One of the Nintendo Wii U's best-selling games was a shooter called "Splatoon," and it seems like the company is aiming for to continue the trend with the Nintendo Switch through "Splatoon 2." Although the sequel is not coming out until Summer, fans will be glad to know that an open beta is scheduled a few weeks after the game system's launch. The beta is free for anyone to join but is only scheduled for a total of six hours.
The open beta is somewhat oddly scheduled, with the allocated six hours spread into six one-hour sessions over the course of three days. It appears that gamers must try their best to be online during the scheduled active sessions. The first one reportedly starts on March 24 from 12-12:59 P.M. PT and 8-8:59 P.M. PT. The second follows on March 25 from 4-4:59 A.M. PT, 12-12:59 P.M. PT and 8-8:59 P.M. PT. Finally, the last schedule is on March 26 from 4-4:59 A.M. PT only, says Game Rant.
Players note that the open beta is a surprising step for Nintendo, who previously never supported these types of events for its previous consoles. It will be reportedly called "Splatoon 2 Global Testfire" and will most likely test out Nintendo's planned online service for the Nintendo Switch. Their online subscription is scheduled to go live a few months after the new game console officially launches across the globe.
During the announcement, game producer Hisashi Nogami also revealed some new information about the Switch's multiplayer connectivity. It was previously indicated that the new console can support up to eight interconnected systems, but it seems that the maximum is actually 10. However, the systems need to be connected to a wired LAN. Additionally, the remaining two players will not be able to participate in the match, but they can just watch the ongoing shootout. According to Gamespot, players have even started to speculate that a 10-player option might be available in the future.
Nogami also added that "Splatoon 2" takes place two years after the original game. He stated that the weapons, characters, and maps have changed. Players who have the Nintendo Switch can join the open beta this March and experience the changes first-hand.