Splatoon 3 has optional challenges which you can skip if you are just doing chill runs, but if you are looking for 100% completion of the game, you will encounter the final challenge “After Alterna”. This guide will give information about unlocking After Alterna in Splatoon 3 and how to get your hands on the Bear Ears headgear.
How to unlock secret level After Alterna in Splatoon 3
As mentioned previously, After Alterna is the final challenge in the game and it can be only unlocked if you defeated the rest of the bosses and levels the game has to offer.
Once all that is done, you will receive a pop message indicating ‘a special kettle has appeared’.
The kettle will be sitting on a small island behind you where you will respawn. To enter inside of it, you will blast the top of it and then head inside to play the final challenge.
After Alterna stacks cluster of challenges, you have faced in the previous levels before. You will have to solve various puzzles in as little time as possible. To test you further, it will also have hordes of enemies that you will need to eliminate without dying.
If you get eliminated in After Alterna, rather than the basic cost of 20 to 50 eggs, you will have to give 333 eggs for a single respawn.
You will require a lot of patience and avoid making basic mistakes to actually complete the toughest challenge in the game.
How to get bear ears reward
Once you have completed the final challenge and fully finished After Alterna, you will be rewarded with a set of bear ears to wear. This set of bear ears will mark you as an elite Splatoon 3 player whenever you are matchmaking with other people to play with.
After Alterna weapons and rewards
Your main weapon for this level is Hero Gear which can be upgraded to unlock several different abilities that help you throughout the level. Smallfry is your secondary weapon which is mostly used for distracting enemies while you move closer to them.
As a reward for completing this level, you will receive 3333 Power Eggs.
After Alterna Walkthrough
First Section
For the first section, you will mainly have to watch your footing to cross all obstacles. First, you will encounter some flat platforms and some enemies. To be able to cross easily ink these platforms and splat enemies.
After that, you will reach some rotating platforms. In order to cross these, you need to ink them constantly. Moreover, use swim mode to move past enemies quickly, without the need to fight them while standing on the platforms.
The next level can easily be covered by performing properly timed squid surges. Use swim mode to move closer to enemies quickly and then attack them before performing any squid surge.
The first two enemies after squid surging the first wall can easily be defeated by popping the balloon fish or using Smallfry.
For the next part, you will be required to cling to walls and move through the stage using swim mode. Before you land from any platforms, check your surroundings for any enemies in wait to attack you once you land.
Before reaching the end of this section, ink the platforms in your way so you can easily jump across them and end the first section.
Second Section
At the start of this section, you will be required to pop some balloons while crossing the rails. Swim mode will enable you to move faster on these rails but popping all the balloons might be a bit difficult at that speed.
Burst Bombs can be used to pop a large cluster of balloons instead of popping them one by one. This attack has a large ink radius and doesn’t even require huge amounts of ink.
Use properly timed attacks to pop all of the balloons to drop them toward the start of the next section.
Third Section
Soaker blocks are the main component of this section. Make sure to extend these blocks to full length before crossing. A brief shine and a sparkling sound effect will let you know that these are at maximum length.
Using Smallfry to keep the soaker blocks extended for as much time as you want will enable you to cross them easily in situations where multiple blocks need to be activated.
In the end, a long stretch will be encountered with enemies on it. Your progress will be slower if you decide to attack these enemies one by one thus, it is recommended to just swim across them to quickly reach the end.
Final Section
Here you will encounter a bunch of enemies in a closed space. Ink the arena for extra mobility. This will also enable you to activate your special ability easily.
When enemies start to surround you, use Splashdown to attack a bunch of enemies at the same time and simultaneously inking a wide area.
Octolings might prove to be a nuisance thus taking them on one at a time and recovering your ink supply and health is the most optimal way to defeat them all. Smallfry can also be used as a distraction which will enable you to escape danger or splat enemies relatively easily.
More octolings will appear on four corners of the arena once you are done taking out all of them. Thus, staying near these corners can enable you to kill them before giving them any chance to attack you.
Special Weapon cans spawn randomly on the arena which will enable you to use strong and powerful attacks to defeat your enemies.
After Alterna Collectible Locations
After Alterna collectibles include special weapons and armor found throughout the level.
Special Weapons
Trizooka
This can be found during the final section of the walkthrough on a platform.
Ultra Stamp
This can be found on the platform opposite where you found the Trizooka
Reefslider
It is located on the opposite platform from where you found the Ultra Stamp
Inkjet
Look on the platform opposite where you found the Reefslider
Crab Tank
It is located on the opposite platform from where you found the Inkjet.
Ink Storm
It is located on the opposite platform from where you found the Crab Tank.
Triple Inkstrike
It is located on the opposite platform of where you found the Ink Storm.
Tenta Missiles
It is located on the opposite platform of where you found the Triple Inkstrike.
Ink Vac
It is located on the opposite platform from where you found the Tenta Missiles.
Killer Wail 6.0
It is located on the opposite platform from where you found the Ink Vac.
Wave breaker
It is located on the opposite platform of where you found the Killer Wail 6.0.
Zipcaster
It is located on the opposite platform from where you found the Wave breaker.
Armor locations
A total of three armors can be found during the final arena. Two armors can be found on the tall pillars in the arena’s center. Another one can be found in front of the checkpoint.
