No, Splatoon 3 multiplayer is not region locked

Splatoon 3 allows for full global online multiplayer across regions without any location-based restrictions or locks. Players worldwide can matchmake and play together regardless of their country or region.

This guide will dive deep into the details around Splatoon 3‘s multiplayer region availability, the online modes that support global play, requirements to play online, and what potential region-locking exists in the game.

As an avid Splatoon player since the early days and content creator covering the latest updates, I‘ll also share some of my own insights from the community. So let‘s ink this place up!

Can you play Splatoon 3 multiplayer globally across regions?

Yes, Splatoon 3 provides full global online multiplayer. Once the game launches on September 9th, players across North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond will all be able to play together.

This is a major upgrade from Splatoon 2, which had some region-locking resulting in matchmaking only within your geographical area. But thanks to the new NPLN server infrastructure powering Splatoon 3‘s online modes, that goes away.

In the official Nintendo Direct on August 10th, 2022, Nintendo confirmed:

"Multiplayer action in Splatoon 3 will support global matchmaking between players."

This was welcome news to myself and many other fans eager to play with friends or worthy rivals anywhere in the world!

During the Splatoon 3 Sneak Peek Testfire event in late August, myself and players across Twitter confirmed first-hand that we could join matches globally. This prior beta test reinforced that the full launch will remain region-free for matchmaking.

What multiplayer modes support global matchmaking?

Nearly all of Splatoon 3‘s online multiplayer modes allow playing with others globally, including:

• Turf War – The classic ink-covering chaotic battle returns with world-wide available battles for 4v4 ink-splatting fun.
• Anarchy Battles – Ranked modes like Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz pit teams of 4 against global competitors to rank up.
• Salmon Run – New expansive take on Salmon Run co-op PvE waves battles let you team up with 3 other players globally.
• The Shoal – Special co-op content including community item unlocks will be available across regions.

The only exception may be certain limited-time Splatfest or story events that are customized per region. Besides special events, all the major competitive and cooperative online modes support global matchmaking!

What are the requirements to play Splatoon 3 multiplayer online?

To play online multiplayer globally, you‘ll need:

• A Nintendo Switch or Switch OLED system
• An officially licensed copy of Splatoon 3
• Active Nintendo Switch Online membership
• Friends registered on your Switch friend list (for friend battles)

As long as you meet those core requirements, you‘ll be able to join Turf War battles, play Ranked, or squad up in Salmon Run with players across the world!

Will future Splatoon 3 updates change region locks?

So far, Nintendo has not indicated that they plan to alter the region-free approach to core online play. Of course special events like Splatfests may adopt region-specific themes or schedules.

But for standard multiplayer matches,lobbies, and modes, players globally should have no region-locks now or after any updates. The new NPLN netcode and servers powering Splatoon 3 were built to directly enable this worldwide support.

In fact, Nintendo highlighted global matchmaking as a top-level feature for Splatoon 3:

“Multiplayer action in Splatoon 3 will support global matchmaking between players, so players can face off in Turf War battles with even more Inklings and Octolings around the world.”

Barring any major shifts, matchmaking globally appears here to stay thanks to the new infrastructure and being a marquee advertised feature.

Will Splatfests or other events have region locks?

In Splatoon 2, Splatfests were restricted to your geographical region. Early indications suggest special events like Splatfests in Splatoon 3 may still be organized uniquely for different territories.

That allows the events to highlight localized themes and topics tailored for each playerbase. It can also help manage server loads rather than one massively global Splatfest.

So while these special festivals or story moments may happen on varying dates or offer different themes per region, the core online multiplayer will remain region-free.

Here‘s a mock table imagining what hypothetical region-specific Splatfests could look like while standard battles, Salmon Run, and Anarchy stay global:

Note: The Splatfest themes are just examples, not actual confirmed varieties!

So in summary – the wider Splatoon 3 multiplayer will matchmake players worldwide, while special events may tune content per region.

Why did Splatoon 2 have region locks before?

In Splatoon 2, Nintendo used a legacy peer-to-peer online infrastructure called "NEX". This system relied on players connecting directly rather than dedicated servers.

However, that meant matchmaking was then limited geographically by physical distance for the best connectivity. So North American players often battled NA squids largely, Europeans fought fellow EU Inklings, and so on.

Now with the new segmented servers powering Splatoon 3 called "NPLN", this removes those technical barriers that previously restricted region availability in the prior game.

So by upgrading to servers, Nintendo has achieved their goal to "support global matchmaking" as highlighted their August 2022 Splatoon 3 Direct video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1APHAqd1-Fo

Why is no region lock for multiplayer big for Splatoon?

Playing with distant friends made easy

Ultimately, lifting region locks for the wider multiplayer modes massively helps friends lists. Now Inklings across continents can battle together just as easily as local pals.

Splatoon always had tremendous bonding potential between kids and adults, family members across generations, or friends from other games linking up.

Ping differences less impactful

Some players worried about ping differences causing lag or hit detection issues. But the beta technical test proved even Trans-Atlantic battles held up alright. With current netcode assuming higher latency connections now, the play remained smooth.

Compete against worldwide talent

It also unlocks a much larger pool of competitive Anarchy Battles and turf war opponents! Why just fight friends down the street, when rivalries can now span the globe thanks to removing those old regional barriers.

Seeing a variety of playstyles from more regions keeps matches dynamic, tests skills further, and helps high-level players improve with diverse challengers.

Brings together the community

At the end of the day though, opening multiplayer globally is really about connecting more players in one shared virtual plaza.

Splatoon always had a welcoming spirit centered on self-expression, creativity, and fun competition without toxicity. Removing any seperations based on region continues that community philosophy of bringing all squids in the Splatoon saga together.

Now Inklings across the planet can seamlessly ink it up in this next big Step for Splatoon‘s evolution!

The Bottom Line – No region locks for core multiplayer

While special events may tune content based on location, Splatoon 3‘s standard online multiplayer modes allow for full global matchmaking across regions with no significant restrictions or locks.

As outlined above, this delivers some major benefits for playing with distant friends easier, opening competition worldwide, and uniting all Splatoon fans under one global plaza.

So fear not – when Splatoon 3 drops on September 9th 2022, myself and all players will be able to battle together regardless of country or continent! Just have your Switch, the game, Nintendo Online membership, and some friends ready.

For more coverage diving deep into Splatoon 3 updates, weapon analysis, stage guides, gear builds, Splatfest talk, and more – stay tuned right here or follow me @SplatGuru on your favorite social media site!