A lot of Terran changes are a foot in StarCraft 2's latest patch including a reaper buff, and some nerfs to the Terrans mech builds. It seems blizzard is going to keep changing the game right up until they pull the plug now get out there and play it, blizzard needs this testing phase to be as efficient as possibly!

Source: Battle.net

Along with today's patch Blizzard is also doing another database wipe! enjoy losing your hard earned achievements boy i cant wait till we can keep ours!

Source: Battle.net

 

 

In the usual fashion, the first round of BlizzCon tickets went on sale on June 2nd and were sold out in minutes. If you didn't get your ticket yet, don't freak. There's still one more chance on June 5th. Check the BlizzCon website for more details. The tickets cost $150 each and will allow you access to the BlizzCon convention on October 22-23 in Anaheim, CA. Tickets have increased in price which should mean a larger goodie bag this year.

 

We're expecting mostly Diablo III news this year considering StarCraft II should already be on the shelves. But the real bonus is that we'll be there! Look for the StarCraft2Forum.org shirts and we should have some to give out as well as other goodies (last year we had a ton of Razer gear).

 

Source: BlizzCon.com

 

This week's patch is just as much an attempt to fix the disaster that was Patch 13 as it is a balancing act of its own. Now we have a re-increase in the Ultralisk's health as well as some movement in the upgrades and abilities of Zerg units, like a buff in the way that Roach's underground regeneration works.

 

They also nerfed the Viking's ground damage which, in our minds, is a bit of a strange change to make when other imbalances exist *cough* Phoenix anti-grav *cough*. No matter, here's the full changelist!

 

Patch 14 brings mostly balance changes, with a few bug fixes on the side. Finally a good patch for those waiting for zerg buffs though, as roach got re-buffed and the ultra got a little speed/hp boost.

Balance changes are getting smaller now, as the game boils down to fine tuning.

There is no situation report available at this time.
StarCraft II Beta -- Patch 14 (version 0.16.0.15580)

Balance Changes

• PROTOSS
  
  • Archon
    
    • Build time decreased from 17 to 12.

• TERRAN
  
  • Viking
    
    • Ground damage decreased from 14 to 12.

• ZERG
  
  • Corruptor
    
    • Corruption energy cost decreased from 100 to 75.
  • Infestor
    
    • Burrowed move speed increased from 1 to 2.
    • Peristalsis upgrade removed.
  • Overlord/Overseer
    
    • Pneumatized Carapace cost increased from 50/50 to 100/100.
  • Overseer
    
    • Infested Terran energy cost decreased from 125 to 100.
  • Roach
    
    • Organic Carapace upgrade removed.
    • Tunneling Claws now also increases burrowed regeneration rate from 5 to 10.
  • Ultralisk
    
    • Anabolic Synthesis upgrade removed.
    • Health increased from 450 to 500.
    • Speed increased from 2.25 to 2.9531

Bug Fixes

• Map Publishing: the default Battle.net host now points to the correct server.
• Time Expiration notices that were added for testing of the Guest Pass functionality have been removed.
• Fixed a crash when trying to open an old replay by double-clicking it in Explorer.

Source: Battle.net

 

In a move that I can't say was unexpected, Blizzard has announced that the StarCraft 2 Beta Stage 1 will now close on June 7th. Blizzard had originally stated the beta would end May 31. Plans for a future opening prior to release are (according to Blizzard) still in the works, and no comment has been made regarding any potential changes to the July 27th release date.

 

 

Source: Battle.net

 

 

So there's apparently a new patch about to hit Battle.net in the coming days and it includes a huge improvement in features. Most exciting is the unlocking of 3v3 and 4v4 multiplayer matches, making it possible for mass awesomeness to arrive on Battle.net. I'm sure it'll be nuts but we're itching to try it!

 

We're also a little concerned with some of the balance changes in this patch including the tranferring of the Spawn Infested Terran ability to the Overseer which essentially allows for free units to be dropped in an enemy base. Also, an ability for the Infestor that replaces the Spawn Terran is called "Frenzy" which grants 25% additional damage to one targeted biological unit and allows it to ignore all effects against it (including Marauder slow or 250mm cannon stun).

 

Sounds too much like Rage. What is this, WarCraft in space? And does this nerf on Terran abilities mean that the Thor will get its 250mm Cannon ability back without research?

 

If you're looking for Blizzard's thoughts on the patch, check out their Situation Report: Patch 13.

 

Among other changes, the new Facebook integration and map publishing UI will also launch with this patch, and player muting will also be live. Thank goodness. Here's the full patch notes.

 

 

This year's ticket sales have been announced! This year it's spread out into two rounds, June 2nd and June 5th. DirecTV will also be broadcasting once against as a Pay-Per-View Event. As usual we'll be there covering it all!

 

Tickets to this year's BlizzCon gaming convention, being held on October 22 and 23 in Anaheim, California, will go on sale worldwide on Wednesday, June 2 at 7 p.m. Pacific time for $150 each, with a second block of tickets going on sale Saturday, June 5 at 10 a.m. Pacific ...time.

For those unable to attend, DIRECTV will once again be televising BlizzCon in high definition as a Pay Per View event, featuring coverage from the show floor, exclusive interviews, demos, and more. In addition, players around the world will be able to purchase the Pay Per View event as a multichannel Internet stream, allowing viewers online to switch between coverage of multiple panels and activities during the show.

Check out the press release for further details, and head over to www.blizzcon.com or the online Blizzard Store on June 2 or June 5 to buy your tickets.

Source: Blizzard

 

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