Splatoon 3 players are getting banned before the game is even out

Splatoon 3 might not actually be out yet, but people are still already experiencing console and potentially Nintendo Switch Online bans from cheating.

In more recent years, Nintendo has been holding online tests for its multiplayer games, and it just did so over the weekend with Splatoon 3, giving everyone a first taste of the revamped Splatfests. The objectively correct Rock won the festivities, but it seems like some players were out for more than just splatting. As reported by Nintendo Life, and as spotted by dataminer OatmealDome, Nintendo has already banned players who are modifying the game.

It seems that the main reason players are experiencing bans is that they are accessing areas they aren’t meant to be able to yet, such as the testing range, by using patches that have been shared online. OatmealDome noted that players are receiving console bans if they’ve modified the game, and potentially even complete bans from using Nintendo Switch Online.

Splatoon 2 also had an anti-cheat system which it added back in 2018, so it’s very likely that Nintendo is just using the same if not a very similar system. OatmealDome notes that Splatoon 2 was able to detect patches like the ones being used in the Splatoon 3 demo, so it isn’t clear why people attempted to access new areas considering this.

It won’t be too long until we can see those other areas anyway, as Splatoon 3 launches next week, September 9.

In VG247’s preview of the upcoming multiplayer shooter, we said “Do you like Splatoon? If you do, this sure is some more Splatoon, expertly crafted, that’s sure to satisfy. If you’re new to the series, Splatoon 3 will prove an ideal jumping-on point, with a smart tutorial in the form of its new story mode, more accessible and understandable weapons, and more customization than ever before.”