Splatoon 3 Guide: 7 Helpful Tips for New Players!
Splatoon 3 Guide – Developed by Nintendo for the Switch, Splatoon 3 is the third installment in the series, featuring third-person shooter gameplay with a primary Arcade Shooter model.
Similar to most highly competitive games, accessing Splatoon 3 's online mode isn't easy, especially given its unique gameplay style, which can be somewhat challenging for new players.
Therefore, tipsplay.net will provide a Splatoon 3 guide to help you have fun matches with your friends.
1. EXPERIENCE THE CAMPAIGN GAMEPLAY
The Campaign mode in Splatoon 3 is accessible immediately after completing the tutorial. To access the campaign, simply hold down the 'ZL' button on the sewer pipe to the left of your starting point in Splatsville Square.
The game's campaign features numerous levels, each designed to teach the player a specific mechanism, such as aiming, wall swimming, or even allowing the use of special abilities like Crab Tank and Zipcaster without any time limit.
Furthermore, the campaign levels have no replay limit, allowing players to retry at any time.
2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT ROLE
Role assignment is not mandatory and there are no rules binding players in Splatoon 3. However, it is quite helpful for new players to get acquainted with the game, and it contributes significantly to winning more matches.
Here are two roles that new players need to know:
- Slayer – Regularly engages in combat with enemies at 'hot spots', putting pressure on them to prevent them from infiltrating your team's territory. Recommended weapons: Splattershot, Splat Dualies, etc.
- Support – Focus on covering safe areas with ink and using equipment to support teammates. When experiencing this role, you should try: Splat Roller, Aerospray MG, etc.
As you reach higher levels, the intensity of combat in matches tends to be more spread across the map, no longer simply concentrated in the center. At this point, there are two additional roles that players should familiarize themselves with to adapt more easily:
- Anchor – Prioritize capturing high ground or positions near enemy strongholds to easily attack enemies from a distance, as well as providing enemy location information to teammates when needed. Some recommended weapons for this role include: E-liter 4K, Heavy Splatling, etc.
- Hybrid – Once you become familiar with the game, you can gradually move towards a Hybrid playstyle. This style of play stems from combining multiple roles simultaneously, such as fighting as a Slayer and using special skills to support as a Support. Some weapons suitable for this playstyle include: Splatana Stamper, Bloblobber, etc.
3. INK COVERAGE NEAR THE REVIVAL POINT
Applying ink at the respawn point is a good habit that players should practice immediately. This not only allows teammates to 'swim' faster, but also earns points for the opposing team.
In Turf War mode, your score is determined by which team covers more ink on the map, especially in situations where your team is losing ground in capturing key battle points. The time you spend covering your area with ink will greatly influence the outcome of the match.
4. INK COVERAGE ON WALLS WILL NOT COUNT TO BE SCORED.
Also in Turf War mode, covering walls with ink will allow you to move to higher areas; however, these areas will not contribute to your overall match score.
While covering walls with ink might give your team an advantage, in certain situations, such as when time is running out or after successfully infiltrating enemy territory, players should focus on flatter areas.
5. TEST THE WEAPON BEFORE BUYING.
In the game, players can purchase weapons at Ammo Knights. Splatoon 3 's arsenal is generally very diverse in both appearance and gameplay, with a total of 33 weapon types divided into 11 different categories.
Not to mention that each weapon has its own unique set of stats, secondary skills, and special abilities, so immediately experiencing a new weapon in online gameplay is not easy at all.
Fortunately, players can try out all the 'unlocked' weapons in the shooting range without having to purchase them beforehand. This allows the game to make it easier for you to choose the weapon that suits you best.
6. SWIM, JUMP, AND SHOOT!
In arcade or competitive shooting games, there are always techniques that allow players to optimize their movement and dodging abilities to gain an advantage in combat. Examples include 'Slide Cancel' in the Modern Warfare series or… the overuse of Peek/Crouch in Rainbow Six Siege .
And Splatoon 3 is no exception; you can perform this technique in the game by pressing the jump button after exiting swimming mode, then attacking an enemy, returning to swimming mode, and repeating the process as needed for combat.
The goal of this technique is to maximize the character's speed and stealth while swimming, minimizing movement in human form as much as possible. Pressing the jump button during combat will maintain speed for a short time, and your 'hitbox' will be reduced thanks to the character's squid form.
7. GAME TOO EASY? TRY MOTION CONTROL!
Motion Control is a control mechanism that utilizes the gyroscope sensor, allowing players to more dynamically adjust the character's viewing angle by tilting their controller/Switch console.
This mechanism is generally quite frustrating for those who are used to playing shooting games on other platforms, or for new players in general.
But thanks to the potential flexibility this mechanism offers, it's a feature players should familiarize themselves with if they want to further improve their aiming skills.
Hopefully, this Splatoon 3 guide will provide players with the basic information to comfortably "conquer" the online mode of Splatoon 3 .
Did tipsplay.net miss any interesting tips in the Splatoon 3 guide ? Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments!
Update 19 March 2026
David Pac
David Pac is a senior IT professional who designs the overall technical vision and structure of a project, transforming business requirements into viable software/system solutions.