The Shoal is a local multiplayer mode category selection screen of Splatoon 2 where players can choose a game mode to play locally, each player requiring separate consoles and copies of the game to play. The player can enter The Shoal from Inkopolis Square or tap on "The Shoal" on the map. There are two game modes available: Private Battle and Salmon Run. The player can either choose to host these modes or search and join other peoples' lobbies. These modes differ slightly from their online counterparts, as Private Battles at The Shoal do not allow for spectators in local wireless play and there are some extra options for the host, while Salmon Run has different selectable weapons, and the host can set the difficulty. A list of available weapons at the Shoal and the day they were made available are listed below.
A manual for Salmon Run is also available to read by pressing while on the main screen at The Shoal, where the first page is a summary of how to play the mode, while pressing shows the Salmonid Field Guide.
The player can earn Crusty Sean tickets by playing in The Shoal and getting Shoal Stamps. The player gets a punched card with 8 empty cells and they get one stamp for each player played with per day. To commemorate the player's first visit, they get a free Shoal Stamp. The color of the card indicates the reward they'll get. The player gets a Crusty Sean ticket every time the punched card is completed with 8 Shoal Stamps. After filling the punched card, a new card with different color will appear above it. The color order of the punched cards is Yellow, Green and Blue.
Punched cards and rewards
Color
Reward
Yellow
Food ticket ( Cash)
Green
Food ticket (Exp)
Blue
Drink ticket
Quotes
“
SRL Tech Support here with Fashion Desk, Ballistics, and Linguistics... and we're ALL playing a local wireless Splatoon 3Private Battle in the Shoal!
Have friends bring their Nintendo Switch systems over, and splat any way you like in the Shoal - or even set up a Salmon Run!
"Welcome to the Shoal! You've come to the right place to play via local wireless connection. Just talk to the receptionist to get started. After you choose your battle mode and stage, we'll get you right into the action!" - When entering the Shoal for the first time.
LAN play is available in both Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 as a feature in the Shoal. It is not on the game's menus, but is documented in the Nintendo support pages.
After The Shoal has loaded,
For Splatoon 2, press and hold , , and the for a few seconds. [2]
For Splatoon 3, press and hold , , and the for a few seconds. [3]
Spectators are allowed in this mode.
Trivia
In a Local or LAN room, in Salmon Run or Private Battles, the Salmonids and squids swimming in the background of menus will be replaced by pixelated versions.
Interestingly, when in the previously mentioned hidden mode, these pixelated versions do not appear for either mode.
According to Marina in the Dutch localization, The Shoal is not very popular anymore.[4]
The arcade game Squid Beatz 2 is found in an arcade machine outside The Shoal.
↑Dutch localisation of the Retro vs. Modern announcement dialogue. Pearl: "Ik kan toch niet zomaar Squid Jump vergeten? Die game was mijn jeugd! Daarvoor ga ik nog regelmatig naar de speelhal op het Inkopolisplein." (I can't just forget Squid Jump, right? That game was my childhood! I go to the gaming hall at Inkopolis Square regularly because of that...) Marina: "Die stoffige plek?! Serieus? Daar gaat tegenwoordig niemand meer heen!" (That dusty place?! Seriously? No one goes there nowadays!)