Nintendo is renowned for legacy franchises like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid; names that have kept the video game developer relevant since the 1980s. However, plenty of new experiences have joined that pantheon over the years, from Animal Crossing and Pikmin in the 2000s to Splatoon and ARMS in the 2010s. Of the modern multiplayer-focused IPs, Splatoon has made a name for itself as one of Nintendo's most popular franchises, and Splatoon 3 is set to launch on September 9.
The original Splatoon released 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 assume Splatoon 3 would have a longer development cycle. Yet the third title will stick on Nintendo's hybrid console, and fans are able to experience it through the Splatfest 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.
Weapon Selection in Splatoon 3
One of the biggest takeaways from the Splatoon 3 Direct on August 10 was that every previous weapon type would return alongside new tools like the Splatana and 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, Splatoon focuses more on overarching goals than pure deathmatch. Its flagship 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.
Swapping Weapons Could Give Splatoon 3 More Variety
In the spirit of adapting to create a more chaotic balance during matches, Splatoon 3 could 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 mechanic available to all Splatoon 3 players, meaning anyone else could pivot to create a more dynamic back-and-forth.
With the Splatfest World Premiere including every weapon type in Splatoon 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 Rise letting players swap weapons mid-hunt opens interesting balance opportunities that Splatoon could similarly attempt.
Splatoon 3 releases September 9 for Nintendo Switch.