As Splatoon 3’s content cycle comes to an end, we figured it’d be a good time to take a look at everything the game has to offer with a stages tier list.
At the time of writing, there are currently 23 stages in the game, and Sizzle Season 2024 is confirmed to be adding Lemuria Hub. In terms of quality, Splatoon 3 has had it kind of rough. In Splatoon 2, a good chunk of stages had several different routes to take. On stages like Kelp Dome and Skipper Pavillon, there was plenty of open space to hide away and claim turf. That’s not the case in Splatoon 3, however; for the most part, its stages are smaller and much more constrained, which winds up favoring long-rangers. This, in turn, makes it difficult for casual players to participate without being picked off by chargers and Splatlings. That’s not a very healthy trait for a game to have, and stages that exacerbate this issue will be reflected as such in our ranking.
Splatoon 3 stages tier list
As with all tier lists, do keep in mind that this one is completely subjective and not being presented as fact! It’s okay if you really like a stage that we’ve ranked low on our list. In that case, feel free to share your opinions with us in the comments down below. We’ve ranked the stages from a viewpoint somewhere between casual and competitive, if that helps. Here are a few of the highlights of some of the rankings on our Splatoon 3 stages tier list:
- Robo ROM-en (S) is generally one of the more well-liked stages added to Splatoon 3, and it’s easy to see why. It’s based on the interior of a ramen shop, and each team’s base can be accessed through two different paths. There’s also a section underneath the main stage that you can use as a shortcut in between. Overall, Robo ROM-en is a solid stage in just about every mode.
- MakoMart (A) is another solid stage overall, and it’s got a good mix of emphasis on horizontal and vertical inking mobility. In Clam Blitz, the baskets are just the right distance apart – not too far from each other, but not too close, either. The stage is a little bit worse in Tower Control because the tower gives enemies the height they need to shoot into your base – this prevents it from entering S tier on our Splatoon 3 stages tier list, but MakoMart is generally a good stage.
- Crableg Capital (A) is one of the more recent stages added to Splatoon 3. The game has drawn criticism because a lot of its stages are shaped like a Tetris block, and this one is unfortunately no exception. That being said, for being shaped like a Tetris block, Crableg Capital has several different elevations and is overall rather well-balanced. If the rest of Splatoon 3’s stages are going to retain that same shape, we’d like to see more of them wind up how this one did.
- Wahoo World (B) received a minor rework a while back, and though it didn’t change too much, the stage isn’t too bad now! It’s still easy to maintain control of the match if you set up in the center of the stage, but there are a few different paths you can take to get around and plenty of places to hide for cover.
- Undertow Spillway (C) did receive a rework recently that opened up the middle of the stage and added a small cranny, but it still overall feels rather cramped. The enemy can get into your base in modes like Rainmaker and Tower Control, which makes specials incredibly strong here.
- Bluefin Depot (D) originated in the first Splatoon game, so some of you might have positive or nostalgic feelings towards it. That’s okay! While it’s possible for opponents to get near your base, they can’t get directly into it, which prevents dire cases of spawn camping. That being said, once a team gets an advantage (in any mode other than Turf War), it’s rather easy for them to hold onto it. Accessing the opposing enemy’s area is tough, because you either have to swim up a telegraphed wall or wait for a slow-moving elevator. Both of these leave you vulnerable, and teams can swarm these areas once they’ve got the advantage to run the timer out.
- Eeltail Alley (D) is there because of the giant bridge in the center. The area below the bridge is dangerous, because players on the bridge can easily pick off those below them. Once a team has control over the bridge, they can rather easily maintain control of it. In other words, whoever controls the bridge essentially controls the entire game! This can lead to matches that feel kind of lopsided, which is why it’s placed low on our Splatoon 3 stages tier list.
- Manta Maria (D) is one of the few stages in Splatoon 3 that places a high focus on vertical mobility. There are lots of walls to ink and climb, which often makes the stage feel cramped. Enemies can’t get directly into your spawn, but they can get very close, so this winds up being another stage that has lopsided matches.
- Barnacle and Dime (F) is a very flat stage for the most part, and it’s got a horrible spawn camping problem. Once you’ve taken control of the central area, you can gain a huge advantage by wiping out the opposing team and then moving in to spawn camp the opposing team until the timer runs out. This isn’t any fun for anyone – in future stages, we’d like to see better-protected bases that let you escape from spawn and stand a chance against spawn camping should that wind up happening.
- Brinewater Springs (F) is what we personally consider the worst stage in the game at the moment. The middle of the stage is wide open, which gives chargers and splatlings a huge advantage. You have to ink and swim through that area and then up a ramp to be able to contest chargers, and if you do that you can swim right up into the enemy’s spawn point and spawn camp them. If any stage needs a rework, it’s probably this one! Make spawn less accessible for the other team and make it harder for chargers to sit on top of the ramp. Until a rework happens, Brinewater Springs sits at the bottom of our Splatoon 3 stages tier list.
That’s our full Splatoon 3 stages tier list, then. Where do you rank each of the stages? Do you agree with some of our placements, or is there one that you don’t agree with? Whichever the case, let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
If you want to read more Splatoon content, we have a full list of Splatoon-centric guides that you can check out right here.
Splatoon 3 and its DLC are available now for Switch. You can access the official website here.
