Game Balance
Ongoing coverage on Game Balance.
Latest coverage
Clash of Clans Thrower Nerf Causes Huge Backlash
Supercell is facing significant backlash from the Clash of Clans community following the announcement of an upcoming nerf to the Thrower troop. The nerf, which will reduce HP, speed, and damage per second, is intended to balance army compositions and encourage diverse strategies, but players feel it is unnecessary and negatively impacts a key ground attack.
FF14's new roguelike mode's leaderboards were accidentally encouraging players to min-max all the fun out of it, so it'll be 'postponing the start of Crucible Rankings'
Square Enix has postponed the start of rankings for Final Fantasy XIV's new roguelike mode, the Crucible of the Unbroken, due to issues with combat balance and gameplay mechanics. The current ranking system inadvertently encourages players to ignore interesting mechanics and "min-max" their way to victory for rewards like a mount, leading to player dissatisfaction.
Valve's nerf-happy new Deadlock update makes it harder to turn games around
Valve has released a new update for Deadlock that significantly alters gameplay through numerous nerfs to items, heroes, and core mechanics. Comeback mechanics have been reduced, objective bounties adjusted, and movement and combat abilities modified, making it harder to turn games around. Many heroes and items received balance changes, with some notable nerfs impacting characters like Celeste and Warden.
WARDOGS Launches to Big Sales & Early Problems
WARDOGS, a team-based FPS, has achieved significant commercial success since its Early Access launch on Steam, selling over two million copies in under five days. However, the game has been plagued by server capacity issues, login queues, and connection errors, leading to negative player reviews. Developer Bulkhead, led by CEO Joe Brammer, is actively addressing these problems while also facing scrutiny regarding their development practices and workload.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Director Apologizes for Rough PC Launch and Outlines Upcoming Balance Changes
The director of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls has apologized for the game's problematic PC launch and detailed upcoming balance adjustments. The development team is working on changes based on their findings.
Sombra's change to Support is the right move, but I fear some Overwatch players may take time to adjust
The article discusses the controversial rework of Sombra in Overwatch 2, shifting her to the Support role. While acknowledging potential player resistance due to stubbornness and ingrained habits, the author believes the changes, including new abilities like Hotfix and Cyberspace, are ultimately positive and will help Sombra become a standard pick.
League of Legends is "trying to thread the needle" of balance and frustration
League of Legends Game Design Lead Matt 'Phroxzon' Leung-Harrison discussed the challenges of balancing the game while managing player frustration. He explained that while some friction is necessary for variety, Riot Games aims to address extreme outliers and cater to both average players and the professional scene.
Wardogs Season 1 Changelog patch notes adjusts progression, fixes voice chat & more
Bulkhead has released the Season 1 Changelog patch notes for Wardogs ahead of its early access launch. The update focuses on adjustments to player progression, including significant changes to XP curves and vendor prices, alongside fixes for voice chat, exploits, and performance issues. The developers have also implemented a new report tracking system and adjusted various gameplay elements like vehicle balance.
Dungeons and Dragons Online begins testing a major balance pass, including a new enhancement tree feat
Dungeons and Dragons Online has begun testing a major balance pass as part of Update 82, which includes global weapon combat changes, Reaper adjustments, and a rework of monster damage reduction. The studio, Standing Stone Games, is also introducing a new feat called 'Lock In' for two-handed weapon users.
League Classic patch 3 is its "biggest yet," with five new champions
Riot Games has announced that League of Legends Classic patch 3 will be its largest update yet, introducing five new champions: Fiora, Galio, Poppy, Shyvana, and Xin Zhao. Game Designer David 'Phreak' Turley stated that these champions will feature their older, distinct kits from earlier seasons. The patch also includes balance adjustments for existing champions and is expected to release on Wednesday, September 9.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta Steam numbers haven't budged in the second weekend, despite Warzone's arrival and transformative patch
The second weekend of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta saw stagnant player numbers on Steam, despite the addition of Warzone content and significant gameplay adjustments. Infinity Ward implemented changes to movement speed, slide mechanics, time-to-kill, spawns, and killstreak requirements in response to player feedback, but these did not translate to increased Steam concurrent players.
A Modern Warfare 4 open beta update adds the new big-team Combat Outpost mode
Infinity Ward has released a new update for the Modern Warfare 4 open beta, introducing the large-scale Ground War: Combat Outpost mode and two new maps. The patch also includes weapon balance adjustments, such as giving weapons with fewer than 60 reserve rounds an extra magazine, and a damage nerf to the .50 GS. The beta is currently live and will run until September 1.
New Elden Ring patch notes bring parry improvements and perfume buffs ahead of the Tarnished Pack DLC
FromSoftware has released Elden Ring patch 1.17, introducing balance changes and improvements ahead of the Tarnished Pack DLC. The update buffs certain offensive perfumes, weapon attacks, and spells, while also adjusting Greatshields and nerfing specific PvP items. The Tarnished Pack DLC, launching August 27th, adds new starting classes and items.
FC 27 will "let the game breathe," even if it's not perfectly balanced
EA Sports aims to "let the game breathe" with FC 27, prioritizing stability and player mastery over frequent balance patches. Developers Kantcho Doskov and Sam Rivera explained that major issues like exploits will be addressed, but the focus is on consistent mechanics, particularly in defending, which required a complete rewrite of the interception system.
As another Modern Warfare 4 beta update adds a new map, IW admits spawns "need to improve"
Infinity Ward has released another update for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta, introducing a new map called Lotus and the 3v3 Gunfight mode. The developer acknowledged that multiplayer spawns need improvement based on player feedback during the beta. The update also includes weapon balancing, audio tuning, and adjustments to various attachments and killstreaks.
A single-minded new Deadlock update targets its teamfight-trashing unicorn
Valve has released a new update for the MOBA Deadlock focused on rebalancing the hero Celeste. The update adjusts item effects and Celeste's abilities, including her ultimate, Shining Wonder, to reduce her oppressive impact in teamfights. These changes are being rolled out as a standalone patch, suggesting Valve felt immediate action was necessary.
A Modern Warfare 4 beta update nerfs footsteps, and adds a new map and mode
Infinity Ward has released a beta update for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, addressing player feedback with several adjustments. The patch includes nerfs to specific weapons like the ISO Nightshade SMG and Oris 8.6 marksman rifle, and significantly reduces footstep audio volume and distance. The update also introduces a new map called Cachette and a new game mode named Inflation, alongside improvements to visibility on the Transit 213 map.
Modern Warfare 4 beta's first update is live, adding a new map, mode, and toned-down footsteps
Infinity Ward has released the first update for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta, addressing community feedback on footstep audio volume and range, as well as weapon lethality. The update also introduces a new map called Cachette and a new mode named Inflation, and enables map voting. Further adjustments and bug fixes are ongoing.
Illuvium Arena patch 1.17.12 goes live: bigger Lynx stacking, Colossus taunt overhauled
Illuvium has released patch 1.17.12 for Illuvium Arena, focusing on game balance adjustments. The update increases permanent affinity stat-stacking for Stage 3 Lynxes and overhauls the Colossus unit's taunt ability, replacing its Thorns effect with a team-wide buff. This patch continues the studio's intentional balance cadence to shake up the game's meta.
First Mortal Shell 2 balance patch stacks the deck for players: refunds for anyone who wasted Glimpses, bosses nerfed,…
Developer Cold Symmetry has released the first major balance patch for Mortal Shell 2, focusing on player buffs, enemy nerfs, and quality-of-life improvements. The patch addresses the game's resource economy, refunding players who spent Glimpses on Shell maps and increasing Gold drops. Several enemies and bosses have been nerfed, while certain weapons and Tarstones have been buffed.
