Regardless of what demographic it’s primarily aimed at, if there’s an online multiplayer shooter game, there’s likely to be a segment of that community that wants a competitive mode. Even though Splatoon 3 is developed by Nintendo, there is a group of players who take the game more seriously than others. However, the ranked mode from Splatoon 2 has been replaced by Anarchy Mode. Here’s how it works and what you need to know about it.
Related: Splatoon 3 beginner’s guide – tips and tricks for new players
How to unlock Anarchy Battles in Splatoon 3
For people jumping into Splatoon 3 without any data imported from Splatoon 2, Anarchy Modes will be unlocked once you reach level 10 in your player profile. However, if you import data from Splatoon 2 with ranked data in it, you will automatically be able to use these competitive modes after you reach level 2.
What is the difference between Anarchy Battles Open and Anarchy Battles Series?
You’ll notice that there are two options for Anarchy Battles in Splatoon 3: Open or Series. Series is a mode that can only be entered solo, so there are no friends to party with, and you are tasked with winning five matches before you lose three. This will have a greater impact on your ranking.
Open matchmaking lets you team up with friends and has a different game mode from the Series option. It’s only one game at a time, so your overall ranking won’t be affected much but will change slightly from it.
What modes are there in Anarchy Battles?
There are four modes in Anarchy Battles, and none of them are the normal Turf War that you play in standard games.
- Clam Blitz – Collect the Clams found around the map and throw them at your opponent’s goal in front of their spawn area.
- Rainmaker – Work together with your team to break through the Rainmaker’s shield and deliver checkpoints until you reach the final goal on your opponent’s side of the field.
- Splat Zones – Sections of the map are marked that your team needs to cover with their ink. If you have at least 70% of a zone in your color, you must hold it for a certain time until you win.
- Tower Control – This is similar to a game of Tug-of-War. There is a tower in the middle that moves towards the opposing team’s goal if your team is on top of it. Bring it to the end of the line to win.
How is your rank decided in Anarchy Battles?
If you come to Splatoon 3 with ranked data imported from the second game, you’ll get a bit of a head start on the B-. Without the data from the previous game, you start at rank C- and S+ is the absolute top-tier. The points you gain or lose completely depend on your wins and losses as well as medals and other results, so always play your best. You get eight points for wins, and more losses at higher ranks.
Before you can enter the Anarchy Battles Series, you must first offer some of your Rank points. Here’s a breakdown of the number of points you have to surrender to fight for more.
- S+0 and up: 180
- S: 170
- A+: 130
- A: 120
- A-: 110
- B+: 85
- B: 70
- B: 55
- C+: 40
- C: 20
- C-: 0
When participating in a series, there is a ranking in all Anarachy Battles game modes, but it is different from your X Power ranking if you have achieved at least S+ in a season.