Splatoon 3 - Salmon Run Next Wave Guide

Salmon Run Next Wave Guide for Splatoon 3, including basic mechanics of the game mode, how to unlock, rewards, Xtrawave, and other useful tips.

Splatoon 3 - Salmon Run Next Wave Guide

Salmon Run Next Wave Guide for Splatoon 3

Splatoon 3 - Salmon Run Next Wave

What is Salmon Run Next Wave?

Splatoon 3 - Salmon Run Guide 1

Salmon Run Next Wave is an online co-op game mode in Splatoon 3. A team of four players is formed to go on Job Shifts that require them to collect Power Eggs and Golden Eggs from waves of enemy Salmonids.

How to Unlock

Salmon Run Next Wave is unlocked once you reach Player Level 4. Afterwards, head to Grizzco Industries to begin the tutorial on Salmon Run Job Shifts. Once you clear the tutorial, you will then be able to participate in shifts with other players online.

All Player Level Unlockables

Rewards

Completing Salmon Run Job Shifts rewards players with Grizzco Points which can be exchanged for various items at the Grizzco Exchange Desk. Job shifts also reward Catalog Points, making it an alternative to competitive modes like Turf Battle or Splatfests for earning the resource.

A special type of item called Fish Scales can also be obtained by triggering bonus waves called Xtrawaves. Fish Scales can then be traded-in for new job shift outfits, decorations, stickers, and banners at the Exchange Desk.

Exchange Desk Items

Salmon Run Mechanics

Job Shift Objectives

Splatoon 3 - Salmon Run Guide 2

The Salmon Run team must meet the quota of Power Eggs and Golden Eggs within the wave timer to move on to the next wave. There are a total of three regular waves in a Job Shift, with a special Xtrawave unlocked for doing well in the previous one. If the team is wiped out by enemies or does not succeed in satisfying the quota, the job shift is termined.

Collecting and Depositing Power Eggs and Golden Eggs

Regular Salmonids will drop Power Eggs and Golden Eggs upon defeat. These items must then be deposited in the egg basket for them to count towards the quota indicated at the upper left side of the screen.

Try to pick up Power Eggs and Golden Eggs as soon possible as Snatchers will try to retrieve them if the items are left unattended for a few seconds.

Boss Salmonids

Occasionally, you will receive a warning indicating that a Boss Salmonid will appear. These larger and more powerful variants of Salmonids must be dispatched quickly as they will drop up to three Golden Eggs to help you meet quotas earlier. Note that multiple Boss Salmonids can appear at a time which may be a boon or a problem depending on the team’s performance and individual player skill.

Job Shift Loadout

Job Shift weapons and gear is fixed. This means that there is not way to switch out to equipment and armaments that you are more comfortable with at any point before or during the Salmon Run. Because of this, it is recommended to practice with as many types of weapons as you can on other modes to help your team do well on shifts.

Hazard Levels

The difficulty of a shift is called its Hazard Level which is determined by the Job Title (rank) of participants. Harder difficulties allow you to earn more points, making them worthwile if you want to farm Grizzco Points that can be spent on items at the Exchange Desk.

There are a total of six Hazard Levels in Salmon Run, starting with Apprentice all the way up to Eggsecutive VP.

  • Apprentice
  • Part-Timer
  • Go-Getter
  • Overachiever
  • Profreshional
  • Eggsecutive VP

Known Occurences

During a shift, certain environmental events called Known Occurrences may happen which may make a run easier or more challenging. Below is a list of all Known Occurrences and how they affect the Salmon Run map.

Known Occurence Effect
Water Levels Low Tide: Causes more enemies to spawn on dried up land but allows you more room to move about.
High Tide: Limits the area where you can move.
Rush Salmonids will rush at your team in large numbers.
Fog Poor visibility.
The Griller The Grill special enemy will appear.
Cohock Charge Cohocks will rush at your team in large numbers.
Goldie Seeking Large number of Gushers will appear in the area. A Goldie will also be hiding among them that will drop multiple Golden Eggs when shot.
The Mothership Causes a Mothership to appear and steal eggs from your team’s basket.

Pay Grade

Your Pay Grade determines the amount of points you receive at the end of each shift. This stat rises as you successfully meet quotas on each shift and goes down if you fail to do so.

Job Title

Your Job Title essentially represents your Rank in Salmon Run. Raising allows you to take on shifts on higher Hazard Levels which let you reap more points for clearing them. The Job Titles in order of the lowest to the highest rank are Apprentice, Part-Timer, Go-Getter, Overachiever, Profreshional, and Eggsecutive VP.

Xtrawave (Bonus Stage)

Splatoon 3 - Salmon Run Guide 3

Mechanics

Xtraves are triggered if you perform well on the third regular wave. In this special stage, a King Salmonid superboss will appear accompanied by several Boss Salmonids. Your team’s objective is to repel the King Salmonid by damaging it using an Egg Cannon. Landing hits on the King Salmonid allows you to obtain Fish Scales that you can trade-in for special rewards at Grizzco.

Fish Scales

Fish Scales come in three types of variants according to their rarity which are Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The chances of obtaining rare Fish Scales increases as the Hazard Level for the Xtrawave goes up.

Fish Scale Rarity Recommended Hazard Level
Gold ★★★
Silver ★★
Bronze

How to Get Fish Scales

Unlike regular waves, getting wiped out during Xtrawaves does not result automatically result in failing the shift. You will still be rewarded with points earned from the three regular waves even after failing the Xtrawave.

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