Balancing News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Pandaria Timerunning is bringing a ton of new recolors to old gear, including several sets of leveling cosmetic lookalikes — check out these models for robes, pantsuits, and more!

In the Public Test Realm for Patch 1.4.0 of Diablo 4, countless items, skills, and stats were heavily altered to prepare the game for its fourth Season, as well as to pave the way for the upcoming Vessel of Hatred expansion. In addition to many of these changes, Implicit Affixes on Weapons have been adjusted as well. These are the fixed Affixes that are tied to the Weapon Type that cannot be altered, such as Vulnerable Damage on Crossbows and Critical Strike Damage on Swords. Many of these Affixes have been reduced significantly, and while it hurts to lose damage output from a change like this, it is a necessary change. Reducing these values along with other changes in Itemization will go a long way toward reducing the bloated damage values that affect the game negatively. By allowing players to deal millions upon millions of damage in a single hit, the sense of scale and player power is lost. On top of that, balancing gameplay becomes much more challenging — thus, it's only natural that Implicit Affixes receive some tweaks at the same time as the rest of the Itemization rework.

Warhorse Studios' new game will be revealed next week on April 18th, the Kingdom Come Deliverance developer has announced.

Season of Discovery hotfixes have been released for April 11, including Darkmoon Card balancing, Class tweaks, and Dreamscythe & Weaver no longer evading if a player falls in the Pit of Sacrifice!

Blizzard has released Patch 10.2.6 hotfixes for today which includes Balance Druid bug fixes and Augmentation Evoker Log Hooks when buffing Feral Druids.

Invincible’s reputation for hyper-violence is well earned. The Prime Video show’s season 1 massacre of the Guardians at the hands of Nolan/Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) is harrowing, and it sets the tone for the show’s commitment to realistic superpowered gore and destruction. And few scenes in television history are as gnarly or horrifying as the destruction of a train and everyone on board in the first season’s finale.

Today, we are looking at the DPS rankings during the week of April 4th for Phase 3 of Season of Discovery in Sunken Temple. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Sunken Temple statistics. Warcraft Logs' Sunken Temple Statistics

Today, we are looking at the DPS rankings during the week of April 2nd for Wrath of the Lich King Classic in Icecrown Citadel. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Icecrown Citadel statistics. Warcraft Logs' Icecrown Citadel Statistics

Today, we are looking at the DPS balance on Amirdrassil during the week of April 2nd. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Raid statistics for Dragonflight Season 3. Mythic Amirdrassil Statistics Page

The upcoming season of Diablo 4 has implemented changes in everything from itemization to class balance, and crafting systems are no different. Elixir changes were revealed on the PTR, and we're seeing a big upgrade to existing Elixirs and two brand-new Elixirs! All previous versions of Elixirs have been replaced with versions that provide materials on use (such as Potent Elixir of Cold Resistance), and there are now just two tiers per Elixir (i.e.

Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime, that’s why I poop on company time. This statement has become a well-worn mantra of the working man, but a recent indie game challenges its wisdom. Please Leave Me Alone, I Need To Poop is a game about balancing biological needs with the demands of the workplace, but it takes a quick hand at some WarioWare-style minigames to meet both urgent needs.

I don’t envy anyone who sets out to make a roguelike. The genre presents a wide range of challenges that can make or break a game. How long should a run take? What’s the right amount of challenge? How do you keep people coming back for one more run? The answer to one of those questions could be the wrong solution for the others. It’s the most delicate of digital balancing acts that only a handful of studios have down to a science.

It's been nearly a week since the last Helldivers 2 balance patch, and players are still voicing their displeasure at the changes made to fire damage.

The year long roadmap for city builder Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles has been released by Tomas Sala, confirming what players can expect to see coming to the Ursee. The roadmap includes a number of updates and additions that will keep content in Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles fresh for those who engage with it.

Earlier this year, ZeniMax revealed Elder Scrolls Online had registered over 24 million accounts since its launch. The game is also closing in on $2 billion in customer spending. It was nominated for a BAFTA award last year, and the studio says it is the largest cross-platform RPG on consoles.

Using one of the best Helldivers 2 weapons is a necessity in your quest to defend Super Earth, especially as you reach the highest Helldivers difficulty levels.

Connections is the latest puzzle game from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends.

Once Upon a Tavern, there was a new Battlegrounds season, filled with updates for Traditional Battlegrounds and a magical new Mode, Battlegrounds Duos! Jump into the fray with new fairy-tale themed cards and rewards. Whether you’re playing on your own or with a partner, a new chapter in Battlegrounds unfolds on April 16! 

Dragon's Dogma 2 creates 'fake' players to rent your Pawn if no one actually wants to hire them.

Today, we are looking at the DPS rankings during the week of March 26th for Wrath of the Lich King Classic in Icecrown Citadel. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Icecrown Citadel statistics. Warcraft Logs' Icecrown Citadel Statistics

Today, we are looking at the DPS rankings during the week of March 26th for Phase 2 of Season of Discovery in Gnomeregan. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Gnomeregan statistics. Warcraft Logs' Gnomeregan Statistics

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Season 3 kicks off today, April 3, and Activision has released patch notes revealing what to expect.

In, players can unlock Avatar Korra and themed cosmetics from. Korra is available to Battle Pass owners as part of the Avatar Set, but her quests will challenge even the most skilled and experienced players. To unlock the Avatar in, players must approach their matches with an aggressive playstyle geared towards fast-paced play.

Helldivers 2 has taken a new patch on PS5 and PC that adds new weather effects to the popular shooter and triples the maximum level. Having downloaded update 01.000.200, you'll have the chance to encounter blizzards and sandstorms while out on missions. Also, you can now grind your way up to level 150 while getting used to some balance changes across various mission types, weapons, and enemies.

Just when you think the Helldivers 2 Automaton warfront can't get any worse, the bots bring not one, but two new menaces to the battlefield. As flying Gunships shred players from the skies, new machine walkers called Factory Striders are also flattening democracy enthusiasts down on the ground. 

A new patch for Overwatch 2 rolled out Monday that promises a “really, really, really balanced” version of the game. That patch landed on April Fools’ Day, of course, bringing back googly-eyed heroes and a sweeping set of changes to characters’ abilities. It’s a chance for Overwatch 2 players to have a week’s worth of chaotic fun, and for Blizzard to test out some secretly very good tweaks to the game.

The minimalist roguelike “The Last Game” dropped a content update recently, bringing fresh faces, frosty foes, and fiery fun to your next playthrough.

Arrowhead Game Studios has released a new Helldivers 2 patch, which makes significant balance changes and adds two new planetary hazards.

The latest update for Helldivers 2 is here, and it ought to shake up the game in a fairly significant way. The big news is that the level cap is increasing from 50 all the way to 150. Meanwhile, Arrowhead Studios have also added a couple of new planetary hazards (blizzards and sandstorms), rebalanced a long list of weapons, tweaked the specifics of how certain missions work, and more.

There’s a big new update for Helldivers 2 with patch 1.000.200 out now on PS5 and PC and bringing a sweeping set of balance changes to missions, stratagems, weapons, enemies and Helldivers.

As if in reward for players’ victorious effort to liberate Malevelon Creek from the Automatons on Monday, Arrowhead Game Studios dropped a fairly significant patch for Helldivers 2 on Tuesday morning with a greatly raised level cap, new planetary hazards, and some significant across-the-board balance changes.

Helldivers 2 releases a new and bigger update for players which brings new gameplay elements, balancing to missions and weapons, as well as general adjustments and quality of life tweaks. The live service shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios continues to evolve since its launch back in February. Helldivers 2 has managed to achieve this through a combination of new updates and a dynamic world that is constantly in flux thanks to the push and pull of the players and enemy factions across the map.

Helldivers 2’s latest patch makes some significant changes to the game balance and adds more planetary hazards for players to contend with.

I, a fool, created my Dragon's Dogma 2 character with the aim of being a wizened wizardly type, focused on the mysterious Trickster build. Since then, however, I've come to the conclusion that I should have been an archer, a decision cemented by the existence of one particular ability - the Martyr's Bolt.

Senior Game Producer for World of Warcraft Tom Ellis has recently shared Blizzard's ideas on Wrath Classic realm consolidation ahead of Cataclysm Classic. They are looking for player feedback, and started out with explaining an idea they are toying with: Combining Faerlina-US and Benediction-US, two high-populated servers that are both weighted 99% in favor of one faction. «One Horde, one Alliance, and almost equal in player size.» In the very next paragraph however, Tom notes that there is a real problem in players on those two realms not necessarily wanting that kind of PvP experience. So the question is: what do the players on those servers want?

Today, we are looking at the DPS balance on Amirdrassil during the week of March 26th. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Raid statistics for Dragonflight Season 3. Mythic Amirdrassil Statistics Page

Blizzard has announced that there will be FCM from Chaos Bolt (US) to Crusader Strike (US). In addition, new players may not create new characters on Chaos Bolt. The move is not currently available as Blizzard investigates a bug with the system.

Stellar Blade is Sony’s big release for next month, but if you don’t want to wait, you can get a taste of the game today as a demo has just dropped (after being accidentally released for a minute earlier this month). The demo lets you experience the first chapter of the game or around one to two hours of gameplay. Check out a teaser trailer and a bit more detail, below.

The world of competitive Pokémon gets all the more exciting when you know which of these creatures together make the best teams. Have you mastered the skill of forming a squad that strikes fear into the hearts of opponents yet?

When Polygon asked Cody Ziglar for his favorite Deadpool story, he mentioned writer Fabian Nicieza’s foundational series Cable & Deadpool, naturally. But where he really waxed eloquent was when he talked about one single Deadpool scene in one single issue of Uncanny X-Force.

With the regained interest in completing Primal Storms due to the new A World Awoken meta-achievement, many players are finding themselves frustrated with a key component of this achievement, which requires them to complete Primal Storms in different Dragon Isles zones. The achievement in question is Storm Chaser, which is part of Into the Storm, which is part of Across the Isles, which is part of A World Awoken. This achievement, as we highlighted earlier this week, requires you to complete sixteen different Primal Storms, four different types of storms in the four original Dragonflight zones. In itself, that's an okay task. However, two issues are currently making this achievement exceedingly harder than when Dragonflight launched—the number of storms and their distribution.

Back in 2020 IllFonic released Predator: Hunting Grounds, another take on the asymmetric multiplayer formula they’ve employed with titles like Friday the 13th: The Game and Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. Somewhat oddly, the game was published by Sony as a PC and PS4 console exclusive. Despite the big-name publisher, the game kind of came and went without too much fanfare, but now it seems IllFonic is preparing the revive the game on current-gen platforms.

Barbarians are seeing some large changes in the Diablo 4 PTR and Patch 1.4.0 notes, including nerfs to Charge, Weapon Expertise rebalancing, and general bug fixes. Diablo 4 PTR Patch Notes: Patch 1.4.0 Barbarian Class Overview

MLB: The Show 24 just got its update for the opening day of baseball season, and the patch briefly broke the game so bad that entire teams got shuffled into big head mode.

Druids are looking at some strong buffs to fan-favorite skills and Companions alike in Diablo 4 Patch 1.4.0, as well as the upcoming PTR. Diablo 4 PTR Patch Notes: Patch 1.4.0 Druid Class Overview

Sorcerers are seeing huge changes in the PTR and Patch 1.4.0 for Diablo 4, including buffs to many fan-favorite skills and many bug fixes! Diablo 4 PTR Patch Notes: Patch 1.4.0 Sorcerer Class Overview

I’m going to level with you: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire might be the stupidest movie I’ve ever seen. Not the worst movie (that would be Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2), but very possibly the most absurd. I’m ashamed to tell my mother I saw it, for fear of a lecture about how she did not raise a dummy, and did not break her back putting me through school so I could sit through the giant-monkey-and-lizard movie, for money. But unfortunately for her (love you, Mom) she did put me through school to watch the giant-monkey-and-lizard movie, for money. So I did watch the stupid thing. And you know what? I’d do it again.

Patch 29.0.3, launching today, includes the following balance changes to Standard and Battlegrounds.

Today, workers at Sega of America union AEGIS-CWA have announced they have ratified their first contract with Sega, less than a year after their recognition as a legal union.

The “hero shooter” is a popular competitive multiplayer game subgenre where players control characters with powerful preset abilities rather than a customizable loadout. Although “hero” is right there in the subgenre name, and Overwatch proved how well superheroes could work with the concept, we haven’t gotten a true attempt at this style of game from Marvel or DC.

The subcompact SUV segment in India has witnessed tremendous growth in recent years, thanks to the variety of options available that appeal to a wide set of new-age buyers. These compact SUVs offer a good balance of performance, premium features, and affordability - making them a sweet spot for many.

There are times when Open Roads hits alarmingly close to home. Early on in this interactive road trip, your 16-year-old protagonist Tess turns around to reach for a bag perched in the back of her mom’s vintage station wagon – without skipping a beat, she’s accosted by her mother, Opal, from behind the wheel. The altercation flooded my brain with memories of family road trips in the early 2000s: “You can’t just turn around. It’s unsafe,” my dad would say from his vehicular throne, despite how frustratingly close I was to grabbing my Game Boy. Parental authority and nostalgia are just a few of the powerful tools Open Roads harnesses to deliver a playful and relatable story about coming of age in the early aughts, however, hastily resolved problems and the lack of an engaging mystery also make this adventure a little too predictable to leave a lasting impression.

Today, we are looking at the DPS balance on Amirdrassil during the week of March 19th. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Raid statistics for Dragonflight Season 3. Mythic Amirdrassil Statistics Page

Today, we are looking at the DPS rankings during the week of March 19th for Phase 2 of Season of Discovery in Gnomeregan. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Gnomeregan statistics. Warcraft Logs' Gnomeregan Statistics

Today, we are looking at the DPS rankings during the week of March 19th for Wrath of the Lich King Classic in Icecrown Citadel. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Icecrown Citadel statistics. Warcraft Logs' Icecrown Citadel Statistics

Baldur's Gate 3 is a big game with a whole host of iconic areas from the Underdark to Moonrise Towers to the city itself, but it nearly had a few more. Larian Studios head Swen Vincke revealed in an interview that the team had to kill several "darlings" during development, such as githyanki queen Vlaakith's palace, the Gith Astral Plane, Candlekeep (where we start our adventure in the first Baldur's Gate), and Avernus.

Struggling to fulfil your daily, weekly or monthly goal which is drastically impacting productivity? Worry no more! We have found a useful productivity tool that will help you stay on track with your goals and prioritize tasks accordingly. Week Plan is an all-in-one planner app that allows users to schedule and prioritise tasks based on urgency and importance. If you also want to create a comprehensive planner for your days, weeks, or months, then know how the Week Plan app benefits users in several ways. 

We happy to push 5.0.13 to which features a variety of Map Pool Updates and Balance. We would like to thank our partners at ESL, Balance Community Council and Community Mapmakers for all your contributions that went into 5.0.13.

In the Season of Discovery Phase 3 Preview Video, Blizzard unveiled some Rune Abilities coming in the next content release. Blizzard heard your feedback that Runes in Phase 2 didn't feel accessible until level 40. They're looking to balance that with a mix of runes you can obtain while leveling but still have some to look forward to at the new level 50 cap. There are still more runes to be officially revealed, as every class will receive six total in Phase 3.

It's no secret that D&D is getting new core rulebooks this year, and new details have just been revealed about how its classes will work… but if one D&D designer had their way, some would be very different.

Dragon's Dogma 2 features many armor pieces that allow players to make their Arisen and Pawns look great while increasing stats. While the possible combinations are fewer than in the original game, there are still plenty of customization possibilities to make characters stand out.

Blizzard has released hotfix notes for Plunderstorm, tuning several offensive and utility abilities including the dreaded Fire Whirl, Explosive Caltrops, Lightning Bulwark, and more! We previously datamined some of these changes, though the hotfixes also include utility abilities and developer notes on each.

Blizzard has posted today's hotfixes which includes adjusting MMR in Plunderstorm so players should find themselves in better matches.

During the most recent Campfire Chat, the Diablo 4 development team discussed the upcoming itemization rework, class balance changes, and new crafting systems coming to the PTR and Season 4. Every Season, there are a handful of new Unique items that are added to Diablo 4, and during the livestream we got a sneak peek at some of these upcoming Uniques, including the new Uber Unique item — Tyrael's Might. Diablo 4 Campfire Chat Summary Itemization Update Summary This Uber Unique has some great defensive Affixes, such as Maximum Resistances to All Elements, which dramatically reduces the amount of non-physical damage that a character takes.

At the end of February, Blizzard revealed 8 new Hero Talent Trees in a sneak peek at the new system coming with the The War Within expansion. Our Holy Paladin guide writer, Clarius, offers an early review of the Herald of the Sun Paladin Hero Talents that enhance the base toolkit without additional bloat or keybindings. While Herald of the Sun doesn't dramatically alter the playstyle of Holy, it's a well rounded set of talents that offer a preferred alternative to Lightsmith.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar is a great wargame, but it is a little dense - and publisher Games Workshop seems to recognize that, because it's launching a more accessible match type.

Guilty Gear Strive's newest DLC character for Season 3 has been revealed as A.B.A., a long-missed fan favorite that first appeared in 2012's Guilty Gear XX Accent Core R and will arrive once more on March 26, 2024.

Rainbow Six Siege continues to expand, with its newest season set to add lots of new features, better balancing and even an operator or two.

Today, we are looking at the DPS rankings during the week of March 12th for Phase 2 of Season of Discovery in Gnomeregan. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Gnomeregan statistics. Warcraft Logs' Gnomeregan Statistics

Today, we are looking at the DPS rankings during the week of March 12th for Wrath of the Lich King Classic in Icecrown Citadel. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Icecrown Citadel statistics. Warcraft Logs' Icecrown Citadel Statistics

New customers who sign up to use the PlayStation Visa credit card can nab a free 12-month subscription to PS Plus Premium if you spend $600 on your account within 60 days of opening it. The offer will expire on 15th September, 2024 and is obviously only available in the United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. You can find more information and the terms and conditions through here.

It's finally happening—around a year and a half after its early access launch, Overwatch 2 is removing all of its heroes, new and old, from its Battle Pass. This means that free-to-play players will soon be able to instantly access new heroes at the same time as those paying for the Premium Battle Pass without spending a penny.

Today, we are looking at the DPS balance on Amirdrassil during the week of March 12th. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Raid statistics for Dragonflight Season 3. Mythic Amirdrassil Statistics Page

For two decades, no company better embodied the promise of the stock market than Apple Inc. Its transformation from niche computer maker to the most valuable corporation on the planet made its shares a cornerstone of investment portfolios worldwide.

At the end of February, Blizzard revealed 8 new Hero Talent Trees in a sneak peek at the new system coming with the The War Within expansion. Our Balance Druid guide writer, Tettles, offers an early review of the Elune's Chosen Druid Hero Talents highlighting the additional burst potential and exceptional theme that builds on the Balance foundation.

The latest patch notes for Season 2 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone are here and they rebalance the Longbow and Haymaker, improve spawns, and much more.

Today, we are looking at the DPS rankings during the week of March 5th for Wrath of the Lich King Classic in Icecrown Citadel. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Icecrown Citadel statistics. Warcraft Logs' Icecrown Citadel Statistics

Today, we are looking at the DPS rankings during the week of March 5th for Phase 2 of Season of Discovery in Gnomeregan. For this analysis, we will use data provided by Warcraft Logs Gnomeregan statistics. Warcraft Logs' Gnomeregan Statistics

Gaming software firm Balancy has raised $700,000 in a funding round led by mobile industry veterans.