

The Splatoon 2 World Championship kicks off from 8:30am to 11am AEST on June 12th, and AUNZ’s very own Yeah Nah will be splatting for a chance at global victory on the world stage!



Tune in at the official E3 site at these times to cheer on Yeah Nah:

Opening rounds – June 12th: 8:30am to 11:00am AEST | 10:30am to 1:00pm NZST

Finals – June 13th: Competition begins at 6:00am AEST | 8:00am NZST



Cheer on some of AUNZ’s top squid squads as they face off in the world finals, as they vie to get their tentacles on the celebrated Splatoon Sterling Squid trophy!



Q&A with Yeah Nah



As they make the Squid Jump—erm, flight—towards their E3 journey, let’s get the scoop from Yeah Nah as they talk Splatoon 2 tips, fave characters, and E3 fever!

Meet Gabe





How did you come up with your team name, Yeah Nah?



The name “Yeah Nah” was my own idea and started out as a team name for one of two representative Australian teams for an international Splatoon 2 tournament. I wanted the other team to be called “Nah Yeah” but they went with something else. The name was just so perfectly Aussie, I had to use it again for this team.



What were your highlights from the 2018 AUNZ Splatoon 2 Cup grand final at Supanova Melbourne?



I don’t think I’ll forget that entire weekend in a hurry.

From the build-up of excitement the day before when we flew in, receiving our team shirts, being up on stage for the panel and exchanging banter, to actually playing on the amazing stage in front of members of the community and public... The whole experience was just awesome.



Did you play Splatoon on Wii U? If so, how has your Splatoon experience changed since Splatoon 2 launched on Nintendo Switch?



Adjusting from the Wii U Gamepad to the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller was the biggest change for me. I played on a very low sensitivity and with the big gamepad I was used to large movements while still retaining a level of control. Using the Pro Controller, it took me a long time to find a sensitivity that I was comfortable with but now I can’t go back.



Who’s your favourite resident of Inkopolis Square, and why?



Sheldon. He just wants to nerd out and talk about how good each of his weapons are. Also, he has the best shop music.



Do you have any advice for new players who are trying to get better at Splatoon 2?



As much as I’d usually advocate for using motion controls and finding a weapon that’s right for you, being aware of what’s around you at nearly all times is probably more crucial to success. Similar to other shooting games, opponents could be hiding around corners only in this game actually hidden in ink.

It’s important that when you’re pushing an objective or going into enemy territory that you flush out as many logical hiding places and have a teammate with you for backup in case one or more enemy squids get the jump on you.



Give us a fresh fact about yourself…



Since late last year, I’ve had a fulltime job as an engineer, so I’m lucky to play as much of the game as I do.



What are you most excited about for your trip to E3 2018?



Meeting international members of the Splatoon community and also playing; and watching the invitational for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Switch.



Meet flc

Your favourite Splatoon 2 mode is Clam Blitz. Do you have any tips to share with new players trying out this mode?



Clam Blitz is by far the most complex mode in the game, so much so that each map plays almost like a separate game mode of its own. You need to be making Power Clams as much as you can, so that you remove small clams from the map, making them respawn faster. When you’re defending, you need to be between the basket and the enemy team (which can be difficult on some maps, like MakoMart and Port Mackerel). Also, scoring isn’t always a good thing: the best time to go for points is after your own basket has closed (because your basket is invulnerable for ten seconds after it’s closed but the enemy’s basket becomes vulnerable instantly), so if you break the enemy basket but your team can’t follow up with more points, you’re usually just giving the enemy team a chance to score even more points.



Describe your first experience with Splatoon 2.



I rushed to level 10 to play Ranked on the first day, and had some interesting games in C- Rainmaker.



You received a custom-made Splatoon 2 Pro Controller as a trophy for becoming 2018 AUNZ Splatoon 2 Cup champions. Any plans on using the controller, or will it stay behind glass?

I’ve been using mine, just with my old Pro Controller’s black grips swapped in for the gold ones so I don’t damage them.



How has your Splatoon experience changed since Splatoon 2 launched on Nintendo Switch?



The main thing that’s different to me is that the weapon kits and especially specials are way more powerful when used by themselves in Splatoon than in Splatoon 2. A lot of weapons in Splatoon (Wii U) splat the entire enemy team at once by themselves with their invulnerability specials, Inkzookas, Burst Bomb combos, or even just the main weapon. Now, though (in Splatoon 2), there’s a lot more emphasis on weapons helping the team out, so you need to be able to set your team up for success rather than just relying on brute force.



Give us a fresh fact about yourself…



Up until recently, I had some long-standing time trial world records on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.



Do you have any advice for new players who are trying to get better at Splatoon 2?



Worry about yourself, not your teammates. In general, they’re all trying to win but they might not be going about it in the way you want them to. You might want them to get on the Tower or paint the Zone, but maybe they’re wanting you to come and help them clear out the surrounding area. If you focus on trying to figure out what your teammates need you to do rather than expecting them to go along with your master plan, you’ll win a lot more games. At lower ranks, this by itself is enough to put your team well ahead in coordination.



What are you most excited about for your trip to E3 2018?



Meeting some of the international players whom I’ve known for years. Wadsm from BackSquids was on one of the Mario Kart 8 teams that I played against a lot and I’ve done commentary with Nine quite a few times before, so it’ll be cool to meet them in person.



Meet Rivir

What were your highlights from the 2018 AUNZ Splatoon 2 Cup grand final at Supanova Melbourne?



The game on ‘The Reef’ was my favourite. I was playing the Splat Brella and at the 2:30 mark we were trapped in spawn and the stage wasn’t our colour. In the last 20 seconds we came back strong and barely got the lead.



Describe your first experience with Splatoon 2.



I got the game the evening of launch day. I stayed up all night playing through the single-player Story Mode. It was worth it.



What tips would you give new players trying out different Splatoon 2 modes?



I like all modes fairly equally. Recently I’ve been liking Rainmaker. It’s a mode where you have to be fluid in your role. You may have an opportunity to move the rainmaker and it may be better to push up for the team at that moment instead of grabbing the rainmaker or vice versa.



Who’s your favourite resident of Inkopolis Square, and why?



Jelfonzo. Learning a language is hard. I respect the effort put in to learn the Squid language… even if it’s a very old version. It’s funny.



You received a custom-made Splatoon 2 Pro Controller as a trophy for becoming 2018 AUNZ Splatoon 2 Cup champions. Any plans on using the controller, or will it stay behind glass?



It’s staying behind. I really like it and don’t want it damaged.



Give us a fresh fact about yourself…



My favourite animal is the kookaburra because it’s an Australian bird that laughs.



What are you most excited about for your trip to E3 2018?



Along with the tournament, it has to be going to E3 and seeing all the new games Nintendo has planned to release.



Meet Latias (again!)

This is your second time competing on the world stage, having represented AUNZ with Blue Ringed Octolings (BRO) last year at E3 2017!

What was it like facing off against your old team in the online qualifiers this year?



BRO put up a good fight this year. I hope they’ll be cheering for us.



What is your favourite memory from last year’s Splatoon World Inkling Invitational?



I think my favourite memory was taking a Turf War win against Deadbeat, the team representing the US last year. No one expected us to take anything, especially not against them. I also did it playing Charger, which was surreal.



How has your Splatoon experience changed since Splatoon 2 launched on Nintendo Switch?



I’ve been a Charger-class main since Splatoon on Wii U. Sniping in Splatoon 2 is a lot harder for several reasons. One of those reasons is that there’s a greater variety of weapons in this game; Dualies and Brellas are extremely hard to splat! For the same reason, however, I believe Splatoon 2 is a much more balanced and enjoyable game, because of the variety in weapons that can function at an elevated level of play. I believe the Chargers can be just as great in this game as they were back in Splatoon.



Who’s your favourite resident of Inkopolis Square, and why?



Li’l Judd. He gives great advice (and he’s super cute!)



You received a custom-made Splatoon 2 Pro Controller as a trophy for becoming 2018 AUNZ Splatoon 2 Cup champions. Any plans on using the controller, or will it stay behind glass?

It’s staying behind glass I’m afraid. I’m too scared to touch it, because with my luck, it’d break if I did!



Give us a fresh fact about yourself…



When I’m not splatting squids, I’m studying a Bachelor degree in biomedical science!



What are you most excited about for your (second) trip to E3?



I’m looking forward to having some close matches against the teams competing this year, just like last year. I hope it’ll be a lot of fun! Also, I’m going to be meeting up with a lot of my friends I’ve met through playing Splatoon.





Meet Toadsili

You have a long flight ahead of you… will you be training up on the plane with some local Turf Wars?



Playing together will certainly help pass the time on the long flight, that’s for sure. With that said, hopefully there isn't too much turbulence on the way; it kinda messes with the motion controls.



What were your highlights from the AUNZ Splatoon 2 Cup grand final at Supanova Melbourne?



Casting the AUNZ finals along with Alecat was a fantastic experience to share the excitement and enthusiasm of the game with others. I only hope I was able to do the event justice.



Do you have any Salmon Run advice for fellow Golden Egg collectors in the Splatoon 2 community?



Strong weapon fundamentals, good movement, and consistent situational awareness go a very long way in surviving against the Salmonid army. Knowing how to respond to constantly changing threats; and doing so in a way that supports your fellow workers will dramatically improve your chances of success. Do you have the rapid-fire shooter? You’re probably the best worker to take out those pesky Stingers. See three Steelheads getting close to the basket? Might be time to take them out. Is your crew getting swarmed by loads of bosses? Pop those specials!



I highly recommend playing Salmon Run with a group of friends. It’s a fantastic way to improve your teamwork, especially if you are communicating with each other via voice chat. It’s also easier to have fun when the focus is working towards a common goal, rather than direct competition.



Reading the Grizzco Manual is also a must!



Give us a fresh fact about yourself…



Though I enjoy pretending to be a Squid Researcher from time to time, I am a real researcher by profession. Just not of squids or octopodes.



Who’s your favourite resident of Inkopolis Square, and why?



Crusty Sean, for all those delicious (and useful) food items. It’s also nice seeing a familiar face every now and then.



Do you have any tips for new players who are trying to get better at Splatoon 2?



Turf War is a fantastic place to polish your fundamentals. It is here where you can choose to focus on a small set of skills at a given time; like your situational awareness, or maintaining control of a key stage area; without the performance anxiety of the Ranked Modes. Reviewing your play afterwards by using a capture card device, or the Nintendo Switch’s built-in video recording feature, is critical for learning from your mistakes and thinking about what you can do better next time.



What are you most excited about for your trip to E3 2018?



I’m most looking forward to meeting the fellow tournament participants and having some good times together. I’m also hanging out for the opportunity to meet Squid Researcher Nogami-san in person.



Tune in at the official E3 site on June 12th at 8:30am AEST to cheer on Yeah Nah in the opening rounds of the Splatoon 2 World Championship at E3 2018!





Yeah Nah were crowned champions live at Supanova Melbourne, achieving victory in the 2018 AUNZ Splatoon 2 Cup.



Brush up on their journey here.



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