Posted by 343 INDUSTRIES
As the HCS Pro League Summer 2016 Season approaches, we’re excited to discuss some potential new evolutions to your Halo 5 Arena experience with the Team Arena Summer Preview. These changes are aimed at creating a balanced, refreshing new Arena multiplayer experience, and also a more closely aligned relationship between official HCS game types and the Team Arena playlist.
In preparing for these changes, it is important for us to involve you, the players, in as many ways as possible, which is why beginning today, you will actually become part of the feedback process by playing through and giving feedback on a variety of potential adjustments currently live in the Team Arena Summer Preview playlist. In addition, we’ll be working with top pro Halo teams and players (including those who have already qualified for the HCS Pro League) along the way to incorporate their thoughts and feedback as well in order to cultivate the best overall experience.
Let’s take a closer look at how this process will take place, and how you can be a part of it!
TIMELINE OF CHANGES
- The Team Arena Summer Preview playlist goes live today, May 10.
- From May 10 through May 20, Team Arena Summer Preview will be updated with new map layouts (as well as a few new map and game type combinations) that are being considered for HCS Pro League Summer 2016 Season. This is a preview period during which we will collect feedback from pro players and allow for incremental iteration on the selected maps in real-time.
- During the Team Arena Summer Preview, Custom Game map variants based on Halo World Championship map layouts will remain unchanged for those still looking to scrim, practice, and qualify for the remaining spots in the HCS Pro League. For those looking to check out the newly updated Team Arena variants in Custom Games, they will also be available on a dedicated File Share.
- On May 23, the final game types will be locked for HCS Pro League Summer 2016 Season, and Team Arena and other select playlists will be updated with these maps and changes, along with updated options for Custom Games. This gives Pro League and Open Circuit teams and players the opportunity for final practice times on these locked HCS Pro League maps and game types.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
Below you will find a full breakdown of the proposed changes we’ll be testing and gathering feedback for, based on map and gametype combinations. In addition, you can also access the individual maps via File Share, as well as each map’s respective feedback thread from here.
As a reminder, the Plasma Caster, Hydra Launcher, and Speed Boost will all be receiving updates in the upcoming Memories of Reach release. See below for specifics:
PLASMA CASTER
The following balance changes will be in effect after Memories of Reach: Cluster grenades are more effective, charge shot has less arc, regular grenade will explode slightly faster after bouncing
HYDRA LAUNCHER
The following balance changes will be in effect after Memories of Reach: Recoil has been reduced, Rocket splash damage radius increased, Typhon variant: Can now lock onto 3 enemies at once
SPEED BOOST
The following balance changes will be in effect after Memories of Reach: Spartan Charge will no longer kill in one hit when Speed Boost is active
EMPIRE – CTF/STRONGHOLDS (FILE SHARE – FEEDBACK THREAD)
- Storm Rifles removed and replaced with Boltshots
- SMGs moved from Red/Blue Platform to inside Red/Blue Base
- Overshield moved to Tower Two
- Plasma Pistol moved to Mid
- Removal of four Frag Grenades and two Plasma Grenades
- Reshuffling of grenade placement
- Battle Rifles removed
- Removed DMR at Tower 3 and placed one at each of the Red/Blue Platforms
- (CTF) Closed the front windows to Red/Blue Base to slow down CTF gameplay and fortify each base
- (CTF) SPNKr Rocket Launcher replaces the Plasma Caster at the Outside location
- (CTF) Shotgun moves to Tower One
- (Strongholds only) Scattershot moves to Pit
- (Strongholds only) Moved Stronghold location:
- Pit -> Outside
COLISEUM – CTF/SLAYER (FILE SHARE – FEEDBACK THREAD)
- SMGs moved out of Oven/Fridge locations to Bottom Red/Blue
- Battle Rifles removed in favor of Boltshots
- Sniper Rifle moved to Yellow Tower
- Rocket Launcher moved to Green Tower
- Carbine is added to the old Suppressor location at Yellow Tower
- Removal of four Frag Grenades and overall reshuffling of grenade placement
- Added cover at Yellow Tower
FATHOM – ASSAULT/CTF (FILE SHARE – FEEDBACK THREAD)
- Removal of SMGs
- Storm Rifles moved out of Red/Blue Treehouses to on top of the Red/Blue submarines
- Removal of two Frag Grenades and two Splinter grenades
- Swapped the locations of Boltshot and Battle Rifle
- Reshuffling of grenade placement
- Speed Boost replaces the Rail Gun at Top Mid (Spartan Charge will no longer kill in one hit when Speed Boost is active after Memories of Reach releases – see above for details)
- Added circular ledges around Red/Blue Vat to encourage more flow to Red/Blue Bridge
- SAW weapon pad replaces the Active Camo at Bottom Mid
- No spare mags
- 2 minute respawn
THE RIG – STRONGHOLDS/SLAYER (FILE SHARE – FEEDBACK THREAD)
- (Strongholds only) Moved the Basement Stronghold closer to Yellow Corner to more balance out the control between the three Strongholds
TRUTH – CTF/ASSAULT (FILE SHARE – FEEDBACK THREAD)
- Removed SMGs at each base
- Moved Storm Rifles to the bottom door at each base
- Removed BRs at each base window
- Moved Frag Grenades to each base window
- Replaced Carbine at Pink 2 with a BR
- Replaced Splinter grenades at Bottom Mid with Hydra Launcher (The Hydra Launcher is receiving a buff with Memories of Reach – see above for details)
- Moved Splinter Grenades to Top Mid
- Replaced Plasma Caster with Fuel Rod Cannon
PLAZA – STRONGHOLDS/SLAYER (FEEDBACK THREAD)
- Moved SMG from Plaza/Yard to Café
- Moved Hydra Launcher from Plaza/Yard to bottom of Driveway (The Hydra Launcher is receiving a buff with Memories of Reach – see above for details)
- Moved Plasma Pistol to Bottom Mid near Loop
- (Slayer only) Moved Overshield from Top Mid to inside elevator at Plaza/Yard
- (Strongholds only) Hydra Launcher is included
- (Strongholds only) Active Camo moved to Cinema
- (Strongholds only) Rail Gun removed
- (Strongholds only) Moved Stronghold locations:
- Yard -> Café
- Bottom Mid -> Loop
- Nest -> Tram/Junction
REGRET – SLAYER (FILE SHARE – FEEDBACK THREAD)
- Renamed “Overhang” to “Nest”
- Renamed “Mid Yard” to “Bottom Nest”
- Storm Rifles removed from Blue/Red Rampart
- Plasma Caster replaces Fuel Rod Cannon (The Plasma Caster is receiving a buff with Memories of Reach – see above for details)
- Storm Rifle replaces Needler in Tunnel
- Needler replaces Plasma Pistol at Arch/Top Carbine
- Boltshots removed from Blue/Red Ramp
- Boltshots replace DMRs at Blue/Red Ledge
- DMRs moved to Blue/Red Rampart
- Slightly moved Splinter grenades forward
EDEN – STRONGHOLDS/SLAYER (FILE SHARE – FEEDBACK THREAD)
- Plasma Pistol replaces Suppressor
- Suppressor replaces Light Rifle
- Light Rifle replaces Battle Rifle at Red Bend
- (Strongholds only) Adjusted Red initial spawns to be more fair to Blue initial spawns
- (Strongholds only) Plasma Caster replaces Rocket Launcher and is moved to Security (The Plasma Caster is receiving a buff with Memories of Reach – see above for details)
- (Strongholds only) Overshield moved to Pit
- (Strongholds only) Moved Stronghold locations:
- Top Catwalk -> Bottom Mid
- Red Nest -> Red Bend
TYRANT – CTF/ASSAULT (FEEDBACK THREAD)
- No changes from base map variant
STASIS (FEEDBACK THREAD)
- Stasis will arrive with the upcoming Memories of Reach update, and we’ll be playtesting CTF and Slayer on the map within Team Arena Summer Preview once it arrives. As with all maps in the list, we’ll continue to tweak, and respond to feedback.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!
We’re excited to be working with you on these map updates, as well as the final list of maps and game types for not only Team Arena, but also the HCS Pro League Summer Season. As always, your invaluable feedback is vital and appreciated, and we look forward to hearing what you have to say.
We’ll be looking for your feedback in the forums, have meetings fast-approaching with pro Halo teams, and plan on being back next week with up-to-the-minute updates and adjustments on the Team Arena Summer Preview. Stay tuned, and we’ll see you on the virtual battlefields.
