Nintendo is renowned for legacy franchises likeSuper Mario,The Legend of Zelda, andMetroid; names that have kept the video game developer relevant since the 1980s. However, plenty of new experiences have joined that pantheon over the years, fromAnimal CrossingandPikminin the 2000s toSplatoonandARMSin the 2010s. Of the modern multiplayer-focused IPs,Splatoonhas made a name for itself as one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises, andSplatoon 3is set to launch on September 9.
The originalSplatoonreleased in 2015, with its successor dropping not long into the Switch’s life. Given the third-person shooter series has live-service elements, releasing new maps, weapons, and other content after each entry launches, it seemed reasonable to assumeSplatoon 3would have a longer development cycle. Yet the third title will stick on Nintendo’s hybrid console, and fans are able to experience it through theSplatfest World Premiere(ending August 27 at 9:00 p.m. PT). While new weapons and mechanics like the Squid Roll help differentiate the experience from its predecessor, it would be interesting to see Nintendo try more radical changes like mid-battle weapon swaps.
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Weapon Selection in Splatoon 3
One of the biggest takeaways from theSplatoon 3Direct on August 10 was that every previous weapon type would return alongsidenew tools like the Splatanaand bow-like Stringer. The Splatfest World Premiere demo allows players to try a full arsenal, accounting for 26 main weapons with a variety of sub-weapons and specials - though this includes adjacent duplicates like the E-liter 4K, a sniper rifle with the option to equip a zooming scope. Despite the lack of private matches, demo users can test out each weapon in a training room as they wait for matches to populate.
Unlike traditional shooters,Splatoonfocuses more on overarching goals than pure deathmatch. Itsflagship game mode, Turf War, decides winners by whichever team covers the majority of a map with ink - though “splatting” opponents still has merit, both preventing them from doing their job and creating explosive bursts of ink. In this context weapons are useful for more than just PvP effectiveness, but it’s still worth experimenting with different ink spreading patterns and counters to opposing weapon loadouts.
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Swapping Weapons Could Give Splatoon 3 More Variety
In the spirit of adapting to create a more chaotic balance during matches,Splatoon 3could stand out from its predecessor by letting players swap weapons after being splatted.Splatoon’s Turf Wars are notoriously short, even compared to other game modes like Rainmaker or Tower Control, so it makes sense for players to have one tool at their disposal that can’t be changed until after its three-minute timer ends. Yet there are a few seconds of respite after getting splatted where quick loadout swaps could be implemented.
There are any number of situations where a player may decide their current weapon is undesirable. For example, using the Heavy Splatling is a great way to deal hefty damage and spread a large spattering of ink at the cost of long charge times and lower mobility. Against an opposing team full of fast-moving Inkbrushes, it might be better to change course mid-battle. However, this would also come with the caveat of being a mechanicavailable to allSplatoon 3players, meaning anyone else could pivot to create a more dynamic back-and-forth.
With the Splatfest World Premiere including every weapon type inSplatoon 3(planned for launch), it could have been an interesting time to experiment with this idea without some players having an advantage. Yet there’s an argument to be made that players unlocking weapons at their own pace with Sheldon Licenses in the main release makes the ability to swap between weapons more valuable for mind games. While not PvP-focused,Monster Hunter Riseletting players swap weaponsmid-hunt opens interesting balance opportunities that Splatoon could similarly attempt.
