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Dragonflight Season 4 Content Update Notes
Rate the transmogrification set above you!Heroes of the Storm Balance Patch Notes - November 28, 2018
We're about to release a new Heroes of the Storm patch to apply a number of balance changes and bug fixes. Read on for details.
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General
Call of the Nexus
- Players who queue for Quickmatch games using roles that are in short supply will receive 50% bonus experience for being team players. Just look for the “Call of the Nexus” Bonus Experience indicator located above each Hero when viewing the Hero Selection screen.
- Quick Match will now prioritize creating teams with at least one Warrior, Support, and Ranged Assassin, and will enforce this rule for players queuing as parties of 3 or more as follows:
- Parties of 3 must have at least one of the required Hero categories selected to queue.
- Parties of 4 must have at least two of the required Hero categories selected to queue.
- Parties of 5 are excempt from this rule.
- Parties of 3 must have at least one of the required Hero categories selected to queue.
Heroes
Assassin
Alarak
Talents
- Level 1
- Ruthless Momentum (Passive)
- Health threshold for cooldown reduction reduced from 80% to 75%
- Health threshold for cooldown reduction reduced from 80% to 75%
- Ruthless Momentum (Passive)
- Level 4
- Show of Force (Trait)
- Damage Increased from 77 to 80
- Damage Increased from 77 to 80
- Show of Force (Trait)
- Level 16
- Mocking Strikes (Passive)
- Cooldown reduction increased from 2.5 to 3 seconds
- Cooldown reduction increased from 2.5 to 3 seconds
- Mocking Strikes (Passive)
Genji
Stats
- Basic Attack range reduced from 5.5 to 4.5
Developer Comment: Genji continues to be an incredibly powerful force at the highest level of play. This change will force Genji players to put themselves at more risk when attacking enemy Heroes before they’re in his Swift Strike’s execute range. If this change is not enough, we have some additional ideas to curb Genji’s dominance that we will explore in the future.
Hanzo
Stats
- Basic Attack damage increased from 188 to 198
Talents
- Level 7
- Never Outmatched (W)
- Cooldown reduction increased from 2.5 to 3 second per Basic Attack
- Cooldown reduction only applies when hitting an enemy Hero with a Basic Attack
- Cooldown reduction increased from 2.5 to 3 second per Basic Attack
- Never Outmatched (W)
- Level 16
- Flawless Technique (Passive)
- Damage bonus increased from 25% to 30%
- Damage bonus increased from 25% to 30%
- Giant Slayer (Passive)
- Damage increased from 1.5% to 2% of an enemy Hero’s maximum Health
- Damage increased from 1.5% to 2% of an enemy Hero’s maximum Health
- Flawless Technique (Passive)
Developer Comment: We think that Hanzo is able to burst down bosses and map events too quickly, so we’re removing the synergy between Never Outmatched and Serrated Arrows. We’re making a few other tuning adjustments to make other Talents more attractive picks, as well as compensating some of the lost PvE power with some more PvP power.
Kerrigan
Stats
- Basic Attack damage reduced from 120 to 113
Abilities
- Impaling Blades (W)
- Damage reduced from 180 to 165
- Mana cost increased from 75 to 80
- Damage reduced from 180 to 165
- Psionic Pulse (E)
- Explosion damage increased from 180 to 195
- Mana cost increased from 60 to 65
- Explosion damage increased from 180 to 195
Talents
- Level 1
- Assimilation Mastery (Trait)
- Health and Mana regeneration increased from 100 to 150%
- Health and Mana regeneration increased from 100 to 150%
- Assimilation Mastery (Trait)
- Level 4
- Sharpened Blades (Q)
- Damage for killing Minions increased from .5 to 1
- Maximum damage bonus increased from 50 to 75
- Damage for killing Minions increased from .5 to 1
- Sharpened Blades (Q)
- Level 13
- Chrysalis (Active)
- Cooldown reduced from 90 to 60 seconds
- Cooldown reduced from 90 to 60 seconds
- Chrysalis (Active)
- Level 16
- Mounting Potency (Q)
- Spell Power duration increased from 4 to 5 seconds
- Spell Power duration increased from 4 to 5 seconds
- Unbridled Energy (Heroic)
- Spell Power increased from 30 to 35%
- Spell Power increased from 30 to 35%
- Mounting Potency (Q)
- Level 20
- Omegastorm (R)
- Bonus duration increased from .188 to .25 seconds per tick
- Bonus duration increased from .188 to .25 seconds per tick
- Omegastorm (R)
Nova
Talents
- Level 7
- Perfect Shot (Q)
- No longer grants an additional stack of Snipe for hitting enemy Heroes
- New functionality:
- Hitting enemy Heroes now refunds the Mana cost of Snipe
- Hitting enemy Heroes now refunds the Mana cost of Snipe
- No longer grants an additional stack of Snipe for hitting enemy Heroes
- Perfect Shot (Q)
- Level 13
- Psionic Efficiency (Q)
- Hitting enemy Heroes no longer refunds the Mana cost of Snipe
- New functionality:
- Now grants an additional stack of Snipe for hitting enemy Heroes
- Now grants an additional stack of Snipe for hitting enemy Heroes
- Hitting enemy Heroes no longer refunds the Mana cost of Snipe
- Psionic Efficiency (Q)
Developer Comment: We are switching some of the bonuses from Perfect Shot and Psionic Efficiency to better align their rewards and to make the Snipe build friendlier to players earlier on in the game. Most notably, players who pick Perfect Shot will no longer have to worry about running out of Mana quickly due to landing multiple Snipes in a teamfight.
Orphea
Stats
- Basic Attack Damage increased from 80 to 88
Abilities
- Shadow Waltz (Q)
- Damage increased from 150 to 165
- Damage increased from 150 to 165
- Crushing Jaws (R)
- Cooldown increased from 50 to 70 seconds
- Cooldown increased from 50 to 70 seconds
Talents
- Level 1
- En Pointe (Q)
- Damage bonus increased from 50 to 75%
- Damage bonus increased from 50 to 75%
- En Pointe (Q)
- Level 16
- Lurking Terror (W/E)
- Now shares a cooldown with Chomp (W)
- Now shares a cooldown with Chomp (W)
- Lurking Terror (W/E)
Developer Comment: The first Nexus-born Hero has arrived and is showing a bit of teeth, especially in the burst department. The combination of a high-stacked Ravenous Hunger combined with double-Chomps with Lurking Terror was a bit over-the-top, especially since she could set everything up fairly safely with Crushing Jaws. We have taken the bite out of that combo by linking the cooldowns of Chomp and Lurking Terror. We are offsetting this loss of burst by increasing her sustained damage potential and will continue to closely monitor. We realize that the loss of her blow-up potential will make Lurking Terror a much less exciting talent to pick and have future design ideas on how to spruce it up.
Specialist
Abathur
Talents
- Level 1
- Regenerative Microbes (E)
- Healing reduced from 68 to 62
- Healing reduced from 68 to 62
- Regenerative Microbes (E)
Developer Comment: Regenerative Microbes is dominating Abathur’s Level 1 talent tier, as well as causing issues at the pro level of play. We are taking a look at Abathur to see what improvements can be made, but wanted to get this change out sooner rather than later while we iterate on him.
Azmodan
Talents
- Level 7
- Bombardment (Q)
- Range bonus decreased from 2 to 1.5
- Range bonus decreased from 2 to 1.5
- Bombardment (Q)
- Level 20
- Pride (Q)
- Damage bonus reduced from 125 to 100
- Damage bonus reduced from 125 to 100
- Pride (Q)
Support
Ana
Abilities
- Healing Dart (Q)
- Base Heal amount decreased from 215 to 205
- Base Heal amount decreased from 215 to 205
Deckard
Abilities
- Healing Potion (Q)
- Cooldown increased from 3 to 4 seconds
- Mana cost increased from 20 to 25
- Healing increased from 219 to 240
- Cooldown increased from 3 to 4 seconds
Developer Comment: We agree with the feedback that games play out better when there are windows of time to take advantage of enemy cooldowns, particularly when it relates to Supports. This change is intended to reduce Deckard’s ability to keep himself or his allies alive when multiple enemies dive onto them. Going forward, we will be looking at ways to increase counter-play by adding these windows of time for players to take advantage of each other’s cooldowns.
Stukov
Abilities
- Lurking Arm (E)
- Range increased from 10 to 11
- Range increased from 10 to 11
Developer Comment: Stukov’s changes a few months ago were intended to create new build paths while also reducing the dominance of his Lurking Arm build. While this had the effect we intended, Lurking Arm is now a much more risky ability to use for the majority of the game, whether or not he takes talents related to improving the ability. This change is intended to round this out a bit by letting Stukov use Lurking Arm a little more safely.
Tyrande
Abilities
- Light of Elune (Q)
- Charge cooldown increased from 15 to 16 seconds
- Charge cooldown increased from 15 to 16 seconds
Talents
- Level 1
- All Level 1 Talents have been moved to Level 7
- All Level 1 Talents have been moved to Level 7
- Level 7
- All Level 7 Talents have been moved to Level 1
- All Level 7 Talents have been moved to Level 1
Developer Comment: The healing rework to Tyrande has made her a formidable force as of late and with this round of changes we think she will sit in a great spot. The swap of her level 1 and 7 talent tiers should open some new early-game decision-making while pushing back her cleanse mechanic a bit further into the game. We are still evaluating Celestial Attunement on the design side and may make larger changes at a later date.
Whitemane
Abilities
- Desperate Plea (Q)
- Cooldown increased from .3 to .5 seconds
- Cooldown increased from .3 to .5 seconds
Warrior
Blaze
Abilities
- Bunker Drop (R)
- Allies now have to channel for .5 seconds to enter the Bunker
- Allies now have to channel for .5 seconds to enter the Bunker
Talents
- Level 4
- Feeding the Flame (Q)
- Cooldown reduction decreased from 2.5 seconds to 2 seconds
- Additional functionality:
- Now also refunds 5 Mana each time Flame Stream damages an enemy Hero
- Now also refunds 5 Mana each time Flame Stream damages an enemy Hero
- Cooldown reduction decreased from 2.5 seconds to 2 seconds
- Oil Dispersal (W)
- No longer increases the Slow amount of Oil Spill
- No longer increases the Slow amount of Oil Spill
- Meltdown (Trait)
- Damage reduction increased from 5 to 7% per stack
- Maximum Stack Count reduced from 6 to 5
- Maximum damage reduction increased from 30% to 35%
- Damage reduction increased from 5 to 7% per stack
- Feeding the Flame (Q)
Developer Comment: These changes are intended to better round out Blaze’s Level 4 talents, as well as to address the disparity in his power between casual and pro play. Bunker Drop in particular has been used to great effectiveness at higher level play to avoid nearly all damage from enemy teams with little risk due to the ability to instantly get in and out of the Bunker. While players will still be able to avoid large amounts of burst damage with the Heroic, they will no longer be able to easily go in and out of the Bunker without putting themselves at risk.
Mal'Ganis
Stats
- Basic Attack damage reduced from 105 to 100
Abilities
- Fel Claws (Q)
- Cooldown increased from 8 to 9 seconds
- Cooldown increased from 8 to 9 seconds
- Carrion Swarm (R)
- Damage reduced from 66 to 63
- Damage reduced from 66 to 63
Talents
- Level 7
- Will of Tichondrius (Q)
- Damage reduced from 4 to 3% of maximum Health
- Damage reduced from 4 to 3% of maximum Health
- Will of Tichondrius (Q)
Yrel
Talents
- Level 1
- Maraad’s Insight (Passive)
- Now only applies the buff when hitting an enemy Hero with a Basic Ability
- Now only applies the buff when hitting an enemy Hero with a Basic Ability
- Maraad’s Insight (Passive)
Bug Fixes
General
- Fixed a number of tooltip issues across the game.
Heroes
- Lt. Morales: Fixed an issue causing Safeguard to grant an incorrect amount of Armor.
User Interface
- Fixed an issue causing the discount amount displayed over Boosts to appear in the wrong place.
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