SuperJump 7: 2025's Hypest Grand Finals

Article Originally Posted At: https://www.splatoonstronghold.com/news/superjump-7

SuperJump 7: 2025’s Hypest Grand Finals

On Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7, 2025, Inkling Performance Labs (IPL) hosted the 7th iteration of their recurring Splatoon 3 major, SuperJump. With over 50 teams competing and guaranteed to make it to day two, the weekend was full of Splatoon action in one place for competitors from North America, Europe, and Japan.

Starting on day two, commentating the first block (up to Winner’s Finals) were Nox and Raze, and for the second half of day two was Nine and Rissa. The tournament is a double-elimination where Winner’s Bracket is a Best of 5, and Loser’s Bracket is a Best of 3 (up until Loser’s Quarterfinals). Every set starts with Splat Zones, then shifts to a map and mode counterpick from the losing team. The prize pool starts at $250!

Winner’s Semifinals - Life expectancy 2025 vs. Duck Motif (L 3-0)

After quite an exciting SuperJump 7 so far, from upsets to disconnects, the event began to boil down starting with Winner’s Semifinals. Life expectancy 25, who managed to upset Milky Way in Round 1 and 3-0 them, was facing Duck Motif, who has been tearing up the Splatoon 3 North American League week after week.

Splat Zones at Robo ROM-en was already seeing Duck Motif locking out Life expectancy 25 in the first 30 seconds. The game appeared on track to end early for Duck Motif–Life expectancy 25 was able to slip through and cap the zone, long enough to earn a handful of points and stop Duck Motif at 18. A series of small pushes is what saw Life expectancy 25 back in the lead. The catalyst was Duck Motif’s Redshell1, overextending with a Zipcaster, being splatted; Duck Motif couldn’t regroup, and Life expectancy 25 took the win in a knockout.

Rainmaker at Museum d’Alfonsino, the first of only two Rainmaker games on stream past Winner’s Semifinals, followed a similar game flow as its predecessor. Although Life expectancy 25 had a small lead from the onset, Duck Motif ran the Rainmaker through the first checkpoint and to a comfortable lead of 24. Halfway through the game, Duck Motif was wiped out, which opened the door for Life expectancy 25 to sweep the game out from under Duck Motif in another knockout!

Clam Blitz closed the set at Inkblot Art Academy. Less than 30 seconds in, Duck Motif was down three. Life expectancy 25 was able to throw in some clams, but ended at 71 in a wipe out. Duck Motif scored next, powering their push with three specials, but only managed to score one Power Clam. The next two minutes were slow, as there was neither enough paint nor players around to make a safe push when a chance arrived. Duck Motif, who had sneakily left a Squid Beakon in Life expectancy 25’s base, scored and took a one-point lead in the final 30 seconds of the game. The time crunch was no matter for Life expectancy 25, as they scored in the last 10 seconds, and wiped out Duck Motif in overtime to secure a 65-30 win.

Winner’s Finals - Special Grade vs. Life expectancy 25 (3-1)

As the commentator block shifted hands, viewers were shown the trailer for the Raise 4 RAICES charity tournament! Raise 4 RAICES is a Splatoon 3 tournament with a catch–TOs leave the behind-the-scenes to compete! Teams are built with four players, one per skill level, so every team is evenly-matched. R4R’s goal is to raise as much funding as they can for RAICES, a nonprofit that provides accessible legal assistance for immigrants and asylum seekers in Texas. You can watch the trailer video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWxEw2QdkS0.

When the action kicked back up, it was at Shipshape Cargo Co. for Splat Zones. Special Grade, a pickup of mostly PxG players + Futa, from Japan, was holding the zone at the end of the first minute, but Life expectancy 25 was in the lead. Special Grade took the lead a minute later while locking Life expectancy 25 into their base–they tried throwing specials to force Special Grade back, but each one was too disconnected from the others that it lost staying power. Special Grade knocked out for the first win, with just under half of the match clock left.

Game two was the second and last instance of Rainmaker on stream. It was at Museum d’Alfonsino. Quickly, Special Grade had Life expectancy 25 down three players and the first checkpoint under their belt. The tables turned, and less than a minute later, Special Grade was the team down three. With the opponent still respawning, Life expectancy 25 got their first checkpoint and the lead. Still in the first half of the game, the score flipped one more time as Special Grade was in Life expectancy 25’s base before a blink. While the game went into overtime, no new leads were attained, and the final score was Special Grade winning 86-58.

Game three, Splat Zones at Mahi-Mahi Resort, had both teams fighting the first minute and a half, neither holding it longer than a handful of seconds. It took Special Grade moving all four players into Life expectancy 25’s base to keep them far away from the zone for the lead to move significantly. Life expectancy 25 took about 40 seconds to break free, and when they did, they were able to cap the zone, barely stopping Special Grade from knocking out. Their hard work favored them; after taking down Special Grade three players, Life expectancy 25 locked the zone down, took the lead, and knocked out a win with over a minute and a half remaining!

Life expectancy 25 took initiative on Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy by taking the tower first, pushing it with protection from a Big Bubbler just seconds into the game. It wasn’t a far lead, so it wasn’t a surprise when Special Grade overtook it on their path to clearing their first checkpoint. The game belonged to Special Grade, doggedly riding the tower to another knockout, wiping out Life expectancy 25 along the way. With a 3-1 set score, Special Grade was, predictably, on their way to Grand Finals next.

Loser’s Semifinals - Fruittella vs. Milky Way (0-3)

Not missing the beat, the next Splatoon organization to get a shout-out was BEEP (Broadcasting Esports Every Play), playing their studio commercial from last week’s SendouQ Season 9 Finale, looking for volunteers. Anyone interested can check out BEEP’s volunteer form at broadcastbeep.com/help.

Then we were onto the Loser’s Semifinals, between Fruittella and Milky Way! Both teams had an incredible SuperJump 7 journey so far, having lost in Winner’s Round 1 and climbing all the way through the Loser’s Bracket to meet. This set would continue the storyline between these two from Splat World Series, where Fruittella 0-2’d Milky Way in an upset victory in Loser’s Round 1.

The all-Splat Zones set started at Humpback Pump Track. Milky Way took possession of the zone in the first 15 seconds, with specials already online. Fruittella had their turn with the zone; they got the zone to 84 before it sat neutral as the teams went back and forth. Each time Fruittella neutralized the zone, they went down two or more players, giving Milky Way the zone back. Fruittella still pushed–several specials were thrown at the zone in the last minute, and it was Fruittella in control once the dust settled. In overtime, they were out of penalty points and in possession, but a wipeout ended their run, in a close game, 71-80.

Another Splat Zones, at Um’ami Ruins. Fruittella had the zone for the majority of the first minute, only letting Milky Way get a couple points, but never the lead, until close to two minutes in, when Fruittella was down two players to give Milky Way the zone. Two opposing Triple Inkstrikes were tossed; Fruittella got the zone afterward, stopping Milky Way at 15. Milky Way had Fruittella in a tight lockout as the seconds ticked down, but Fruittella’s specials paved the way for them to grab the zone. Milky Way, who was in the lead, ended up in control again before the match ended, and it was another loss for Fruittella, 67-85.

The closest Splat Zones between these two in this event was at Barnacle & Dime. Triple Inkstrikes were the MVP of this game, but the bulk of the action was between those, Booyah Bombs, and Crab Tanks. Fruittella’s tried-and-true method to keep getting out of their base and recapturing the zone was a Booyah Bomb + Triple Inkstrikes combo, and Crab Tanks were vital to Milky Way and Fruittella taking the lead at least once. In the last 30 seconds of the special-heavy game, it was Crab Tank vs. Crab Tank; as the two dueled, Milky Way took the lead one final time against Fruittella, and was the team advancing to Loser’s Finals after going 95-89.

Loser’s Finals: Life expectancy 25 vs. Milky Way (0-3)

The Loser’s Finals was a rematch of Winner’s Round 1, where Life expectancy 25 sent Milky Way 0-3 into the Loser’s Bracket. As the tournament continued, both teams put forward their best effort, and were now head-to-head once more to determine who would go to Grand Finals against Special Grade.

Game one, Splat Zones Mahi-Mahi Resort, was over before the action had a chance to marinate. Life expectancy 25 took the zone first but was quickly sent back by Milky Way, who took the lead. After the first minute, Life expectancy 25 wiped out Milky Way and tried to start a lockout, getting the lead after outpainting Milky Way and their specials. Just after Milky Way lost the lead, they took the zone out from under Life expectancy 25; about 30 seconds later, the lead was once more theirs, and they ran all the way to a knockout with it.

Game two, Tower Control at Hagglefish Market, had Milky Way taking the first points as Life expectancy 25 was cut down to one player through the use of specials. This got Milky Way their first checkpoint, but it wasn’t much later until Life expectancy 25 was on their heels and taking the lead, powered by a Booyah Bomb and Ultra Stamp. Milky Way made two attempts to reclaim the lead, and the second one, at less than 40 seconds to go, succeeded by keeping Life expectancy 25 back with specials. Life expectancy 25 could not get close enough to take the tower, and ended up with another loss, 57-81.

Both teams took their turn with the zone at MakoMart within the first minute; Life expectancy 25 had the zone first thanks to their specials deploying sooner. Going down a few players gave Milky Way the zone just before the first minute’s end; this resulted in them taking the lead. It was another 30 seconds before Life expectancy 25 stopped Milky Way’s zone timer at 39, kicking off a series of back-and-forths with zone possession. It began to feel like Life expectancy 25 could only make something happen when their Ultra Stamp was out, which was a weakness that they could not make up for before Milky Way took the game–and with it, the set–in another knockout.

Grand Finals: Special Grade vs. Milky Way (1-3)

The Raise 4 RAICES trailer appeared again, preceding the Grand Finals! Special Grade vs. Milky Way, the Grand Finals set that everyone was anticipating, just not through the journey that it took to get there. Between Special Grade nearly losing in a game 5 set to BEt and Milky Way having to claw their way up from Loser’s Bracket after winning no games in the Winner’s Bracket, this SuperJump 7 had plenty of surprises!

Splat Zones at Barnacle & Dime arrived, to do what it does best: provide one team with a knockout win. In the first 10 seconds, Special Grade had the zone–Milky Way spent the next 30 seconds skirmishing and gaining a numbers advantage, and after getting the zone… that was it for Special Grade. The first game of the Grand Finals went to Milky Way without much spectacle.

Game two promised a different story: at Um’ami Ruins for Splat Zones, the action was faster and hard-pressed. Special Grade took the lead as the clock passed minute one, and the score began to get out of easy reach for Milky Way. Nearing the halfway mark, Milky Way stopped Special Grade at 23, and the tug-of-war continued. Milky Way, in the last 40 seconds, sitting behind Special Grade’s lead, took the zone after throwing Triple Inkstrikes and a Booyah Bomb together. At the last possible moment–the same frame the clock reached 0:00–Milky Way took the lead, negating overtime, and took the game by a hair, 78-77.

Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy was Special Grade’s last chance to avoid a shutout, and the start of the game did not look good for them, as early on, they were down half of their team and Milky Way was already through the first checkpoint. Seeing two down on each team was a common sight. During one of these moments, while Milky Way was regrouping, Special Grade took their first checkpoint and the lead. They kept up the effort and protected the tower, getting through the second checkpoint late in the game, and finally broke Milky Way’s Loser’s Bracket streak by handing them a loss after winning, 72-32, after overtime.

Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino saw the first major weapon change: Gos switching from the Splash-o-matic to Splattershot Pro FRZ-N. After two minutes had passed, teams had yet to score, but Special Grade had the biggest share of the clam economy. Almost halfway through the game, Milky Way scored first, throwing three Power Clams at once. Though they used specials to break in, Special Grade’s last-second effort to score only amounted to one Power Clam before being forced back, and they would not score a second time, ending the set with a third loss, 20-60, after overtime.

Bringing SuperJump 7 to a Grand Finals Reset!

Grand Finals Reset: Special Grade vs. Milky Way (3-2)

This may be the closest SuperJump set ever–and it may not be a stretch to call it the closest set ever in all of Splatoon, with two games going so down to the wire that it came down to just a few frames.

Game one went to Splat Zones at MakoMart, where Gos switched from Splattershot Pro FRZ-N to Splattershot. The points ticked down fast for Milky Way, that by the time Special Grade regained the zone just after the first minute, Milky Way had it down to 22. The teams were so focused on the zone that it went back-to-back-to-back before settling into someone’s hands firmly. With just 4 seconds left, Triple Inkstrikes capped the zone for Special Grade, giving them an overtime dream. Special Grade held on long enough to overtake Milky Way, and the Grand Finals Reset was looking in their favor after the 92-91 win.

Game two was back to Clam Blitz at Museum d’Alfonsino. Teams scored faster this time, but each team only scored twice: once to get points to their name, the second to only reduce penalty points. The first score belonged to Special Grade, almost two minutes into the game, and they got down to 54. Halfway through, Milky Way snuck into Special Grade’s base and scored to 60 before having to retreat. Special Grade scored again with a minute and a half remaining, but just one Power Clam, cutting through their existing penalty stock…

Milky Way once more slipped behind Special Grade and others jumped in, assuming their landing was covered with a Booyah Bomb. Milky Way opened the clam basket and eliminated their penalty points, then got wiped out before anyone could score, thanks to a bomb that wasn’t destroyed by the Booyah Bomb. To add further to the injury, as Milky Way had no Power Clams left and could not make one in time, the game ended for them, 40-46, without overtime.

Game three went to Tower Control at Hagglefish Market. Special Grade scored first, and with more than just a touch-and-go push, they had their first checkpoint cleared after the first minute. Afterward, both teams went down two players. Milky Way took the tower from that, and with a Crab Tank set on it, they earned a few points before Special Grade kicked off a minute-and-a-half-long skirmish over mid where the tower didn’t move. It took Milky Way until the last minute to get their first checkpoint, and they kept going, taking the lead and several players down with them. The game ended 56-49.

Game four went to the classic combo Tower Control at Inkblot Art Academy. Special Grade was once more in charge from the onset, having the first checkpoint behind them not even 30 seconds in. While Milky Way also got their first checkpoint nearly two minutes later, it wasn’t until 1:44 that they took the lead. They took it through the third checkpoint, which would be tough to beat in so little time, but Special Grade tried! At the last second before overtime, Special Grade cleared their second checkpoint, then held the tower through Triple Inkstrikes and a Booyah Bomb, but lost it just a few points away from the lead, 86-94.

Of all the surprises one could expect in a game five, Special Grade counterpicking the runback at Tower Control Inkblot Art Academy was one that wasn’t on anybody’s list! Nobody changed weapons. Special Grade still got the first points. However, it was Milky Way who took the lead in 30 seconds, and getting through their second checkpoint after a minute and a half must have made Special Grade second-guess their choice. They got their first checkpoint around the three-minute mark, but struggled to get the tower past the uninkable ramp. Being down three players in the final 30 seconds looked bleak...

Special Grade rallied themselves and invaded Milky Way’s base in overtime, and managed to reach the second checkpoint with Gos and Futa on the tower. Gos was splatted; Futa retreated, only to be splatted as well. Grey delivered a perfect S-BLAST ‘91 direct on Jared, who appeared to be on the tower after dodge-rolling onto it, but…

Image originally posted by @bugbgy.bsky.social

The dodge roll kept him suspended in the air just enough that the touch didn’t count.

Next, Special Grade had to contend with the rapidly-dwindling overtime timer. Grey and Soulja dashed for the tower; Soulja kept the tower and cleared the second checkpoint.

How close was Special Grade to losing the tower due to vacancy in overtime? Well…

The Overtime! gauge in the match UI, as Soulja climbs the tower.

That Overtime! meter looks pretty empty! But a few heartbeats later, Special Grade had the 59-58 victory and the SuperJump 7 win! After two back-to-back frame-perfect scenarios, there probably won’t be any other game of Splatoon, ever, that comes this close.

After such a rush, it’s hard to believe that anything can beat the action seen in SuperJump 7. December is still not over; next week has the culmination of the Splatoon 3 North American League–the Playoffs–on Saturday and Sunday, and following that is the community’s Raise 4 RAICES tournament, featuring TOs across the globe competing for charity!

Original Posting Date: December 9, 2025

Written and formatted for publication by YELLOW.