{{See also|Splatoon 2#Gameplay|l1=Gameplay of Splatoon 2}}
Like its predecessors in the ''[[Splatoon]]'' series, ''Splatoon 3'' is a [[third-person shooter]]. Players choose to be either an [[Inkling (Splatoon)|Inkling]] or Octoling as their [[player character]]. Both wield weaponry that uses colored ink as ammunition. Weapons are diverse in ability and imagery, with most resembling household objects. For example, Rollers are large paint rollers that can cover large amounts of area in ink but are generally limited to close-range combat, while Chargers are weapons which resemble a sniper rifle, and have long range for sniping opponents but are less effective at painting the ground. ''Splatoon 3'' expands upon this by adding new main, sub, and special weapons to the game.<ref name="GameInfomer2021">{{Cite magazine |last=Grodt |first=Jill |date=23 September 2021 |title=Mammals Are Reemerging In New Splatoon 3 Trailer |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/2021/09/23/mammals-are-reemerging-in-new-splatoon-3-trailer |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |language=en |publisher=[[GameStop]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924211830/https://www.gameinformer.com/2021/09/23/mammals-are-reemerging-in-new-splatoon-3-trailer |archive-date=24 September 2021 |access-date=30 September 2021}}</ref> Main weapons are chosen by the player, and sub weapons are assigned to main weapons and act as secondary weapons that use up more ink, and special weapons are also assigned to specific main weapons and require the player to cover the ground with a varying amount of ink in order to charge up their gauge to deploy the special. Inklings and Octolings have the ability to morph into a squid or octopus form, respectively. This form is referred to as the "swim form",{{Efn|Prior to the introduction of Octolings as playable characters in ''Splatoon 2'', this was referred to as the "squid form".|name=swim|group=lower-alpha}} and can be used to climb ink-covered walls or swim through ink faster than the humanoid forms can walk.<ref>{{cite web |last=McFerren |first=Damien |date=18 February 2021 |title=Nintendo Reveals Splatoon 3, Coming To Switch In 2021 |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/02/nintendo_reveals_splatoon_3_coming_to_switch_in_2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930144904/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/02/nintendo_reveals_splatoon_3_coming_to_switch_in_2022 |archive-date=30 September 2021 |access-date=19 February 2021 |work=[[Nintendo Life]] }}</ref> Weapons have a finite amount of ink ammunition, and submerging in ink via the swim form replenishes it quicker than in humanoid form. All basic weapons from the prior ''Splatoon'' games return in ''Splatoon 3''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hagues |first=Alana |date=2 May 2022 |title=Don't Worry, Splatoon 3 Will Have All "Basic Weapons" From The Previous Games |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/05/dont-worry-splatoon-3-will-have-all-basic-weapons-from-the-previous-games |access-date=2 May 2022 |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |language=en-GB |archive-date=2 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502170703/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/05/dont-worry-splatoon-3-will-have-all-basic-weapons-from-the-previous-games |url-status=live }}</ref>
