What is Gear Star Power in Splatoon 3 and how does it work?

Splatoon 3 has a lot of progression elements that allow players to make the most of some of the amazing features that the game has to offer.

One such progression has to do with the gears that are available in the game, alongside their Star Power. It is a gear improvement system leveling that will allow one to either add an ability slot to it or raise the amount of XP, depending on the state of the gear.

Star Power is one of the core gameplay aspects in Splatoon 3, and is an important feature that helps players make the most of the gear and weapons that they absolutely love using.

However, raising the Star Power of a particular weapon in the shooter is easier said than done. The process is not cheap, and the game itself does not explain much about the process. Today’s guide will therefore go over what the Star Power feature is in Splatoon 3 and how it works.

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How does Star Power work in Splatoon 3?

The Star Power of a weapon can be increased by going to Murch and chasing Super Sea Snails. The snails will be the currency for the upgrade, and players will be able to add Star Power to their weapons for additional benefits.

Raising a gear's Star Power will net players two advantages in Splatoon3, which are as follows:

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1) More Ability Slots

Increasing the Star Power of a gear will allow the player to increase their ability slot by one. Most items in the shooter come with one or two slots unlocked, and it is by raising the Star Power that one will be able to make the gear more powerful and be able to attach more abilities to it with the help of Ability Chunks.

It is one of the biggest uses of the Star Power system in the game, and players are recommended to unlock all the slots of their favorite headgear, clothing, and shoes with it.

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2) Increased XP gain

Gears that have all of their ability slots unlocked can still gain more Star Power. However, further investments into them will instead increase the rate at which it earns XP.

The XP modifier for gears with all three slots unlocked is rather small. According to the Splatoon 3 community, it can be calculated with the following formula: 1.0 + (star power - ability slots + 1) * 0.3.

Though the increase is rather small, it does have its perks as it can help players with farming Ability Chunks. However, players are not advised not to increase the Star Power of any gear once it reaches three slot unlocks, and rather invest resources in unlocking the slots.

Additionally, it is also important to keep in mind that Splatoon 3 has Brands that offer additional rewards to players for increasing their Star Power. When 30 and 100 stars are invested in them, players will get exclusive badges.