Splatoon 2 Gets A New Weapon And A New Map Tonight

The ink-flinging war rages on in Splatoon 2 as Nintendo reveals a new weapon and a new stage will be dropping into the game world this evening. Get ready to wield the Heavy Splatling Deco while visiting the Kelp Dome.

During this week's Nintendo Direct, it was revealed that two new weapons and two new maps would soon arrive in Splatoon 2. One of those weapons and one of those maps is set to arrive at 7 p.m. PT this very evening, so get ready to dive back into the Nintendo Switch game that just keeps on giving. Seriously, these free updates have been constant, and this latest one is sure to especially please fans of the original Splatoon.

While I missed out on the first Splatoon, folks who played that Wii U exclusive have been begging for a return to Kelp Dome. Splatoon 2 already boasts a couple of re-imaginings of older maps, but this is the one that kept popping up in conversations across various forums.

This evening, Kelp Dome will finally join the Splatoon 2 map rotation and, according to Gamespot, it'll boast a few new twists including extra grates connecting the various sections. Those grates offer a fun spin on strategy, as players can freely shoot through them. In other words, whether you're running across a catwalk or inking turf below, you've got to keep verticality in mind if you want to avoid having someone surprise you.

Along with that new map, players will also get their hands on the Heavy Splatling Deco weapon tonight. If you're a high enough level, all you'll need to do to pick it up is drop by the Ammo Knight shop in the plaza and purchase it with the in-game currency you've been earning.

Apparently, the gun works the same way as the Heavy Splatling already in the game, but its sub-weapon and special ability are different. Also, the gun itself is totally bejeweled, for those of you who want to look fresh. The sub-weapon with this version is a Splash Wall, which creates a temporary barrier to help control the flow of battle. The special ability is the recently released Bubble Blower, which lets you fling a trio of ink bubbles into the world. If your team shoots them enough, they explode with oodles of ink.

Nintendo also announced the next duo of updates, though no release date has been revealed. A new Snapper Canal map will be coming at some point in the future, which features a dangerous river flowing between the two sides of the map. And then there's the Tenta Brella, which creates a rather massive ink-blocking barrier.