Splatoon 2 is just one of those games that is fascinating to watch skilled players challenge each other on. Europe’s finest Inklings will soon be splatting it out for ultimate glory when they meet at the Polymanga event in Switzerland at the Splatoon European Championship. Using their own Switch consoles and copy of Splatoon 2, 16 highly-skilled teams will duke it out for the title of European champions, including winners and runners-up from the preliminary local tournaments that have been held over the past year, leading up to this climactic finale.

Here's all the details from Nintendo UK for your edification...

The tournament kicks off with a pre-qualification round on 30th March and the morning of 31st March, where the 16 attending teams will battle it out for a coveted spot in the final four. Then, on 31st March at 13.00 CEST, the gripping semi-final and final will be broadcast live on Nintendo UK’s YouTube channel and on Twitch, with members of the winning team walking away with a special trophy and jersey, and the title of European Splatoon Champion.

The 16 teams who will be competing to make it to the live semi-final and final are:

  • UK: Team Mako (Winner of UK championship) and 4D (Winner of wildcard tournament)
  • GermanyAustria/Switzerland: Gucci Gang (Winner of German championship) and Hallo! (Runners up)
  • France: Alliance Rogue (Winner of French championship) and EL Firmament (Runners up)
  • Spain: Spanish Army (Winner of Spanish championship) and Archicosmus (Runners up)
  • Italy: NinPlayers (Winner of Italian championship) and CrossInk (Winner of online Italian championship)
  • Netherlands: Polderlantis (Winner of Dutch championship) and Team.Extensions (Runners up)
  • Belgium: Overtime (Winner of Belgian championship)
  • Portugal: Hexagone (Winner of Portuguese championship)
  • Russia: Red Ink (Winner of Russian championship) and Splat Tim (Runners up)

Team Mako

Team members Sarah (Sweeglie) and Lucy (Itskaji) are identical twins. Kaji has proved herself a particularly powerful splatter: for the last three Splatfests ('Action vs Comedy', 'Gherk-IN vs. Gherk-OUT', and 'Chicken vs. Egg'), she’s been the winning team’s #1 player globally.

Fun bonus fact: Truman, “gets very upset,” when people spell her player name 'utopia' with a capital “U”.

Team 4D

The moment 4D’s DUDE saw the first Splatoon game at E3 2014, he knew it had great competitive potential: he even prepared a competitive team before the game came out. DUDE has over two years’ worth of Splatoon tournament experience, and has entered over 100 tournaments, making him a formidably experienced player.

As soon as the Great British Splat Off was announced, DUDE invited his online friends to team up. However, choosing a name that would represent all of them was tough. By coincidence, their nicknames all start with the letter D, and hence they came up with the team name '4D'.

Follow our Nintendo Versus UK Twitter account on the 30th March for frequent updates on our local teams as they battle through pre-qualification rounds for a coveted spot in the final four.

Before the tournament’s final stages commence, Polymanga will host a special virtual concert. Pearl and Marina, of the game’s pop idol-duo Off the Hook, will appear onstage to sing along to a series of tracks and perform their slickest choreographed moves, all accompanied by a live band. The whole concert will be livestreamed on Nintendo UK’s YouTube channel and on Twitch, and will begin at 12:00 CEST.

Don’t miss the finest Splatoon 2 teams from across Europe battling it out at the Splatoon European Championship. The first rounds take place on 30th and 31st March, with the climactic semi-final and final streamed live on 31st March. The special Off the Hook concert starts at 12:00 CEST, followed by the livestreamed tournament kicking off at 13.00 CEST; both will be livestreamed on Nintendo UK’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

It all sounds like it's going to be a an epic battle to watch play out. Will you be tuning in to these steams at the end of the month?