New Splatoon 3 Update Just Made an Unexpected Change

by

A new update for Splatoon 3 has added health bars – a first for the Splatoon series. It’s a surprising change, especially since the game has been out for over three years.

Released on Nintendo Switch in September 2022, Splatoon 3 was immediately well-received by critics, continuing the success of previous games in the series. It currently has a score of 83 on OpenCritic, the same as Splatoon 2. Although Nintendo initially announced they would stop regularly updating Splatoon 3 in September 2024, they continued to add new content and improve performance throughout 2025, even for the new Nintendo Switch 2.

Splatoon 3 Has Just Added Health Bars 40 Months After Launch

Image via Nintendo

On January 27, 2026, Splatoon 3 got an unexpected update. Called ‘Version 11.0.0’, the update introduced a few new gameplay features. While most have been well-received, one addition is a bit strange: health bars.

For years, Splatoon players had to visually check how much paint covered an enemy to estimate their remaining health. However, the latest update to Splatoon 3 (Version 11.0.0) introduces a standard health bar that briefly appears above opponents after they’ve been hit. This health bar disappears if the enemy takes cover or goes underground, but it will stay visible if they’re covered in Thermal Ink or tagged by a Point Sensor or Wave Breaker. Players can also see health bars above their teammates, making it easier to track everyone’s status during battles.

It’s not surprising that changing a core part of the game so long after it came out has gotten a varied response from players. Some fans are unhappy with the sudden shift, feeling it makes the game more focused on competition and less relaxing. Others are speculating that Nintendo is using this update to try out ideas for the next Splatoon title.

Everything Else Included in Splatoon 3’s Version 11.0.0 Update

Okay, so the latest update to Splatoon 3 is wild! Everyone’s talking about the health bars, which are a pretty big change, but there’s this awesome new thing called Flow Aura that I’m really excited about. Basically, if you get on a hot streak and take down a bunch of opponents quickly, you activate it. When it kicks in, you get a cool ink burst and a 30-second boost to everything – you run faster, swim faster, take less damage, and the action just feels more intense! The best part? If you keep the streak going and take out more players, it keeps going! Even taking out someone else who has Flow Aura active will extend your own. It’s a really fun way to reward aggressive play, and I can’t wait to try it out!

Some other important features in Splatoon 3 have also been adjusted. Specifically, the Super Jump now takes longer to complete depending on how far you’re traveling, but only when you’re using the Stealth Jump ability. For instance, jumping from the spawn point will be very quick—just a second or two—while jumping to the opposite side of the map will take a bit more time.

This update includes changes to how the game registers hits. When an Inkling or Octling is swimming, it’s now a little harder to hit them. To compensate, shots from players are easier to land. Specifically, weapons with shorter ranges have significantly larger hit areas, while those with longer ranges have had a small increase to their hit areas.

Read More

2026-01-29 22:04