Splatoon 3 Confirms 9.3.0 Update Release Date and Patch Notes

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home March 12, 2025 36 Views 17 Min Read
Splatoon 3 Confirms 9.3.0 Update Release Date and Patch Notes



Summary

  • Splatoon 3 receives significant update, including weapon adjustments, new events, and bug fixes.
  • Nintendo EPD releases Update 9.3.0 focusing on main and special weapons, Splatfests, and bug fixes.
  • The next update is targeting battle balance based on long-term analysis.

Splatoon 3 players have received a brand-new update that brings a number of adjustments to the multiplayer mode’s weapons and in-game events, along with fixes for certain technical issues. It is the first major update that developer Nintendo has shipped to Splatoon 3 since November 2024.

After rolling out in 2022, Splatoon 3 marked another successful entry in the third-person shooter franchise, making it three-in-three for Nintendo. Over time, the Switch-exclusive title has received a plethora of updates aimed at enhancing the player experience and at smoothening any rough edges. Owing to the remarkable work of Nintendo devs, the action game also moved almost 12 million copies, as revealed by the company in March 2024. Most recently, the Japanese gaming giant delivered Splatoon 3‘s first update in nearly four months, giving it a useful refresh.

Screenshot from Splatoon 3's Side Order DLC, featuring Pearl and Marina from Off the Hook (Splatoon 2), as well as the player character

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Nintendo EPD, the console maker’s in-house team that leads development of the Splatoon series, released update version 9.3.0 on March 12, 2025. This particular patch introduces several changes to the standard and special weapons available in Splatoon 3‘s multiplayer matches. Some of these improved weapons are Sploosh-o-matic, Splattershot Jr., and Aerospray MG, whose shot speed and flight distance have been increased. The special weapons that have been tweaked include Ultra Stamp, Triple Splashdown, and Trizooka, each of which now comes with changes incorporated to its damage and range stats. Moreover, the points needed to get access to Octobrush Orderbrush Replica, Enperry Splat Dualies, Douser Dualies FF, Recycled Brella 24 Mk II, S-Blast ’91, and Snipewriter 5H have been reduced by ten.

In the latest update, the devs have also tinkered with Splatoon 3‘s special in-game events called Splatfests. From terrain changes in the Tricolor Turf War mode to balancing changes in the Hammerhead Bridge stage, a host of key changes have been made to the game’s multiplayer aspect. On top of these adjustments, there are plenty of bug fixes related to Splatoon 3‘s controls and issues across PvP matches. In its announcement, Nintendo EPD also shared that the next update would focus on balancing the game’s battles according to the findings of a long-term analysis of the same.

In the meantime, Nintendo is gearing up for the release of its next major console, Switch 2, which was revealed in January 2025. With its arrival expected to take place later this year, it would be interesting to see which of Nintendo’s IPs, like Splatoon, are announced as launch titles for the Switch successor.

Splatoon 3 Ver. 9.3.0 Patch Notes

Changes to Multiplayer

  • Specifications for some main weapons have changed.

    Weapon

    Change Details

    Sploosh-o-matic Neo Sploosh-o-matic
    • Increased the speed of shots by approximately 3% and extended the flight distance.

    Splattershot Jr. Custom Splattershot Jr.
    • Increased the speed of shots by approximately 3% and extended the flight distance.

    Aerospray MG Aerospray RG
    • Increased the speed of shots by approximately 3% and extended the flight distance.

    N-ZAP ’85 N-ZAP ’89
    • Movement speed while firing is now about 5% faster.
    • Reduced the scatter of shots while on the ground by approximately 5%.

    Splattershot Nova Annaki Splattershot Nova
    • Reduced the scatter of shots while jumping by approximately 33%.

    Big Swig Roller Big Swig Roller Express
    • Slightly expanded vertical swings’ collision detection with players to make it easier to hit opponents.

    Painbrush Painbrush Nouveau
    • Shortened the interval between continuous swings by approximately 1/30th of a second.

    Mini Splatling Zink Mini Splatling
    • Reduced the time required to charge fully by approximately 1/20th of a second.
      • With this change, the time until the first level of charge ends is also reduced by approximately 1/30th of a second.

    Heavy Splatling Heavy Splatling Deco Order Splatling Replica
    • Increased firing duration by approximately 11%.
    • Reduced the time required to charge fully by approximately 1/20th of a second.
      • With this change, the time until the first level of charge ends is also reduced by approximately 1/30th of a second.

    Dapple Dualies Dapple Dualies Nouveau
    • Increased the speed of shots by approximately 3% and extended the flight distance.

    Splat Dualies Enperry Splat Dualies Order Dualie Replicas
    • Slightly expanded the collision detection with players of shots fired from a normal posture to make it easier to hit opponents.
      • There is no change to the fact that collision detection is greater for shots fired after a Dodge Roll.

    Recycled Brella 24 Mk I Recycled Brella 24 Mk II
    • Slightly expanded the width of spray droplets created by shots.
    • Reduced the amount of ink consumed when firing a shot by approximately 14%.

    Snipewriter 5H Snipewriter 5B
    • Slightly decreased the width of spray droplets created by shots.

    Mint Decavitator Charcoal Decavitator
    • Lengthened the time required for movement to begin when lunging forward with a charge swipe by approximately 1/30th of a second.
    • Reduced the width of spray droplets created by the ink wave of horizontal slashes by approximately 12%.
  • Specifications for some special weapons have changed.

    Special Weapon

    Change Details

    Ultra Stamp
    • Increased the damage dealt by the explosion at the point of impact when the stamp is thrown in the following ways.
      • Increased the damage dealt to opponents near the center of the explosion from 60.0 to 220.0.
      • Increased the damage dealt to opponents further from the center of the explosion from 30.0 to 60.0.

    Triple Splashdown
    • Increased the radius inked by the explosion by approximately 11%.

    Trizooka
    • For the explosion at the point of impact, reduced the damage dealt to opponents further from the center of the explosion to 35.0.
      • The damage dealt to opponents near the center of the explosion remains 53.0.
    • Shortened the duration by approximately 1/2 a second when not equipping the Special Power Up gear ability.
      • The effect gained from equipping the maximum number of Special Power Up gear abilities will not change.
  • Points required for some special weapons have been changed.

    Weapon

    Before

    After

    Octobrush Orderbrush Replica

    200

    190

    Enperry Splat Dualies

    200

    190

    Douser Dualies FF

    200

    190

    Recycled Brella 24 Mk II

    200

    190

    S-BLAST ’91

    190

    200

    Snipewriter 5H

    210

    220
  • In Bluefin Depot, moved the lamp that was on the bridge in the center of the stage to the top of the elevator.

Changes to Splatfests

  • Terrain for Tricolor Turf War has changed in some stages.

    Stage

    Change Details

    Eeltail Alley
    • Changed some terrain near the attacking teams’ spawn points to terrain that cannot be inked.
    • It is now easier to progress forward because, along with slightly expanding the selectable area in Squid Spawn when the defending team starts, shielding objects have been added near the spawn point.

    Hammerhead Bridge
    • Added shielding objects to make it easier for the attackers to progress forward.
    • Expanded the area inked by the Sprinkler of Doom.

    MakoMart
    • Expanded the area inked by the first Sprinkler of Doom.

    Crableg Capital
    • Changed some terrain near the attacking teams’ spawn points to terrain that cannot be inked.

    Bluefin Depot
    • Expanded the terrain near the attacking teams’ spawn point.
    • Changed some terrain near the defending team’s spawn point to terrain that cannot be inked.
    • Made it easier to invade the center by expanding the grate platform near the height difference connecting the area near the attacking teams’ spawn points to the center, and also adding an inkrail.
    • Changed the positions of some obstacles to make it easier to go for the Ultra Signal.

This update focuses on making changes to multiplayer balance.

Upon analyzing the battle data since releasing the last update and considering weapons’ relationships to the weapons for which we improved performance last time, we have slightly extended the flight distance of shots for some weapons with shorter shot flight distances than those we improved last time, and made changes to strengthen the traits of or compensate for the weaknesses of some weapons with shot flight distances similar to those we previously improved.

Regarding the Snipewriter 5H, Snipewriter 5B, Mint Decavitator, and Charcoal Decavitator, we made changes to slightly reduce the ability to maintain ink from a distance to give opponents wielding weapons with shorter shot flight distances more time to counter.

For the Trizooka, we have maintained its trait as a special weapon capable of turning the tables if used well, while simultaneously making it easier to counter by shortening the time that players on the opposing team must be wary of the Trizooka and reducing cases where such players are defeated due to accumulated damage despite taking evasive actions.

Additionally, for Tricolor Turf War, we have adjusted the arrangement of certain stages that have significant statistical leaning in the win ratio for the attacking teams or defending team.

The next update will focus on changes to the balance of battles based on long-term analysis of battle data.

Bug Fixes

  • Made it so that, when a player uses Super Jump immediately after Squid Spawn, the phenomenon where sometimes an opponent’s attack was blocked immediately after landing will no longer occur.
    • With this fix, when players do a Super Jump, the armor state from Squid Spawn will always end before landing.
  • Fixed an issue where the controller rumbled when shots from the Luna Blaster, Luna Blaster Neo, and Order Blaster Replica hit terrain.
  • Fixed an issue where, when shots from a Bloblobber or Bloblobber Deco touched a barricade and bounced off, the shots would not display properly on other players’ screens.
  • Fixed an issue where, when a player with a splatling capable of storing a charge shot performed certain actions to use their sub weapon while storing a charged shot, the charged shot would not end.
  • Fixed an issue where sometimes, when repeatedly performing dualie Dodge Rolls or splatana lunges while standing on the edge of an elevation difference, the player’s position would become greatly misaligned on other players’ screens and stay that way.
  • Fixed an issue where sometimes, when the player touched the Rainmaker shield while charging using Reefslider, the Reefslider’s position would display as misaligned to other players.
    • With this fix, players will not be knocked back when charging using Reefslider, even if they touch the Rainmaker shield.
  • Fixed an issue where sometimes, when a player made continuous stamp attacks with the Ultra Stamp, the interval between attacks would appear irregular to other players.
  • Fixed an issue where sometimes, when a player in a bad wireless environment did a Super Jump immediately after using Triple Splashdown, their position would not display properly to other players.
  • Fixed an issue in Undertow Spillway on Rainmaker mode where sometimes, when a player acquired the Rainmaker at the bottom of an elevation difference while dropping from the top of that elevation difference, the count would progress unintentionally.
  • Fixed an issue in Mahi-Mahi Resort where sometimes, when the counterattack shot of the Ink Vac landed at the boundary between certain walls and the ground, it would disappear without exploding.
  • Fixed an issue in Bluefin Depot where, from certain walls, it was possible to get into the opponents’ base using unintended methods.
  • Fixed an issue in Lemuria Hub in Rainmaker mode where sometimes, when a player acquired the Rainmaker at the bottom of an elevation difference while dropping from the top of that elevation difference, the count would progress unintentionally.

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