Nintendo announced the Splatoon 3 Version 11.2.0 update on June 10, 2026, and as of today it has gone live across both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. If you play any of the multiplayer games in the shooter space, this one is worth reading before you queue up.
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What the blaster nerf actually means for your lobbies
The headline change is a reduction to blasters' explosion collision detection size. Here's the thing: this is a deliberate partial rollback of improvements Nintendo made in Version 11.0.0. The dev team analyzed battle data over an extended period after 11.0.0 shipped and decided the explosion hitboxes had swung too far in blasters' favor. The new size lands somewhere between the pre-11.0.0 and post-11.0.0 values, so blaster mains are not back to square one, but the free pressure those weapons generated in close quarters gets trimmed back.
The Blaster, Custom Blaster, and Gleamz Blaster also receive a specific nerf on top of the global change: movement restriction after firing is extended by roughly 1/60th of a second. Small number, real consequence in high-level play. The Rapid Blaster Pro line gets its ink recovery delay extended by about 1/6th of a second, which meaningfully punishes aggressive spamming.
Main weapon changes across the board
Several weapon families get individual attention in this patch:
- N-ZAP '85 and N-ZAP '89: Ink splatter now falls around the player's feet more easily, improving turf coverage on the move.
- L-3 Nozzlenose line: Shot speed increased by approximately 5% with extended flight distance, making the weapon feel snappier at range.
- Luna Blaster line: Jump scatter reduced by approximately 8%.
- Clash Blaster and Clash Blaster Neo: Jump scatter reduced by approximately 13%, a more aggressive buff that rewards aerial aggression.
- Undercover Brella line: Ink consumption reduced by approximately 8%, which helps its sustained pressure game considerably.
- Heavy Splatling line: Both spray droplet radius and impact splatter radius decreased by approximately 8% each. The Splatling was clearly overperforming in turf control.
Special weapon and point cost adjustments
Six special weapons receive tuning this patch. The most notable buff goes to Trizooka and Inkjet, both of which now deal approximately 30% more damage to Big Bubblers. That is a significant shift for how teams deal with defensive setups. Zipcaster gets a 33% reduction in ink consumed while zipping, which should let players chain repositions more freely.
On the nerf side, Crab Tank's cannon explosion radius is reduced by approximately 14%. Given how dominant the Crab Tank has been in organized play, that radius cut will matter in Splat Zones especially.
The special point cost changes are worth checking against your current loadout:
The Slosher family taking a point cost increase alongside the Dynamo Roller and Dread Wringer suggests Nintendo is actively trying to slow down some of the more dominant ink-spreading options in the current meta.
X Battle matchmaking gets a quiet but useful fix
The other major change in 11.2.0 targets X Battles specifically. The team division system has been adjusted to reduce the likelihood of weapons with similar preferred ranges stacking on one side. This builds on the range-based matchmaking introduced in Version 11.1.0 and makes that system apply more consistently. For players who have been frustrated by lopsided team compositions in ranked, this is a direct response.
There is also a small but welcome fix to no-contest disconnection logic. The window considered "immediately after the start of a battle" has been shortened for Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz. That means fewer games getting voided by early disconnects.
What comes next for Splatoon 3
Nintendo has confirmed another update is already in development, with multiplayer balance as its focus. Given that this patch already addressed a fair amount of balance concerns, the next one will likely target whatever rises to the top of the meta once these changes settle.
Separately, Splatoon Raiders for Nintendo Switch 2 is getting its own dedicated direct on June 30, 2026, with a new Joy-Con 2 set releasing alongside the game on July 23, 2026. The franchise is clearly staying active on both platforms for the foreseeable future.
For players who want to get ahead of the meta shifts, the Spludge Wars guide collection is worth bookmarking. Check out the Spludge Wars strategy guides to sharpen your approach before the next ranked season kicks off.
