Splatoon 3: More Ways to Compete

Article originally posted on the Splatoon Stronghold website.

Splatoon 3: More Ways to Compete

If you’re in any way familiar with the Competitive Splatoon 3 community, it’s likely that you’ve come to understand competitive gameplay as organized 4 vs. 4 Private Battle matches and not much else. However, that’s far from the only facet of competitive play within the game, and maybe you’re someone that’s looking for something more than what’s been presented to you. Perhaps Competitive Splatoon in the traditional sense doesn’t quite cater to the ways you like to play the game, but you still want to get involved in some sort of competitive sphere for it. If that’s you, you’re in luck! There are a few prominent communities for you to engage with and take up a different sort of competitive mantle in Splatoon 3, no prior experience needed!

Speedrunning

Are you a veteran of Alterna or the Spire of Order? Are you looking to push your skills within Splatoon 3’s singleplayer campaigns to the best they can be? Then speedrunning might be for you! As the name implies, speedrunning involves trying to complete a game’s singleplayer campaign as quickly as possible. There are numerous categories for Splatoon 3 speedrunning depending on which campaign you want to run and the kinds of challenges you want to take on. The most common challenges are Any%, where you try to beat the campaign as fast as you can on a new file, and NG+, which is beating the campaign as fast as you can with all in-game upgrades equipped). The worlds of Alterna and the Memverse are always looking for new people to try their hand at becoming the fastest splatters. Climb your way to the top and stake your claim on the leaderboards! If you want to get involved in speedrunning games in the Splatoon series, check out the Splatoon Speedrunning Discord server! Runs from the very best players can be found on Splatoon 3’s Speedrun.com page.

Overfishing

Overfishing takes Competitive Splatoon out of the city and onto the frontlines of Salmon Run. It’s you and your teammates against the ruthless Salmonids, but you’re not looking to just survive this time. Your goal as an Overfisher is to nab as many Golden Eggs as possible and blow those quotas out of the water in cooperation with other Overfishers at your skill level. Cultivating positional awareness, strategically using special weapons, and communicating with your teammates are some of the keys to becoming a skilled Overfisher, with little to no room to slack on the job if you want to bring in those sweet rewards. Think you have what it takes to make it big on Mr. Grizz’s payroll with your fellow valued employees? Give Overfishing a try! The Overfishing Discord server is a great place to start and find useful resources.

Tableturf Battle

Although it’s not as widely acknowledged in the greater Splatoon community, Tableturf Battle still holds its place as a competitive area with a much heavier focus on strategy rather than individual skill or team dynamics. Build your deck into the best it can be and take on other passionate card game enthusiasts in a battle to claim the most space on the board! Patience and careful decision making are your friends in setting yourself up for success and securing the victory. The Tableturf Battle Server holds weekly events and has channels to discuss strategy, deck building, and get advice on your gameplay! Additionally, if you’re not looking to play against other people, Tableturf also has its own speedrunning category if you’re just itching to show those NPCs who’s boss. You have no shortage of options to play your way, so don’t hesitate to pick up those cards and take on the competition if Tableturf strikes your fancy!

You can find informational videos on each of these game modes and their competitive circles on YouTube if you want to do more of your own research before taking the plunge. Most importantly, though, remember that Splatoon 3 is your oyster, and you can play however you want! Whether you want to step into competitive play or keep a casual pace, you’ll make your own waves as long as you’re having fun along the way.
Have fun and happy splatting!

Original Posting Date: September 16, 2025

Written and formatted for publication by JessieJay.