Splatoon 3: How Long to Beat One of 2022‘s Hottest Sequels?

Splatoon 3 gameplay

Do you want to play the campaign of Splatoon 3? Do you want to know Splatoon 3 how long to beat it? Well, our guide is the one for you!

As an avid Nintendo fan who grew up battling rivals in intense Turf War shootouts, I‘ve eagerly anticipated Splatoon 3 since finishing every last drop of content from the previous two games.

Now with over 50 hours of playtime since launch day, I‘m here to provide the definitive guide to completing the solo story, dominating multiplayer, and fully squeezing this neon-drenched sequel for every morsel it has to offer.

Here‘s exactly how long it will take you to beat Splatoon 3…

Blitz Through The Zany Single Player Campaign

Let‘s start with the wacky Hero Mode campaign, which transports Agent 3 to a dusty post-apocalyptic region called Alterna to battle mutated Octarian forces. With 7 distinct worlds and over 35 action-packed stages, this fresh solo experience is every bit as delightful and silly as previous entries.

Splatoon 3 character beating a level

The vibrant levels are quicker hits than major Salmon Run ops or Ranked matches, averaging just 5-7 minutes apiece. However nailing down the optimal paths, locating hidden collectibles, and taking down the epic bossess can extend your playtime a bit.

Here‘s a rough overview of how long it will take to blast through the story chapters:

  • Introduction – The Crater: 15 minutes
  • World 1 – Future Utopia Island: 35 minutes
  • World 2 – Cozy and Safe Factory: 30 minutes
  • World 3 – Cryogenic Hopetown: 25 minutes
  • World 4 – Landfill Dreamland: 45 minutes
  • World 5 – Eco-Forest Treehills: 1 hour
  • World 6 – Happiness Research Lab: 40 minutes
  • World 7 – Space Center: 30 minutes

Total time: ~4 hours

So if you focus soley on plowing through the campaign, you‘re looking at around a 4 hour runtime.

But take your time to soak up the sights and explore every corner, and your playclock may push closer to 6 hours. I certainly got distracted blasting out-of-place appliances and battling the towering final boss a few extra rounds!

Master Competitive Multiplayer

Of course, campaign is just the tip of the iceberg. The real meat of Splatoon 3 for us diehard fans lies in the extensive online multiplayer suite.

Once the brief tutorial is complete, you‘ll unlock Anarchy Battles allowing you to begin the journey from Amateur shrimp all the way towards the coveted X Rank. With 4 main competitive modes, 28 unique stages, and over 100 compelling weapon/gear combinations to master, this is where you‘ll spend most of your playtime.

Let‘s break down how long it takes to conquer the key milestones:

infographic showing multiplayer milestones

As evidenced above, hitting every goal and rising to the peak of Splatsville greatness is no small feat. But with the addictive moment-to-moment gameplay and constant drive to build your Catalog and rank, it‘s an entertaining climb!

Between Anarchy Battles, personal milestones, Grizzco weapon quests, and finishing the Alterna Logs, reaching the max level cap alone will likely take 100-120 hours even for talented players. And many may choose to continue competing long after, as new events, gear, maps, and modes will keep things fresh!

Earn That Elite 100% Completion

Last but not least, I want to shout out my fellow elite completionists aiming for an astounding 100% game completion rate.

Trust me, I get the drive! And I‘m right there suffering with you until every collectible is unlocked and byte of content seen!

To fully "beat" Splatoon 3, here‘s the journey:

  • Complete main campaign and all levels: 4-6 hours
  • Reach max Catalog Level 100: 100+ hours
  • Finish all Alterna Logs and Mem Cakes: 6-8 hours
  • Climb to top X Rank in all modes: 30+ hours
  • Collect all gear, badges, banners etc: 8-10 hours

Total for 100% completion: ~150 hours!

Person looking at Splatoon 3 completion progress

As you can see, attaining the coveted 100% symbol is no small feat! You‘ll need to dedicate dozens of hours to seemingly mundane tasks like hitting 999 clout in the gacha Shell Out machine or perfectly scanning every enemy with your Splat-Scope.

But fellow obsessive collectors know that ultimate feeling of satisfaction is worth it! Plus you‘ll be rocking the freshest drip in Splatsville.

So if you‘re down for the grind, grab your 4-slot gear with perfect ability chunks and let‘s get ink grinding! No mountain of motors or army of Octobot Kings will stop our quest for total completion!

Verdict: Don‘t Miss This Massive Sequel!

At the end of the day, I cannot recommend Splatoon 3 enough. Even if you just want to chill turfing for fun or smack around story mode bosses, it‘s an absolute blast.

And for us ultra-dedicated players willing to put in the long hours to 100% one of Nintendo‘s meatiest Switch releases yet, it has the compellingcontent and replayability we crave!

So pick up that Aerospray and dive in – this is easily my favorite multiplayer shooter in years. See you in Splatsville!

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