Shellendorf Institute

Shellendorf Institute is a multiplayer stage in Splatoon 2. It takes place inside a history museum. A large glass roof stretches over the stage's center, giving players high ground but limiting their navigation options when they stand on it.

Layout


Shellendorf Institute is a suspended upper floor of a large museum with many different displays of science and art. The distinguishing feature of the stage is the two-layered dynamic of the inkable lower floor and the glass ceiling suspended above. The upper layer can only be accessed from the left path immediately in front of the spawn point, the one inkable display on each team's right side, or the Inkrail right before entering the central plaza. Going to the left path from the spawn gives a vantage point over enemy coming in from the narrow hallways in that direction, while the glass ceiling makes up the rest of the upper ground. The center area dips down to a long open hallway with the only obstacle being a stone sarcophagus at center stage.

Ranked Battle terrain
In Ranked Battles, specifications for the terrain or placement of objects are different between the modes; these changes create new paths or new objects to take cover behind.

Splat Zones
The Splat Zone of the stage is located horizontally at the center of the stage and spans much of the center area, with the sides on the inclining slopes. The stage received a significant change during this mode, most notably the glass ceiling being separated, so teams are no longer able to access the opposing team's side from the upper route. Several blocks have been added to the narrow hallways, however. The addition of these blocks gives a potential access point for the opposing team to climb into the upper area of their enemy.

Tower Control
The Tower is located at the center of the stage in place of the stone sarcophagus. The Tower weaves around a few blocks added to the center stage, traveling left into the side area, before rising above a wooden block, added to wall off the side area. It then descends from the other side and makes a right turn, reaching its destination where the opposing team would drop off into the battlefield.

Checkpoints:


 * The first checkpoint is located in the central area just before it goes up the ramp to the side area.
 * The second checkpoint is located on top of the newly added wood block in the narrow hallways.
 * The third checkpoint is located immediately after the wood block is cleared and just left of the final goal.

Rainmaker
The Rainmaker is located center stage on top of the stone sarcophagus. The goal is located in front of the enemy base, one level up from the lower area. When approaching from the left, ramps have been added which allow players to reach the upper floors and some uninkable stairs have also been added immediately in front of the goal. There are three ways to reach the goal: to the left, up the ramps, which leaves them right above the goal; straight to the goal, up the uninkable stairs; or the upper route which leads the player to the right and directly to the platform where the goal is.

Clam Blitz
The baskets are located at the far ends of the central area snug in the corner between the opposing team's upper paths. Players can reach for the basket on the lower floor, or they can make a goal standing on the glass above. Blocks have been added to allow more options to get onto the glass ceiling.

Version 2.1.1 to 4.9.1
Shellendorf Institute was released on 2018-01-12 at July 27, 2024.

Version 5.0.0 onwards


On 2019-07-22, an announcement was posted on the official Japanese Twitter account stating that from 29 to 2019-07-31, Shellendorf Institute would be "closed for renovations", similar to the announcements made for Starfish Mainstage in Version, The Reef in Version , and Blackbelly Skatepark in. The announcement included a blueprint of the stage with the planned changes drawn over it. The changes were released in Version on 2019-07-31.

Changes included:


 * Elevation of the glass roof and side routes being modified.
 * An additional ramp being placed on the right side of the stage.
 * Areas on the sides of the stage gaining additional turf.
 * The removal of Inkrails from the stage in favor of Sponge Blocks in Turf War.
 * The movement of the baskets to be centered in Clam Blitz, making it significantly more difficult to toss Power Clams from the roof when combined with the roof's new height.

Trivia

 * Shellendorf Institute was initially shown in the Version announcement video that was released on 2017-11-21.
 * As the name suggests, it is perhaps owned or founded by Ammoses Shellendorf. However, this connection is only made in the English name of the stage and not in any other language.
 * One of the exhibits includes what appears to be three DNA strand models, each with a sign on the bottom left depicting a pair of headphones and a smartphone displaying a symbol. This is a reference to the concept of a song being contained in the DNA of every Inkling, which has been mentioned in Sunken Scroll 23 from Splatoon and in the liner notes of Splatune.
 * An interview with Marina in the liner notes of Splatune 2 also brings up the possibility of Octolings having a song in their DNA too.
 * The stage shares similarities to Hammerhead Bridge from Splatoon. There are multiple levels, with the top level having hardly any inkable surfaces.
 * The institute appears to be a museum, with exhibits, skeletons and signs everywhere showing the prohibitions, including what seems to be photography, drinks and kissing.
 * One of the large banners to the left of spawn advertises a Dogū figure with Inkling hair. The actual clay figures can be seen in the center exhibits.
 * According to The Art of Splatoon 2, the museum is 120 years old and its exhibits holds the largest number of collections in the countries.
 * The insects and fossils in the exhibits are identical to the models used in Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
 * The internal codename for this stage in the game files is "Tunnel".
 * As of Version, an advertisement for this location is one of the rotating ads on the left-side jumbotron in Inkopolis Square.
 * In one of her English quotes, Pearl mentions Temnodontosaurus (albeit spelt 'Temnodontasaurus'), a genus of Ichthyosaur from the early Jurassic period in Europe.