Next 'Splatoon' update will fix matchmaking, increase level cap
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Splatoon is easily Nintendo's breakaway game for 2015. The brightly colored post-apocalyptic third-person multiplayer shooter sold more than a million copies in its first month. It's tons of fun, but it also feels a little incomplete: the game launched with a low level cap, and a primitive, randomized matchmaking system that made it almost impossible to team up with friends. In a few days, that changes -- in August, Nintendo will be upgrading Splatoon with new weapons, new items, a higher level cap and more robust matchmaking.
For players that have been with Splatoon from day one, the August update is flush with essential changes. For starters, the update fixes the game's matchmaking. Right now, teammates for Ranked Battles are assigned randomly, making it almost impossible to play on a team with a friend -- but the new update will introduce new a Squad Battle mode that allow you to form custom teams. A second new mode, Private Battle, will let players create matches with customized map settings and team sizes. The game's "Regular Battle" mode will still be randomized, however.
The update also adds in a ton of new content, including two new weapon types (a gatling-gun called "The Splatling" and a fancy paint-bucket called "The Slosher") and more than 40 new pieces of fashionable armor and gear. Nintendo is also bumping the game's character level cap from 20 to 50 and will tack rank S and S+ to the top of its competitive ranking system.
Best of all? Nintendo's not even done yet. The company says it will continue to add new battle modes, weapons and maps to the game throughout the rest of the summer and into the Fall. If you were holding off on buying Splatoon until it felt more complete, your time has come.