Splatoon for Wii U players will soon get an automatic update with tons of new game content.
Nintendo's free software upgrade rolls out Aug. 5, with two new matchmaking modes, new weapon types, an increase to the game's level cap, and more than 40 pieces of new gear.
Enter the Squad Battle matchmaking option to participate in Ranked Battle rule sets in teams of two or four with friends, instead of randomly assigned teammates. Private Battles, meanwhile, allow for customizable matches, in which two to eight friends fight together.
"With this robust new update also comes an increased level cap in both Regular Battle and Ranked Battle modes," Nintendo said in a news release. The new level 50 goal (up from level 20) pushes players to rank an even higher S or S+ (above an A+).
In Splatoon, players take on the role of Inklings—customizable characters that paint-fight to capture territory. Cover the map in your team's color to win, but also utilize the ink to defeat other players or transform yourself into a fast-traveling squid.
Two new weapon types will give the game a strategic twist: The bucket-like Slosher hurls ink straight ahead at "an impressive range," according to Nintendo. Adjust the angle, and the weapon can be used to splat opponents. The Gatling-style Splatling gun, meanwhile, lets players charge blasts of ink.
Next month's update also includes 40-plus pieces of gear, including a leather jacket, sushi-chef costume, and more, available via the in-game shops.
"Despite its size and scope, this massive August update is not the end of the splat-acular free content coming to Splatoon," Nintendo said.
More content—the Rainmaker Ranked Battle mode, additional maps, new weapons—will continue to launch through the rest of the summer and fall.
Late last month, Nintendo announced that its Wii U title has topped 1 million in worldwide sales, including more than 476,000 physical and digital units sold in the Americas.
If you don't already own one of the of million copies sold, the $60 game is available now; Best Buy is also selling an exclusive $300 bundle, with a Wii U Deluxe console, a digital Splatoon download, and Nintendo Land.
The game hasn't exactly launched without a hitch: A truck carrying a shipment of special-edition Splatoon games—featuring the Inkling Squid amiibo character—was stolen in May on its way from Nintendo's European warehouse to GAME UK.
For more, see PCMag's review of Splatoon for Wii U and the slideshow above.