We’re seeing a lot of exciting experimentation as the big changes from the last patch are still shaking out. Rather than shake the etch-a-sketch again so soon, this balance patch is meant to make slight changes to a few elements that could use some clear adjustments. Stay tuned for the larger end-of-month content patch for more changes.
⚙️ General
Components
Hull Bellows effect increased from 85 to 95
Design Note: Hull Bellows is a cool and aggressive component that hasn’t seen a lot of play yet, so we’re taking this opportunity to increase its effect slightly.
Contracts
There is a new Contract with another unique background that can be unlocked by completing all the challenges
Ranked
Now that we’ve had some time to let the MMR distribution shake out, we can see that the Pre-season 1 calculation change that was meant to address duo smurfing is also overly constricting the MMR mobility of the top end of the leaderboard. -- This naturally leads to frustration as players struggle to reach master and grandmaster, where the true competition is meant to live. We’re making some adjustments to address this:
The MMR calculation is back to how it was before Preseason 1
To address duo smurfing, both players in a squad are treated as if they have the MMR of the higher player, so there is no incentive to sandbag
🛞 Tanks
Parallax
Lowered penetration from 80mm to 70mm
Design Note: Parallax has been performing quite well, especially as players are increasingly finding and leveraging its strengths to get off-angle shots at distracted enemies. This change keeps that power intact while dialing back its capabilities slightly in a more head-on fight, which isn’t meant to be Parallax’s forte.
Valor
Heal amount increased from 150% to 160% of base shell damage
Design Note: This is a small nudge to help Valor be a little more competitive as the meta has shifted away from grinding attrition battles to more aggressive conflicts.