Splatoon 2 partners up with JAMSTEC!

We have an aquatic announcement from our overseas colleagues who are partnering with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC for short). JAMSTEC is a scientific research institute dedicated to an integrated understanding of the Oceans, the Earth, and Life, all while contributing to the advancement of academic research.

That means JAMSTEC and Splatoon 2 for Nintendo Switch are both anchored around the key themes of the ocean and the deep sea.

In fact, the gear you can get in Salmon Run this month is the Oceanic Hard Hat, a helmet like the one JAMSTEC staff and scientists wear every day, offering protection for their hard work offshore.

An interesting fact about JAMSTEC is that they have a research vehicle called SHINKAI 6500. Completed in 1990, SHINKAI 6500 is a manned submersible that can dive to depths of 6,500 meters. As you can see above, the Autobomb sub-weapon in Splatoon 2 took some design inspiration from this impressive machine!

In the upcoming Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion DLC, SHINKAI 6500 will even make an appearance, as mysteries still remain in the deep-sea world of Inklings.

You may have also noticed that a scientific drilling vessel appeared near the battle stage Manta Maria. This real-life vessel, named CHIKYU, meaning “The Earth” in Japanese, can drill in water as deep as three Mt. Fujis combined, and it continues to close in on mysteries deep inside the Earth as part of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP).

To learn more about the research and science of JAMSTEC, you can check out more details here: http://www.jamstec.go.jp/e/