Nintendo Switch Getting Splatoon 2 Demo A Week Before Launch

A limited-time Splatoon 2 demo will go live a week before the game launches for the Switch, Nintendo has announced. You'll be able to try out the game for free on July 15 as part of the Splatfest World Premiere.

Splatfests are a returning feature to Splatoon 2. The limited-time events center around a divisive theme, where you pick a side and fight for your cause. The World Premiere's theme is a serious one: which is yummier, cake or ice cream?

The demo will start at 3PM PT / 6PM ET on July 15, lasting for four hours. UK players will get a separate four-hour time slot, starting at 5PM BST the same day. That's less than a week before the full game launches on July 21. The demo appears to be a separate file to the one required for Splatoon 2's global testfire in March, and it will be available to download from the Eshop later today.

The news was announced during today's Nintendo Direct stream, in which the company revealed it would be running two years' worth of Splatfests and one year of content updates. These will include new stages, gear, and weapons.

Elsewhere in the stream, the Japanese company unveiled its new Nintendo Switch Online mobile app, which will let you use voice chat in multiplayer games such as Splatoon 2. The app launches alongside the shooter on July 21, though Nintendo didn't specify if players will be required to purchase the cumbersome Splatoon 2 headset in order to use it.