BODY: Nintendo is rolling out a fresh balance patch for Splatoon 3, and competitive players have been watching this one closely. Update Ver. 11.2.0 arrives June 11 at 10:00 a.m. JST for both Nintendo Switch 2 and the original Nintendo Switch, bringing weapon adjustments and matchmaking changes to the ink-soaked shooter.
The headline change is a nerf to the Blaster family. The update shrinks the hit-detection radius on the weapon's signature explosion, meaning those satisfying near-misses that used to splat opponents will now require sharper aim. Blasters have long been a frustration point for players caught just outside the visible blast, so this tightening aligns the damage zone more closely with what appears on screen.
Equally significant is a reworking of X Battle team-balancing logic. The mode pairs players by their X Power rating, and Nintendo is adjusting how teams are divided to produce fairer, more competitive matches. For the high-level players who live in X Battle's upper brackets, lopsided team assignments have been a persistent complaint.
The patch also folds in the usual round of smaller weapon tuning and bug fixes, the steady maintenance cadence that has kept Splatoon 3 feeling fresh nearly three years after launch.
The insider take
From Tokyo, the timing is telling. With Splatoon 3 now running on Switch 2 hardware, Nintendo is clearly invested in keeping the competitive scene healthy across both console generations. Blaster adjustments always spark fierce debate in Japanese community circles on X and Discord, where the weapon class has a devoted following. Expect a wave of testing videos and tier-list arguments within hours of the patch going live — the Japanese Splatoon community treats each balance update like a minor national event.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).