Splatoon 3’s new Kraken Royale is already a force to be reckoned with

Splatoon 3’s Fresh Season 2023 has begun. With a new season comes new content and it’s the Kraken Royale special weapon that is already drawing attention on social media in Japan.

The Kraken Royale is a special weapon that transforms the player into a giant squid. Of course, Octolings can use it as well and are transformed into a giant octopus instead. Without the effects of any gear abilities, the Kraken Royale lasts for about 8 seconds and comes equipped on the .96 Gal Deco and Krak-On Splat Roller weapons which were also added in Fresh Season 2023.

When in the giant squid form, players are able to move over enemy ink without issue and leave a trail of their own ink in their wake. They’re also invulnerable to enemy attacks.

Although you can’t use your main weapon when using the Kraken Royale, players can attack enemies by jumping into them or by briefly holding the ZR button to charge a forward rushing attack.

When testing in the lobby, the charge attack appeared to do damage across roughly two lines of distance. The jump attack does 60 damage and the charge attack does 120 damage, so it’s possible to splat an opponent with two jumps or one charged attack.

Based on all of this, you could say the Kraken Royale is a good special weapon for getting in close and causing some chaos. For example, if you’re playing Turf War and your teammates are in a fire fight with the other team, you can rush into the chaos as a giant squid and your opponents won’t be able to do much else but stand down.

Where the Kraken Royale really shines is Tower Control, a mode where two teams battle over control of a single tower. Standing on the tower causes it to move towards the other team’s territory and the team that pushes it to the end wins. Of course, it’s also possible to use the Kraken Royale while on the tower. If you don’t get pushed off, that gives you roughly 8 seconds of being able to push the tower without having to worry about being splatted.

An interesting scene was posted to social media involving multiple players equipped with the Kraken Royale playing together in Tower Control. Just before the end of the match, a player on the yellow team, which was down by 5 points, used the Kraken Royale on top of the tower. Just when it looked like the yellow team would close the gap, a player on the purple team jumped in with a Kraken Royale of their own. Then another player jumped in with a Kraken Royale and the purple team won as the extra time ended. It looked like three giant squids were fighting for territory.

This way of using a special weapon while on top of the tower isn’t new, however. Up to this point, players have also used the Crab Tank and Big Bubbler on the tower as ways to defend it. With the Crab Tank, it can be taken care of using a well placed bomb or Triple Inkstrike, and players can make their way into the Big Bubbler’s barrier to continue the fight. Going forward, perhaps players will find better methods to deal with the Kraken Royale as well.

The Kraken Royale is also proving to be effective in Clam Blitz. Players can use the time they have being invisible to pick up clams and bring them to the goal near the opposing team’s base. That time can also be used in Rainmaker mode to steal the Rainmaker from an opponent or protect an ally holding the weapon.

With its attack power and mobility, there are numerous ways to use the Kraken Royale. But keep in mind that special weapons can’t be used when holding the Rainmaker. The Kraken Royale will also end if you touch the Rainmaker while using it, so be careful not to accidentally transform back to normal in hectic situations.

The Kraken Royale may sound unstoppable, but it does have its downsides. Players are briefly vulnerable just before and just after transforming, so it could be bad news if someone is aiming for you during that period. Additionally, it’s possible to dodge the charge attack by jumping. If an opponent is thrusting towards you, it’s probably a good idea to jump. While players are invincible when using the Kraken Royale, being hit by enemy ink does cause knockback. Even if you’re on top of the tower in Tower Control, something like a charger weapon with a lot of pushback could potentially knock you off.

It also looks like the somewhat under utilized Tenta Brella can be used to push back the Kraken Royale. A well timed use of the Tenta Brella’s canopy might be good for knocking any giant squids off of the tower in Tower Control. As an aside, while it appears to be a bug of some sort, there have been reports of the Kraken Royale’s thrust attack being used against the Tenta Brella’s canopy causing it to slip through the ground.

While it does have its weaknesses, the Kraken Royale appears to be quite strong. This is my (the original author of this article) honest opinion after using it for myself. However, the new season has only just begun. As players continue to experiment, assessments of the special weapon will likely change. We look forward to seeing how the meta changes going forward.

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2023-03-01 21:41 JST)