Key Takeaway
Conch Shells are a dual-purpose currency in Splatoon 3 that can be earned and redeemed for a limited period of time. The number of Conch Shells you earn before and during a Splatfest event will count towards your team’s overall total score.
Conch Shells are an important and unique resource in Splatoon 3. As a new addition to the Splatoon series, you’ll need to know how to obtain them. More importantly, though, you’ll want to know what you can do with them while they’re available.
Table Of Contents
What Are Conch Shells?
Conch Shells are a special kind of currency in Splatoon 3. They have a couple of important functions, both for players as individuals and also for the game’s Splatfest teams. Conch Shells can be collected both for personal use and as part of your contribution to your Splatfest team’s ongoing collection total.
To better understand the purposes of Conch Shells, you’ll want to know about the Splatfest event itself. For longstanding players of the Splatoon franchise, the event will be familiar territory. However, if you’re a newcomer to the series, it’s helpful to be aware of Splatfest and the part you’ll play in it.
What Is Splatfest?
Splatfest is a special in-game event that takes place over a set time period in Splatoon 3. All players pick a team for the Splatfest and will take part in different Turf War battles for the duration of the event.
However, before the event itself gets underway, a pre-Splatfest period known as the Sneak Peek begins. Once this is announced, you can select which of the three teams you wish to join up with for the upcoming Splatfest.
Once you’ve picked a side, you can then begin earning Conch Shells right away in the Sneak Peek period. This is normally the week leading up to the Splatfest event itself. Once Splatfest gets underway, you’ll then be battling it out with your team to raise your side’s overall score and emerge victorious. One of the deciding factors in this is which team gathered the most Conch Shells overall.
How to Get Conch Shells
You can start earning Conch Shells as soon as the Splatfest is announced and the Sneak Peek begins. Provided you’ve pledged to one of the three teams, you’ll be able to start accumulating Conch Shells in a few different ways.
The primary method of doing this is to raise your Catalog Level. Provided you’ve reached at least level four, you’ll have received a Catalog from the Hotlantis store vendor, Harmony. Raising your Catalog Level will allow you to unlock a number of new reward items, such as banners and cosmetics. However, boosting your Catalog Level will also earn you Conch Shells during the Sneak Peek and Splatfest event.
Taking part in the game’s main Turf War and Anarchy PvP battles in online multiplayer will help you advance your Catalog Level. Additionally, you’ll be able to boost this further by taking part in the game’s co-op PvE mode, the Salmon Run. Each first win of the day will also bag you some bonus XP, so it’s worth taking on a few matches to get those victories in the bank.
Each time you level up your Catalog, you’ll get a shiny new Conch Shell that’ll count towards your team’s total. However, you don’t have to take part in the actual Splatfest event to contribute to the overall score. Your activities and Conch Shell earnings during the Sneak Peek will count towards your team’s total, regardless of whether you can play in the special event matches or not.
What to Do With Conch Shells
You can use your Conch Shells to get your hands on a number of unique items in Splatoon 3. They can be redeemed at the Shell-Out Machine in the main Battle Lobby for the chance to win packs of Tableturf Battle cards, ability chunks, and tickets. You can also win locker room accessories and Splashtag items such as banners and titles by playing the Shell-Out Machine.
Using your Conch Shells in the Shell-Out Machine is arguably a more cost-effective way of playing the gacha-style vending game. You can use one Conch Shell per play, instead of spending the alternative 30,000 Cash each time.
The Shell-Out Machine won’t guarantee a reward with every use. Instead, rewards are dropped at random and there’s an element of luck required. With this in mind, it’s probably a good idea to use your Conch Shells and save your Cash where possible.
It’s also important to know that unused Conch Shells can’t be saved for later. All unspent Conch Shells will disappear at the end of a Splatfest event. So, make sure you use them before you lose them!
