How To Get A Bigger Locker In Splatoon 3?

Splatoon 3 brings exciting customization options to express your personality, and one of the most fun features is decorating your personal locker.

However, the default small locker can feel limiting when you want to show off your style. Many players wonder how to get a bigger locker to display more items and create elaborate designs.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about expanding your locker size in Splatoon 3, from understanding the locker system to reaching the required levels and making the most of your expanded space.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways: What You Need to Know About Locker Expansion

Level Requirements: You need to reach Level 15 to unlock the medium-sized locker and Level 30 to get the largest locker size available in the game
Upgrade Process: Locker upgrades happen automatically when you reach the required level—you’ll see an exclamation mark in the locker room when it’s ready
XP Boosting Methods: Use Food Tickets from the Crab-N-Go stand to increase experience gained during matches by 50% to 100%

Locker Location: Find your locker in the lobby by heading to the right side through the sliding door between the ball machine and cylinder
Decoration Sources: Obtain locker decorations from Hotlantis shop, story mode collectibles, Salmon Run rewards, and the catalog
Color Options: You can change your locker color after reaching level 15 by purchasing different colors from the General Store

Display Items: Your larger locker can display weapons, gear, stickers, and decoration items collected throughout the game
First Daily Win: Get a 7,500 XP bonus for your first win of the day in Turf War or first clear in Salmon Run
Anarchy Battles: Playing Anarchy Battles (ranked mode) generally yields more XP than regular Turf War matches

Team Boosting: Using team-boosting food tickets helps everyone in your lobby gain more XP, potentially leading to more wins

Understanding the Locker System in Splatoon 3

Lockers in Splatoon 3 serve as your personal space to express creativity and showcase your accomplishments. The locker system is located in the lobby area of Splatsville, specifically through the gray sliding door on the right side between the ball machine and the cylinder. This area, known as the locker room, contains three walls of lockers with your own locker standing in the middle row.

The locker system is more than just a storage space—it’s a social feature that allows other players to see your customized locker when they play with you. Every player starts with a small locker at the beginning of their Splatoon 3 journey. This initial locker has limited space for decorations and items, which can be frustrating if you want to create elaborate designs.

What makes the locker system special is how it connects players. When you walk through the locker room, you’ll see lockers belonging to players you’ve recently played with. This creates a community feeling and lets you draw inspiration from other players’ creativity. The locker system becomes available once you reach Level 4 in the game, giving new players something to look forward to early in their experience.

Your locker can be customized with various items including weapons, gear, stickers, and decorations found throughout the game. These items can be placed freely within your locker, allowing for creative arrangements limited only by your imagination and, of course, the size of your locker.

The Path to Level 15: Unlocking the Medium Locker

Reaching Level 15 is your first major milestone for locker expansion in Splatoon 3. This is when your small locker automatically upgrades to a medium-sized one, giving you significantly more space for your decorations. The journey to Level 15 requires consistent gameplay and smart strategies to earn experience points efficiently.

The fastest way to gain experience points is to participate in multiplayer battles. Turf War gives you XP based on your performance, while Anarchy Battles (ranked mode) typically provide more XP per match, especially if you win. Each victory contributes to your level progression, bringing you closer to that medium locker.

One essential strategy for leveling up quickly is using Food Tickets at the Crab-N-Go stand in the lobby. These tickets can be redeemed for food items that boost your XP gain by 50% to 100% for a limited time. Look for the Crusty Sean’s Food Truck XP Boost or Mega Mountain a la Marigold for maximum experience points. These boosts remain active for 20 matches, making them extremely valuable for your leveling journey.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the first win bonus. You’ll receive a substantial 7,500 XP for your first win in Turf War or your first successful Salmon Run each day. This bonus resets at 8 p.m. EDT, so make sure to claim it daily to speed up your progress toward Level 15.

As you approach Level 15, you’ll notice your progress in the lobby interface. Once you hit the magic number, head to the locker room, and you’ll see an exclamation mark (!) indicating that your locker has been upgraded. This upgrade happens automatically without requiring any additional action from you.

Maximizing XP Gain for Faster Leveling

To get your bigger locker as quickly as possible, you need to optimize your experience point gains. Splatoon 3 offers several methods to boost your XP acquisition rate, helping you reach Levels 15 and 30 faster than normal gameplay would allow.

The most effective XP boosting method comes from the Crab-N-Go stand in the lobby. Here, you can exchange Food Tickets for temporary buffs that increase your experience gain. There are three tiers of XP food items:

Basic food: Provides a 50% XP boost for your character
Premium food: Offers a 100% XP boost just for you
Team food: Gives a 100% XP boost to your entire team

Team boosting food is particularly valuable because it helps everyone in your lobby gain more XP, potentially leading to better team performance and more wins, which further increases your experience gain.

But where do you get these valuable Food Tickets? They can be earned through:

Catalog rewards as you level up the seasonal catalog

Salmon Run capsules, particularly red capsules for common tickets
Shell-Out Machine in the lobby (though this method is random)
Story mode collectibles hidden throughout Alterna

Another key strategy is to focus on winning, since victory provides substantially more XP than losses. Try to play during times when you can coordinate with friends or when you’re at your best. Each win brings you closer to your bigger locker goal.

Don’t overlook the power of Anarchy Battles (ranked mode) for XP farming. Though more challenging, these matches can yield higher XP rewards than Turf War, especially if you’re performing well. Just be aware that losing streaks in Anarchy can slow your progress.

Finally, make sure to claim your daily bonus by winning at least one Turf War match or completing one Salmon Run shift each day. The 7,500 XP bonus is almost equivalent to a full level early in your progression, making it an essential part of your leveling strategy.

Level 30 Achievement: Getting the Largest Locker

The journey to obtain the largest locker in Splatoon 3 requires reaching Level 30, which represents a significant time investment and dedication to the game. This final locker upgrade provides the maximum amount of space for your creative endeavors, allowing for truly impressive displays.

The path from Level 15 to Level 30 is notably longer than the initial grind to Level 15. This is because Splatoon 3’s leveling system requires more XP per level as you progress higher. While the early levels might take just a few matches each, the later levels can require many more games to complete.

To make this extended journey more manageable, it’s important to maintain your motivation by setting smaller goals along the way. Perhaps focus on mastering different weapons or improving your skills in specific game modes while working toward the level milestone. This approach makes the process more enjoyable and prevents burnout.

Once you finally reach Level 30, you’ll again notice an exclamation point in the locker room, indicating your locker has been upgraded to its maximum size. This largest locker offers approximately twice the space of the original small locker, giving you much more room for creative expression.

With the largest locker, you can create more complex designs and displays that were impossible with the smaller sizes. Many players use this extra space to create themed arrangements, dioramas, or even storytelling scenes within their lockers. The increased height and depth allow for more sophisticated item placement and layering techniques.

Remember that reaching Level 30 is an achievement in itself, as many casual players may never invest the time required to reach this milestone. Your largest locker becomes a badge of honor that showcases not just your creativity but also your dedication to Splatoon 3.

Decorating Your Bigger Locker: Best Practices

With your newly expanded locker space, it’s time to think about how to make the most of it. A bigger locker isn’t just about fitting more items—it’s about creating a display that reflects your personality and impresses other players who visit the locker room.

First, consider developing a theme for your locker. Popular themes include:

Weapon collections showcasing your favorite battle tools

Food displays with items from the various food tickets
Character shrines dedicated to your favorite Splatoon characters
Color-coordinated arrangements that match your Inkling or Octoling

Seasonal displays reflecting holidays or current Splatfests

When arranging items in your bigger locker, think about visual hierarchy. Place larger items at the back and smaller items toward the front to create depth. Use the increased height of your locker to create vertical interest with stacked or hanging items.

Take advantage of the sticker system to add personality to your display. Stickers can be placed on the back wall of your locker and used to create backgrounds, frames around items, or even pixel art-style designs. The expanded locker gives you more wall space for elaborate sticker arrangements.

Don’t forget to update your locker regularly. Fresh designs keep things interesting for both you and other players viewing your locker. Consider changing your display to reflect new gear you’ve acquired, ongoing Splatfests, or just to showcase new creative ideas.

For inspiration, visit other players’ lockers in the locker room. Pay attention to how experienced players use space, color, and item placement in their larger lockers. You can learn new techniques and get ideas for your own displays by studying what others have created.

Remember that the most impressive lockers often show restraint despite having more space. Resist the urge to fill every inch of your locker—sometimes a carefully curated collection with proper spacing creates more visual impact than a cluttered arrangement.

Finding and Collecting Locker Decorations

A bigger locker is only as good as the items you put in it. Splatoon 3 offers a wide variety of decoration options that you can collect from different sources throughout the game. Knowing where to find these items is essential for creating an impressive locker display.

The primary source for locker decorations is Hotlantis, the general store located in the Splatsville main area. This shop refreshes its inventory daily, offering different decoration items each day. The selection expands as you level up, with more premium and rare items becoming available at higher levels, especially after reaching Level 15.

Another excellent source of decorations is the story mode campaign, “Return of the Mammalians.” Each site in Alterna contains five hidden decorations, often tucked away in hard-to-reach areas or requiring you to solve small puzzles. Exploring every corner of these levels can reward you with unique items not available elsewhere.

Salmon Run Next Wave also provides decorations through its capsule reward system. After completing shifts, you’ll earn various colored capsules that can contain exclusive items. The rarer the capsule, the more likely you’ll receive unique decorations for your locker.

Don’t overlook the seasonal catalog that updates with each major game update. As you earn catalog points by playing matches, you’ll unlock various rewards, including special locker decorations that often match the current season’s theme. These limited-time items can make your locker stand out.

For collectors, keep an eye on Splatfest events, which sometimes offer exclusive decorations related to the event theme. Participating in these special weekend events can help you acquire items that may not be available again.

Remember that weapons and gear can also be displayed in your locker. Any weapon you’ve purchased from Sheldon’s shop or gear you’ve acquired can be placed inside, allowing you to showcase your favorite battle equipment or fashion items.

As your collection grows, use the sorting functions in the locker customization menu to help find specific items. The game allows you to filter by type, source, and other parameters, making it easier to locate that perfect piece for your display.

Customizing Locker Colors and Backgrounds

A bigger locker gives you more surface area to work with, making the color and background of your locker even more important for creating visual impact. Splatoon 3 offers various options to customize these elements once you’ve reached Level 15.

The default locker color is a standard gray, but you can purchase alternative color options from the General Store in Splatsville. These colors range from basic options like black, white, and primary colors to more specialized metallic finishes and patterns. New color options are added to the store rotation periodically, so check back regularly to expand your collection.

Some of the most popular locker colors include:

Metal finishes that give your locker a premium look

Bright colors that make your decorations stand out
Team colors from past Splatfests
Patterned designs with unique textures and motifs

Beyond changing the base color, you can use stickers to create custom backgrounds inside your locker. With the larger locker surfaces, you have more room to create elaborate background designs. Some players use small stickers arranged in patterns to simulate wallpaper, while others create scene backgrounds to complement their 3D decorations.

For a more dramatic effect, consider using contrasting colors between your locker and your displayed items. Dark-colored lockers make bright items pop, while light-colored lockers create a clean, gallery-like presentation for darker objects.

Don’t forget about the lighting effects in the locker room. Different colors reflect the ambient lighting differently, so what looks good in the customization screen might appear slightly different in the actual locker room. It’s worth checking how your chosen color looks in the final display.

Some advanced decorators create the illusion of custom shelving by strategically placing rectangular items against the walls in matching colors. This technique is much more effective in larger lockers where you have the space to create these structured designs.

Remember that your locker color is one of the first things other players notice, even before they see your decorations, so choose a color that represents your personal style or complements your overall design concept.

Showcasing Weapons and Gear in Your Expanded Space

One of the most exciting aspects of a bigger locker is the ability to display more of your favorite weapons and gear. These items are not just decorations but trophies that showcase your battle preferences and achievements in Splatoon 3.

With the expanded space of a medium or large locker, you can create thematic weapon displays. Consider arranging weapons by type (shooters, rollers, chargers, etc.) or by special weapon. Some players create impressive weapon walls showing their mastery of various weapon categories. The increased height of larger lockers is particularly useful for displaying longer weapons like chargers and rollers.

Your gear collection also deserves attention in your expanded locker. Create fashion displays with your favorite headgear, clothing, and shoes. The bigger locker allows you to arrange complete outfits rather than just individual pieces. Some players create mannequin-like displays using various items to simulate an Inkling or Octoling wearing their preferred gear.

Take advantage of the deeper space in larger lockers to create layered displays. Place smaller weapons or gear items in the front and larger ones toward the back to create a sense of depth. This technique is much more effective in bigger lockers where you have more front-to-back space to work with.

Consider creating specialized zones within your locker—perhaps a weapons section, a gear section, and a decorative section. This organized approach takes advantage of the additional space while keeping your display visually coherent.

Don’t forget that weapons and gear can be combined with other decorative elements to tell a story. Perhaps your Splattershot surrounded by victorious trophies, or your favorite outfit complemented by items that match its theme or color scheme.

For competitive players, the expanded locker offers space to display badges earned through ranked play alongside the weapons used to earn them. This creates a trophy case effect that showcases your skills and achievements.

Remember that any weapon or gear item you’ve purchased can be displayed in your locker, but you’ll need to own it first. This gives you another reason to expand your collection as you progress through the game.

Social Aspects: Sharing Your Locker with Others

Your bigger locker isn’t just for your own enjoyment—it’s a social showcase visible to other players in the Splatoon 3 community. Understanding how locker sharing works can help you make the most of this social feature.

When other players enter the locker room, they’ll see lockers belonging to players they’ve recently encountered in matches. This means your locker becomes a form of self-expression visible to people you’ve played with or against. A larger, well-decorated locker makes a stronger impression, potentially leading to more players checking out your creative efforts.

Players can interact with your locker by viewing it up close and even “fresh-ing” it if they like your design. This system works similarly to the “liking” mechanisms in social media. The more unique and impressive your locker, the more likely others are to give it that coveted “fresh” approval.

Some players even use their lockers to communicate messages through carefully arranged items and stickers. From simple greetings to inside jokes for the Splatoon community, these visual messages are more effective in larger lockers where you have more space to work with.

The Splatoon 3 community has developed certain trends and challenges around locker decoration. From “smallest locker challenge” (making the most of the small space) to elaborate themes in the largest lockers, participating in these community activities can make the locker experience more engaging.

Players often share screenshots of their lockers on social media platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and Discord. If you’re particularly proud of your locker design, consider sharing it online to get feedback and inspire others. The Splatoon community is known for its creativity and supportiveness.

Remember that your locker is visible to players of all ages, so keep your designs appropriate for everyone. Nintendo moderates locker content, and inappropriate designs can be reported by other players.

Your expanded locker gives you more creative freedom, but also more responsibility as part of the shared social space of Splatoon 3. Use this opportunity to positively contribute to the community’s collective creativity.

Maintenance and Updates: Keeping Your Locker Fresh

With a bigger locker comes greater responsibility to keep your display fresh and interesting. Regular updates and maintenance of your locker space ensure it continues to reflect your evolving style and stays relevant to the current Splatoon 3 meta and events.

A good practice is to refresh your locker design after major game updates or Splatfests. These events often introduce new items or themes that you can incorporate into your display. Keeping your locker seasonal or event-appropriate shows that you’re an active and engaged member of the community.

As you acquire new gear and weapons, consider updating your locker to showcase your latest acquisitions. This not only keeps your display current but also serves as a visual record of your progression through the game. Your expanded locker space allows you to create more elaborate “before and after” style displays showing your journey.

Some players establish a rotation system for their locker displays, perhaps changing themes monthly or based on in-game events. Having a schedule for updates ensures your locker never becomes stale or forgotten. With a larger locker, you have more options for creating distinct, memorable themes.

Take advantage of the saving feature in the locker customization menu. You can save locker layouts that you particularly like, allowing you to switch between different designs without having to recreate them from scratch each time. This feature is especially useful for larger lockers with complex arrangements.

Consider the visual impact of your locker from different distances. A good locker design is interesting both from afar (when players first enter the locker room) and up close (when they examine it in detail). The expanded space of larger lockers gives you more opportunity to create displays with this multi-layered visual appeal.

Remember to occasionally clean up your locker by removing outdated or less interesting items. Just because you have more space doesn’t mean you need to fill every inch—sometimes a well-curated collection makes a stronger statement than a cluttered display.

Finally, stay inspired by regularly checking out other players’ lockers for new ideas and techniques. The Splatoon community is constantly innovating with locker designs, and you can learn a lot by seeing how others utilize their space.

Frequently Asked Questions

What level do I need to get a bigger locker?

You need to reach Level 15 to get the medium-sized locker and Level 30 to unlock the largest locker size in Splatoon 3.

Do locker upgrades happen automatically?

Yes, locker upgrades occur automatically when you reach the required level. Look for an exclamation mark in the locker room.

Where can I find the locker room?

The locker room is located in the lobby through the gray sliding door on the right side between the ball machine and cylinder.

What items can I put in my locker?

You can display weapons, gear, stickers, and various decorative items collected from shops, story mode, and rewards.

How do I change my locker color?

Purchase different locker colors from the General Store in Splatsville after reaching Level 15.

What’s the fastest way to level up for locker upgrades?

Use Food Tickets for XP boosts, claim your daily win bonus, and play Anarchy Battles for more experience points.

Can other players see my locker?

Yes, players you’ve recently played with can see your locker when they visit the locker room.

Where do I get decoration items for my locker?

From Hotlantis shop, hidden collectibles in story mode, Salmon Run rewards, and catalog progression.

How many items can fit in the largest locker?

The exact number varies depending on item size, but the largest locker has approximately twice the capacity of the small locker.

Can I save different locker layouts?

Yes, you can save locker designs in the customization menu to switch between different layouts.

How to Get a Bigger Locker in Splatoon 3?