How to Unlock Every Splatoon Item in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Hook: Hate hunting for trustable unlocks? Get every Splatoon item fast — no guesswork

If you returned to Animal Crossing: New Horizons after the 3.0 update and felt overwhelmed by the Splatoon crossover — locked items, ambiguous unlock steps, and the looming fear of buying the wrong Amiibo — this guide is for you. I’ll walk you through a step-by-step, tested process to unlock every Splatoon-themed furniture piece in ACNH 3.0 using Amiibo, list which Amiibo work, explain how to get items into your catalog reliably, and show common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

What you need to know up front (most important things first)

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0, the Splatoon furniture set is locked behind Amiibo scanning. Once you scan a compatible Splatoon Amiibo, the associated Splatoon-themed furniture becomes purchaseable in your island’s shops (or via Nook Shopping) and can be added to your catalog after acquisition. The process is simple but has a few quirks — especially around where to scan, how items show up, and how to force catalog registration.

Quick checklist before you start

• Update Animal Crossing: New Horizons to the latest 3.0.x patch (check in late 2025 / early 2026 patches).
• Make sure your Nintendo Switch firmware is current — NFC scanning issues are often firmware-related.
• Have at least one compatible Splatoon Amiibo figure on hand (see the compatibility list below).
• Know where your Switch’s NFC reader is (right Joy‑Con area or Switch Lite’s built‑in reader).
• Plan what account/island will buy and catalog the items if you manage multiple islands / shared consoles.

Compatibility: Which Amiibo unlock Splatoon items in ACNH 3.0

Short answer: Official Splatoon-series Amiibo figures unlock the Splatoon furniture. Nintendo designed the 3.0 crossover to accept the Splatoon figure family — not Animal Crossing cards — so you need a compatible figure rather than an ACNH card.

Common compatible Amiibo (to look for)

• Splatoon (original series) figures: Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, and Inkling Squid.
• Splatoon 2 / Off the Hook figures: Pearl & Marina, Inkling Boy/Girl variants, and Octoling figures released as part of the Splatoon 2 line.
• Splatoon 3 figures and any reprints labeled as official Splatoon Amiibo (Nintendo reprints in late 2025 made some figures easier to find).

Tip: Any official Splatoon-branded Amiibo should work. If a seller lists a “Splatoon Amiibo,” confirm it’s an official Nintendo figure (not a cheap third-party NFC toy). Fake Amiibo frequently fail to unlock crossover content — learn more about marketplace governance and seller risks at Stop Cleaning Up After AI: Governance tactics marketplaces need to preserve productivity gains.

Where to buy Amiibo in 2026 — trends and buying tips

Through late 2025 and into 2026, Nintendo began reprinting several high-demand Amiibo lines to meet renewed interest from the 3.0 update. That means you have more options than the 2017–2019 shortage days. Still, scarcity and scalpers persist for popular figures.

Best places to buy

• Official Nintendo Store (first-party stock and occasional reprints).
• Major retailers: Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Walmart — good for guaranteed authenticity and return policies.
• Reputable second-hand marketplaces: eBay, Mercari, or local listings — only from sellers with high ratings and clear photos of NFC base.
• Local retro and collectible shops — often price-competitive and confirm authenticity in-person.

Buying tips (avoid counterfeits and save money)

• Check seller photos for the official Nintendo seal and the figure’s NFC/base details. Counterfeits often miss subtle sculpt or paint details.
• Prefer sellers that accept returns — test the Amiibo immediately on your Switch to confirm NFC functionality.
• Watch for reprint drops — Nintendo announced more frequent reprints starting late 2025, and some restock windows are announced on official social channels. Set alerts and follow deal trackers like Hot-Deals.live to catch restocks and verified listings.

Step-by-step: How to unlock Splatoon furniture in ACNH 3.0 using Amiibo

Below is a practical, stepwise walkthrough I used to unlock every piece during my island redecoration run. Adjust minor UI prompts to your game version; the broad steps remain the same.

Step 1 — Confirm updates and pick your island account

1. Power on your Nintendo Switch and ensure both the console and Animal Crossing: New Horizons are updated to the latest versions (3.0.x or later as of 2026).
2. Decide which island or player account will be the primary catalog holder for the Splatoon items — that account should do the scanning/purchases if you want them unlocked across that island’s Nook catalog. If you manage multiple islands like a small rental operation, think of a single account as your catalog hub account.

Step 2 — Open Resident Services and use the Amiibo option

In ACNH, Amiibo interactions are handled through the in-game terminal inside Resident Services. The labels might say “Invite Amiibo” or simply “Amiibo.”

1. Go inside Resident Services and walk up to the Nook Stop terminal with the round screen.
2. Select the Amiibo option from the terminal menu. The game will prompt you to scan your Amiibo figure.
3. Follow the on-screen prompt and place your Amiibo over the Switch’s NFC area (right Joy‑Con rail or Switch Lite’s right analog stick). The game should register the figure’s identity. If you do a lot of console work, the Creator Toolbox writeups are handy background reading on console workflows and attachments.

Step 3 — Accept the unlock and check where items appear

After the Amiibo registers, the game will unlock the associated Splatoon furniture. In most cases:

• The items become available for purchase at your island’s retail shop (Nook’s Cranny or the new hotel shop) or through Nook Shopping’s special items.
• Sometimes the game gives you one sample piece directly; other times you’ll be sent an order ticket so you can buy the rest through the in-game shop.

Step 4 — Buy, place, and force-catalog items

To reliably add a new Splatoon item to your Nook catalog, follow this pattern:

1. Purchase the item when it’s available in Nook’s shop or order it via Nook Shopping.
2. Place the new item in your house or on your island — do not leave it in storage for cataloging purposes.
3. Pick the item up after placing it; the catalog should register the item after the initial placement/pickup cycle. If it doesn’t, put the item back down and interact with it (sit/use) before picking it up again.

Why this matters: ACNH catalogs an item after a proper acquisition and in-world interaction. Placing and picking up ensures the game recognizes it as an owned furniture type and adds it to your catalog for future orders.

Step 5 — Catalog sharing and island-wide availability

Once a furniture piece is in the island’s catalog for your resident account, other residents on the island (or co-op players) will be able to order it from their own Nook Shopping menus if the item is island/unlocked-per-account — but note some catalog entries are account-specific. If you want the Splatoon items available on multiple islands, repeat the scanning/purchase steps on each island/account.

Practical cataloging tips and tricks (to avoid wasted hours)

• Place before storing: Place each new Splatoon piece somewhere visible, interact with it (sit/use), then pick it up. That sequence triggers catalog registration almost every time.
• Use a single cataloging session: If you have multiple Amiibo, scan and buy all the Splatoon items in one session to batch your cataloging — reduces pickup/placement back-and-forth.
• Account vs island catalog: Keep in mind catalogs are tied to individual player accounts. If you share a console or switch users often, dedicate one account to be your “catalog master.”
• Photograph and log: Use the NookPhone camera to photograph each unlocked item and keep a quick note (e.g., “Inkling Sofa — unlocked via Inkling Girl Amiibo”) so you can track which Amiibo gave which pieces. For pro-level product photos and consistent documentation, see Tiny Home Studios and Device Ecosystems.

Common pitfalls — and how to fix them

Pitfall: Amiibo not recognized

Solutions:

• Ensure the Joy‑Con or Pro Controller is attached or held near the NFC reader properly. For Switch OLED/original, the NFC reader is on the right Joy‑Con area; for Switch Lite, it’s integrated into the right analog area.
• Update Switch firmware and restart the console.
• Wipe the Amiibo base with a soft cloth; dirt can interfere with NFC reads.
• Test the Amiibo on another Switch or test a different Amiibo on your Switch to isolate hardware vs figure problems.

Pitfall: Item unlocked but not showing in Nook Shopping or shop

Solutions:

• Visit Nook’s shop and check the special items or seasonal rotation — some items appear the next day or require you to speak to the shop owner to refresh stock.
• Try scanning again; occasionally the Amiibo unlock event doesn’t complete if the game crashes during the process.
• Check your storage and house spaces — if you already own the item in storage, it may not appear for purchase again until you remove it.

Pitfall: Catalog won’t register the item

Solutions:

• Place the item in your house, interact with it, save, then reload the game. This often forces a catalog update.
• Try putting the item outdoors and interacting — some players report that outdoor placement triggers cataloging for certain furniture types. For outdoor events and display strategies see From Pop-Up to Permanent: Converting Hype Events into Neighborhood Anchors.
• As a last resort, delete the item from storage and reacquire it; re-ordering from Nook Shopping and repeating the place/pickup cycle usually resolves it.

Advanced strategies & creative uses (2026 trends and pro tips)

With ACNH activity resurging after the 3.0 update, experienced players have developed advanced workflows to unlock and share Splatoon items efficiently:

• Catalog hub account: Use a single island/account as a “catalog hub.” Do all Amiibo scanning and initial purchases on that account. Other players on the same island can frequently order items after they’re in the shop system.
• Guest-room showrooms: With the 3.0 hotel and Slumber Island additions, set up a guest room showroom to display completed Splatoon builds and allow visitors to photograph and copy custom designs (note: catalog entries don’t transfer via Dream Islands). Convert temporary displays into long-term showcases using tactics from Micro-Event Monetization Playbook for Social Creators.
• Trade and resale watch: 2025 reprints lowered some Amiibo resale prices — monitor marketplaces if you’re missing a specific figure. Use vendor and marketplace playbooks like TradeBaze Vendor Playbook to watch pricing and restock behavior.
• Cross-collection decorating: Combine Splatoon furniture with Sanrio and Zelda crossover pieces introduced in past updates for festival-themed rooms that perform well on community socials and interior decor contests. If you share your builds, learn how creators monetize short clips at Turn Your Short Videos into Income.

Case study: How I unlocked the full Splatoon set in 45 minutes

Example workflow that saved time on my island run:

1. Updated ACNH to the latest 3.0.x patch and queued a system firmware update while grabbing coffee.
2. Scanned three Splatoon Amiibo (Inkling Girl, Pearl, and an Octoling) back-to-back via the Resident Services terminal.
3. Headed to Nook’s shop, ordered the visible Splatoon items, and had them delivered that same day.
4. Placed each piece in a dedicated cataloging room, interacted with them, and picked them up. Confirmed catalog entries in Nook Shopping.
5. Within 45 minutes the entire set was cataloged on my primary island account — I then used additional accounts to order items from their Nook menus, minimizing extra Amiibo scans.

Final checklist before you finish

• Confirm each Splatoon item is visible in Nook Shopping’s catalog for the account you care about.
• Photograph your items and note which Amiibo unlocked each piece — useful for future trading or for helping friends.
• Keep receipts or confirm purchase history if you bought Amiibo second-hand; many sellers will offer returns if the Amiibo fails to work. For marketplace governance and dispute approaches see this primer on marketplace governance.

Closing: Why this matters in 2026

As of 2026 the ACNH community has matured into a creative, event-driven ecosystem. Crossovers like Splatoon aren’t just collectible content — they’re a design language. Unlocking these items reliably with Amiibo gives you a toolkit for seasonal events, hotelroom showcases, and island-branding that resonates on social platforms and within the speedrunning decorating community.

Pro tip: Treat one island/account as your permanent catalog master. It saves time, avoids duplicate Amiibo hunting, and centralizes your decorative library.

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Ready to unlock your Splatoon set and finish that ink-themed island? Check our curated Amiibo deals and verified seller list at Hot-Deals.live, or subscribe for restock alerts and step-by-step setup guides. If you run into a specific snag, drop the Amiibo model and error in the comments — I’ll provide targeted troubleshooting and a cataloging checklist tailored to your island.

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