Splatter enemies and claim your turf as the ink-spewing, squid-like characters called Inklings in Nintendo’s new third-person action shooter game for the Wii U. Challenge your friends in chaotic four-on-four matches, in which the goal is to get your ink on as many places as possible and claim your turf, all while strategically submerging yourself in your team’s colors and blasting your enemies.

A central “plaza” that connects to all the different modes in the game also grants access to a shopping center that lets players customize their weapons and outfits with in-game currency.

The game’s main online mode is Turf War, in which players with broadband Internet access can compete head-to-head in four-on-four teams to try to cover as much territory as possible in their team’s ink. As they do battle, players will gain levels and earn in-game currency that allows them to customize their Inkling. Players can equip different pieces of clothing, which each provide different game-play perks like swimming more quickly through ink or decreasing the time needed for them to refill their ink canister. Players can also equip pre-determined weapon sets consisting of main weapons like rapid-fire ink guns, long-range ink rifles and paint rollers, as well as sub-weapons like ink bombs or sprinklers. Players can also fill up their special gauge in battle to unleash powerful special weapons for a brief period of time. Players will battle in a variety of online multiplayer maps, including the newly announced Blackbelly Skatepark, Saltspray Rig and Walleye Warehouse.

Tower Control, a new game mode, will soon be added to the already available multiplayer modes in Splatoon. This mode will be added to Ranked Battle, which also includes Splat Zones.

The objective of Tower Control is to ride a single floating tower into the enemy’s base. Both teams rush toward the tower, which is initially placed in the center of the map, and the tower will start moving automatically once a player climbs aboard. But beware: Riding the tower will increase the chances of being splatted, as every player has his or her target on the tower. Riding the tower alone is pretty tough, encouraging randomly selected teams of players to team up to accomplish their goal. Just like in Ranked Battle and Turf War, players will be rewarded for working together as a team. Surrounding the tower and protecting the player riding the tower, using each stage’s features to gain an advantage, and supporting each other are the keys to victory. Tower Control will be available at 7 p.m. PT on July 1.

Fans can tune into a special Treehouse: Live with Splatoon Tower Control at 3 p.m. PT today to get a sneak peek of the new mode.

The Splatoon game also features themed events called Splatfests that let players choose their allegiance in a popular argument and then compete against the opposing side in online battles. The first Splatfest for players across the Americas takes place all day on July 4 and asks players to choose which is better, dogs or cats, one of life’s great debates. Right now, players can already choose their allegiance in-game and receive a special in-game T-shirt showing support for their side. As players battle in Splatfest, they can rank up and earn in-game Super Sea Snails, which can be used to further customize and improve their gear. The winning team at the end of Splatfest will also receive bonus Super Sea Snails. Stay tuned for information about additional Splatfests.

The Ranked Battle multiplayer mode keeps track of each player’s online ranking. Splat Zones is one of the additional ways to play online in this mode. As opposed to Turf War, which will be available to all players as soon as they begin playing Splatoon, Splat Zones lets players try to control the territory of specific areas of the map with their ink blasts. As they play these ranked modes online, they will have the opportunity to increase their rating from “C-” to “A+,” which will be dynamically updated based on their performance. Players will need to achieve an in-game online Level of 10 by leveling up their Inkling in Turf War online matches before gaining access to these additional modes. As a result, once the game launches in May, Nintendo will track the global progress of players as they gain levels, and once a critical mass of players has achieved Level 10, this additional mode will be unlocked for players who meet the ranking criteria.

Key Features:

• Team up and take on other teams in an action-filled battle to cover the level with as much ink as possible. Spray walls to access hard-to-reach areas.
• Covering more territory with ink unlocks powered-up super weapons that can be used to attack rivals or cover more turf.
• Strategy is everything. Defeat enemies to splatter them in an explosion of ink, covering more turf for your team. But choose wisely: Players who only go after the enemy might find their turf redecorated in their enemies’ colors.
• Refill ink tanks, hide from opponents or move faster by turning into a squid and diving into the ink with the tap of a button.
• Select between multiple control options on the Wii U GamePad controller, including using gyroscopic controls to look around, allowing for better aiming and control.
• Hop online and battle in four-on-four matches.