If you're looking into how to level up fast in Splatoon 3, we'd have to say one thing first: why are you in such a rush? It's taken five long, long years to get a sequel to one of the Nintendo Switch's best first-party games, and rushing through it will only burn you out on it faster. Still, if you know what you want, we'll try to provide it below.
As you'd expect from a guide like this, we'll go over how to level up fast in Splatoon 3 between listing off the ways you can (and can't) gain experience points for your main account level. After that, we'll go a little into what to expect when leveling up and why you'll want to strive for it. There's more to it that just the dopamine rush of a bar filling up.
For more squid kid guides, check out our Splatoon 3 weapon tier list and matching Splatoon 3 ability tier list if you haven't already. If you're going to level up fast, you'll need the right loadout.
How to level up fast in Splatoon 3
Leveling up fast in Splatoon 3 has changed since the days of Splatoon 2. In that game, it was generally suggested that you run Salmon Run enough to get a load of Food Tickets and then spam Ranked matches while the bonus was active.
Why you'd run Ranked over standard Turf War was down to the fact that the maximum point cap in Ranked was much higher than standard Turf War, increasing your potential experience point gains as you climb the ladder.
In Splatoon 3, however, it doesn't appear that Food Tickets come from its lightly tweaked version of Salmon Run. And with an independent leveling system enabled within it, the old method of leveling up fast doesn't really work in Splatoon 3.
What does, though, is the idea that you naturally gain more experience points from ranked matches than standard ones. Think of it as a gentle encouragement from the game that proving yourself (and measuring your improvement via ranked promotions) should be what any player looking to level up fast in Splatoon 3 should want.
After all, why are you so set on leveling up fast if you're not really getting the most out of the rewards by playing standard matches?
Of course, you need to actually win your ranked matches to climb the ladder. And with higher ranks begetting more experience points, the cold, hard truth is that if you want to level up fast in Splatoon 3, you just need to get good. Get good, climb the ranked ladder, and you'll naturally level up faster than anyone below you.
For more words of Splatoon 3 wisdom, check out the Splatoon 3 code guide we recently wrote up. It explains how to claim any new Splatoon 3 QR codes that drop. And with one out there already, we're expecting more to follow in the weeks and months ahead. It's early days for the game yet.