Splatoon: Ranked Battle Info, Tips, and Tricks

Ranked matches are finally available in Splatoon and it changes the game significantly. It has a new game mode called Splat Zones and you might need to change the weapons and abilities you’re using to succeed.

There is a grade system for ranks, new scoring mechanics, and more. I’m here to explain everything about this new mode as well as give some tips for success. For help with anything else related to Splatoon, check out my Beginner’s Guide, Tips, and Tricks.

This guide will go over everything about Ranked Battle in Splatoon including:

• Grade System – What the rank system is and how to increase your rank.
• Splat Zones – Info on the new game mode and tips on playing it.

Grade System

Ranked Battle in Splatoon goes by a Grade system that starts at C- and goes to A+. Your rank is determined strictly by whether you win or lose.

• Each letter rank has 3 levels. For example, C-, C, and C+.
• You start with C- and need 100 points to rank up.
• Each time you rank up, you’ll start at 30 points at the next rank, but you can drop below that if you lose.
• You get points if you win, and lose points if you lose.

Nothing matter but wins and losses, so it can get frustrating if you have a string of bad games. Another thing to note is that you get more experience and money in Ranked mode.

• As your rank increases, you get more experience and money.
• Of course if you lose you usually get nothing, more on that later, or very little.
• So, this is a high risk, high reward game mode.

The map rotation is also different from the Regular Battle, so you potentially have access to 4 different maps in each cycle if you play both Ranked Battle and Regular Battle.

Splat Zones

Now, on to the game mode. Splat Zones is a game mode where teams fight to control a zone on the map. To control a zone, your team must have almost all the zone covered in your ink. 

• Each team gets a personal timer of 100 seconds. If you hold the zone for 100 seconds before the match timer runs out, you win with a knockout.
• Some maps have 2 zones and you’ll need to control both of them for your timer to countdown.
• A knockout gives your team 500p, then extra for winning. How much extra you get depends on your rank. The losing team gets 0 when this happens.
• If the match timer runs out before either team controls a zone for 100 seconds, the team with the lowest timer wins.
• The losing team gets points when this happen but it isn’t very much.
• When a team loses a zone, they get an extra timer added to their normal one. This is based on how long they held the zone before the enemy team took control.
• For example: If your team hold the zone for 45 seconds, then loses it and the other team takes control, you have to hold the zone for 45 seconds before your timer starts counting down again.
• This allows teams the chance to come back after losing badly.

The nature of getting points is very different in Splat Zones so you can level up a lot faster if you constantly win games, but if you don’t, playing Regular Battles is better.

Tips and Tricks

Since the purpose in Splat Zones is to keep control of a point, you’ll want to play completely different than Turf War.

• No need to try and cover most of the map because it does not matter, but it is a good idea to do this to get your special.
• Speaking of specials, Inkstrike and Bubbler are some of the best.
• Make sure to ink plenty of escape routes away from the control point to get to if you get overrun.
• The back part of Saltspray Rig is a perfect example of this.
• Kills are much more important in this game mode, as well as sticking together. Check out my weapon and gear ability guides to find which are best for you.
• Do not rush in if most of your team is dead. Attack the zone all at once can turn the battle in your favor and keep it that way.
• Defense and Damage abilities are even more important as well as Special Charge Up.

That wraps up by Ranked Battle guide for Splatoon. Let me know if you have any questions or other tips for playing this game mode. If you want to unlock more weapons for multiplayer, check out my Octo Valley and amiibo Challenges guide.