How weapon freshness works in Splatoon 3

While you may have heard all about fresh gear in Splatoon 3, weapon freshness is a slightly more obtuse mechanic. The game has dozens of weapons to choose from, all of which have their own combination of an ability and an ultimate. Splatoon 3 does a great job of balancing its weapons, which makes them all feel fair and fun to play.

It’s generally best to try out a variety of weapons before picking your favorite, but you’ll most likely settle on one main weapon after a few hours worth of play. Once you’ve chosen your main, the game rewards you for learning the intricacies of individual weapons with the freshness meter.

Here’s how weapon freshness works in Splatoon 3.

Staying fresh

Weapon freshness is essentially a separate experience points tally for weapons, according to Gamepur. Each individual weapon, from the Splattershot Jr. to the Ballpoint Splatling, has its own freshness meter. The more multiplayer matches you play with a weapon and the more enemies you splat, the more freshness points you’ll gain. Once you reach the end of the bar, you’ll gain a star on that weapon. You can earn up to five stars on each weapon.

To see your freshness rating with any given weapon, press the + button to access the Equip menu. From there, select the weapon you want to examine and press ZL twice. On top of the ability descriptions, you’ll see the term “freshness,” the accompanying experience bar, and how many stars you have.

The higher your freshness with a weapon, the more money you’ll earn at the end of a multiplayer match where you use that weapon. Once you get your freshness high enough, you can display your weapon in your locker, Splatoon 3‘s new customizable area where players can show off their personal sense of style. Leveling up a high-freshness weapon also grants Sheldon Licenses and unique badges for the game’s new username banners, known as Splashtags.