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Splatoon is getting a major update this Wednesday (Thursday if you're in Europe) which brings with it squad battles, private battles, a level cap rise and more gear and weapons to use.

However, beyond these big changes there are many minor alterations that will have a sizeable impact on how the game plays. These have kindly been listed in detail on Nintendo's Japanese site:


Ver. 2.0.0 [8/5/2015 distribution plans] – 610MB download

Adding Tag Match mode.

  • Adding a mode where you, together with a group of friends, can join and play ranked matches with other groups in "Tag Match" mode.
  • As for ranked battles, you must be level 10+ to participate.
  • After linking up with friends, you can then link up with your friends' friends.
  • In the case you join only with specific friends, please use the option to set a password.
  • Regarding opponents in Tag Match mode, you will only be matched with similarly-playing opponents in Tag Match mode.
  • Players playing ranked battles, you may not compete with players playing Tag Match mode.
  • You may play Tag Match mode with 4, 3, or 2 players.Groups of 3 may play against groups of 4. In this situation, the group of 3 will respawn faster, as the side with only three is at a disadvantage.
  • In the situation you are playing in a group of 2, you can be matched with three other groups of 2 to play a "2 group of 2 vs. 2 groups of 2″ battle.

Adding Private Match mode.

  • Adding a Private Match mode where you can play with your friends using whatever rules, stages, and team divisions you like.
  • After linking up with friends, you can then link up with your friends' friends.
  • In the times you want to participate only with specific friends, please use the option to set a password.

Changes regarding level:

  • You may now level up to level 50.
  • Once you have reached level 20 and have listened to the explanation in the lobby, the level cap will be raised.

Changes regarding rank:

  • You are now able to rank up to the S and S+ ranks.You may raise your rank to S and S+ in Ranked Match (you may not do so in Tag Matches).
  • Once reaching rank S or S+, victories or defeats in Tag Matches will not affect your rank.
  • The method for calculating rank points (+/- 10, 8, 12, etc.) has been modified.
  • If your rank changes while in the middle of playing ranked battles, you will be sent back to the lobby.

Adding gear.

  • New gear will be added, which can be bought from the shops at random.

Adding BGM.

  • New BGM (background music) will be added, which can be heard at random while in battle.

Splatfest changes.

  • In calculating the final results, the winning percentage points (weight) has been changed from 2x to 4x.

Stage adjustments.

  • Urchin Underpass: All modes (i.e. Turf War, Splat Zones, Tower Control), large-scale terrain changes.
  • Saltspray Rig: Tower Control mode, adjusting certain stage elements.
  • Arowana Mall: Splat Zones mode, adjusting certain stage elements.
  • Kelp Dome: Splat Zones and Tower Control modes, adjusting certain stage elements.
  • Moray Towers: Splat Zones and Tower Control modes, adjusting certain stage elements.

Special Weapon adjustments.

  • Inkzooka: Increased the points of turf inked needed to fill the special gauge from 180p to 220p.
  • Echolocator: Increased the points of turf inked needed to fill the special gauge from 180p to 200p.
  • Killer Wail (the Japanese name for this one is megaphone laser. oh my god.) : Decreased the points of turf inked needed to fill the special gauge from 180p to 160p.
  • In both cases these are the numbers without the "Special Charge Up" gear ability.

Sub Weapon adjustments.

  • Splash Wall: The problem of a bomb directly hitting Splash Wall and the damage range not being calculated correctly has been fixed.

Gear Ability adjustments.

  • Tenacity: Special Gauge will now start filling at the start of a match even before the player starts to ink ground if there is a disparity between the number of players on teams.
  • Special Charge Up: When wearing a lot of Special Charge Up gear, there is a more consistent increase when inking ground. There was a slight difference in the special gauge increase when inking ground little by little versus inking ground a lot at a time. It now increases an amount proportional to the area inked regardless to the method of inking.

Match-related sound effect adjustments.

  • The Inkstrike can now be better heard from the left, right, and behind.
  • Some of the long-ranged weapons' hit sounds will now be easier to hear from farther away.

Other

  • Other adjustments to the game have been made so players may have a more pleasant experience.

Which changes stand out in your eyes? Drop a comment below to tell us what you think, and if any of the alterations might change which weapon you pick, or how you view the game itself.

[source nintendo.co.jp, via reddit.com]