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Even with so many excellent RTS classics like Command and Conquer, Total Annihilation, and Age of Empires, there’s one series that’s always reigned supreme. For me, StarCraft is the pinnacle of the genre. The sheer amount of tactical depth is unmatched, and I’m a total sucker for sci-fi if I’m honest. So with both StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2 finally making their way to PC Game Pass soon, there’s no better time to dive back in. Best of all, Blizzard just released a huge balance patch for StarCraft 2.
StarCraft 2 patch 5.0.14 is here. There are plenty of changes across the board for the RTS game, but some key, wide-reaching adjustments stand out. “The first goal is to nerf defensive and camping playstyles for all races, both related to early and late game on the higher levels of play,” the community balance council writes. “We will target specific units, buildings, and abilities suited for camping, to promote more active gameplay across all stages of the game.”
The second big adjustment is for the Protoss race, as the council feels like there’s “still a major gap” between the different levels of play. The current changes aim to make Protoss more efficient with the “strongest and smartest execution,” while helping Zerg and Terran players against them at the lower levels. To that end, shield battery overcharge has been removed as it’s “one of the most frustrating abilities to play against.” This has been replaced with energy overcharge, which costs 50 energy and recharges 100 energy of the targeted allied unit.
Protoss isn’t the only race with changes, though. The team wants to “provide strong playstyle alternatives for various matchups,” which means the Zerg are better equipped to face air units from the ground, and Terran mech units are now better at harassment in “straight-up fights.”
The full patch notes also have some more general changes, too. Multiple visuals now use your team color to be more easily identified, and a handful of bugs have also been fixed.
With the Game Pass launch of both StarCraft games looming over our heads, it’s not that surprising that this patch is the biggest in a while. Blizzard obviously wants to ensure that the game is in the best possible shape ahead of a new influx of players trying it for the first time (or returning after years away).
We’ve got even more while you wait for the StarCraft Game Pass launch, like the best space games and classic PC games to add to your rig right now.
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