Major Game Balance Update: Soul Orbs Economy Overhaul and Hero Adjustments

Our development team has been working tirelessly to address player feedback and improve game balance. Today, we're excited to announce our latest update that introduces significant changes to Soul Orbs, Trooper AI, and hero balance.

General Changes

This update focuses on standardizing the economy and improving the overall gameplay experience. One of the most significant changes affects how Soul Orbs function within the game.

• **Key Gameplay Changes:**
• Soul Orbs no longer have special duplication rules before 8 minutes. Soul splitting rules are now standardized throughout the match.
• The 8-minute bounty bump has been removed, with trooper economy adjusted to compensate for these changes.
• Wave interval increased from 25s to 30s with bounty values adjusted by the same ratio.
• Guardian attack range reduced from 38.1m to 35m.
• Guardian melee attempt range reduced from 6.1m to 5m and melee damage range from 8m to 7m.
• Players can no longer Parry troopers, a substantial combat mechanic change.
• Heavy Melee Cancel momentum has been significantly reduced.

Trooper Improvements

Trooper AI and functionality receive a major overhaul in this update, with a focus on improving Medic Trooper functionality and fixing long-standing AI issues.

• **Trooper Updates:**
• Medic Trooper: Heal no longer has charges (was previously limited to 3).
• Medic Trooper: Cooldown reduced from 35s to 6s, returning to its previous setup.
• Fixed healing sometimes not functioning on bounce when walls are nearby.
• Troopers will no longer aggro to you when you shoot them while they're attacking a Guardian.

Trooper AI Fixes

• **AI Improvements:**
• Melee troopers will no longer see and follow players around corners and through veils.
• Smoothed out trooper navigation in areas where they need to drop down.
• Troopers attacking shrines are no longer distracted by distant enemy troopers.
• Troopers now know to cross the base and attack the other shrine once their near one is defeated.
• Fixed rapid target-changing when multiple enemies are in range.
• Fixed facing direction fidgeting when walking without a target.
• Fixed troopers' fear of steep stairs.
• Fixed targeting flare flashing issues.

Urn Changes

The Urn mechanics have received significant updates to improve clarity and strategic depth.

• **Urn Updates:**
• Urn now reveals you immediately upon pickup.
• First urn is now considered for comeback mechanics (15% NW delta).
• Urn now has a visual indication on the model to show if it's a side-favored pickup.
• Urn will no longer wait indefinitely for nearby players - it ignores loiterers after 20 seconds and starts running back home.
• Fixed Debuff Resistance affecting Urn pickup time.

Item Balance

Many items have been adjusted to ensure a more balanced gameplay experience. Most defensive items have received nerfs, while some utility items have been reworked.

• **Significant Item Changes:**
• Hollow Point Ward: Spirit Shield reduced from 95 to 70, Weapon Damage reduced from 20% to 18%
• Healing Rite: Total HP Regen reduced from 370 to 350, Cooldown increased from 64s to 70s
• Healbane: Heal on kill changed from 350 to 275
• Barrier items: All received significant reductions in shield amounts
• Ethereal Shift: Moved from Tier 3 to Tier 4, can now be canceled early, duration increased to 4s
• Knockdown: Now removes all momentum and brings heroes straight down

Hero Balance

This update includes balance adjustments for a wide range of heroes. Here are some of the most impactful changes:

• **Hero Nerfs:**
• Bebop: Base stamina reduced from 3 to 2, base regen reduced from 3 to 1.5
• Calico: Base ammo reduced from 12 to 9, gun damage growth reduced by 25%
• Grey Talon: HP regen reduced, move speed scaling reduced, Charged Shot damage reduced
• Mirage: Base Health reduced from 550 to 500, Djinn's Mark T1 slow reduced
• Seven: Storm Cloud lightning bolt damage reduced from 150 to 100, radius increased
• Sinclair: Bullet damage reduced, Rabbit Hex reworked to focus more on movement than damage

• **Hero Buffs and Adjustments:**
• Haze: Sleep Dagger prevents sliding, Bullet Dance improved
• McGinnis: Mini Turrets tracking speed and bullet velocity increased
• Warden: Base health increased from 550 to 575, base regen increased from 2 to 3
• Kelvin: Base Spirit Resist removed, now gains +1% per boon

These changes aim to create a more balanced gameplay experience while addressing some of the community's most frequent feedback. We'll continue to monitor game data and make further adjustments as needed.

For the complete list of changes, please refer to the full patch notes in the game client. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you in the game!