Splatoon 2 has just got its first exploit
Spaloot cave.
Splatoon 2 can at last lay claim to being a proper grown-up 21st century video game. It now has its very own exploit.
A little side order of cheese has often been the way in other modern online shooters such as Destiny, which became famous in its first iteration for the many ways in which to cheat the game for easy gain. Splatoon 2's exploit doesn't give you direct access to new loot, but it does make the process of levelling up that much quicker.
The exploit - first noticed by redditor Jaicera, and subsequently picked up on by Kotaku - involves the meal tickets which can be traded in with a vendor in Splatoon 2's hub for an XP multiplier. The tickets come most frequently as a reward in Salmon Run, Splatoon 2's co-op mode, but can also be found dotted throughout the game's campaign - and it's here that you can keep returning to pick up as many as you please.
Tickets are typically greyed out once you've collected them, but it seems in some cases you can keep going back for more. In one instance - just before the campaign's 6th level - you don't have to enter the level as the ticket can be found in the hub area, meaning it's easy to go back and forth as you repeatedly bank tickets. There's one more recorded instance, in Splatoon 2's last level before the final boss, though it requires a little more patience to farm.
If you're curious and want to make the most of the quirk, Gaijinhunter has prepared an easy-to-follow video guide that'll take you through the process step by step.
Will it be patched out? We're not entirely sure, though we've asked Nintendo if it's something that's seen as a problem. And does it break the game? Not really - meal tickets simply put a multiplier on your levelling or the rate at which you earn money, meaning you'll get access to better gear and weapons that little quicker, but it doesn't give you any major advantage where it counts.
Splatoon 2 came out last Friday, and while it failed to get the number one spot in the UK it's enjoyed over half a million sales over in Japan where it's become something of a phenomenon.