Starcraft II 4.11.0 Patch Notes

Arcturus gets his own co-op and so much more

GENERAL

  • New Co-op Commander and Announcer: Arcturus Mengsk
    • Control the battle with an iron fist as Arcturus Mengsk, the newest Co-Op Commander for StarCraft II.
    • Feed an endless stream of cheap troopers into the meat grinder, softening your enemies for your Royal Guard to go in for the kill.
    • Learn more in our blog.
  • A new Winter Announcer is now available.
  • 16 Nation Wars 2019 team Portraits were added into the Nation Wars 2019 Complete Bundle available for purchase through Matcherino website.
  • MMR is now revealed on the loading screen for Master and Grandmaster players in 1v1 ladder games.
  • Account Management link has been added to the log in screen.
  • Queue up with DeepMind feature is going to be shut down with this patch.
  • Balance test tab is going to be disabled.

CO-OP MISSIONS

  • Brutal+ difficulties have been added to Co-op. These create random mutation challenges of increasing levels of difficulty. The Retry Brutal+ setting allows players to attempt a failed challenge on the same map against the same enemy unit composition. Brutal+1 can be queued with any level 15 commander through matchmaking. Brutal+2 through Brutal+6, and the Try Again setting, can only be played with a premade group.
  • Co-op players on Hard difficulty will now play at Faster game speed in order to better match with Brutal players.
  • The Ultralisk’s Frenzied ability no longer blocks mind control effects in Co-op.
  • Ultralisks may now walk over Zerglings, Banelings, Locusts, and Broodlings in Co-op.

VERSUS

  • Balance Update
    • Terran
      • Battlecruiser
        • Tactical Jump now stuns and puts the Battlecruiser into a 1 second vulnerability phase before it teleports. In this state, the Battlecruiser can be damaged, but Tactical Jump may not be canceled.
        • Yamato Cannon will no longer cancel itself if a target enters a transport or becomes cloaked/burrowed. Instead, the Yamato Cannon will miss, and the ability will go on cooldown.
        • Fixed an issue that if a Battlecruiser used shift to queue several commands which included Tactical Jump, it would be immune to Abduct or Interference Matrix as if it was using Tactical Jump during that time.
        • Fixed an issue where the Raven’s Interference Matrix and the Viper’s Abduct were causing the Battlecruiser’s Tactical Jump to go on cooldown.
        • Fixed an issue that displayed the opponent’s Battlecruiser’s locations on the minimap after using Tactical Jump.
      • Hellion/Hellbat
        • Infernal Pre-Igniter research cost decreased from 150/150 to 100/100.
      • Liberator
        • Advanced Ballistics upgrade moved from the Starport Tech Lab to the Fusion Core.
        • Advanced Ballistics upgrade now increases the range of Liberators in Defender Mode by 3, down from 4.
      • Medivac
        • Moved the Rapid Re-Ignition System upgrade from the Starport Tech Lab to the Fusion Core.
        • In addition to reducing the Medivac’s Ignite Afterburners cooldown by 5 seconds, this upgrade will also increase the Medivac’s base movement speed from 3.5 to 4.13. However, this upgrade will not affect Medivac’s movement speed during the Ignite Afterburners effect.
      • M.U.L.E.
        • Duration remains at 64 seconds.Developer Comment: Since there are some situations where the mule duration decrease could return less minerals than before, we want to revert the mule’s duration to their original 64 second value.
        • M.U.L.E.’s now always attempt to spawn on the side of minerals closest to a town hall.
      • Raven
        • Interference Matrix energy cost increased from 50 energy to 75 energy.
        • Interference Matrix duration increased from 8 seconds to 11 seconds.
        • Raven movement speed increased from 3.85 to 4.13.
        • Fixed an issue where splash damage will not properly apply to units affected by Anti-Armor missile.
      • Thor
        • High Impact Payload damage decreased from 40 (+15 vs Massive) to 25 (+10 vs Massive).
        • High Impact Payload weapon cooldown decreased from 1.7 to 0.9.
    • Zerg
      • Brood Lord
        • Broodling leash range decreased from 12 to 9.
      • Creep
        • Active Creep Tumors may no longer be canceled.
      • Infestor
        • Removed the Infested Terran ability.
        • New Ability: Microbial Shroud
          • Creates a shroud that obscures ground units below, reducing the damage they take from air units by 50%. Lasts 11 seconds. Energy cost: 100.
          • Cast range: 9.
          • Radius: 3.
        • New upgrade found on the Infestation Pit: Evolve Microbial Shroud
          • Requirement: Hive.
          • Research cost: 150/150.
          • Research duration: 79 seconds.
        • Updated visual effects and sounds for Microbial Shroud
        • Neural Parasite range decreased from 9 to 8.
        • Neural Parasite can no longer target Heroic units.
      • Lurker
        • Lurker Den build time decreased from 86 seconds to 57 seconds.
        • Lurker range decreased from 9 to 8.
        • New Upgrade found on the Lurker Den: Seismic Spines
          • Increases the Lurker’s range from 8 to 10.
          • Requirement: Hive.
          • Research cost: 150/150.
          • Research duration: 57 seconds.
        • Increased research duration of Adaptive Talons from 54 seconds to 57 seconds.
        • Lurkers affected by Blinding Cloud will now only fire to melee range.
      • Nydus Network
        • Nydus Worm cost increased from 50/50 to 75/75.
        • Summon Nydus Worm ability cooldown increased from 0 to 14.
        • Nydus Network and Nydus Worm initial unload delay increased from 0.18 to 0.36.
        • Nydus Network and Nydus Worm load period increased from 0.09 to 0.18.
        • Nydus Network and Nydus Worm unload period increased from 0.18 to 0.36.
      • Overlord
        • Pneumatized Carapace research cost increased from 75/75 to 100/100.
    • Protoss
      • Adept
        • Resonating Glaives reworked. Instead of increasing attack speed of the Adept by 45%, it will increase the attack speed of the Adept by 60% for 6 seconds after a completed Psionic Transfer.
      • Mothership
        • Time Warp now affects air units in addition to ground units and buildings.
        • Time Warp delay reduces from 3.57 seconds to 1.79 seconds.
        • Gains the Heroic Tag. Neural Parasite can no longer target Heroic units.
        • Fixed an issue where beam-type weapons didn’t get slowed in the Mothership’s Time Warp.
      • Observer
        • Observer movement speed decreased from 3.01 to 2.63.
        • Gravitic Boosters upgrade now increases movement speed by 1.31, down from 1.51.
      • Oracle, Sentry, Void Ray
        • Fixed an issue where beam attacks could deal more damage than intended.
      • Tempest
        • Kinetic Overload (anti-air) range decreased from 15 to 14.
        • Health increased from 150 to 200.
        • Shields decreased from 125 to 100.
      • Void Ray
        • New upgrade found on the Fleet Beacon: Flux Vanes
        • Increases the Void Ray’s movement speed from 3.5 to 4.65.
        • Increases the Void Ray’s acceleration from 2.8 to 3.76.
        • After the upgrade, the Prismatic Alignment ability will still reduce the Void Ray’s movement speed to 2.625.
        • Research cost: 100/100.
        • Research duration: 57 seconds.
        • Fixed an issue after getting the Flux Vanes upgrade where the Void Ray’s acceleration didn’t get reduced while using Prismatic Alignment.
      • Zealot
        • The Charge upgrade no longer provides Zealots with +8 damage on impact. Instead, it increases Zealot movement speed from 3.15 to 4.72, up from 4.13.
  • Maps
    • Introducing a new map mechanic:
      • Acceleration Zone Generators
        • Increases movement speed of ground and air units within the generated field by 35%.
    • Changed the color of Inhibitor Zones and Time Warp bubbles from green to red. Acceleration Zone Generators will be green.
    • Inhibitor Zone Generator minimap icons updated from green to red. Acceleration Zone Generator minimap icons will be green.
    • The center of Inhibitor and Acceleration Zone Generators are now pathable. The art was updated to reflect this.
    • Concord LE
      • Lighting status updated.
    • Eternal Empire LE
      • Fixed an issue where players could not build on certain gas geysers.
      • Fixed and issue where units could clip into rock doodads and become hidden.
    • Nightshade LE
      • Adjusted some mineral and gas locations at the natural, third, and fourth bases.
      • Updated some doodads at certain locations.
      • Updated the map so that units and structures are brighter and easier to see.
    • Winter’s Gate LE & Turbo Cruise ’84 LE
      • The center of the Inhibitor Zone Generators were changed to be pathable. Maps were updated to maintain the original pathing around the Inhibitor Zone Generators.
    • World of Sleepers LE
      • Changed the Rich Vespene Geysers to normal Vespene Geysers.
    • Zen LE
      • Changed the pathing near the Reaper paths so that Reapers can path properly.
      • Changed the location of the reduced mineral field and updated the pathing on the map to allow Terran players to wall off the natural base with 1 Command Center and 2 Supply Depots.
      • Fixed the heights of certain rooftops on doodad structures.
      • Updated grass and rock textures in the middle of the map.

BUG FIXES

Campaign

  • Legacy of the Void
    • Kerrigan’s Queens no longer attempt to place creep tumors incorrectly during the first epilogue mission.
  • Nova Covert Ops
    • Hunter-Seeker Missiles from Ravens with Special Ordinance equipped now deal splash damage.

Co-op Missions

  • General
    • Missions will now properly pick a map or commander victory line at random.
    • Amon’s Brood Queens should no longer autocast Ensnare on structures.
  • Commanders
    • Han & Horner
      • Fixed several of Han’s buildings to display her Junker adjutant.
    • Karax
      • Chrono Beam can no longer be cast on Kerrigan’s resource pickups.
    • Kerrigan
      • Omega Worms can no longer prevent defeat for Kerrigan’s ally.
      • Raptor strain Zerglings should no longer occasionally launch themselves from Nydus Worms at great speed.
    • Stetmann
      • Fixed an issue where Jumping Mecha Baneling could overkill units.
      • The game performance should be much improved while large numbers of Stetellites exist on the map.
      • Mecha Drone hotkeys can now be set.
      • Mecha Banelings now count towards Zagara’s Baneling & Scourge statistic.
      • Gary now obeys the laws of air units.
    • Tychus
      • Tychus players can no longer gain access to additional outlaws earlier than intended.
    • Vorazun
      • Void Thrashers now properly spawn when Vorazun uses Time Stop before or as they are spawning.
      • Fixed an issue that caused some heroic units to not benefit from Vorazun’s Time Stop Haste mastery.
    • Zagara
      • Damage dealt by Mecha Banelings now properly count towards Zagara’s Baneling & Scourge score.
    • Zeratul
      • The Artifact will move itself if its spawn location becomes unpathable.
      • Zeratul now properly unloads when dropped on top of large units.
      • Fixed an issue that caused Void Templars to fail to do damage while blinking.
      • Xel’Naga Watchers are now correctly affected by sight limiting mutators regardless of Artifacts collected.
  • Mission
    • Malwarfare
      • Fixed an issue that could cause a Suppression Tower’s minimap icon to persist indefinitely.
      • Fixed an issue that could cause air units to path poorly near the players’ main base.
    • Minor Evacuation
      • The Eradicator’s Rail Gun can no longer hit targets behind it.
    • Mist Opportunities
      • Harvesting Bots should no longer occasionally wander off.
      • Fixed an issue that could cause the bonus objectives to become invisible.
    • Oblivion Express
      • Damage is no longer sometimes ignored when attacking multiple train cars.
    • Scythe of Amon
      • New units spawned from Void Rifts are now properly affected by Polarity mutator.
      • Larva and Eggs will no longer die when a nearby Hatchery, Lair, or Hive is destroyed.
    • Temple of the Past
      • Fixed an issue that could cause the bonus objectives to become invisible.
    • Void Launch
      • Leviathans, Motherships, or Lokis now properly spawn in the final shuttle wave.
  • Mutators
    • Bonus AI terminals no longer become hostile to players with the Polarity mutator selected.
    • Amon’s Dehaka no longer transforms while the Transmutation mutator is active.
    • Void Rift minimap icons should no longer appear very small on Low settings.
    • Purifier Beams should now respect the same areas that other mutators avoid.
    • The Concussive Attacks mutator no longer affects Frenzied targets.

Collection

  • The Visual indicator for the cooldown of the Ihan-Rii Disruptor’s Purifier Nova ability now appears, and the cooldown animation now appears as intended.
  • The correct upgrade animation now appears when selecting an upgrade from the Cybernetics Core with the Forged skin applied.

User Interface

  • Portrait borders on the versus loading screen should now display your league on the race you are playing as instead of your highest league across all races.
  • Fixed a few issues where Console skins could appear as unintended in game and replays.
  • The multiple burrow icons in the help menu for Zerglings no longer appear in game.
  • The Custom lobby has been updated to prevent the screenshot button from overlapping map details text.

SC2: Vengeance Trailer

The time until the launch of Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm draws ever closer, and with it comes the trailer build up. This one’s called Vengeance and it’s another pretty piece:

Are you an SC2 player? If you are let us know what you’re most looking forward to with the expansion.

Oceanic Soap Box: What’s Got You Excited?

oceanic-soap-box

Most people are back into the swing of day-to-day activities after the Xmas / New Year period, and that well and truly includes games developers. There’s been some great announcements already this year, not least of which is the release of the opening cinematic for Starcraft 2’s first expansion, Heart of the Swarm. If you haven’t seen it already, here it is:

Here’s where you come in: what games have you excited for this year? For me Heart of the Swarm is one, Marvel Heroes another and the upcoming Sim City release has me drooling as well. What about you?