All special weapons confirmed for Splatoon 3 and how they work

Splatoon matches are about controlling turf with ink of your team’s color. The more you splat, the higher your special meter gets. Once it’s topped off, you can activate the special weapon you have equipped. These can completely turn the tables on your opponents, and there are 15 of them announced for Splatoon 3 so far. Check out the list below, which contains both new and old specials.

Related: All confirmed stages for Splatoon 3

New Special Weapons in Splatoon 3

Big Bubbler

This is an improved version of the basic Bubbler. It’s a stationary ink-firing tank that’s also protected by an ink-proof barrier.

Crab Tank

The Crab Tank is essentially a mech that your Inkling can pilot. It has turrets and cannons, and it can tuck into a ball to roll around the map faster.

Ink Vac

This works similarly to the Rainmaker, a weapon only obtainable in special circumstances in previous games. With the Ink Vac, you suck up airborne ink and fire it back at the enemy team.

Killer Wail 5.1

This is the souped-up version of the original Killer Wail. Six speakers float around your Inkling and automatically fire at opponents.

Reefslider

The Reefslider functions a lot like a missile. You shoot a shark-shaped raft forward which explodes in a big burst of ink.

Tacticooler

Most special weapons are offensive, but the Tacticooler is meant for support. It’s a fridge full of beverages that give stat boosts to you and your teammates.

Triple Inkstrike

Working like Splatoon’s version of an airstrike, this special arms you with three beacons. Throw them onto the map, and a vortex of ink will splash down upon the marked point.

Trizooka

Like the Big Bubbler and Killer Wail 5.1, this is an improved version of an old weapon. As the name implies, it fires three jets of ink at once, and you can fire it a total of three times.

Wave Breaker

The Wave Breaker is an area-of-effect attack. When placed, it fires out sonic waves in the surrounding area, which should be a good defensive tactic.

Zipcaster

The Zipcaster is all about mobility. It essentially functions as a grappling hook, letting the user latch onto parts of the map and quickly travel around while still firing their primary weapon.

Returning Special Weapons in Splatoon 3

Booyah Bomb

Splatoon 2’s go-to special is back. The longer you charge up the bomb, the bigger its ink explosion will be. Teammates can help charge it up with the Booyah emote.

Inkjet

The jetpack is jet-back. When activated, the Inkjet lets you hover around the battlefield and rain down ink from above.

Ink Storm

As the name implies, the Ink Storm rains down ink from a storm cloud above. It travels higher in the air over time, which increases its area of effect.

Tenta Missiles

Tenta Missiles are some of the most aggressive special weapons you can fire. You can lock onto opponents and fire between ten and twenty ink missiles.

Ultra Stamp

Everyone loves a big hammer. The Ultra Stamp repeatedly slams down as you move around, and you can chuck the hammer for a long-range attack that ends the special early.