Splatoon 3 players are abusing the REEF-LUX 450 to farm money

A highly efficient way of earning money in Splatoon 3 using the REEF-LUX 450 weapon has caused a divide among the player base. Many have pointed out that the practice is a nuisance, while others feel that it’s acceptable as long as regular players don’t get wrapped up in it.

The method is called “REEF-LUX collusion” in Japan and it involves players participating in Turf War (Regular Battle) and using the REEF-LUX 450 weapon. Instead of playing normally, players on both teams repeat the cycle of painting over a spot and then having an opponent repaint it over and over so that they can earn rewards efficiently. This takes advantage of the fact that rewards gained in Turf War depend on the total amount of area that gets painted.

The reason why the REEF-LUX 450 is chosen for this method is likely the fact that it is highly effective at turfing and can be used to easily paint any stage.

Another contributing factor might be that the weapon is not a commonly used one, at least at the time this article was written. This means that it would be somewhat rare to see a team that has two or more players wielding the REEF-LUX 450. This rarity works to the benefits of those employing the method, as seeing such a team makes it easy to understand that those players are intending to participate in REEF-LUX collusion.

REEF-LUX collusion most likely came about because of how easy it is to run out of coins in Splatoon 3. Compared to previous games in the series, coins are necessary for more functions, and players who aim for gear with ideal ability chunks or want to gather all of the many collectibles in the game often find themselves lacking in funds.

When players need money, it increases their motivation to play the game, and there are many who are working diligently towards that goal in the Salmon Run co-op mode. Still, in terms of time and difficulty, REEF-LUX collusion proves to be the more efficient strategy. The fact that it is so easy to run out of money is no doubt one of the reasons that the REEF-LUX collusion method continues to spread.

The main problem with REEF-LUX collusion is that it becomes a nuisance to players who just want to enjoy the game normally. You can see a number of players on social media who have inadvertently gotten caught up in REEF-LUX collusion and then been overwhelmed by their opponents while receiving no help from their own team.

The game actually has a function where players can report those who continuously repeat actions that are unrelated to the objective of the match, so it’s possible that players who engage in collusion will be penalized. Above all, this must be especially annoying for players who actually enjoy using the REEF-LUX 450 for regular play as the REEF-LUX collusion is giving the weapon a bad reputation.

On the other hand, there are those who feel that if all eight players competing in a match are working together to earn money, then it doesn’t disrupt any other players. There are actually some players who have been using social media to recruit others to participate in REEF-LUX collusion so that they don’t interfere with any solo players.

VTuber Miro Amakusa held a Twitter poll to determine how users felt about REEF-LUX collusion with the assumption that it would not cause trouble for regular players. Of a total 1,878 votes, 42.1% felt that it was fine, while 57.9% still thought that it was wrong to do. While the majority are against the money farming method, there were still over 40% who are okay with it, so it’s clear that opinions are mixed.

It’s obvious that this kind of collusion is not the way that Turf War was intended to be played, it is more than capable of becoming a hindrance to other players. At the same time, it’s a fact that there are a large number of players who are desperate for money, and these are the desperate measures they felt the need to resort to.

Splatoon 3 is a game that was designed to be played by many gamers over an extended period of time. While everyone is certainly free to play however they choose, the act of using unusual methods to earn money in a short amount of time or finding ways to get through all the game’s content as fast as possible seemingly run counter to the game’s intended design. We hope that everyone will play the game in a way that they truly enjoy and one that does not inconvenience others.

Written by. Marco Farinaccia based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-09-23 13:58 JST)