With the Fresh Season update, Splatoon 3 will receive a new map, and the developers have now provided a closer look at what it will include. Fans are delighted to play a new Splatoon 3 map, but there are some reservations about how it will appear.
Splatoon 3 debuted with multiple levels, both new and from previous games, and has since added more through seasonal releases. The Manta Maria from Splatoon 2 will return in Splatoon 3’s Fresh Season, which begins in early March. The other map, Um’ami Ruins, is totally new to the game.
The creators offered fans a sneak peek at Um’ami Ruins on the official Splatoon Twitter account. The map is supposed to resemble an ancient site, replete with excavation equipment, cranes, and a facade with squids on either side of the entrance. According to the account, it might have been a combat site from a “ancient” turf fight. This map, like all others, will be playable in conventional Turf War variants as well as Anarchy Battles.
A new map for the game is always appreciated, as it should serve to keep the experience feeling fresh when the current rotation wears out. But, people have already expressed their reservations and objections about the layout. One of the most significant is that there does not appear to be a legal manner of flanking the other side, which is beneficial to players who utilise inkbrushes and other covert weaponry. Gamers have previously complained that the bulk of Splatoon 3 maps lack options to flank, so this map will simply add to the annoyance.
Um’ami Ruins doesn’t have a lot of verticality. Several maps in Splatoon 3 are mainly flat, with only a few low-lying platforms. Several players have raised this as a source of dispute, and it is possible that this map may disappoint some. Yet, one of the greatest instances of a map with verticality in Splatoon 2 was Moray Towers, which has been widely criticised as one of the game’s worst levels.
While Um’ami Ruins may not appeal to every gamer, it is probable that many will. Furthermore, some maps in Splatoon 2 were changed during the game to address concerns and unfair advantages, so flank routes on Um’ami Ruins – or possibly other maps – are not out of the question in the future. It’s unclear whether the devs are paying attention to players’ map worries, but fans will have to wait until the summer season to see whether a more vertical map joins the rotation.
