the perspectives of their peers. And at the very least, encourage players to not immediately dismiss the ideas of someone else because they’re a lower solo queue rank.”
+
+It would be unfair to say that coaching does not have its place in the competitive scene. In fact, coaching is still very important for the scene's growth and improvement; however coaching thrives when used alongside peer review, as then the maximum amount of ideas can be shared and tested to help players improve.
+
+## **From the minds of the admins**
+
+To get a deeper understanding of the server’s admins and their goals, I asked Echo to answer a few questions about the server as a whole.
+
+### **1\. What inspired you to get involved with the SPR Server?**
+
+“The server (originally named ‘Splatoon Coaching and Peer Review’) was first spearheaded by Xi ([their Bluesky here](https://bsky.app/profile/imxi.bsky.social)). You might know Xi as the head TO of Under Pressure, or from his work on the Splat World Series international tournament. I saw his promotion for the server on Bluesky, and struck a conversation in DMs. 
+
+After coaching a lot of players since 2020, I joined SPR because of my love for analyzing this game, and desire to help build a community of growth mindset individuals.
+
+Xi’s initial vision for the server was “to promote peer review, as well as giving coaches an opportunity to network and find players committed to improvement.” Remnants of this vision still exist, but SPR’s first few months highlighted some key problems. Lots of players entered the server thinking it was just “a place for free coaching,” and so they either misunderstood or rejected the peer review aspect of the server. Then, lots of existing coaches felt overwhelmed: they’re busy, and so if they feel like everyone in a server is asking them to do more work for free then it was less about “learning how to learn.” 
+
+A lot of my work has been to build SPR into something that can help to build more analysis in the scene, and challenge the concept that this game is "solved”: even seasoned analysts are constantly learning, and there's so much to gain from everyone around you. As a player and as a person, I've improved by leaps and bounds from analyzing deeply while keeping an open mind to others' perspectives. Ultimately, we hope that members of SPR may be inspired to keep learning, improving, and sharing their perspectives that help others do the same.”
+
+### **2\. What plans do you have for the future of the SPR Server?**
+
+“I try to keep the goals of the server flexible, both because I want it to evolve to meet the community’s needs, and because sometimes life can be unpredictable for myself and others who help out. Being able to shift plans when needed helps us to stay true to our mission in the long-term, instead of having some superficial schedule of events. As long as everything stays true to the server's mission, then that's great for me. 
+
+In some ways, the server's future is already being realized. In the past month, we've completed a server overhaul to remove many of the coaching-specific channels, and have begun public watch parties of high-level tournament replays. Already, we've seen an uptake in players analyzing gameplay from their peers and getting insights from top level tournament sets. From here, it's really important to further establish this core of analysis: we want to both solidify the server's mission, and build up the ability and motivation for more players to become proactive reviewers in the server. 
+
+Above all, I’m most excited to see this server and its ideals reach out to the broader comp community. There are currently a lot of community spaces that encourage being 'perceived as good' (having people hype you up), instead of 'being good' (finding ways to actually improve your performance). I think an open space like this is sorely needed for more players to discuss improvement methods in an open forum. More personally, when I recognized that I didn't need to be perfect at Splatoon to start analyzing, it let me create more ideas, better understand other players' concepts, and ultimately find more love for the game. Whether it be in esports, hobbies, or your life as a whole, loving the process of improvement will take you far, and I think this server is a small way to show that. 
+
+And the server gives me more reason to vod review myself/top level more. But that's a bit too short-winded, haha.”
+
+### **3\. What would your main piece of advice be for Splatoon players wishing to improve at the game?**
+
+“This is a hard one to answer, especially briefly. Honestly, one thing that helped me significantly was reading books on competitive mentality and growth: they've helped me both in Splatoon and life more generally. Some influential ones for me were *The Will to Keep Winning* by Street Fighter world champ Daigo Umehara, as well as *The Inner Game of Tennis* by W. Timothy Gallwey. 
+
+Aside from that, there are two main things I want to highlight. First, make sure to keep an open mind. Keep finding new opportunities to grow, and recognizing when certain habits/lines of reasoning aren't helpful for your growth, so you can keep changing yourself to what fits you best as time goes on.
+
+Second, build an environment conducive to your own growth. Physiologically, make sure you can put your all into your practice/play: food, sleep, and stress are all pivotal for mentality and performance. Socially, make sure that the people around you are able and willing to support you. Accountability buddies can help in so many ways, anywhere from helping to theorycraft certain situations, to forcing each other to play X rank by staying in the same vc. 
+
+And above all else, recognize that this is still a game we play: make sure that, however you play the game, you are being honest with yourself and how you get joy out of experiencing it. I tried speedrunning games for a bit, and after recognizing that I was no longer enjoying the process, I switched to other hobbies. And that's okay\! Life is big, life is long. If you find playing competitive is no longer augmenting your life, then finding things in life that can give you more joy can go a long way.”
+
+## **Summary**
+
+The Splatoon Peer Review Server is a growing hub for competitive Splatoon, with new members constantly joining to aid their learning and the learning of others. By emphasising the concept of peer review, this server aims to increase the spread of new ideas and knowledge through the Splatoon community by focusing on collaboration to strengthen community ties. Peer review is a great tool that many may not truly appreciate, but with this server it can finally be used to its fullest extent. So go on, give it a try\! Start peer reviewing to help yourself and others improve\! Here’s the server link to get you started: [https://discord.gg/9DwrVSJek7](https://discord.gg/9DwrVSJek7)
+
+Original Posting Date: October 2, 2025
+
+Written by Kitamura.

apps/web-react/content/articles/the-top-5-main-misconceptions-about-competitive-splatoon.md

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+---
+title: "The Top 5 Main Misconceptions About Competitive Splatoon"
+date: 2025-08-31
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted on the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/the-top-5-main-misconceptions-about-competitive-splatoon) website. 
+
+# **The Top 5 Main Misconceptions About Competitive Splatoon** 
+
+The competitive scene for Splatoon 3 is a bustling community filled with vast amounts of information on the game, whether that be the current meta, the skills required to get better at Splatoon, or information on current or upcoming tournaments and LANs. Often however, it is the things people think to be true about competitive Splatoon that cause them to turn away from it, leading them to believe there are too many roadblocks to entry, making it feel impossible to start. Here, we aim to discuss and dispel the most common misconceptions about competitive Splatoon to show you that it's not as hard as you may think to jump into the competitive scene.
+
+## **1\. You have to be good at Splatoon to get into competitive**
+
+A belief that many budding players may hold is the idea that in order to become a competitive player, you have to already be a very good Splatoon player. Players commonly associate achieving a high X power or strong tournament results with being a competitive Splatoon player.
+
+This makes sense to many, as with many things in life people believe they have to be good at it before they can start trying to be at the top level for this activity. However, the competitive Splatoon scene is very different. There is no specific entry requirement or certain rank you have to be to start. Taking on Splatoon with a competitive mindset simply means wanting to dedicate time to improve your skills and become a better player, working towards certain goals. Many believe that they can’t enter the scene because the main areas of competitive Splatoon they see are the top level tournaments and LANs which (whilst being fun to watch and intriguing people about the scene helping growth majorly) can lead to people believing this level of skill and co-ordination in a team environment is average for competitive players. However most competitive teams are not at this level of skill, but yet are still competitive players through their desire to improve and focus on personal growth.
+
+You do not need to already have high-level results or high X-powers to start getting into competitive Splatoon; having the game is already enough.
+
+## **2\. Competitive Splatoon is boring**
+
+By putting the word ‘competitive’ in front of a video game designed for enjoyment, it can feel as if people are trying to take the ‘fun’ aspect of the game out, and are only focussing on parts that people see as more ‘boring’. 
+
+However, the objective of Splatoon’s competitive scene is not to focus purely on skill, but on what individual players want to do. One of the main drives for competitive players is the enjoyment they get out of the scene, whether this be through meeting new players, forming teams, scrimming, seeing yourself improve, or simply having fun with friends and teammates as a result of becoming a competitive player. As with almost all video game communities, their main purpose is not to deter new members by making the game boring, but to invite new members in by opening up new ways to see the game and new people to share your enjoyment of the game with.
+
+If you truly believe playing the game from a competitive perspective to be boring, we encourage you to try to shift your viewpoint away from competition being about winning, and toward being a way to constantly grow and make new friends.
+
+## **3\. To be a competitive Splatoon player, you have to play the meta**
+
+One of the main points of discussion in the competitive scene is the meta. The meta itself refers to the pool of weapons that people believe are consistently the best options to pick in order to win high-level matches more often. The ‘best’ weapons and strategies at any point in the game are constantly changing, allowing for new team compositions to be built and tried in high-level tournaments. The meta is a great way for all players of varying skill levels to see how the game is shaping at the highest level, but this can lead to some misconceptions about what weapons people believe they should play if they want to be taken as a serious competitive player.
+
+While the balance of the game affects everyone who plays, this doesn’t mean you have to play only the weapons that are seen as the best at any particular time. Most of the time, the competitive players that are affected greatly by the meta are only the higher level ones where there is less room for a lack of weapon power. In truth, the best weapons in the game are not a rigid selection of weapons that stay completely unchanged until the next patch, but an organic mix of options that varies based on the player, their style of play, and who they're playing with. Just because a weapon isn’t considered meta does not mean that it isn’t worth playing. Some players are going to be better at niche, off-meta picks and that's okay. What people see as meta should be considered, but it shouldn’t be viewed as a checklist for all teams to build off of, rather something that changes and shifts as people learn more about the game and continue to improve and experiment.
+
+## **4\. Mechanical skill defines how good a player is**
+
+The main part of competitive play that people tend to zoom in on when talking about improvement is mechanical skill. Mechanical skill refers to your physical ability to control your character, hit your shots, and execute your ideas to win games. These factors are important components that determine your performance in-game, and improving them is important if you want to improve your gameplay as a whole, but there are many other skills that are just as important, or arguably more important than mechanical skill. These skills are those such as team coordination, positioning, callouts, and changing your playstyles to meet the specific demands at certain points in a match. 
+
+Team coordination is essential for playing the game at its highest potential. Paired with giving good callouts, team coordination allows players to have a better understanding as to what is going on at certain points in the game. For example, using all of your special weapons as a team at once may not be the best idea as even if you retake, you may not have enough utilities to hold the objective. Callouts can also help prevent individual players from making mistakes or helping them visualise what is happening in areas on the map that they can’t see. 
+
+Positioning is arguably one of the most important factors that separate low-level and high-level players. Good positioning allows players to take more advantageous fights, utilise special weapons more effectively, and retreat more safely to maintain pressure when the other team attempts to retake the objective. 
+
+This synergises importantly with the concept of flexible roles in-game.  
+Though some weapons can be called ‘anchors’, ‘slayers’, ‘skirmishers’, or ‘supports’, it is important to keep in mind that specific weapons will most likely not fit their role completely in one game. For example, your supportive Splash-o-matic may serve as an anchor when they’re using their Crab Tank or are the only one alive on the team so they can give super jumps in. They also may become an aggressive slayer by pushing in when their team has the advantage, and go back to supporting after this. Keeping your role flexible is vital to maintain the pressure on the opponent and to create more opportunities for your team.
+
+While mechanical skill is a very important part of playing Splatoon, other skills such as positioning and team coordination play a part in improving your gameplay.
+
+## **5\. The goal of being a competitive player is to be the best**
+
+In this article we have talked heavily about one motivator for getting into competitive Splatoon being improvement. This is one of the most common reasons as to why people get into competitive, but people often conflate wanting to be better with wanting to be the best. It takes a lot of dedication and practice to become a true master at anything, let alone Splatoon. But it is important to remember that you can find value in the act of improving itself, or in many other aspects of the game. For some, competing is purely fun, for others it's a way to create content. Some strive to be the best there can be while others focus on growing the community. There is no set goal that everyone has, and there doesn’t have to be. 
+
+The key idea underpinning the competitive Splatoon scene is enjoyment, so as long as your motivation is healthy, feel free to start\! Just grab your friends and your favourite weapons and give competitive a go\! If you don’t have friends that play Splatoon, there are many welcoming communities where you can find people in the scene to grow and play with (the Splatoon Stronghold’s a great place to start\!).
+
+Original Posting Date: August 31, 2025
+
+Written by: Kitamura

apps/web-react/content/articles/upcoming-fall-winter-2026-LANs.md

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+---
+title: "Upcoming Fall + Winter 2026 LANs"
+date: 2025-11-07
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/upcoming-fall-winter-2026-lans](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/upcoming-fall-winter-2026-lans)
+
+# **Upcoming Fall \+ Winter 2026 LANs**
+
+The climate is changing with the seasons, getting colder for many, but the LAN scene is still hot\! Between November 2025 and January 2026, there are a handful of LANs waiting. If you are looking to attend any, be sure to have your calendar ready and bags set to pack\! 
+
+## **November 2025**
+
+### **Sunset Surge: Nouveau Emberz 2025 \- November 15 (Arizona, United States)**
+
+Sunset Surge is returning for its first fall-themed LAN of 2025, hot off of its 2-year anniversary event in July\! Sunset Surge is a US West local, right in Arizona at the Tempe Center for the Arts. Sunset Surge is one of eight US-based LANs to have sent one of their tournament-winning teams to the 2025 LAN Championship Showdown.
+
+In addition to a Splatoon 3 tournament, Sunset Surge will also have a Salmon Run side event, for those eager to clock in at Grizzco over the weekend. Participants of the top three teams in the Splatoon 3 tournament will win a medal each; top three teams will also win an art prize. Check out the [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/sunset-surge-nouveau-emberz-2025/details) page for tournament rules, Discord links, and contact information to connect with others attending.
+
+Registration for Sunset Surge: Nouveau Emberz ends on Saturday, November 8–one week before the event–so keep an eye out on the dates if you plan to participate\! The LAN is on Saturday, November 15, 2025, and the tournament will be streamed on SplatoonTourney’s [Twitch Channel](https://www.twitch.tv/SplatoonTourney).
+
+### **Anarchy NoVA 2 \- November 22 (Virginia, United States)**
+
+On the other side of the United States is Anarchy NoVA, back for its second iteration in the DMV area\! The hosting venue is The Outer Limits video arcade in Ashburn, Virginia. Registration is done on start.gg, but registration and attendance fees are collected at the door.
+
+The team cap for the LAN is 12, which has already been reached, but the event is still open to spectators, and the event Discord (which can be found on the [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/anarchy-nova-2/details) page) is available for those who are interested in seeing if any of the registered teams need additional players. Tournament participants need to bring their Nintendo Switch, controller, 3.5mm headset, and Splatoon 3\. Every team is guaranteed a bracket placement after the group stage\!
+
+Anarchy NoVA 2 takes place on Saturday, November 22, 2025\. Venue doors open at 11 AM, and the group stage starts at 12 PM, with an estimated final Gold bracket beginning at 6 PM. If you are interested in watching the tournament, you can see it streamed live on the SplatoonTourney [Twitch Channel](https://www.twitch.tv/SplatoonTourney)\!
+
+### **Twin Squiddies \#13 \- November 22 (Minnesota, United States)**
+
+Twin Squiddies is a frequently-occurring Splatoon local hosted at Left Click Lounge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The gaming lounge is a two-floor venue with high speed specs and large monitors for all patrons to use\!
+
+The event asks that players bring their own setups–Nintendo Switch, Switch dock, power adapter, controller, Splatoon 3, ethernet adapter, and headsets that are compatible with Mixamps. The venue will provide monitors, speakers, and HDMI cables.
+
+Twin Squiddies \#13 opens at 10 AM, begins at 11 AM, and anticipates ending before 3 PM when the venue closes. The venue fee is $10.00, but those who are in the Left Click Lounge Discord receive a $1 off discount\! You can find the LCL Discord invite and venue information, with the latest Twin Squiddies event on the LAN’s [start.gg](https://start.gg/twinsquiddies) page.
+
+### **VanCoral (Autumn 2025 Edition) \- November 22, 2025 (Vancouver, Canada)**
+
+West Canada’s also got Splatoon coverage, and shows up with VanCoral, hosted at the University of British Columbia\! The UBC AMS Student Nest is the LAN venue, and on-site you’ll find options for snacks, drinks, sit-down meals, and even phone and eyeglass needs\!
+
+The main feature of VanCoral is the Splatoon 3 tournament. To participate, you’ll need Splatoon 3 and your Switch–either Nintendo Switch 1 or 2, but if you are bringing a Nintendo Switch 2, you will need to bring your dock and charger to play with. For those with a Nintendo Switch 1, docks and headsets are optional, but recommended. Not competing and want to explore in your downtime? There is also an artist’s venue at the Student Nest\!
+
+You can register for VanCoral (Autumn 2025 Edition) until November 21st, 2025, one day before the event. The Student Nest’s operating hours are 8 AM \- 11 PM on weekends; the Splatoon 3 tournament plans to take place on Saturday, November 22 at 12 PM. For more information, registration, and a Discord link, you can visit the event’s [Sendou.ink](https://sendou.ink/to/2763/register) page.
+
+### **Citadel asks: What's the Daily💥Advice? \- November 22 \- 23 (Michigan, United States)**
+
+Western Michigan’s newest LAN, Citadel asks: What's the Daily💥Advice?, is sponsored by esports organization Citadel Gaming, hosted at Grand Valley State University’s Eberhard Center. The event features several video game tournaments across two days, with Splatoon 3 taking place on Saturday for the Groups stage and Sunday for the Gold and Silver brackets.
+
+Final registration ends on Monday, November 17, the week of the LAN, and one venue fee covers attendance for both days; each event comes with a separate sign-up fee. Normal registration, which is only $15, ends on November 14, and goes up to $45 starting on November 15, so if you are going, it is advised that you register in advance and ensure that you aren’t part of the “I hate TOs” crowd by paying the late “I hate TOs” registration fee\!
+
+Citadel asks: What's the Daily💥Advice? Runs between Saturday, November 22 and Sunday, November 23, 2025; check-in begins at 8 AM and the venue closes at 11 PM both days. More details can be found on their [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/citadel-asks-what-s-the-daily-advice-1-000-minimum-pot-bonus/details) page.
+
+### **ICE RINK Season 12 \- Nov 2025 \- November 30 (Calgary, Canada)**
+
+Split into three events per season, ICE RINK is Alberta Squid Swamp’s recurring Splatoon LAN. The first event of season 12 took place in late October, with the finale planned for mid-January, 2026\. The November edition is the second of three in ICE RINK Season 12\! The hosting venue is Sentry Box Cards, a two-story game shop in Calgary.
+
+Participants of the first two events can expect to compete in Round Robin-style tournaments; the finale will instead be a Double Elimination tournament. Tournaments will be streamed live on the Alberta Squid Swamp Twitch channel, and the VODs will be available at a later time on their YouTube channel of the same name.
+
+ICE RINK Season 12 registration and events can be found on Alberta Squid Swamp’s [Challonge](https://challonge.com/users/albertasquidswamp/tournaments) page. The organization has a [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/albertasquidswamp.bsky.social), where additional links to the Discord and Twitch channel can be found, as well as updates on casual in-person events and other Canadian LANs\!
+
+## **December 2025**
+
+### **Big Dapple 8 \- December 6 (New York, United States)**
+
+New York’s recurring LAN, Big Dapple, has moved locations from BrookLAN to the OS NYC internet cafe in Bowery, NY, following the closure of BrookLAN in late September 2025\. Big Dapple 8 has a new registration record, surpassing the previous title holder, Big Dapple 4, which had 78 early competitor registrants\! There are plenty of parking garages nearby, and subway lines available for those who want public transportation. 
+
+Big Dapple’s Splatoon 3 tournament will be streamed on the [GenGame Twitch Channel](https://www.twitch.tv/gengame) for viewers at home. Sixteen teams have already registered by early November\! The Nintendo Switch 2 is allowed at this event\! In addition to the console, competitors are asked to bring a 3.5mm headset to use while playing. Alongside the tournament, a community art display, the Big Dapple Art Show, is accepting submissions for its second iteration\! Information on registering, volunteering, and submitting art can be found on Big Dapple 8’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/big-dapple-8/details) page, Discord, and Bluesky.
+
+Doors open for Big Dapple 8 at 11 AM ET on Saturday, December 6, 2025\. Registration for competing ends a week and a half earlier, on November 26, so plan accordingly if you intend to compete\! Spectator passes are also available, so don’t miss out on your chance to visit the largest Big Dapple yet\!
+
+### **Chi-Shoals \#39 \- December 13 (Illinois, United States)**
+
+Chi-Shoals, which is Illinois’ long-running Splatoon LAN, has its final LAN of 2025 in December\! Organized by SquidWest and hosted at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, Chi-Shoals is open to players of all ages and skills.
+
+The event is free; all players need to participate is a Nintendo Switch, copy of Splatoon 3, headset, and controller. The tournament will be streamed on the [SquidWest Twitch Channel](https://twitch.tv/squidwest), and they are happy to accept any interested in gaining commentator experience to cast for the event\!
+
+Chi-Shoals \#39 takes place on Saturday, December 13th and will run from 11 AM to 4 PM. Chi-Shoals is one of eight LANs to previously send a winning team to the 2025 LAN Championship Showdown\! More information can be found on their [Challonge](https://challonge.com/ar/communities/SquidWest) page.
+
+## **January 2026**
+
+### **ICE RINK Season 12 \- Jan 2026 \- January 11 (Calgary, Canada)**
+
+The finale to ICE RINK Season 12, Alberta Squid Swamp’s recurring Splatoon LAN, rings in the new year\! Two LANs preceded this finale, which were held in October and November 2025; the finale will round out the season at three events. The event takes place at the two-story game shop Sentry Box Cards, located in Calgary.
+
+The finale will be a Double Elimination-style tournament, which differs from the previous two events instead being Round Robin. The finale will be streamed on Alberta Squid Swamp’s Twitch channel, and viewers unable to watch it live can expect the VODs to be available on Alberta Squid Swamp’s YouTube channel.
+
+Registration for ICE RINK Season 12’s finale can be found on Alberta Squid Swamp’s [Challonge](https://challonge.com/users/albertasquidswamp/tournaments) page. You will also want to keep an eye on their [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/albertasquidswamp.bsky.social), where the links to their Discord and Twitch channels can be found, in addition to announcements for other recurring in-person events and more Canadian LANs\!
+
+### **Don’t Flounder at the Function \- January 17 (North Carolina, United States)**
+
+The newest Splatoon 3 LAN, Don’t Flounder at the Function, comes to life in Cary, North Carolina\! The LAN is sponsored by New Game Plus+ and will kick off at the North Carolina Esports Academy.
+
+The main event, the Splatoon 3 tournament, has a 12-team limit, but the event welcomes spectators and competitors alike. Competitors need to bring their Nintendo Switch 1, 3.5mm headset, controller (handheld players will be accommodated), and copy of Splatoon 3, and they encourage participants bringing their Switch 1 docks as well. Nintendo Switch 2 is not eligible for this tournament. The main event is split into two stages: Two Group Pools, and Double Elimination Bracket. The top three teams from each Group will proceed into the top cut double-elimination round.
+
+Don’t Flounder at the Function opens at 12 PM on Saturday, January 17, 2025, and the Two Pools into Groups stage will begin at 1 PM, with an anticipated Double Elimination Bracket start time of 6 PM. Show up and prove that you don't flounder at the function in this brand new LAN that is already attracting big names in the community\! Maps, rules, registration, and more can be found on DFF’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/don-t-flounder-at-the-function/details) page.
+
+### **New InkLAN \#5 \- January 17 (Massachusetts, United States)**
+
+Hosted by the New England Squids, New InkLAN is a regularly-recurring Splatoon LAN at the Balance Patch esports center in Boston, Massachusetts. Previously, New InkLAN \#5 was scheduled for October 25, but had to be rescheduled; now it is taking place in the new year\! This LAN has previously been eligible for the 2025 LAN Championship Showdown, with the winner of New InkLAN \#4 qualifying for the invitation-only tournament.
+
+The venue, Balance Patch, requires all competitors under the age of 16 to attend with a parent or guardian, so players will need to select the applicable passes upon registering. Discounted passes are available for students\! Any venue pass gives access to the Balance Patch’s on-site food and beverage menu for on-site refreshments. Competitors are encouraged to bring their own Switch and docks, plus LAN cables. Spectators are also encouraged to bring setups and play at stations when not being used for tournament play\!
+
+New InkLAN \#5 takes place Saturday, January 17, 2025; for additional information, check out the [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/new-inklan-5/details) page, which includes the event’s Discord invitation as well.
+
+### **Chi-Shoals \#40 \- January 30 (Illinois, United States)**
+
+Chi-Shoals, which is a regularly-recurring Splatoon LAN (which you may remember from a few entries above), has its 40th iteration to kick off the new year\! Even in 2026, it will still be hosted at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, Illinois.
+
+The event is free and welcome to participants of all ages and skill ranges. Participating players need to bring their Nintendo Switch, Splatoon 3, headset, and controller. The main event will be streamed on the [SquidWest Twitch Channel](https://twitch.tv/squidwest), who is accepting submissions from any interested in commentating\!
+
+Warm up at Chi-Shoals \#40 on Saturday, January 31st to prepare for the 41st iteration, which will be Chi-Shoals’ qualifier event for the 2026 LAN Championship Showdown\! More information can be found on SquidWest’s [Challonge](https://challonge.com/ar/communities/SquidWest) page.
+
+### **Torontoroka \- January 31 (Toronto, Canada)**
+
+Torontoroka is Canada’s newest LAN tourney, hosted by the same folks who run Toronto’s recurring LAN, Squid Social\! Announced during Squid Social 28, Torontoroka will take place at the Invictus Game Station, the same venue as Squid Social.
+
+What can you expect from this event? An eight-team capped 4v4 Splatoon 3 tournament, with a starting prize pool of $100 CAD\! Participants need to bring their Nintendo Switch (no Nintendo Switch 2 consoles), Splatoon 3, and controller; a 3.5mm headset with built-in mic and a USB-C charging cable is preferred. Attendees can also purchase food and drinks at the venue.
+
+Torontoroka opens at 12 PM on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at the Invictus Game Station in Toronto, Ontario. Registration and team finalization ends a few days in advance of the LAN, on Monday, January 26\. Additional information and Discord invites can be found at Torontoroka’s [start.gg](https://www.start.gg/tournament/torontoroka-2026/details) page.
+
+
+Splatoon players of many ages and experiences can all come together to agree that attending a LAN is a life-changing experience, and one that shouldn’t be missed if the opportunity presents itself. Don’t hesitate to meet the community in person and make some memories, on the journey and at the destination\! Splatoon Stronghold intends to publish quarterly articles on upcoming LANs across the globe, so stay tuned\!
+
+
+Original Posting Date: November 7, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/upcoming-major-splatoon-3-fall-tournaments.md

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+---
+title: "Upcoming Major Splatoon 3 Fall Tournaments"
+date: 2025-08-27
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted on the [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/upcoming-major-splatoon-3-fall-tournaments) website. 
+
+# **Upcoming Major Splatoon 3 Fall Tournaments**
+
+September and October 2025 are bringing plenty of hustle and bustle with some big Splatoon 3 events online and at LANs, and even new details about Nintendo’s Splatoon 3 North American League. There’s a lot to be thrilled about as Splatoon 3 approaches its third anniversary and continues to prove that it’s not slowing down\! 
+
+## **Riptide 2025 \- September 5 \- 7, 2025 (LAN, United States)**
+
+Riptide 2025 has reached two major event-firsts in the past month\! Splatoon 3 signups for Riptide have been so numerous that for the first time in Riptide’s history, the hosting venue has moved the Splatoon 3 tournament front and center, where previously Artist’s Alley and the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate friendlies were held. Additionally, as of August 25, 2025, they have reached 462 signups and set a new record high for a Splatoon LAN in North America\! The previous standing record was 461, at Riptide 2024\. 
+
+What else can you expect to see? Splatoon 3 will be lasting all weekend, Friday through Sunday, featuring both collegiate and non-collegiate events. All ranked modes (Splat Zones, Rainmaker, Clam Blitz, Tower Control) are in the rotation on a limited map list. The TOs have been making it clear to all Splatoon 3 competitors that there will **not** be support for Nintendo Switch 2 at Riptide. 
+
+Aside from Splatoon 3, these games will also have featured events: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate & Super Smash Bros. Melee, Rivals of Aether I & II, and Mario Kart 8 DX. 
+
+If you’re looking to take part in the action but aren’t able to make it to the event, IPL is looking for some help with easy tasks that you can do from home. Even if you’ve never done tasks like these before, they are happy to show you what needs to be done\! From their post: “The offsite support team is responsible for moderating stream chats, collecting clips of hype, funny, or interesting things that happen, and preparing and posting clips and other things to social media during the event.” 
+
+Further details on what each task entails can be found on IPL’s Bluesky, here: [https://bsky.app/profile/iplabs.ink/post/3lx5oir77vs2a](https://bsky.app/profile/iplabs.ink/post/3lx5oir77vs2a). Volunteer applications for offsite support will end on September 1, 2025\. 
+
+Riptide takes place between Friday, September 5 through Sunday, September 7, 2025, at the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio. Competitor registration ends on August 29\. Spectator passes can be purchased day-of at the venue. More details can be found on the event’s page, here: [https://www.start.gg/tournament/riptide-2025-4/details](https://www.start.gg/tournament/riptide-2025-4/details). 
+
+## **SuperJump 6 \- September 20 \- 21, 2025 (Online, Global)**
+
+The sixth iteration of IPL’s Splatoon 3 major, SuperJump, is set to take place in late September. The last time IPL held SuperJump, it acted as a qualifier for the Splat World Series tournament and as such, saw some of the best teams from the West competing. This event promises to live up to the same hype; one month to go, and IPL is already able to announce that FTWin has clocked in for the major. 
+
+This event will guarantee that all teams from Day 1 make it to Day 2\! The tournament will be double-elimination with a single-elimination redemption bracket on both days and is expected to follow the previous iteration’s map and mode rules, where all ranked modes are available. The prize pool starts at $250 USD, but donations will be accepted to increase the reward. 
+
+SuperJump 6 will take place between Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, 2025\. Registration will close at six hours before the event begins at: 6 AM PDT / 7 AM EDT / 12 PM BST / 1 PM CEST / 8 PM JST / 9 PM AEST on September 20\. Rules and registration are here: [https://www.start.gg/tournament/superjump-6/details](https://www.start.gg/tournament/superjump-6/details). 
+
+## **New InkLAN \#5 \- October 25, 2025 (LAN, United States)**
+
+Hosted by the New England Squids, New InkLAN is the NES’s recurring Splatoon LAN at the Balance Patch esports center. This LAN event follows just four months behind its predecessor, New InkLAN \#4, in which the winning team of that event, Z Tier Players, qualified for the LAN Championship Showdown. 
+
+The hosting location for the event, Balance Patch, has newly expanded their console collection to include support for the Nintendo Switch 2, per their website; just another option in an already widely-varied collection available to patrons. The site also boasts a video game-themed café with plenty of options for all types of gamers\! 
+
+The venue does require all competitors under the age of 16 to be accompanied by a parent/guardian, so any interested players will need to pay close attention to which pass they are purchasing. Registration ends on October 24–one day before the event–but offers early bird options at reduced prices. 
+
+New InkLAN \#5 will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at the Balance Patch in Boston, Massachusetts. For information about the event and location, check out the start.gg page: [https://www.start.gg/tournament/new-inklan-5/details](https://www.start.gg/tournament/new-inklan-5/details). 
+
+And even further down the road, we have Nintendo’s Splatoon 3 North American League to look forward to. Nintendo has announced that more information on the League will be revealed on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 (just one week before Splatoon 3’s third anniversary\!). Stay tuned as competitive Splatoon continues to snowball towards the end of 2025\!
+
+Original Posting Date: August 27, 2025 
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/updated-directory.md

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+---
+title: "Updated Directory!"
+date: 2025-08-01
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+Article originally posted at: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/updated-directory](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/updated-directory) 
+
+# **Updated Directory\!**
+
+Splatoon Stronghold has recently restructured their community guides Directory, aiming to provide everyone with a better experience searching for resources to assist their Splatoon journey. New additions have been put into the Directory, and the Directory will be regularly maintained and updated, ensuring that relevant, high-quality content is added and a wide range of topics are represented. Whether it’s the basics of Splatoon 3, legacy content for older Splatoon titles, competitive how-to, managing mindset outside of the game, or any subject in between, the Directory aims to provide players with guides available at their fingertips. New and experienced players will have something to gain\! 
+
+The main goal of this restructuring is to make the Directory easier to navigate. The spreadsheet has been sorted into four main tabs: 
+
+#### **Gameplay, Kits & Modes**
+
+- The basics of the game and related topics, such as motion controls, risk-taking in matches, movement techs, positioning, callouts, and more.   
+- Wide array of guides for weapons, sub weapons, and specials, including how to build gear to make the most of your abilities.   
+- Guides on all modes in the game–Ranked, Turf War, TableTurf, even Salmon Run; the Directory is not exclusive to content for competitive play\!  
+- Outside-of-game guides, such as how to play in a tournament, how to search for scrims, and how to spectate in tournaments with the camera. 
+
+#### **Comp Fundamentals**
+
+- How to find your playstyle and weapon in preparation for competitive play, and how team compositions are created and work with one another.   
+- More guides on effective callouts, both over the mic and using the in-game D-pad callout options.   
+- Analysis on modes, mechanics, and mindset with a focus on competitive play, including top-level player thoughts. 
+
+#### **Outside of the Game**
+
+- Guides that focus on maintaining a healthy mentality while playing: noticing when things are having a positive or negative effect and how to overcome it.   
+- How to optimize and settle into a comfortable controller setup that works for the player, including discussions on accessibility in-game.  
+- Awareness and skill development talks, both towards improvement in the game and about creating content for others outside of the game.   
+- Tournament organization topics and helping the community, resources for codes of conduct and keeping yourself safe in the scene. 
+
+#### **Past Games**
+
+- Legacy guides that provide information on topics that are locked to previous games, such as weapon guides for weapons that are not available in the current game\.   
+- How mechanics and matchmaking worked in previous games\. 
+
+#### **Content Creators**
+
+- Collection of video game Content Creators with valuable videos (guides, analyses, mindset).   
+- Some Creators are not Splatoon-focused channels but still have insight into general topics that can be beneficial for any video game. 
+
+Guides within the Directory are linked to their original format; guides are marked as being either a written document or a video. Each tab is color-coded to make finding specific main category faster (Analysis, Awareness, Callouts, Discussion, Gamemodes, Gameplay, Gear, Intros/Basics, Salmon Run, Specials, Sub Weapons, TableTurf, Tech, Tournaments, Weapons), and each of these main categories has also been given a visually distinct emoji to help separate categories without making ease of distinction reliant on color. Columns are also filterable, so anyone looking for something very specific does not need to scroll through the entire Weapons category looking for a guide for Dualies. 
+
+Regular maintenance will be performed on the Directory spreadsheet to ensure that guides are relevant and providing accurate, up-to-date information. An anticipated future addition to the Directory includes a new tab for Replay Codes, to provide the scene with access to match replays across many skill levels\! 
+
+Part of the ongoing maintenance includes adding in new guides as they come to the Stronghold’s attention. The Splatoon Stronghold website’s Resources page has a submission form for anyone to fill out if they have any guide recommendations they think we should add, any requests for them to find guides on a specific topic, or for creators to submit if they have created a guide for the community and would like to share it. 
+
+If you’d like to take a look at the Directory for yourself, you can find it on the Splatoon Stronghold website in the Resources tab, or by clicking here: [https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/resources](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/resources). 
+
+The Resources Team at Splatoon Stronghold put in a lot of hard work to make the Directory experience easier for the community, and will keep at it to fulfill the Stronghold’s mission of making resources accessible and available to all. 
+
+Original Posting Date: August 1, 2025
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social). 

apps/web-react/content/articles/version-11.0.0-hype-moments-and-aura-and-luti.md

@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+---
+title: "Version 11.0.0: Hype Moments and Aura Update... and LUTI?!"
+date: 2025-12-31
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+#### *A series-changing update is followed by the announcement of Splatoon’s longest-running competitive league*
+
+<img width="1200" height="675" alt="version_11 0 0_hype_moments_aura_luti" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6e8de6e9-00b1-471e-bdf6-6851e4f9f0d4" />
+
+The final week of January 2026 was a rapid-fire burst of big news beats for Splatoon. First teased on January 12th, Version 11.0.0 was shown off on the 28th, right before the big update dropped on the 29th. While all eyes were on Splatoon, few missed the quiet awakening of Leagues Under The Ink (LUTI) for Season 17\. 
+
+## **The Hype Moments**
+
+The last big patch for Splatoon 3, 10.0.0, released in June 2025, brought the first wave of third kits–30 new weapons–into the game. Six months later, the next patch had to match that expectation. What does Version 11.0.0 add into Splatoon 3? 
+
+- Health Bars  
+- Flow Aura  
+- Increased hitbox changes for every single main weapon in the game  
+- Decreased hitbox size for swim form  
+- Various buffs and nerfs to a handful of weapons  
+- Reefslider damage, radius, and hitbox update  
+- Adjustments to Super Jump air time based on having Stealth Jump equipped  
+- Some additional bug fixes
+
+While many of these updates were unexpected, most were warmly welcomed, especially the jump shot radius nerf to the S-BLASTs and the special points increase for S-BLAST ‘91 and Mini Splatling. The nerfs to S-BLAST ‘91 were met with cheer in most circles, as the Blaster had it coming for a while. 
+
+Even the changes to Reefslider, while mostly nerfs, were taken thankfully by players, now that the special has had its ability to solo-cap the Splat Zone heavily reduced, with an explosion radius and travel distance decrease, and a hitbox moved higher so the tiniest of ledges couldn’t save opponents from being splatted.
+
+When it comes to buffs, who was the biggest winner? From what we can tell with the short amount of time we’ve had with the patch, it seems to be the Dynamo Rollers. 
+
+<img width="611" height="600" alt="riderdynamo" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/634f6bf4-42ec-4685-a83d-89431d1a6f93" />
+
+*Panel from Volume 5, Chapter 16 (“Team Yellow-Green vs Team Emperor Part 1”) of the official Splatoon manga, showing the character Rider with his Gold Dynamo Roller.*
+
+The paint output for both horizontal and vertical swings are much more consistent, albeit more ink-hungry. Without any gear abilities put toward Ink Saver (Main), the Dynamo Rollers have approximately 4.7 swings before running out of ink. As a tradeoff, the weapon has an increased one-shot range, able to deal 100 damage minimum: 
+
+- At 12.9 units (horizontal swing), or just slightly above .52 Gal’s effective range.  
+- At 14 units (vertical swing), or close to the same range as a grounded Slosher.
+
+Many are comparing the newly-buffed Dynamo Roller to its glory days on the Wii U where it reigned supreme on the field. With the base kit’s Sprinkler and Tacticooler, many teams are already seriously considering its viability in comps.
+
+Overall, 11.0.0 seems to have given a general buff to short-range weapons, with a greater hitbox increase than the ones long-range weapons received. Fast, short-to-midrange weapons like Dualies and N-ZAP ‘85 were already popular in competitive play, and are likely to stay present more so after this update.
+
+And weapons weren’t the only hitbox update; Nintendo justified the decision to make swim form smaller after being static for over ten years by seeing that over the years, their player base just got *too good*: 
+
+“Since the original Splatoon on Wii U, a little leeway was built into the size of the hit box as players got used to aiming with motion controls.
+
+As players have become more adept with this playstyle, this has become less important. The adjustment in version 11.0.0. makes the hit box similar to that of the hit box in kid form, and should stop Inklings and Octolings in swim form from being hit when they’re hiding behind walls or around corners.”
+
+![NSwitch_Splatoon3_Version11News_Hitbox_image950w](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b2ce949f-e9cb-43d2-a85c-e78b99df6661)
+
+*Kid form and swim form hitboxes between Ver. 10.1.0 and Ver. 11.0.0. Image source: [Nintendo UK](https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/News/2026/January/What-s-new-in-the-Splatoon-3-Version-11-0-0-update-3011546.html)*
+
+The hitbox change to every main weapon is also directly tied into the swim form change, as Nintendo worried that decreasing swim form’s hitbox would have made the game “unfun” if enemies were too hard to hit. So they gave short-range weapons a much bigger bullet hitbox, and long-range weapons only a slightly bigger bullet hitbox.
+
+## **Aura Farming as a Mechanic**
+
+Perhaps the biggest surprise–and biggest meme–to come out of 11.0.0 is the introduction of Flow Aura, a mechanic that awards consecutive splats on opponents with a crackle and a shower of sparkles. 
+
+And [30 AP](https://bsky.app/profile/diam.bsky.social/post/3mdjmpiamvs2j) of Swim Speed, Run Speed, Ink Resistance, and Intensify Action. 
+
+Also, it lasts for 30 seconds, and **doesn’t go away if you get splatted**. 
+
+Without assists, the minimum number of splats you need to get to activate your Flow Aura is three. Just in case you might have forgotten that you were playing Splatoon *3*. 
+
+<img width="711" height="400" alt="flowaura" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d5c753e0-a0ec-4c8b-98c6-8440646d2883" />
+
+As players and analysts continue to test Flow Aura and how it interacts with the game as we know it, we’ve listed a few answers to some of the most frequently-asked questions about this new mechanic: 
+
+**Q: Can I enter Flow Aura state purely through assists, even non-damaging ones?**   
+A: No. While the exact number of assists-to-splats is unknown to activate Flow Aura, it appears that only damaging assists will count toward your Flow Aura. 
+
+**Q: How long can I remain in a Flow Aura state?**   
+A: At minimum, 30 seconds. If you splat more enemies while in a Flow Aura state, you will earn an extra 10 seconds, but you will never have more than 30 seconds at one time. For example, if you activate Flow Aura and then splat someone 5 seconds later, your Flow Aura duration will cap at 30 seconds rather than going up to 35\. 
+
+**Q: Does the number of players per team affect how many splats/assists needed to activate Flow Aura?**   
+A: No; Flow Aura is activated by number of splats/assists per limited window of time, and this is not dependent on number of players per team. If you are playing a 1v1 or 2v2 game, it may be extremely difficult or impossible to activate Flow Aura if your opponents cannot respawn fast enough.  
+
+**Q: Can enemies see Flow Aura sparkles while I’m hiding in my ink, like they can see Tacticooler effects?**   
+A: No; while hiding in your ink, your Flow Aura sparkles will not give away your position.
+
+**Q: Are there any new glitches regarding this mechanic?**  
+A: Yes\! Within two hours of the update being live, it was discovered that the burst of ink around your feet when you enter Flow Aura state is only visible on your screen, and not to others in the game. This leads to instances where you could appear to be hiding in enemy ink or swimming on uninked surfaces. 
+
+Source: [@itsn-a-m.bsky.social‬’s two-post thread on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/itsn-a-m.bsky.social/post/3mdjowgurvs2s)
+
+Currently, this glitch is still in the game and Nintendo has not released a hotfix or statement about when they plan to fix this. 
+
+## **Leagues on the Horizon\!**
+
+Within hours of Nintendo posting their sneak peeks at the updates in store for 11.0.0 on January 28th, the Leagues Under The Ink (LUTI) Bluesky quote posted the Stealth Jump video with just an image of a hare pointing at a pocket watch (coincidentally, the same image \[K\]yo used to hint toward [Competitive Splatoon's "great retirement"](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/beep-news/waving-goodbye-the-start-of-splatoons-great-retirement)). 
+
+Around the same time, players noticed a Sendou.ink page up for LUTI, with the notice, “Congrats\! You found us early. Please DO NOT REGISTER until all league features are set up after our announcement. Welcome to Leagues Under The Ink: Season 17\!” 
+
+![lutiseason17](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b15d147a-6112-460d-93cd-9711799dfe3c)
+
+*Graphic showing LUTI Season 17’s important dates. Image source: [@luti.bsky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/luti.bsky.social/post/3mdj2mynqqk27)*
+
+Later that day, LUTI officially announced their dates for the season, with FLUTI (the seeding event) beginning on February 7th, registration closing on February 15th, regular season beginning on February 23rd, and playoffs starting April 6th.
+
+Unfamiliar with LUTI? LUTI is the biggest Competitive Splatoon league–even bigger than the Splatoon 3 North American League. In Season 16, over 480 teams registered, with the end goal of earning a LUTI division. If you’ve heard the phrase “Div X”, “Div 1”, “Div 8”, etc., participation in LUTI is where those rankings come from. 
+
+If you’re interested in more information or registering, LUTI’s Sendou.ink page is [here](https://sendou.ink/to/3192/register).
+
+<img width="703" height="759" alt="DPxNSE" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/68c668c5-553d-4452-8ec3-77d4150f9a43" />
+
+*Bluesky post from [@dappleprod.bsky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/dappleprod.bsky.social/post/3mdlfwyblxc2u) dated January 29, 2026; Dapple Productions announces their partnership with NSE.* 
+
+Last but certainly not least, Dapple Productions has announced great news of their own\! Once again, they will be partnering with National Student Esports (NSE) to provide streaming for NSE’s Spring University League. The league lasts five weeks.
+
+National Student Esports is home of the British University Esports Championship, serving collegiate esports scenes in the United Kingdom. NSE saw participation from over 117 universities in the 2024–2025 school year across more games than just Splatoon. More info about the organization can be found at [https://www.nse.gg/](https://www.nse.gg/). 
+
+Just when players started to get too antsy about having nothing to motivate their competitive grind, one fell swoop of news has stoked the fire. Conversations abroad are filled with talk of Version 11.0.0’s quirks and team-building for LUTI. 
+
+Just a bit further on the horizon is a slew of LANs preparing to send their victors to the LAN Championship Showdown in April. The holiday break is over, and it’s time to get back in gear\!
+
+Original Posting Date: January 31, 2026 at [Splatoon Stronghold](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/version-1100-hype-moments-and-aura-update-and-luti)
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).

apps/web-react/content/articles/waving-goodbye-the-start-of-splatoons-great-retirement.md

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+---
+title: "Waving Goodbye: The Start of Splatoon's ''Great Retirement''"
+date: 2026-01-15
+author:
+   - name: YELLOW
+     link: https://sendou.ink/u/great-hero-yellow
+---
+
+
+# **Waving Goodbye: The Start of Splatoon's "Great Retirement"**
+
+*Riptide 2025 was just the start to a wave of top-level Competitive Splatoon players stepping back from the scene*
+
+<img width="1200" height="620" alt="WavingGoodbye" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f79bba05-b88c-4f04-8fec-8334c82fc58b" />
+
+In recent months, as major tournaments have come and gone, we’ve seen a wave of Splatoon 3’s top players taking a step back from the scene, in what the community is beginning to call “the great retirement”. What causes someone who has invested so much time into the scene to decide it’s time to part ways? 
+
+Every tier of competitive play will have players from a wide range of experience–not every top level player has been playing since 2015, and not every low-level has been playing for less than a year.
+
+Regardless of their longevity with the series, each player needs to consider their own well-being, and sometimes the answer has to be stepping away for an indefinite amount of time. 
+
+In the best case scenario, players are taking a step back out of a sense of fulfillment from their journey; no one wants to hear that someone is forced from something they have passion for due to health concerns.
+
+Two events in particular have played a key part in this sendoff: Riptide 2025 and the Splatoon 3 North American League. Both took place in September 2025 (in the case of the North American League, it began in September and continued into December).
+
+To focus on Riptide first, its significance is easy to understand: as a LAN event (and the biggest one in North America), a chance to see your friends in-person adds more sentiment and resolution to having a “one last hurrah” before going away. 
+
+Two top-level players in the competitive scene have used Riptide 2025 as their final event in their career, for an indefinite amount of time: Hypernova’s Lexi, and FTWin’s Burstie. Following the LAN, another player used his Riptide retrospective to realize it was time to take a deeper look into his feelings about the game: ProChara.
+
+## **1\. Lexi (Hypernova)**
+
+Lexi was one of the players who helped bring about the revival of Hypernova, along with Synapse, Henlo, and Datkid, competing with the team in events such as Splat World Series, SendouQ Season 7 Finale, FREEDOM DiVE, Barnacle Bash, and Riptide. Riptide 2025 was her last tournament with Hypernova.
+
+Her hiatus was not a surprise to her teammates; in a [BEEP interview with Synapse](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wgVOOMwMhFLngFOCvMc1aF_79c4F3gBCwA5yI76caWQ/edit), Hypernova’s team captain, on August 31, 2025, Synapse confirmed the fact, saying, “Before the Splat World Series happened, Lexi did tell us that she was planning to step back from Splatoon entirely after the event (although she is going to Riptide)”. 
+
+<img width="1919" height="1079" alt="HypernovaScreenshot" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2361a489-80ad-4115-ae82-b5129f09c987" />
+
+*Screenshot of Hypernova from IPL’s Splat World Series: REWOUND \- Takoyaki Party vs. Hypernova video.*
+
+We talked with Lexi about why she chose Riptide as her last event with Hypernova and the reason behind the break. 
+
+Prior to attending Riptide, her fondness towards Splatoon 3 was dwindling, specifically calling out how “the game started feeling stale and unfun” and “there are other games out there that are just way more appealing to me” as reasons for no longer competing.
+
+This sentiment is one that other retiring players frequently quote as their reasoning behind stepping away. As the game updates less and less, existing problems rankle, and as weeks pass by, new and exciting other prospects open up. That’s just life: out with the old, in with the new.
+
+Despite those negative feelings, Lexi still went with Hypernova to the LAN, for two specific reasons: 
+
+> I was already starting to be done with the game before Riptide, but LANs are super fun and Riptide is always one I wanted to go to, so I decided to play it even though I didn’t really like Splatoon. The environment made me love the game but playing it online didn’t feel good, so I stopped.
+
+The LAN effect is palpable; if you’ve ever asked anyone who has attended a Splatoon LAN, they will spare no details about how life-changing and thrilling the event was. It’s not just about seeing your friends in-person, but also all of your opponents, and fans enthusiastic about other aspects of Splatoon besides competing. 
+
+It also removes many of the least-liked aspects of Splatoon’s online gameplay: lacking communication options, random teammates with questionable motivations, wait times, unreliable internet, unfair matchmaking… 
+
+Once Riptide concluded, it was unclear how long Lexi’s hiatus would last; as Synapse put it in his BEEP interview, at the time it seemed like it would be “for the foreseeable future”. 
+
+However, we happened to reach out to Lexi at a coincidental time, as she hinted that she may pick up Splatoon again to prepare for the next LAN major, MomoCon, which will be taking place in late May 2026\.
+
+In case the note isn’t clear enough: if you have the opportunity to go to a LAN, take it\!
+
+## **2\. Burstie (FTWin)**
+
+Burstie has played on and off with FTWin since 2018, participating in numerous major events such as The Squid House, Splatoon 2 Inkopolis Showdown \#4, Splatoon 3 Enter the Splatlands Invitational 2022, Splat World Series, a handful of SendouQ Season Finales, and Riptide. 
+
+Like Lexi, Burstie’s last event with FTWin for the foreseeable future was Riptide 2025\. FTWin’s socials announced that Burstie was on hiatus but did not mention why.
+
+This was not Burstie’s first break from competition; we reached out to him to get more about his decision to step away again, and why Riptide 2025 was his last tournament. In his words: “Yeah my last event was going to be Riptide 2025 whether we won or lost. At that point I was too burned out with the game so even if we won it wouldn’t really have changed my decision.”
+
+Burnout is perhaps the most common cause for players to take time away from Splatoon–feeling too stressed, overworked, and not enjoying the time playing the game are things that happen to players of all skill levels. Taking a break is one of the easiest and most effective ways of resolving burnout. 
+
+But burnout isn’t the full story for Burstie’s reasoning behind his leave.
+
+<img width="506" height="675" alt="FTWinBanner" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c0f65505-ab53-448b-ad60-8530a25bfe58" />
+
+*FTWin’s team portrait, from left to right, top to bottom: sam, 200N, Shak, Hexen, \[K\]yo, Biscuit, and Burstie, created by [@azaleaspl.bsky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/azaleaspl.bsky.social).*
+
+Another hurdle of competitive gameplay is mentality. As Burstie said to us, “I decided to take a break from the game for a bunch of different reasons, all sort of related to my mentality.” He elaborated: 
+
+> I’ve always been too hard on myself and try to take a lot of the blame for losses. \[...\] The pressure to improve more individually made every loss feel a lot more personal and I ended up getting more frustrated than usual. All of these things together created a really bad cycle \[...\] 
+
+> This mentality is really bad to have and the only way it could be avoided was to win. So once I realized that I knew that even if we won Riptide, the cycle would just repeat the next time we lost, and so I decided to take a break.
+
+As an audience, we may find ourselves looking at top level players and believing that because they are among the best, they have to have everything “figured out”. We can’t forget that every one of us is human, and no one is above burnout, frustration, or stress, even over a silly, colorful game that we all have a great deal of passion for. 
+
+Being able to identify the cause of such unhappiness and take action to resolve it is not easy, but in order to put oneself in a better, healthier state, it’s necessary, and commendable. 
+
+## **ProChara (Moonlight \[Coach\], Last Resort)**
+
+Best known as the coach for top-level team Moonlight and member of former teams Last Resort and Prophecy, and YouTube channel of the same name, ProChara committed to a break from content creation and competition following Riptide 2025\. 
+
+Some big events he has participated in include numerous In The Zone and Area Cup tournaments, The Big House, The Squid House, LUTI Season 16 Div X, and the one he considers his greatest achievement, the Splatoon 2 North America Inkling Open 2019 at PAX EAST.
+
+Upon returning from hiatus, he uploaded a video titled, “[I'm Back (And Retiring From Competitive Splatoon)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNHtNuld3jg)”, where he detailed his competitive journey since 2016, leading up to his decision. He doesn’t like calling it a “retirement”–it’s not guaranteed that he’ll stop competing altogether, though the likelihood of returning is very low. 
+
+As the video detailed, his main motivation throughout his journey has been because he “enjoyed the spirit of improving” and wanted to make it back to the highest stage of Splatoon gaming. 
+
+Experiencing decreasing levels of investment in the game, he expected Riptide to fix that–being a large, exciting LAN surrounded by friends. What happened instead, after trying to play the game following Riptide, he “felt nothing”. 
+
+<img width="651" height="675" alt="CharaRetirementBsky" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4195f3cf-7172-482f-8784-a28b49ab29f6" />
+
+*A Bluesky post from [@prochara.bsky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/prochara.bsky.social/post/3m65r4rwzvk2c) dated November 21, 2025, where he announced his return to content creation and hiatus from competitive play.*
+
+His video had an excellent retrospective about the situation he found himself in: 
+
+> And I started to understand what I was feeling. It wasn’t a problem with the game–I’m not saying the game is perfect; I’ve dealt with Stingray era, this is nothing. I started to notice, I had the feeling of satisfaction. What once used to be a result that I felt the need to get back to, to get back to NA championships, to get back to Worlds, I instead just felt proud of myself. \[...\]
+
+> And then I was similarly proud of my results, y’know, earlier this year. I had fallen off, I had struggled, I pulled myself out of it, and I proved to myself that I could succeed. But as soon as I did that, that was the last thing I felt I needed to prove to myself. 
+
+> I no longer had something that I really cared to strive for as much; instead I am simply happy and content with the accomplishments that I already have. Which isn’t a bad thing; I think it’s a really great mental spot that I’m at, but that mental spot also killed my drive to seek for anything more.
+
+Increasing concerns about wrist pains and wanting to do other things also contributed to him no longer competing. He still plans to keep up with his YouTube channel, stay involved with the Splatoon community, and coach Moonlight. 
+
+His video concluded with his hopes that fans will engage with different players, teams, and community members. Splatoon fans are numerous, and there is no better time to start creating or engaging with different content than the present\! 
+
+## **Rumors of More to Come…**
+
+Riptide 2025 took place between September 5 \- 7, and two weeks after that began the Splatoon 3 North American League, running from September 20 to December 14\. The official Nintendo event promised hours of runtime, open to *anybody* who registered with a team on Battlefy, and easily accessible to viewers to watch live on YouTube.
+
+But what it promised was perhaps… *too* many hours.
+
+Halfway through the NA League, \[K\]yo, captain of one of the longest-running and highest-achieving Competitive Splatoon teams in the West, FTWin, remarked on social media that, “The great retirement is soon upon us”, in response to others hinting that once the NA League ended, there would be a wave of players retiring. 
+
+<img width="439" height="605" alt="KyoRetirementTwitter" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/526b6f87-fad4-4023-9faa-97469d772744" />
+
+*A Twitter post from [@KyochaNDxD](https://x.com/KyochaNDxD/status/1984823442391052794) with an image of a hare pointing at a pocket watch with the caption, “The great retirement is soon upon us”, from November 1, 2025\.*
+
+This post lit a spark in the community, with folks calling what would soon come, “the great retirement”, as Riptide 2025 would only be the beginning. 
+
+A healthy mentality is critical when competing, and when paired with excessive strain on the body, drives players closer to burnout and physical pain. Those causes are among the highest calls for hiatus from players, prioritizing themselves over competing. Second is finding the game is no longer fun or engaging, feeling stale or chore-like.
+
+Another major reason that players tend to take a break is due to life changes, whether it be a new job, entering or graduating school, moving, or more. 
+
+As the Splatoon 3 North American League closed, as \[K\]yo predicted, we have seen a wave of players announcing their hiatus. We’ve reached out to a handful to get their story behind their decision to take a break. Keep an eye out for the follow up\!
+
+
+Original Posting Date: January 15, 2026 at [BEEP News](https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/beep-news/waving-goodbye-the-start-of-splatoons-great-retirement)
+
+Published by: [Broadcasting Esports, Every Play](https://bsky.app/profile/broadcastbeep.com).
+
+Written and formatted for publication by [YELLOW](https://bsky.app/profile/great-hero-yellow.bsky.social).