How to import Splatoon 2 save data in Splatoon 3 – perks and rewards

It’s nice to be rewarded for playing previous games of a series, and Splatoon 3 offers some perks for those who experienced its predecessor on Nintendo Switch. If you have Splatoon 2 save data on the same Switch console, opening up Splatoon 3 will prompt you to import your Splatoon 2 save data. But what does transferring your Splatoon 2 data to Splatoon 3 give you?

How to import your Splatoon 2 save data to Splatoon 3

If Splatoon 3 finds that your Switch already has Splatoon 2 data, you’ll receive a prompt before you do anything else in the game. Splatoon 3 will display your Splatoon 2 level and total hours played. After that, you will be given the option to import your Splatoon 2 save. Hit Impooort! to do so.

Splatoon 2 save data import rewards in Splatoon 3

The basic benefits you get from importing your Splatoon 2 save are as follows:

• 3 Golden Sheldon Licenses
• Access to Anarchy Battles (after your first regular Turf War battle)
• If you have rank B- or higher in any Ranked Battle mode from Splatoon 2, you will automatically start at B- in all Anarchy Battle modes

Additionally, your highest power level will be taken into account, and Salmon Run will have an abbreviated tutorial. Finally, if you customize Agent 3 in Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion, Splatoon 3’s Hero Mode will use that same character model.

Should you import your Splatoon 2 save to Splatoon 3?

The benefits of importing your Splatoon 2 save to Splatoon 3 greatly outweigh the downsides. Getting three Golden Sheldon Licenses out of the gate will allow you to unlock three weapons you’re familiar with from Splatoon 2, once you reach level 2. For Anarchy Battles, you can start playing immediately with veteran players for a greater challenge.

The only reasons we could think of are if a player wants to start from scratch for a genuinely new experience or if they have regrets on how they customized Agent 3 in Octo Expansion all those years ago. It’s also worth mentioning that importing your save data does not give you a head start in your base level; you’ll start at level 1 like everyone else.