The most dreaded special weapon from the original Splatoon is finally coming back, as the Kraken will be unleashed in Splatoon 3. Those who want to wield the power of this unstoppable cephalopod won’t have to wait long, as it will return on March 1 as part of the Fresh Season 2023 update.
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Splatoon 3’s Expansion Pass is bringing back the Inkopolis hub from Splatoon, but that’s not all that’s making a comeback from the first game. It has been revealed via the Splatoon North America Twitter page that a new version of the Kraken, called Kraken Royale, is coming to the game after skipping Splatoon 2.
The Kraken Royale is a special weapon in Splatoon 3 that temporarily transforms the user into an unstoppable monster; it will initially be attached to the Krak-On Splat Roller and the .96 Gal Deco. It has a few differences from the original Kraken — most notably, the user is still vulnerable to damage when entering or leaving the form, giving opponents a chance to stop the player from transforming.
Once Kraken Royale is activated, it makes the player invulnerable to damage, allows them to swim across the stage effortlessly, and they can ram into enemies and kill them. The only option available to the enemy is to run away or open fire and hope for the best, as ink can slow the Kraken Royale down. There is also a new offensive option for the Kraken Royale, as it has a powerful charge attack, which lets them cover a short distance and instantly KO anyone in their way.
The Kraken was a popular weapon in the original Splatoon, though most players agreed it was too strong. It’s a shame that the Kraken never appeared in Splatoon 2, as it all needed was a few balance tweaks to bring it in line with the other weapons in the game, and it looks like Splatoon 3 has given it the weaknesses it needs to make it a viable option, without breaking the game.
