Our Splatoon 2 Abilities Guide is here to tell you all you need to know about all the Main Abilities & Sub Abilities in the game.
For more help on Splatoon 2, check out our Sunken Sea Scrolls Locations Guide, Singleplayer Campaign Guide, & Octo Samurai Boss Battle Guide.
Splatoon 2 Abilities
Each gear item in Splatoon 2 has one Main Ability attached to it. In addition to this, gear items also have three Sub Ability slots – these abilities are earned by earning BP. Once you’ve accumulated enough BP, a random Sub Ability gets assigned to the specific gear item.
For the sake of comparison, Main Abilities are about three times more potent than Sub Abilities. When choosing a piece of gear, I suggest prioritizing the gear’s Main Ability over Sub Abilities
Abilities
Ink Saver (Main)
This ability reduces the amount of ink usage of the Main Weapon by upto 60%. It’s particularly usefu
l for roller-based weapons as it increases the rolling distance before the need of a refill.
Ink Saver (Sub)
This ability reduces the amount of ink usage of the Main Weapon by upto 75%.
Ink Recovery Up
This ability increases the rate at which the Ink Tank refills by upto 40% but only in Squid Form. If you’re on the dry ground even in the Squid Form, the ability won’t have any effect.
Run Speed Up
This ability increases the movement speed of characters by upto 50% that is applicable to both running speed & firing speed. It’s arguably one of the strongest abilities in Splatoon 2 that makes capturing objectives at the start of a match an easy job.
Swim Speed Up
This ability increases the movement speed by upto 25% but only in Squid Form. Like ‘Run Speed Up’, this powerful ability makes capturing & contesting objective relatively easy.
Special Charge Up
This ability increases the refill rate of Special Gauge by upto 30%, allowing for a more frequent special usage. However, even with the ability, ink must be spread to refill the Special Gauge.
Special Saver
This ability lowers the penalty incurred on the Special Gauge after getting splatted. This essentially ensures that the Special Gauge stays relevant in important fights.
Special Power Up
This ability improves effectiveness of your special weapon.
Quick Respawn
This ability reduces the Kill Cam portion of the respawn process – pretty simple!
Quick Super Jump
This ability almost doubles the Super Jump speed, allowing quicker access to teammates or Squid Beakons.
Sub Power Up
This ability lets players toss their Sub Weapons farther than normal. If you’re running a short-ranged Main Weapon, you should definitely consider this ability.
Ink Resistance Up
This ability contains the following changes when standing on enemy ink:
- 80% reduction in speed – 20% reduction in speed
- 60% reduction in jump height/speed – Remains unchanged
- 50 damage over three seconds – 25 damage over three seconds
Bomb Defense Up
This ability reduces the damage sustained by explosions.
Cold-Blooded
This ability reduces the active time of opponent’s Point Sensors & Ink Mines. These things can basically track your position for as long as 10 seconds.
Opening Gambit
This ability further enhances the effects of ‘Run Speed Up’ and ‘Swim Speed Up’ for the first 30 seconds of a match. You can use this additional improvement to control or contest objectives before anyone else.
Last-Ditch Effort
This ability further enhances the effects of ‘Ink Saver Main’, ‘Ink Saver Sub’, & ‘Ink Recovery Up’ for the final 30 seconds of a match. In modes like Turf War, you can use this ability to go all-in & maybe even secure a win.
Tenacity
This ability automatically refills the Special Gauge if your team has more inactive players than the enemy team. A player appears as inactive if he/she is waiting to respawn.
Comeback
This ability further enhances the effects of ‘Ink Saver Main’, ‘Ink Saver Sub’, ‘Ink Recovery Up’, ‘Run Speed Up’, & ‘Swim Speed Up’ for 20 seconds after respawning. Personally, I think it’s one of the strongest abilities in the game & can make you a force to be reckoned with.
Ninja Squad
This ability hides your traces while swimming on the horizontal surfaces & ramps in Squid Form. However, do note that your traces will still appear while swimming on the vertical surfaces & you’ll also suffer from a small swim speed penalty.
Haunt
This ability basically marks the enemy player who killed you for 12 seconds. The marked player is visible to everyone on your team. This is another decent supportive ability that you should consider running.
Thermal Ink
This ability lets you track enemy players by shooting them. A tracked enemy player will become visible to you, even when behind cover. It’s an incredibly powerful ability that you can use in order to stage ambushes with your squad.
Respawn Punisher
This ability is kind of a double-edged sword! When equipped, both you & the enemy player who splats you receives an increase in the respawn time & Special Gauge spawn time.
Ability Doubler
Only available to the Splatfest Tee, this ability basically doubles the effect of other gear abilities attached to Splatfest Tee. It’s important to realize that the ability only affects the Sub Abilities.
Stealth Jump
This ability basically hides your Super Jump landing spot after longer jumps.
Object Shredder
This ability basically increases your damage against non-human players that include Sprinklers, Squid Beakons, & Splash Walls.
Drop Roller
This ability lets you tilt the L-stick in different directions in order to perform a forward or a sideways roll after you land following a Super Jump
