Version 4.3.0 (Splatoon 2)

Version 4.3.0 is an update to Splatoon 2 that was released on 2018-12-05 at July 27, 2024. It was said to be the last update to add new weapons for Splatoon 2, however several returning weapons from Sheldon's Picks were announced after the update on January 27.

Stage

 * Blackbelly Skatepark underwent renovation, similar to the changes made to Starfish Mainstage in version 4.0.0 and The Reef in Version Version 4.2.0.
 * This marks the first time since December 16, 2017 that the stage's Rainmaker layout has appeared in a Ranked or League Battle rotation in, as one of the changes made was to adjust the balance in said mode.

Weapons

 * Four variants of previously existing weapons were added to the game -, , , and . These were the final weapons that did not have a second version.
 * In addition, a fourth Kensa Collection was released, containing the, , and.

Abilities

 * Existing gear abilities and  were combined into a single ability,.
 * The new ability has the same effect as equipping both the old ones, with no downgrade.
 * Existing Ability chunks and drink tickets were also converted.
 * An additional new ability, was also added to gear as well as in secondary ability slots.
 * This ability's effect varies between different main weapons, even in the same class (see the ability page for details). Examples given prior to release were:
 * - increase shot accuracy when firing while jumping.
 * - increase ink coverage.
 * - increase damage.
 * - increase duration of firing in a burst.
 * - speed up Brella canopy regeneration.
 * - Slightly increase movement speed while inking.
 * - Slightly increase range.
 * Gear that previously appeared in shops with  will now appear with.
 * Gear that previously appeared in shops with  will now appear with.
 * amiibo gear that previously appeared with either or   will now appear with.
 * Both new abilities started appearing on gear in the.
 * As a special promotion to allow players access to the new abilities, the first three pieces of gear added to the shop after the update's release (,, and , in that order) had the ability, which could not have been acquired otherwise if the player opened the game with the previous version on the same day due to the way shop inventory is generated.
 * Following this, several sets of gear featured in official art were released, all with Main Power Up as their main ability.

Main weapons
Specifications for some of the main weapons have been changed.

Sub weapons
The specifications for some sub weapons have been changed.

Special weapons
The specifications for some sub weapons have been changed.

Special gauge
Points required for using specials have changed for certain main weapons.

Abilities
Specifications for some of the abilities have been changed.

Multiplayer

 * Fixed an issue preventing players from landing in the correct location when activating the special while super jumping to the edge of a piece of stage terrain.
 * Fixed an issue when using the special, in which pressing  to cock back the stamp just prior to its duration ending caused a shot to be fired with the main weapon after the stamp’s duration ended.
 * Fixed an issue causing players activating an Ultra Stamp special when trapped between stage terrain and the Tower Control tower to clip inside the stage terrain.
 * Fixed an issue when using the gear ability and super jumping to a location near an obstacle that shortened the length of the roll performed when landing.
 * Fixed an issue with the Bomb Defense Up gear ability causing Curling Bomb damage that didn’t exceed 100.0 to not be properly reduced. This issue will no longer occur with the new Bomb Defense Up DX gear ability.

Salmon Run

 * Fixed an issue in Marooner's Bay with a discrepancy between the appearance of certain walls and their actual geometry, obstructing player movement.
 * Narrowed the area on which players can stand on certain railings in Ruins of Ark Polaris, making it possible for Smallfry attacks to reach them.
 * Lowered the end point of certain ride rails in Ruins of Ark Polaris, so that attacks from Grillers will now hit players in those locations.
 * Fixed an issue causing Steelheads not to attack players aiming at them, depending on the quality of the player’s network connection.

Other Changes

 * Fixed an issue causing Octolings not to blink while moving over the ground.
 * Fixed an issue when taking pictures with the Pearl and Marina amiibo during a Splatfest causing them not to appear in their Splatfest outfits or hair color.
 * Fixed an issue when taking pictures with the Octoling Boy amiibo, where, depending on the pose, the Octoling Boy’s eyes would appear in an unnatural state.
 * Fixed an issue allowing amiibo to be tapped and read while in the lobby during a Splatfest, though the amiibo icon was not displayed on-screen.
 * Fixed an issue when throwing sub weapons onto a Bounce Pad while in Recon mode, causing them to bounce differently than they would in an actual multiplayer battle.
 * Fixed an issue when using the Auto-Camera to follow the tower in Tower Control, causing the camera angle to differ depending on which team controlled the tower.
 * Fixed an issue in spectator mode when the Auto-Camera was set to ON and viewing the Splat Zone during a Splat Zone battle, causing it not to shift focus to other players.

Trivia

 * This was not the first time when an update was stated to be the last to contain new weapons. The Custom Hydra Splatling was allegedly the last weapon that was going to be added to Splatoon, but the release of the Sheldon's Picks series of weapons contradicted this information.