In co-op, difficulty adjusts based on what?

In co-op, Splatoon Raiders adjusts difficulty based on the number of players. The game is primarily a single-player adventure, but raids can include up to three additional players through online or local-wireless play, for a maximum party of four.

This scaling helps keep encounters from becoming too easy when extra weapons and abilities are added to the team. More players can mean denser enemy encounters and a greater challenge, rather than simply multiplying the team's firepower without compensation. Nintendo also provides separate difficulty settings—Tourist, Raider, and Survivalist—which can be changed independently of the player-count adjustment.

A common mix-up is confusing co-op scaling with character progression. Player levels and equipment affect how powerful a raider feels, while the co-op system responds to how many people are in the raid. The game also automatically balances player power to help mixed-experience groups play together. Raiders therefore uses both selectable difficulty modes and dynamic multiplayer scaling.