Splatoon 2's Maps Still Rotate, But More Frequently

Nintendo will be reducing the amount of time it takes for stages to rotate in its colorful team-based shooter Splatoon 2, the game's producer revealed in an interview with Edge.

One of the more unusual aspects of the first Splatoon for Wii U is the way it handles stage selection. Rather than letting players vote for a map to compete on, the game randomly cycles between two specified stages each round. The designated maps are then refreshed at regular intervals. The stages would rotate out every four hours in the original title, but Splatoon 2 will update its map choices every two hours.

Splatoon 2 producer Hisashi Nogami explained the reasoning behind this decision: "We feel that part of the gameplay is actually selecting which weapons would be best for that combination of two maps. In Splatoon 2, the maps rotate every two hours, so it’ll be a much faster cycle than the previous game."

Currently, Nintendo has unveiled four stages for Splatoon 2: a shopping district known as The Reef, the indoor gymnasium Musselforge Fitness, an outdoor music venue called Starfish Mainstage, and a BMX-inspired arena dubbed Humpback Pump Track. The game will also include stages from the original Splatoon; the only one confirmed to be returning thus far is Moray Towers.

Splatoon 2 launches for Nintendo Switch on July 21. Nintendo held a global testfire demo for the title back in March which showcased a few of its new weapons and specials, though the company hasn't announced if it will be holding another testfire closer to the game's release.