Switch's Splatoon 2 Gets Free Week-Long Demo And Discount

Nintendo is giving Switch owners a chance to try out one of the console's best games for free for a limited time. In an uncharacteristic move, the company is offering a special week-long demo of Splatoon 2, which lets prospective players dive into the colorful shooter and its suite of online modes at no charge.

The Splatoon 2 Special Demo is available to download now on the Switch Eshop. Much like the full game, you'll need an internet connection and a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play the demo. If you don't already have the latter, you'll receive a code for a free seven-day trial for the service via email after downloading the demo, even if you've already tried the previous free NSO trial.

The Special Demo runs from March 19-25. During that time, players will be able to try out Splatoon 2's signature Turf War mode, which pits two teams of four against each other in a contest to cover the most terrain with your color ink, as well as the game's various Ranked Battles and the cooperative Salmon Run mode.

If you're interested in purchasing Splatoon 2 after your time with it, Nintendo of America is offering 20% off of the game in the Eshop until March 28, bringing its price down to $48. Players in Europe will get an even bigger savings; the base game will be 33% off, while the Splatoon 2 and Octo Expansion DLC bundle will be discounted by 25%. You'll also be able to carry any progress you've made during the free trial period over to the full version.

Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions run for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year. Along with online play, the subscription offers a handful of other benefits, including cloud saves for most games and access to a catalog of classic NES titles, including Kid Icarus and StarTropics, which were added to the library earlier this month.