Splatoon 3is great fun for both squids and kids, offering an easy environment for no-stress pick-up games at most times of the day. However, some splatters seek a little more challenge and thrill in their lives. It is for these brave squids and octolings that Splatoon 3 offers its various competitive game modes on rotation.
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Technically, there is no “best” competitive mode because your perception of the “best” one depends entirely on your preferred playstyle and weapon loadout. That said, we can give our two cents on which modes are the most mechanically interesting and accommodating of high-level play.
5Turf War
Turf War is the bedrock upon which all other Splatoon 3 game modes are built. Two teams compete to see who can cover more of the stage’s floor in their ink color in a limited time. It’s intended more for casual play, which is why it’s the only game mode in regular matches, but there are higher-level iterations to play as well, usually during Splatfests.
That said, due to its accessible nature, Turf War isn’t super compatible with high-level play. There isn’t a whole lot of strategy to be had for Turf War beyond “spray your ink all over everything and everyone until someone says stop.” Turf War’s chaotic nature is better for a noncommital pick-up game than coordinated, competitive play.
4Splat Zones
In Splat Zones, you vie for control of several designated spots on the stage, claiming them by covering them with your ink. Once one side has majority control, the timer starts ticking down, and if it hits zero, the majority team wins. If neither team can run out the timer, then whoever held the most space longest when the match timer runs out wins.
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The need forgrabbing and controlling certain spots, king of the hill-style, does necessitate a bit more coordination than in Turf War. Someone needs to patrol and defend the claimed spots or otherwise blitz enemy spots to swiftly snatch control. Of course, there’s plenty of patrolling and territory snatching in Turf War, just in a wider area. Splat Zones is pretty much just Turf War with extra steps; plenty of fun but still not that interesting.
3Tower Control
In Tower Control, two teams fight for control over a moving tower. When the tower is under one team’s control, it starts making its way along a set path to designated checkpoints. If one team can guide the tower all the way to the other end of the map, they win. If neither team reaches the end before time runs out, the team that made the most cumulative progress wins.
Tower Control is kind of like Payloadin Team Fortress 2, but with the added wrinkle that the tower can still be forced backward even after reaching a checkpoint. This necessitates more creative play, as the obvious choice of just sitting on the tower and shooting people doesn’t always work. You can send teammates to scout ahead and clear the way, position snipers to defend your perch or knock someone else off it, and deploy Sub-Weapons in the tower’s path for nasty surprises. The tower’s set path helps to condense the action to specific parts of the map, which makes firefights all the more hectic.
2Rainmaker
In Rainmaker, two teams fight to unleash and grab the Rainmaker, a slow yet powerful weapon that launches massive exploding ink shots. If a team can carry the Rainmaker to each of the opposing team’s checkpoints and slam it down, they win. If neither team claims every checkpoint before time runs out, the one that made the most cumulative progress wins.
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Rainmaker islike a capture-the-flag modeif you had the option of beating someone over the head with the flag. Despite its strength, the Rainmaker leaves its holder wide open to retaliation, necessitating some squad-style action from the attacking team. Players need to group up and defend the carrier while they move forward or charge the Rainmaker’s shot, as well as be ready to pop the Rainmaker’s bubble and reclaim it should the carrier get splatted. It’s at this point that some base-level meta coordination becomes required, either through extensive use of in-game signals or voice chat.
1Clam Blitz
In Clam Blitz, both teams have a shielded bin, while numerous clams are scattered around the map. If one player gathers eight regular clams, they get a Power Clam, which can be used to temporarily break the other team’s shield and allow regular clams to be thrown in their bin. Whichever team scores 100 points first or has the most points when time runs out wins.
Clam Blitz is quite possibly the most mechanically complexof the competitive game modes, primarily because it’s the least reliant on inking turf as a gameplay mechanic. There are only 30 clams on the map at a time, and when a bin shield is broken, it only stays that way for around ten seconds. Coordination is an absolute must in the mode; players can toss clams to each other to create Power Clams at the optimal moment and be ready to throw their own clams in the bin when the shield goes down. One player can’t carry a team in this mode; it’s a full four-player effort, which makes it the best choice for really scratching that high-level competitive itch.
