Splatoon 3’s Splatfest Top 100: Rise of the Neo Splash-o-matic

Splatoon 3’s 5th Splatfest, “Which of these is real? Nessie vs. Aliens vs. Bigfoot,” has come to a close with Nessie securing the most points and the victory. Additionally, the Splatfest Top 100 has also been revealed, and it looks like players in Japan are starting to utilize different weapons compared to previous Splatfests.

The Splatfest Top 100 is a list of the top 100 participants from each team based on the Splatfest Power they accumulated over the event. The list shows both the player name and weapon used by each of the top participants in a ranked format. With this latest Splatfest, we can see there’s been a drop in usage of the Splash-o-matic in Japan despite how popular it had been previously. In its place, usage of the Neo Splash-0-matic is on the rise.

Let’s look at the numbers. In the previous Splatfest, the Splash-o-matic was used by 124 of the top 300 participants across all teams. In this most recent Splatfest, that number dropped to only 29 out of 300. In contrast, the Neo Splash-o-matic joined the list for the first time with 79 users.

The Neo Splash-o-matic is a new variant of the Splash-o-matic that was introduced this season. It retains the same accurate main weapon but changes the sub weapon to the Suction Bomb and the special weapon to the Triple Inkstrike.

The Splash-o-matic has been an extremely popular weapon alongside the Sloshing Machine since Splatoon 3’s first Splatfest. Why does it seem to have fallen out of favor with so many of the top players? It’s likely due to the number of nerfs that have been made to its sub and special weapons.

Originally, the Splash-o-matic was nicely complemented by its sub and special weapons which made it a favorite among players. While its damage output is low, it’s an accurate weapon where players could count on its Burst Bomb to finish off opponents. Its special weapon, the Crab Tank, also made it possible to attack players that were out of the Splash-o-matic’s reach.

However, both the Burst Bomb and Crab Tank have received numerous nerfs. This has resulted in the Burst Bomb being more difficult to use than before and the Crab Tank not being able to rampage across the battlefield the same as it used to.

On the other hand, the new Neo Splash-o-matic has different sub and special weapons than the Splash-o-matic. The Triple Inkstrike can cover large areas with its ink tornados which is good for reigning in opponents and taking control of areas. Additionally, it’s one of the special weapons that can be used against the Crab Tank. With the nerfs to the Splash-o-matic and the introduction of the Neo Splash-o-matic, it’s likely that many Splash-o-matic players made the move to the new variant.

As a main weapon, the Splash-o-matic has a steady and accurate shot that’s good for inking stages and holds a unique position among shooter weapons. For players that want that kind of control, switching to the Neo Splash-o-matic which has the same main weapon was probably a satisfactory compromise.

As an aside, the Sloshing Machine, which has been popular since the first Splatfest, was used by 64 players across the top 100 players of each team. Despite receiving multiple nerfs, it’s still managing to hang around and stay popular. Maybe if we get a variant of the Sloshing Machine we’ll see a similar change to the Splatfest Top 100 weapon usage charts.

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2023-04-03 16:30 JST)