Game Balance
Ongoing coverage on Game Balance.
Latest coverage
FFXIV White Mage Gets Devastating Nerfs That Change Everything | HappyGamer
Square Enix has implemented significant changes to the White Mage job in Final Fantasy XIV, altering or removing iconic abilities like Assize and Presence of Mind. These changes have fundamentally altered the job's identity, shifting its focus from burst healing to sustained care and sparking debate within the player community. The rework is speculated to be in preparation for upcoming content in the Dawntrail expansion.
Buffs, Nerfs, and Bugs
Epic Games continues to add shotguns to Fortnite, potentially creating its best meta yet. Separately, Secret Mode has removed the Denuvo anti-tamper technology from STAR WARS- Galactic Racer.
Throne and Liberty’s latest patch changes Floating Elf Gardens as Amazon addresses battlegrounds
Throne and Liberty's latest patch has altered PvP in Floating Elf Gardens by lowering the victory score and changing how points are acquired. Amazon also issued a statement addressing ongoing battlegrounds issues, noting that a recent debuff to healing was reverted due to not producing the desired outcome. The team promises substantial new content is forthcoming.
Slay the Spire 2 Patch Notes Address Base Game Difficulty and the Doormaker
Mega Crit has released patch notes for the beta version 0.104.0 of Slay the Spire 2. The update aims to adjust game balance and make the experience more accessible for a wider range of players, specifically addressing the base game's difficulty and the Doormaker.
New Slay the Spire 2 patch makes some terrible cards and relics actually good, Mega Crit agrees the game "is quite hard" and wants lower Ascensions to be "more accessible"
Developer Mega Crit Games has released a new patch for Slay the Spire 2's beta branch, adjusting the game's overall difficulty to make lower Ascensions more accessible. While the highest levels remain a monumental achievement, the developers aim to provide a more welcoming experience for a wider range of players. The patch also includes buffs to cards like Neow's Fury and Booming Conch, and reworks to Ironclad's Drum of Battle and Conflagration.
Overwatch Season 2's first balance patch targets Roadhog and Sombra yet again to players' dismay: "Just…
Blizzard Entertainment has released the first balance patch for Overwatch 2 Season 2, focusing on heroes like Roadhog and Sombra. The patch aims to re-adjust characters whose win rates have fallen significantly since the season began, with a particular focus on addressing mobility.
New Slay the Spire 2 update reworks Ironclad's most unpopular card and makes lower Ascensions easier
Slay the Spire 2 developer Megacrit has released beta patch notes detailing significant card reworks and adjustments to lower Ascension difficulties. The update aims to improve approachability and balance, with specific attention given to Ironclad's underperforming cards like Conflagration and Drum of Battle, and reworks to several Ancients picks. The studio is gradually tweaking difficulty scaling to create a greater distinction between Ascension levels.
Overwatch lends Roadhog players a helping hand, reverting his Chain Hook nerf after just 1 week—I'm as…
Blizzard Entertainment has reverted the recent nerf to Roadhog's Chain Hook in Overwatch after only one week. The cooldown was reduced from 8 to 7 seconds due to a significant drop in the hero's pick rate and performance. This rapid reversal highlights the challenges in balancing Roadhog, who often swings between being overpowered and underpowered.
Dead By Daylight’s Trickster Sees Massive Usage Spike After Update
Dead by Daylight's Trickster killer has experienced a significant surge in player usage following a recent update and rework. Previously the least-played killer with a 1.6% usage rate, the character's mechanics have been overhauled to be more responsive and effective. This success highlights the potential of thoughtful character reworks in maintaining game balance and roster diversity.
Mario Tennis Fever Serves Up Another Small Switch 2 Update, Here Are The Patch Notes
Nintendo has released version 1.0.3 for Mario Tennis Aces on Nintendo Switch, primarily addressing a bug related to Ranked Match rankings not adjusting correctly at the start of the month. While this update focuses on bug fixes, Nintendo has confirmed that further balance adjustments are planned for future updates.
Slay the Spire 2 plummets to 66% positive lifetime Steam reviews as players seethe after first major update: "Preventing players from deckbuilding in a deckbuilder"
Slay the Spire 2 has seen a significant increase in negative Steam reviews following its first major update, with players criticizing limitations on deckbuilding and increased difficulty. The update has led to a lifetime review score of 66% positive, with recent reviews at 48% positive. Developers Mega Crit are facing criticism over balance changes that some feel detract from the core deckbuilding experience.
Marathon Changes Announced
Bungie has announced changes to its extraction shooter Marathon, doubling the inventory capacity for Depleted Patch Kits and Depleted Shield Charges. These adjustments aim to reduce the game's punishing difficulty for new players.
Overwatch Mercy players are going on strike by playing tank to try and revert recent movement nerf
Overwatch players who main the hero Mercy are protesting a recent nerf to her Guardian Angel movement ability by intentionally playing poorly in the tank role. The change, which reduced the ability's launch speed by 10 percent, was implemented in Season 2 to balance an increase in her Flash Heal perk. Players are urging Blizzard Entertainment to revert the nerf, apologizing for their tank gameplay in advance.
Dragon Ball FighterZ 1.50 update out now, patch notes
Bandai Namco has released version 1.50 for Dragon Ball FighterZ, focusing on character balance adjustments. The update includes changes to several characters, such as Goku, Vegeta, Jiren, Krillin, Android 17, Jiren, Videl, and Goku (GT), with specific modifications to their special moves and mechanics. Additionally, information regarding the upcoming character Goku (SS4, Daima) was mentioned.
WoW Hotfixes Roll Out April 17: Latest Balance Changes Live
Blizzard Entertainment released hotfixes for World of Warcraft on April 17, addressing class balance and quest bugs. These regular server-side updates are crucial for maintaining the 20-year-old MMO and are seen by players as a sign of ongoing support and preparation for future content.
Slay the Spire 2 gets its first major update, buffing the Regent, bringing sweeping balance changes, and adding a powerful new card
Slay the Spire 2 has received its first major balance update, introducing significant changes to characters, cards, and relics. The update includes buffs for the Regent, a new card, and a phobia mode, alongside various art, UI, and bug fixes. Leaderboards have been adjusted to focus on friend scores due to anti-cheat concerns.
Slay the Spire 2 patch notes arrive for all, meaning an easier early game but harder infinites
Mega Crit has released the first major patch for Slay the Spire 2, bringing changes from the beta branch to the live build. The update includes improved map generation and an easier Act One, but makes infinite combos harder to achieve and card removal more expensive. The developer emphasizes that the game is still in Early Access and encourages player feedback.
After a month of haggling with players, Mega Crit make Slay the Spire 2's beta patches official, with big character reworks alongside new art and scoring systems
Mega Crit has officially rolled out all recent beta updates for Slay the Spire 2 into the main game, including significant reworks for characters like Ironclad and Silent, new art, and a Badge system. While the game remains in Early Access, this update addresses player feedback on balance and introduces new progression mechanics and relics. Leaderboards have also been revamped to focus on friends' scores and run completion metrics.
Slay the Spire II Update 0.103.2 Overhauls Balance, Ascension, and Systems
Mega Crit has released update 0.103.2 for Slay the Spire II, incorporating a month of beta changes. This patch redesigns Ascension 6, adjusts shop mechanics, improves map generation, and reworks character balance for The Ironclad, The Silent, The Regent, and The Necrobinder. The update also introduces visual enhancements, a new Badge system, reworked leaderboards, and numerous bug fixes for PC via Steam.
Tekken 8 Update 3.00.02 patch notes make emergency adjustments to Season 3
Tekken 8's latest update, version 3.00.02, introduces emergency adjustments to Season 3's Heat system. The changes aim to balance Heat moves, their resource cost, and damage output to encourage more strategic gameplay during the Heat State.