HOTS patch notes about balance changes

There are some new changes for the heroes’ balance and also some general updates.

Modes and maps

According to these HOTS patch notes, developers decided to provisionally remove Leoric and The Lost Vikings from the ARAM mode to save the balance and look, how it would affect the statistic in the game.

As for map updating, Blizzard boosts tower’s and Fort’s damage by ten percent to check does their targeting mechanics work correctly. If everything would be good, in the nearest future they would reduce damage, you will see it in the next HOTS patch notes.

Also, these changes impact “divers”, Heroes who dive forward to towers to rush their enemies. They will have less time to deal with damage before starting to escape out of the tower.

These HOTS patch notes also include some protection changes. Health and Shield’s values have been interchanged. Now Shield will have seventy-five percent of a whole health pool and a higher revitalization rate. From this patch, it raises by ten percent.

The main reason for this change is destroying Healing Fountains in the early game by sniping. Fountains will still be breakable but harder for an early game than before. Developers don’t want to restrict players from using all possible strategies but if it would help to make the game better balanced, this change becomes permanent. Because, when all game mechanics are well balanced, win depends only on the personal skill of players.

Heroes changes

Anduin

Basics

• Basic Attack
  • Attack speed increased by 20%.
• Flash Heal [Q]
  • Cooldown increased from 4 to 5 seconds.
• Divine Star [W]
  • Cooldown increased from 9 to 10 seconds.
• Leap of Faith [Trait]
  • New Passive Functionality – Pursued By Grace
    • Basic Attacks against Heroes heal the lowest Heath ally near Anduin for 44.

Talents

• Level 1
  • Evenhanded Blessings [Q]
    • Moved from level 16.
    • Healing bonus reduced from 20 to 10%.
    • Cooldown bonus reduced from 50% to 40%.
  • Power Word: Shield [W]
    • Moved from level 7.
    • Additional Functionality: While travelling outwards, allies in the path of Divine Star gain a shield absorbing 128 damage over 4 seconds.
  • Lightwell [Active]
    • Moved from level 16.
    • Healing amount reduced from 75 to 50.
    • Charges increased from 10 to 15.
• Level 4
  • Moral Compass [W]
    • No longer has a maximum number of targets for the apex Basic Attacks.
    • Basic Attack Damage increased from 70 to 100%.
    • Additional Functionality: Increase Basic Attack range by 1.1.
  • (New) Surge of Light [E]
    • Basic Attacks reduce the cooldown of Chastise by .75 seconds. Basic attacks against Heroes rooted by Chastise launch an additional Basic Attack.
  • (New) Piercing Light [E]
    • Chastise pierces to hit an additional target.
    • Quest: Hitting two Heroes with a single Chastise permanently increases Spell Power by 1, to a maximum of 10.
• Level 7
  • Desperate Prayer [Active]
    • Moved from level 20.
    • Cooldown increased from 30 to 40 seconds.
    • Heal amount reduced from 530 to 360.
• Level 13
  • Push Forward! [Trait]
    • New Functionality: Damaging an enemy Hero increases your Movement Speed by 2.5% and the amount healed by Pursued By Grace [Trait] by 5% for 6 seconds. Stacks up to 8 times.
• Level 16
  • Renew [Q]
    • Moved from level 1.
    • New Functionality: Flash Heal heals for an additional 130 over 5 seconds. The duration of this heal is refreshed each time Anduin hits an enemy Hero with a Basic Attack.
  • Holy Nova [W]
    • Damage increased from 105 to 135.
  • Glyph of Faith [Trait]
    • Moved from level 20.
• Level 20
  • (New) Inner Fire [R2]
    • The target of Light Bomb gains 40% movement speed and 50 Armor for 3 seconds.
  • (New) Censure [E]
    • Chastise stuns for .75 seconds and its Root duration is increased by .5 seconds.

Stitches

Basics

• Hook [Q]
  • Additional Functionality: Upon reaching level 13, Hook’s range is increased by 40%.
• Slam [W]
  • Cooldown increased from 7 to 8 seconds.
  • Inner area Slow duration increased from 1.5 to 2 seconds.
  • No longer deals additional damage to Minions, Mercenaries, and Monsters.
• Vile Gas [Trait Passive]
  • New Functionality:
    • Enemies hit by Basic Attacks or the inner area of Slam are afflicted with Vile Gas, dealing 27 damage over 3 seconds. Deals 150% increased damage to Minions, Mercenaries, and Monsters.
  • New Active Functionality – Shambling Horror:
    • Activate to spread Vile Gas to nearby enemies every second and prevent Stitches’ Movement Speed from being reduced below by 110% for 5 seconds.

Talents

• Level 1
  • Patchwork Creation [W]
    • New Functionality:
      • Gain 3 Armor for each enemy afflicted by Vile Gas, doubled while Shambling Horror is active. This effect stacks up to 8 times.
      • Passive: Gain 15% increased healing received.
  • Savor the Flavor [E]
    • New Functionality:
      • Quest: Hitting a Hero with Devour increases Stitches’ health regeneration by 1.5 and the damage of Vile Gas by 2%, stacking up to 100 times.
  • Hungry for More [Passive]
    • New Functionality:
      • Passive: Gain 5% Movement Speed.
      • Quest: Gathering a Regeneration Globe increases Stitches’ maximum health by 30.
      • Reward: Every 20 Regeneration Globes gathered increases Stitches’ Movement Speed by an additional 5%.
• Level 4
  • Playtime! [W]
    • New Functionality: Basic attacks reduce the cooldown of Slam by .75 seconds and restore 5 Mana. Hitting Heroes with the inner area of Slam reduces its cooldown by 1 second.
  • Tenderizer [Passive]
    • Moved from Level 7.
    • New Functionality: Basic Attacks against Heroes Slow by 25% for 2.5 seconds and restore 2% of Stitches’ Maximum Health.
  • (New) Vile Cleaver [Trait]
    • Basic Attacks against targets afflicted with Vile Gas deal 35% more damage and spread Vile Gas to nearby enemies.
• Level 7
  • Cannibalize [Passive]
    • Removed.
  • Serrated Edge [Q]
    • Moved from Level 4.
    • Cooldown reduction bonus increased from 3 to 5.
    • Additional Functionality: Hitting an Enemy Hero with Hook also restores 35 Mana.
  • Second Helping [E]
    • Moved from Level 20.
    • New Functionality:
      • Devour gains an additional charge with a 6 second cooldown between uses.
      • Loan: If Stitches is at max Heath after using Devour he gains a shield equal to 15% of his maximum health for 10 seconds. Every death, reduce this shield amount by 3%.
  • (New) Putrefaction [Trait]
    • While Shambling Horror is active Vile Gas reduces healing received by 30%.
    • Passive: Vile Gas heals for 60% of the damage it deals.
• Level 13
  • Fishing Hook [Q]
    • Removed.
  • (New) Under Pressure [W/Trait]
    • Increase Slam’s damage by 25.
    • Quest: Every 6 times Vile Gas deals damage to a Hero, permanently increase the damage of Slam by 1, to a maximum of 75 additional damage.
  • Chop Chop [Trait]
    • Moved from Level 4.
    • New Functionality: Hitting a Hero with Hook or activating Shambling Horror grants 50% increased Attack Speed for 5 seconds.
• Level 16
  • Lacerate [W]
    • Removed.
  • Pulverize [W]
    • Moved from level 13.
    • Additional Functionality: Heroes hit by Slam have their Armor reduced by 10 for 4 seconds.
  • Digestive Juices [E]
    • Additional Functionality: Deals an additional 140 damage over 5 seconds.
  • Gas Flare [Passive]
    • Renamed to ‘Flare Up’.
    • Additional Functionality: Activating Shambling Horror also grants the 150% damage bonus.
    • Bonus damage duration reduced from 8 to 4 seconds.
• Level 20
  • Potent Bile [R1]
    • Removed.
  • Shambling Horror [Active]
    • Removed.
  • (New) Gift From The Embalmer [R1]
    • Putrid Bile deals 100% more damage to Heroes.
    • Quest: Each time Putrid Bile deals damage to an enemy Hero, Stitches’ next death timer is reduced by 2%, to maximum of 80% total reduction. Half of this bonus is lost on death.
  • (New) Master Hooker [Q]
    • Reduce the cooldown of Hook by 5 seconds. Enemy Heroes hit by Hook receive 100% less healing for 2 seconds. Allied Heroes hit by Hook are Unkillable for 2 seconds.
  • (New) Gas Bag [Trait]
    • Activating Shambling Horror grants you Unstoppable for 3 seconds.
    • Passive: Reduce Shambling Horror’s cooldown by 20 seconds.

Conclusion

This patch brought us some awesome changes and added new characters and features. Our team liked this and we hope that you will get lots of fun playing the game with new features and changes. However, if you are tired of routine grinding and endless looting? We have an offer for you! Rush PvP arenas, crush your enemies, get the Top ranks and be the best with FineBoosting!