Splatoon 3 Amiibo Gear: Why It's Not Unlocking and How to Fix It in 2024 (2024)

As Splatoon 3 continues to dominate in 2024 as one of the best Nintendo Switch games available, many players are still struggling with getting all the exclusive gear that comes with the Splatoon amiibo figures. Despite scanning the figures multiple times and fulfilling supposed unlock requirements, some gear pieces remain locked for many users.

What's the Deal With Splatoon 3 Amiibo Gear?

For those unfamiliar, Splatoon 3 has support for all existing Splatoon amiibo figures. By scanning these NFC figures at the amiibo box in the Splatsville square, players can unlock special character outfits and headgear themed around the character of the specific amiibo. For example, scanning the Inkling Girl amiibo grants access to that character's classic outfit.

Scanning the amiibo and fulfilling certain conditions is the only way to get this otherwise unobtainable gear. So for fashion enthusiasts and completionists, getting everything unlocked is a high priority.

Why Is the Gear Not Unlocking for Some Players?

However, many players have reported issues with the gear not properly unlocking even after scanning the amiibo multiple times and playing the required number of battles. There are a few reasons this could be happening:

• Buggy Unlock Conditions - The unlock conditions seem to be buggy for some players. Even after doing the reported requirements of scanning, playing 10 battles, scanning again, playing 10 more battles, some gear remains locked.
• Unclear Unlock Criteria - There seems to be conflicting reports on what exactly needs to be done to fully unlock all 3 gear pieces for each amiibo. Some sources say the requirements need to be fulfilled separately for each gear type while others say the conditions are combined.
• Connectivity Problems - There may also be some connectivity issues between the game and the amiibo, resulting in scans not properly registering. Without the scan being counted, it could lead to the game not unlocking gear pieces after battles.
• Game Updates Could Cause New Bugs - With any new patches or updates Nintendo releases for the game, new bugs could be introduced that break amiibo functionality and gear unlocking.

How Many Times Do You Need to Scan Splatoon 3 Amiibos?

Based on gathered user reports, it's still not 100% clear how many times you need to scan each Splatoon 3 series amiibo to unlock all 3 gear items. Here are some common estimates:

• Scan once to unlock shoes, scan again after 10 online battle wins to unlock clothing, scan a 3rd time after 10 more wins to unlock headgear
• Scan once to register amiibo and unlock shoes. Then you need to win a total of 20 online battles, with clothing unlocking after 10 wins and headgear after 20.
• Scan once, win 10 battles, scan again, win 10-15 more battles. The numbers may vary slightly for each amiibo character.
• For some players, gear unlocks seem completely random regardless of scans and battles won.

As you can see, experiences vary greatly from player to player when trying to unlock everything these amiibos offer.

Why Is Nintendo Making Unlocking Splatoon 3 Amiibo Gear So Complicated?

Nintendo has not officially explained why they implemented such confusing unlock methods for the Splatoon 3 amiibo rewards. Here are some possible theories from the community:

• Nintendo wants to encourage more battles being played to keep online engagement high over time.
• Randomized unlock criteria leads to artificial playtime inflation for the game.
• Buggy unlock systems means completionists have to keep playing trying to trigger unlocks.
• Nintendo found players unlocked gear too fast in previous games like Splatoon 2.
• There may not actually be bugs, and gear unlocking is functioning as intended.

Whatever the reasons may be, the opaque requirements have definitely frustrated a lot of Splatoon players hoping to collect everything from the amiibos they purchased. Many feel they should not have to consult wikis and forums trying to figure out why gear remains locked.

How Can You Fix Splatoon 3 Amiibo Gear Not Unlocking in 2024?

If you are scanning your Splatoon amiibo figures and not getting all 3 gear pieces to unlock, here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

• Make sure your Nintendo Switch system software and Splatoon 3 game are fully updated with the latest patches. Updates may resolve bugs related to amiibo support.
• Try scanning your figure on a friend's Switch if possible to determine if the issue is your hardware or software.
• Scan the amiibo and then enter 10 battles rather than necessarily winning them all. Progress may still count in some cases.
• Fully restart your Switch and make sure there are no other games or apps open when scanning the amiibo.
• Remove the amiibo accessories from your Splatoon locker if they are already showing unlocked to reset the status.
• Keep battling and scanning consistently rather than long gaps in between. Consistent progression seems more reliable.
• Wait for future software updates and check patch notes if they mention anything about fixing amiibo functionality.

Outside of common troubleshooting, your best bet is to keep playing battles and scanning the figures at regular intervals. Even if progress feels very slow, accounts suggest gear does eventually unlock for most players.

Check player reports online to see if any otherfixes emerge for amiibo gear not unlocking issues. You may just have to wait for Nintendo to patch the game if no player solutions work.

Will Nintendo Address the Amiibo Gear Unlock Problems in 2024?

Currently Nintendo has not made any official comment on the unclear amiibo gear unlock conditions or issues players are facing around missing gear pieces. Like most game companies, they generally do not comment on specific bugs unless they announce upcoming fixes.

However, considering Splatoon 3's immense popularity and how many issues continue over 6 months past launch, Nintendo faces growing pressure to patch and optimize amiibo support sooner rather than later.

Here are some ways Nintendo could choose to address the problems in 2024:

• Release definitive unlock requirements so there's no mystery or confusion around number of required battles and scans.
• Eliminate the battle win requirements altogether - just scan an amiibo every few days to access more gear.
• Overhaul the unlock system to be less buggy and grant gear consistently after X battles.
• Add diagnostics to detect issues with players missing certain pieces despite meeting objectives.
• If no fixes, at least acknowledge they are listening to community complaints.

For now the company still pushes free content updates each season, so including some amiibo improvements could go a long way towards restoring goodwill with dissatisfied completionist fans.

Will New Splatoon 3 Amiibos Have Better Unlock Functionality?

As Nintendo produces more Splatoon amiibos over the coming years, there will likely be additional related costume pieces added to Splatoon 3. Many players continue voicing concerns that any new figures released could suffer from similarly frustrating unlock issues.

However, there is some hope that Nintendo develops more polished amiibo systems over time. Each wave of new NFC accessories tends to show general quality of life and stability improvements.

Perhaps by 2024, Nintendo could overhaul and simplify accessories with a major game update. Any new content may take advantage of these backend fixes. We can likely expect therabid Splatoon community to swiftly gauge unlock consistency when new items appear.

For now, temper your expectations if buying additional Splatoon figures on promises of cool rare gear. But stay optimistic that Nintendo tries smoothing out the rough edges, especially for premium DLC expansions.

What Should You Do If You Can't Unlock All Splatoon 3 Amiibo Gear?

With unclear unlock conditions that seem prone to bugs for some players, what recourse exists if your Splatoon amiibo gear remains permanently locked? Here are a few options:

• Keep trying persistently - Gear may randomly unlock given enough battles, scans, and time, so never give up hope!
• Wait for game patches - At some point, Nintendo may improve functionality and grant previously glitched gear.
• Complain to Nintendo Support - Explain in detail the issues preventing gear unlocks to hopefully influence fixes targeting your case.
• Trade with other players - If gear unlocked fine on a friend's console, trade them to acquire missing items.
• Modify console/figures - As a last resort, modding consoles or NFC chips could manipulate gear unlocking but comes with ban risks.

Aside from continuing to pressure Nintendo publicly and privately for solutions, trading gear pieces is your best option if they remain permanently locked to you.

While disappointing that the Splatoon 3 amiibo system underdelivers so far, hope remains that eventually everyone can unlock the exclusive content they paid for with a bit more patience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do online battle wins for gear unlocks only count in the current Splatoon 3 season?

No, battle wins should continue counting across seasons. However, some data suggests matches played closer together in real time improve unlock reliability vs wins spread far apart.

If my Switch profile already unlocked some gear, will new profiles also get unlocks easily?

Unfortunately, gear unlocks seem tied to the specific user profile rather than entire console. So new profiles need to scan and battle the full required amounts to unlock items.

Can Nintendo Support or customer service manually grant locked gear if provided proof of criteria completion?

There have been no reports of Nintendo support assisting with unlock issues. Typically they only advise trying standard troubleshooting steps players have already attempted.

Do Private Battles or Salmon Run matches also count for unlock requirements?

Based on user testing, standard unranked/ranked online battles appear the only type that contribute progress towards unlocking everything. Private games may not count.

If my Splatoon 3 save data is lost or corrupted, will gear unlocked prior remain accessible?

Lost save data usually means all unlock progress resets. As the data stores what you unlocked and when for each profile, restoring an earlier backup should retain acquisition status.

The Future of Splatoon 3 Amiibo Support

While the launch window of Splatoon 3 has seen its share of amiibo growing pains, Nintendo has built a strong foundation for improvements over the remainder of 2024 and beyond. If similar long-tail support as previous franchise entries continues, we may enjoy refined amiibo integration for years to come.

Perhaps after the next Splatfest or major content update, we'll be surprised with a smoother collection experience. Until any official fixes materialize, stay positive, keep scanning those figures after online battles, and hopefully witness more gear pieces pop as unlocked.

Slow and steady progress may win this race yet. Stay fresh!