Inkblot Art Academy

Inkblot Art Academy is a multiplayer stage in Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3. It takes place in the lot between two school buildings, including a small park, parking lot, and campus pond.

Layout


Inkblot Art Academy features two elevated areas by the spawn points that lead into the central area of the stage. There are water hazards on the side of the stage and two hand-shaped statues that players can jump atop of.

The spawn point is set at the highest point and far edges of the stage by the streets surrounding the school. Going to the right leads to the greater portion of the stage while going forwards leads to a narrow alleyway that drops down to one of the side gardens. The stage features many different levels and elevations, with the area closest to the spawn point taking place between buildings. In front of the building after leaving the spawn is a lot with a clam statue, which can be accessed from on top of the building. The only way to access this lot normally is from an uninkable ramp behind a wall to the corresponding team's right side. Beyond each team's statue lot is the main plaza, which is a flat battle area with the main obstacle being the tall display at the center of the map which can be climbed on. To each team's left is a ramp leading to the lower garden which contains a tree and a block as obstacles. When in the opposing team's statue lot, there is a single wall on a building that can be inked to reach up and into the team's spawn area.

Ranked Battle terrain
In Ranked Battles, specifications for the terrain or placement of objects are different between the modes; these changes create new paths or new objects to take cover behind.

Splat Zones
The Splat Zone is located at the center of the stage. The top of the display case does not count towards the zone. The only change made to the stage is the inclusion of a single inkable block in the lower lot, creating an additional means of getting to the center of the stage.

Tower Control
The Tower is located at the center of the stage in place of the display case. Two large inkable layered blocks have been added in the center of the stage to both provide coverage and a vantage point. Additional ramps have been added in the lower lot for easier access back to the center, as well as two more prominent ramps in each team's statue lot, which allow much easier access into each team's spawn areas. A block has been added, allowing another path into the opposing team's statue lot, as well as another on the left going up the building. The block that outlooked the middle of the map is smaller, and a wall has been added on the grates so they can't be used as a vantage point. The Tower travels left around the wall, up the ramp into the opposing team's statue lot before going across the entire area and finishing by going up the ramp and stopping in the parking lot in front of the spawn point.

Rainmaker
The Rainmaker is located at the center of the stage in place of the display case. The goal is located in the parking lot in front of the opposing team's spawn point. The large inkable blocks, the ramps, and the wall to the left are present in this mode, but the block on the right and the wall on the grates are not included. There is another inkable wall, however, the block that overlooks the middle of the stage got bigger, and the statues in the lot have been rotated 90 degrees to the left.

In Splatoon 3, the climbable wall in front of the uninkable ramp is removed. The checkpoint is located there. The inkable wall to the left is removed and an Inkrail is added to the left of it to allow access to the other team's raised area.

Clam Blitz
The basket on this stage is located at the far back of the opposing team's statue lot. The 2 inkable walls are present, the display glass has been replaced by a bumper, the large inkable structures have been rotated 180 degrees, the platforms from Tower Control have been expanded, the block that outlooks the center is only inkable from the front and top, both ramps are gone, and the ramp that leads to the same area as the inkable block from Tower Control is replaced by a sponge.

In Splatoon 3, the Clam Basket is pushed further back onto the team's raised area. The block allowing access to the basket is replaced with a ramp for easier access. The Inkrail from Rainmaker is present.

Splatoon 3
Inkblot Art Academy returns in. Other than the spawn relocation to fit with the spawners, it is visually unchanged.

Big Run
Inkblot Art Academy is where the second Big Run event occurred. There are three tides: normal and low tides both take place in the middle, though the egg basket is placed where the clam statue is normally found at normal tide and at the exact center of the stage during low tide, while high tide takes place at the spawn area. Five Gushers are placed throughout the stage to allow Salmonids to spawn during normal and low tides; at normal tide, only one is active, while four are active at low tide. As usual for Big Run, Mudmouth Eruptions, Goldie Seeking, Cohock Charge, and Giant Tornado are unavailable; unusually, The Griller can occur during low tide.

Trivia

 * The stage name is a reference to Rorschach tests, a psychological test that involves showing the subject an inkblot and recording their perceptions.
 * During a Splatfest, the phones could be heard ringing periodically, followed by odd noises sounding like Inklings. They also sound similar to those of the Squid Beakon.
 * Pearl says that her and Marina's outfits are designed by a graduate of Inkblot Art Academy, whereupon Marina wonders if she wrote her thesis on "ridiculously large zippers".
 * Off the Hook has performed during Inkblot's music festival, during which Pearl broke several sculptures when she started a mosh pit.
 * Pearl mentions that the salad in the cafeteria here is all-you-can-eat.
 * Inkblot is said to be one of Off the Hook's sponsors.
 * The early name of this stage was "Silversea Art Academy".
 * The painting in the center of the stage that depicts a jellyfish appears to be a reference to Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man.
 * Inkblot Art Academy and Sturgeon Shipyard are the only stages to have been available at launch in multiple games.