If you’re trying to get the new Sand Glove in Slap Battles, there’s a little more to it than simply walking over to the glove stand and buying it. The new summer update continues the Four Seasons storyline, and this time you’ll need to complete a beach-themed mini-game to earn the required badge.
I went through the steps below so you don’t have to waste time guessing what to do. Here’s exactly where to go, what the mini-game is about, and what you need to do to finally unlock Sand.
Sand Glove Requirements in Slap Battles
Before you can equip the new Sand Glove, you need to obtain the Estival Heatwave badge.
The badge is connected to the final Summer door in the Four Seasons area. If you’ve already completed the previous seasonal doors, you’re in a good spot because this update essentially brings that whole Four Seasons sequence to its conclusion.
Once you have the badge, the Sand Glove becomes available.
The glove itself has:
- Power: 53
- Speed: 15
- Requirement: Estival Heatwave badge
The design is also pretty fitting for the summer theme, with shells and a clam-like decoration on the glove.
Go to the Four Seasons Door
First, make your way to the Four Seasons area in Slap Battles.
The update is based around the four seasons: autumn, winter, spring, and now summer. The Summer door is the latest one to open, so this is the door you need to find.
Head over to the Four Seasons doors and enter the newly opened Summer door.
This takes you to a completely different area with a beach theme.
And yes, you’ll know you’re in the right place pretty quickly.
Find the Beach and Star Stina
Once you enter the Summer area, you’ll find a beach with a volleyball court.
Look around this area for Star Stina.
She’s the character you need to interact with to begin the challenge. Walk up to her and interact with her, and she’ll introduce you to the mini-game you need to complete for the badge.
This is where the actual challenge starts.
How the Sand Glove Mini-Game Works
The mini-game is basically a very unusual game of beach volleyball, except you’re returning a giant star-shaped ball using your slaps.
Star Stina will throw the large star ball toward you, and your job is to slap the ball back to her.
You need to keep doing this successfully throughout the challenge.
The important part is that you can’t simply miss a few times and continue. If the ball hits the ground, you’ll need to try again.
So when the ball comes toward you, make sure you time your slap properly and send it back.
Return the Ball 50 Times
This is the part where the challenge starts getting difficult.
You need to successfully return the ball 50 times each during the challenge, for a total of 101 serves according to the update explanation.
The ball also gets faster as you progress.
Every successful serve increases its speed by around 1%, meaning the challenge gradually becomes harder the longer you survive.
Eventually, the speed can reach double the original speed.
So the first few returns aren’t too bad, but don’t get too comfortable. By the later stages, you’ll need much better timing.
What Happens If You Miss?
This is probably the most important thing to remember before starting the challenge.
If the star ball touches the ground, you fail that attempt and have to redo the challenge.
That means you don’t want to rush your slaps just because the ball is getting faster.
Pay attention to the ball’s movement and try to hit it at the right moment. The faster it becomes, the easier it is to panic and slap too early or too late.
Take your time with the early serves and use them to get comfortable with the timing.
How to Get the Estival Heatwave Badge
Once you successfully complete the beach mini-game, you’ll earn the Estival Heatwave badge.
This is the badge required for the Sand Glove.
So, in simple terms, your unlock path looks like this:
Four Seasons area → Summer door → Beach → Star Stina → Star ball mini-game → Complete the challenge → Estival Heatwave badge → Sand Glove
You don’t need to search around the main map for some random hidden item after completing the challenge. The badge is the key requirement for the glove.
How to Unlock the Sand Glove
After earning the Estival Heatwave badge, return to the main glove area.
Find the Sand Glove and check its requirement. Once the badge has been registered on your account, you should be able to use it.
The Sand Glove comes with 53 Power and 15 Speed, so it’s not just another cosmetic addition. It has its own ability as well, giving you another glove to experiment with after finishing the Summer challenge.
Don’t Forget the Four Seasons Trophy
There’s also a neat little extra detail tied to the Four Seasons storyline.
The Summer update is described as the conclusion of the four seasonal doors. If you’ve completed all four doors, there’s reportedly a special trophy in Hitman’s office waiting for you.
So if you’ve been working through the seasonal content, it’s worth checking that out once you’ve finished the Summer section.
Sand Glove Unlock: Quick Version
If you just want the steps without all the running around:
- Go to the Four Seasons area.
- Enter the newly opened Summer door.
- Head to the beach.
- Find Star Stina near the volleyball court.
- Interact with her.
- Start the star-ball mini-game.
- Slap the ball back successfully as it gets faster.
- Complete the required serves without letting the ball hit the ground.
- Earn the Estival Heatwave badge.
- Return to the glove area and equip the Sand Glove.
The main thing I’d recommend is not underestimating that final stretch of the mini-game. Since the ball speeds up as you go, the later serves are where most attempts can fall apart. Get the timing down early, stay patient, and you’ll have a much better chance of finishing the challenge in one go.