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Splatoon 3 update 1.2.0 patch notes

The patch notes for the latest update to Splatoon 3 which features changes and improvements to communication including data transfer between players.

Morgan Shaver

October 25, 2022 12:15 PM

Nintendo

3

A new update for Splatoon 3 is live as of today, October 25, and brings with it a lengthy list of improvements, changes, and bug fixes. Notably, the 1.2.0 patch features communication improvements such as faster data transfer between players. The game’s multiplayer component is also getting a few adjustments worth brushing up on, such as changes to specifications for some of Splatoon 3’s sub weapons like the Fizzy Bomb.

To help give you a better idea as to what the 1.2.0 update is all about, we have the full patch notes for you below as provided by Nintendo.

Splatoon 3 update 1.2.0 patch notes

Changes and Feature Improvements

Changes to amiibo

• Added support for the Inkling (Yellow), Octoling (Blue), and Smallfry amiibo.

Changes to Communication

• Made improvements to data transfer between players.
• On average, data will be transferred about .05 seconds more quickly than before.
• Users can expect to see a reduction in the time it takes from a player being dealt damage to them being defeated, the time it takes from touching a Golden Egg to actually picking it up, and other similar actions.
• These improvements cannot fully compensate for a slow or unreliable internet connection.

Changes to Multiplayer

• Specifications for some of the sub weapons have been changed.

Sub-Weapon change:

• Fizzy Bomb - Increased the time it takes for ink to start recovering after using a Fizzy Bomb by about .25 seconds.
• Points required for some weapon specials have been changed.

Changes to Splatfest

• Made it so that when players from each team appear during Open and Pro Splatfest Battles, each team’s affiliation is also displayed, making it easy to know which Splatfest team they’re on.
• Made it possible to report “Fresh!” hand-drawn pictures that appear in the sky above Splatsville during a Splatfest.

Other Changes

• Information like the name of the current mode and progress through a challenge will now be displayed when opening the lobby menu during matchmaking in the lobby or Grizzco.
• When playing alone, immediately after choosing “Keep Going” or “Change Gear, Then Go!” the player can now use the – Button in the lobby or Grizzco to cancel matchmaking, depending on the game mode selected.
• In the lobby or Grizzco, when the player can select “OK!” or “Yeah” when joining a friend, a sound effect will now play and the controller will vibrate to notify the player.
• Improved the efficiency of matchmaking for Anarchy Battles (Open), Anarchy Battles (Series), Splatfest Battles (Open), and Tricolor Attack.
• These changes mean that a pair of players joining an Anarchy Battle (Open) or Splatfest Battle (Open) can expect shorter wait times.
• When reading amiibo with a Freshest Fit saved on the equip screen, there will now be an exclamation point where “Freshest Fit” is displayed on the bottom right of the screen.

This update focuses on adjusting some weapons, improving several features, and fixing bugs that relate to battles. We’ve implemented several adjustments to curtail to a certain extent the style of play where the player stays far removed from the action and continually uses sub weapons or special weapons.

This patch prioritizes bug fixes, and other adjustments to weapons will continue in the next update. In addition, we’ve reduced the amount of time matchmaking takes for certain modes, reduced battle latency, and made small convenience improvements to the lobby and more. The next update will focus on new features for the season beginning in December, weapon balance changes, and changes to the Splatfest Tricolor Attack mode. It is scheduled to be released at the end of the current season.

Bug Fixes

Fixes to Player Controls

• Fixed an issue where, when another player’s movements were unable to be reproduced smoothly due to the terrain, a process to instantaneously move them would not run, causing them to stay in their displaced position for a long time.
• Fixed an issue where Super Jumping to a distant location and attacking just before landing would cause shots to travel farther than intended.
• Fixed an issue where the gear ability Ink Saver (Main) was not being activated when using brushes and holding ZR to ink while moving.
• Fixed an issue that was making it easier to interrupt the player’s attack and turn back into swim form when repeatedly pressing ZR to attack while holding ZL when using brushes or sloshers.
• Changed the player’s pose when they attack right after a Squid Surge or a Squid Roll away from a wall while having a charger or stringer equipped so that the direction they are facing and the direction the shot actually travels are not as different.
• Fixed an issue where, when aiming a charger with a scope attached while pressed up against an obstacle, obstacles would become transparent in some cases when they shouldn’t be.
• Fixed an issue with sloshers where the weapon-use sound effect would not be played correctly when attacking immediately after “Low ink!” is shown.
• Fixed an issue with the Bloblobber where some of the blobs would not be lobbed when used while submerged and aiming upward.
• Fixed an issue with the Ballpoint Splatling when firing at long range where the variation of the speed of the ink fired was greater than intended.
• Fixed an issue when firing the Glooga Dualies and Dodge Rolling repeatedly where low-damage shots would be fired at the moment of the second slide.
• Fixed an issue with the Tenta Brella where its launched umbrella’s hit detection was farther forward than intended, bringing it closer to the position it had in Splatoon 2.
• Fixed an issue with splatanas where the width inked would be larger than intended depending on the number of swings.
• Fixed an issue where certain control inputs with the Splatana Stamper would cause horizontal slashes to be repeated faster than intended.
• Fixed an issue with moving long distances with the Zipcaster where certain inputs could allow the player to use their main weapon even while moving.

Fixes to Multiplayer

• Fixed an issue where inking certain terrain with a bomb or the Rainmaker explosion would award more points than intended.
• Fixed an issue where inking the walls of some objects in a stage would charge the special gauge.
• Fixed an issue where some objects in a stage would not be applied toward inked area in Turf War battles.
• Fixed an issue where blaster shots would produce the same shock wave as a midair explosion when hitting a Tacticooler or Ultra Stamp.
• Fixed an issue where rollers would ink surfaces they weren’t touching when rolling in a way that clips into certain terrain.
• Fixed an issue where the Sloshing Machine’s spiral would deal damage when hitting an opponent on the other side of thin terrain even though they were hidden by the terrain.
• Fixed an issue where the Sloshing Machine’s spiral would deal damage when hitting an opponent inside an Ink Vac’s vacuum area despite the opponent being entirely inside the area.
• Fixed an issue where a bomb would remain in its location when hitting a brella at the moment it closes, regardless of damage dealt to the umbrella.
• Fixed an issue where using a splatana when in close contact with the Tower Control tower would cause the ink to disappear when it hit the tower.
• Fixed an issue where Burst Bombs would disappear without activating when hitting certain terrain.
• Fixed an issue where a Point Sensor or Toxic Mist would disappear without activating when hitting certain terrain or an Ultra Stamp.
• Fixed an issue where a Splash Wall would immediately disappear if placed in a certain location.
• Fixed an issue on some stages where a Booyah Bomb’s blast would not ink the ground correctly.
• Fixed an issue where the Ultra Stamp would not block enemy bombs’ blast waves.
• Fixed an issue where the Ultra Stamp would not block fully charged shots from a charger.
• Fixed an issue with the Ultra Stamp’s repeated stamping attack where there would be moments in which direct attacks could not deal damage to the opponent.
• Fixed an issue that would prevent the Ultra Stamp’s repeated stamping attack from properly inking the ground.
• Fixed an issue that allowed the Ultra Stamp’s repeated stamping attack to deal damage to enemies on the other side of thin walls.
• Fixed an issue where the Ultra Stamp’s midair spinning attack could not deal damage to opponents on the ground.
• Fixed an issue that allowed the Ultra Stamp’s midair spinning attack to deal damage to enemies on the other side of thin walls.
• Fixed an issue where hitting terrain at the instant the Ultra Stamp is thrown would cause an explosion in a different location than where it hit.
• Fixed an issue where the Ultra Stamp’s throw attack, when aimed at an opponent on iron grating, would deal direct damage even if hitting from the back side.
• Fixed an issue where hitting an enemy on the other side of a thin wall with the Trizooka would deal damage to them even though they were hidden by terrain.
• Fixed an issue with the Killer Wail 5.1 where the megaphone targeting a locked-on opponent who was splatted during its active period would move.
• Fixed an issue with the Wave Breaker where its waves would not be visible if placed in a location with a height difference, even in the area of effect.
• Fixed an issue with the Wave Breaker where it would not activate when placed on terrain at a certain angle, rather than catching and falling.
• Fixed an issue where placing a Wave Breaker overlapping an opponent’s Splash Wall would cause the Wave Breaker to disappear on the opponent’s screen.
• Fixed an issue where a Tacticooler activating at the same moment a previously placed Tacticooler disappears would cause both to disappear.
• Fixed an issue where the appearance of a placed Tacticooler that inclines at an angle due to moving terrain would differ from its collision detection.
• Fixed an issue where, when a player is splatted directly before a Tacticooler’s effect runs out, the special-gauge reduction would remain normal even though the player still has a shortened respawn time.
• Implemented measures to prevent players clipping into terrain when a Tacticooler is placed in certain corners.
• Fixed an issue where the gear ability Comeback was also activating for respawns from the player falling off the stage or into water.
• Fixed an issue in Splat Zones mode where the borderlines of the zones were difficult to see on certain stages.
• Adjusted Rainmaker so that if the player is splatted right at the moment they place the Rainmaker at the goal, the count will be at 1.
• Fixed an issue with overtime in Rainmaker where an announcement about taking the lead thatdiffers from the actual results would be shown when the Rainmaker is dropped at the moment a team takes the lead.
• Fixed an issue in Rainmaker where the tops of signboards that show areas the Rainmaker is restricted from entering would block ink shots.
• Fixed an issue in Rainmaker where a player would get the Rainmaker at the instant its barrier is broken if the Rainmaker was returned to the center just as someone was trying to touch it.
• Fixed an issue in Clam Blitz where a Tacticooler placed on top of the clam basket would disappear.
• Fixed an issue in Clam Blitz where overtime would be entered when the time limit is reached even if the team with the lower score has no existing power clams.
• Fixed an issue in the Scorch Gorge stage in Turf War, Splat Zone and Clam Blitz battles where squeezing into the gap between certain terrain would cause the player to enter into the terrain.
• Removed the box on top of the grating in the Undertow Spillway stage in Splat Zones because of an issue where attacks would pass between the box and the terrain despite looking like it blocked attacks from below.
• Fixed an issue in Mincemeat Metalworks where part of a player’s model would clip into certain terrain.
• Fixed an issue in Mincemeat Metalworks where players could unintentionally climb on top of certain terrain at the edge of the stage.
• Fixed an issue in Hagglefish Market where the position of the box placed on the metal grate near the starting point was displaced from the grate.
• In the Hagglefish Market stage in Tower Control mode, slightly adjusted the route of the tower and fixed an issue where the player would become unable to move on top of the small gap between the tower and terrain.
• Fixed an issue in Inkblot Art Academy where a Wave Breaker placed along a certain wall would break immediately after being placed. In the Inkblot Art Academy stage in Tower Control mode, slightly adjusted the route of the tower and fixed an issue where the player would become unable to move on top of the small gap between the tower and terrain.
• Fixed an issue in the Mahi-Mahi Resort stage in Tower Control mode where an area impassable to players would appear midair when the water level dropped.
• Fixed an issue in the Mahi-Mahi Resort stage in Rainmaker mode where in certain locations the score count would not change as intended.
• Fixed an issue in Sturgeon Shipyard where part of the back of the drawbridges was able to be inked.
• Fixed an issue in Sturgeon Shipyard where players were able to get on top of a pipe outside the stage boundaries.
• Fixed an issue in Sturgeon Shipyard where, when using the Zipcaster from the lower part of the stage, players could pass through certain terrain and come out on the stage’s surface.
• Fixed an issue in the Sturgeon Shipyard stage in Tower Control mode where players could be pushed inside terrain by the tower.
• Fixed an issue in the Sturgeon Shipyard stage in Rainmaker mode where certain off-limits locations were accessible to the Rainmaker.
• Fixed an issue in the Sturgeon Shipyard stage in Rainmaker mode where the score count would not change as intended in certain locations.
• Fixed an issue in the Sturgeon Shipyard stage in Tricolor Battle mode where a box placed on a metal grate had no collision detection at its bottom surface, which allowed things like ink shots to pass through.
• Fixed an issue in Museum d’Alfonsino where the thin legs of the bronze statues would block ink, contrary to their appearance.
• Fixed an issue in Museum d’Alfonsino where the top of the revolving doors was treated as outside the stage.
• Fixed an issue in Museum d’Alfonsino where shots would penetrate some of the terrain outside the stage.
• Fixed an issue in Museum d’Alfonsino where players would be unable to swim on the walls of the rotating doors despite it looking like they had been inked.
• Fixed an issue in the Museum d’Alfonsino stage in Rainmaker mode where players were not able to ink part of the terrain.
• Fixed an issue in the Museum d’Alfonsino stage in Rainmaker and Clam Blitz modes where players were able to climb on top of the revolving doors.
• Fixed an issue in the Museum d’Alfonsino stage in Clam Blitz mode where some of the clams that spawn in the middle of the stage would not be shown on the turf map despite the ground beneath them being inked.
• Fixed an issue in MakoMart where players could stand on top of the surrounding fence outside the stage.
• In the MakoMart stage in Splat Zones, Tower Control, and Clam Blitz modes, adjusted the Squid Spawn beginning positions and fixed an issue where part of the ceiling would be displayed onscreen.
• Fixed an issue in Wahoo World where trying to Super Jump to certain locations would result in landing in a slightly displaced position.
• Fixed an issue in the Wahoo World stage in Tower Control mode where certain objects would appear inkable on the map even though they are not.

Fixes to Salmon Run

• Fixed an issue where player hit boxes in life-ring form were smaller than intended.
• Fixed an issue where multiple arrows would appear within the screen if the same player signaled “Help!” or “This way!” repeatedly and made it so that there will only be one arrow from a single player.
• Fixed an issue where a launched umbrella would have a large rebound when making contact near a Salmonid’s head.
• Fixed an issue where game movements would slow down if a player used a jet pack to reach the top of the egg basket.
• Fixed an issue where bombs thrown into a Flyfish’s weak point would then come out.
• Fixed an issue where a player attacked by Maws near the water or certain terrain would be blown far into the air.
• Fixed an issue where a player that touched the side surface of Maws during its attack would be splatted.
• Fixed an issue where the player’s respawn point would be in midair and leave them unable to return to the stage. This could happen when jumping into the water from the top of a Fish Stick just before it disappears.
• Fixed an issue where players could avoid taking damage by jumping when a Flipper-Flopper attacked, regardless of whether they were in the attack area or not.
• Fixed an issue where a Slammin’ Lid may have become unable to move if it touched a Fish Stick.
• Fixed an issue where a player riding on a Slammin’ Lid would rarely be launched far away.
• Fixed an issue where a player would be pushed into stage terrain when attacked by a Cohozuna.
• Fixed an issue where players could avoid taking damage by jumping when a Cohozuna did its jump attack, regardless of whether they were in the attack area or not. Made it so that Cohozunas will not attempt to do jump attacks against players on top of a Fish Stick.
• Fixed an issue in the Cohock Charge event where players were unable to mount the cannons.
• Fixed an issue in the Goldie Seeking event where a launched umbrella wouldn’t activate a gusher it touched.
• Fixed an issue in the Griller event where the Griller’s red laser sight wouldn’t be shown if a player was resurrected by a bomb at the last second before a crew wipe.
• Fixed an issue in the Mudmouth Eruptions event where players would clip into a Mudmouth right after it spawned and be splatted.
• Fixed an issue in the Giant Tornado event when playing in a bad communications environment where a box containing Golden Eggs wouldn’t appear or be positioned as intended.
• Fixed an issue where players would not be able to get their special badge upon arriving at an Xtrawave at MAX hazard level.
• Fixed an issue where players would not be able to receive Grizzco Points correctly when the shift schedule was updated while playing a job.
• Fixed an issue with reporting a player from the Grizzco terminal where their number of delivery assists was not shown correctly.
• Fixed a problem where simultaneously pressing certain buttons at the reward-pickup window would cause the game to crash.

Fixes to Story Mode

• Fixed a rare issue where ink wheels would not reappear. Implemented measures to prevent the game from crashing on stages where Octoling enemies appear.
• Fixed an issue where using a Splashdown on the edge of a cliff would cause player controls to
  stop working.
• Fixed an issue where collecting a canned special attack while using the Zipcaster could cause player controls to stop working.
• Fixed an issue on stages with time limits where, after the player lost their armor due to an enemy attack and time ran out at the same time as the player’s armor was restored, the player would lose control of their character but the stage wouldn’t be counted as a loss.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent the game from progressing when entering a pipeline immediately after throwing Smallfry at a Fuzzball.
• Fixed an issue where touching an upward dash track repeatedly could move the player outside the stage, counting as a loss.
• Fixed an issue where the player being splatted or restarting the stage while Smallfry was thrown onto a Flooder would cause the Flooder to no longer ink the ground.
• Fixed an issue where the player being splatted or restarting the stage just before a balloon fish exploded would cause the bomb fish’s area to shift and, depending on the stage, make clearing the stage difficult.
• Fixed an issue where quickly moving a lift on a stage where Octodiscos appear could cause the game to crash.
• Fixed an issue in Alterna Site 1 Stage 6 where enemies originally meant to appear were not appearing.
• Fixed an issue in Alterna Site 4 Stage 6 where breaking a certain target just before falling out of the stage would prevent the next target from spawning and make the stage impossible to clear.

Fixes to Splatfests

• Fixed an issue where players not pledged to any team could still earn conch shells.
• Adjusted the color of ink when Color Lock is on during Tricolor Battles. Fixed an issue when a team had a synergy bonus related to hairstyles where the name displayed would differ from the actual hairstyle.

Other Fixes

• Fixed an issue where ability changes due to secondary gear abilities would not be immediately reflected when changing gear in the lobby.
• Fixed an issue where, after finishing a battle and choosing “Change Gear, Then Go!” reading amiibo just before the countdown timer ran out would prevent the game from proceeding.
• Fixed a number of issues relating to the player’s species changing when reading amiibo on the Equip screen. When buying gear from Murch, the purchased gear will now be marked as New and will appear at the top of the list in the Equip screen.
• Fixed an issue when buying gear from Murch where the price would become 0.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent the game from proceeding while talking to Murch. This could happen when repeatedly pressing the B Button while the ability-chunks screen was displayed.
• Fixed an issue where the names of the Squid 3 logo and Octopus 3 logo stickers were switched.
• Fixed an issue with pressing ZL to check an item’s info at Hotlantis where, depending on the item, the example image would be scattered due to how the light hits it.
• Fixed an issue with Photo Mode where the Y Button’s camera reset would not work while taking a photo with the timer.
• Fixed an issue with Photo Mode where the image shown as a preview and the photo actually saved to the album would differ greatly when shooting at certain camera angles.
• Fixed an issue with joining and dropping in on friends where, when everyone has pressed “Ready!” inputting certain controls could cause matchmaking not to proceed even after the timer reaches zero.
• Fixed an issue with joining and dropping in on friends where opening the lobby menu at a certain time would make the controls stop working and ultimately disband everyone.
• Fixed an issue where the ghost of a friend who appeared in the lobby or at Grizzco via notification message would differ in appearance from that player’s actual appearance.
• Fixed an issue with picking up an item obtained via SplatNet 3 at the lobby terminal where a connection error when receiving the item could make you unable to obtain the item until reentering the controls to obtain the item in SplatNet 3.
• Fixed an issue when playing a battle or Salmon Run at the Shoal with a user who is not using network features where a connection error can occur when equipping a Splashtag background or title other than those owned from the start.
• Fixed an issue where other players would see you wearing different gear if you changed your equipment right before a match started in a Private Battle.
• Fixed an issue where the damage shown on test-range targets or the copy machine would be slightly lower than the actual damage.
• Fixed an issue in locker editing where some weapons would not stabilize after being placed.
• Fixed an issue where an error message would not properly display after a connection error occurred while exchanging card bits in the deck editor.
• Fixed an issue where, when the Post Display option is set to off, the player’s hand-drawn post that was saved partway through drawing would be displayed rather than the drawings prepared in advance.

As you can see, the 1.2.0 update for Splatoon 3 is massive and can take a while to read through. Again, some noteworthy elements in the patch include communication improvements and multiplayer adjustments, in addition to a host of bug fixes for Splatoon 3's assorted game modes. 

For more on the 1.2.0 update for Splatoon 3, check out the patch notes shared by Nintendo. And for more on Splatoon, be sure to read through some of our previous coverage including our guide on multiplayer levels and XP requirements for Splatoon 3, and the Splatoon 3 and Pokemon collaboration for November's Splatfest.

Morgan Shaver

Senior Editor

Morgan is a writer from the frozen wastelands of Maine who enjoys metal music, kpop, horror, and indie games. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99... and all games in general. But mostly Tetris. You can follow Morgan on Twitter @Author_MShaver.