How to Get Main Weapons in Splatoon 3

The key to getting good at any Splatoon game is to try out lots of different ink-launching weaponry to find the one that really works for you. In the first two games, you obtained these weapons from Sheldon, but in Splatoon 3, while Sheldon is still the purveyor of fine inking implements, he’s changed his policies a bit. Here’s how to get main weapons in Splatoon 3.

How to Get Main Weapons in Splatoon 3

In Splatoon 3, your one-stop shop for all things weaponry is Ammo Knights, Sheldon’s personal storefront in Splatsville. He’s set up quite the franchise! Like in the previous games, you can purchase weapons from Sheldon once you reach a sufficient character level, but the twist is how you pay for them.

Rather than the universal coins you use to buy everything else, Sheldon only accepts his special Sheldon Licenses for his weapons. One Sheldon License can be used to purchase any weapon set at or below your current level.

Related: Splatoon 3 Release Date

So how do you get Sheldon Licenses? Simple, just play the game! Whenever you raise your character level, you’ll receive some Sheldon Licenses. Additionally, using the same weapon consistently enough to raise its Freshness level will also reward Sheldon Licenses. If you stick with one weapon through multiple matches and preferably win those matches, its Freshness level will increase, paying out a Sheldon License.

Incidentally, suppose you see a weapon at Ammo Knights that you absolutely have to have that’s above your current character level. In that case, Sheldon will let you have it in exchange for multiple Sheldon Licenses. The number of Sheldon Licenses you need to buy above your level depends on how far ahead of you the weapon in question is, but generally, Sheldon will ask for around 3 or 4 Sheldon Licenses for it. You might want to save your Sheldon Licenses and get better with the simpler weapons before you immediately jump to the more advanced stuff, though.

Lastly, in the event you have save data from Splatoon 2 on your Nintendo Switch, you can transfer that data to Splatoon 3 to receive 3 Golden Sheldon Licenses. One of these precious Licenses is good for any one weapon in Sheldon’s entire catalog, no matter the level. If you had a mainstay weapon in Splatoon 2, use a Golden Sheldon License to quickly get it back in Splatoon 3.