StarCraft 2, which entered maintenance mode in 2020, has announced a major balance adjustment. Starting units, increased to 12 in 2015, will be reduced to 8, and base resources will be increased to alleviate pressure on early-to-mid game expansions.

This was revealed on the StarCraft 2 Public Test Server patch notes on the 29th (local time). In this patch, the starting worker count will decrease from 12 to 8. Additionally, the total base mineral and gas amounts per base, base Vespene Geyser, and small mineral patch resource amounts will increase. Conversely, large mineral patch resource amounts will decrease, and the extraction yield of rich Vespene Geysers will be reduced.

Regarding this patch, the developers stated, 'We've focused on enhancing the early and mid-game experience to allow for more sustained competitiveness with one to three bases.' Blizzard had increased starting units to 12 in 2015 with the release of Legacy of the Void to speed up the early game. However, some pointed out that the resource depletion rate was too fast and adjustments were necessary. Now, 11 years later, a large-scale patch addressing both workers and resources is underway, with projections suggesting that base play will become more viable, potentially lowering the entry barrier for relative newcomers.

Furthermore, Protoss will see significant nerfs. The Warp Gate research will move from the Cybernetics Core to the Gateway, and regular Gateway unit production speed will increase by 35%. However, the Warp Gate conversion, which previously cost no resources, will now require 50 minerals and 50 gas, and the Warp Gate cooldown will increase by 1-3 seconds. The developers explained this as an effort 'to increase the viability of regular Gateway strategies that do not rely on Warp Gate conversion,' but it remains to be seen how players will react.

Meanwhile, the substantial patch for StarCraft 2 has also heightened anticipation for a potential new title. In January of this year, Windows Central journalist Jez Corden, citing sources, reported that Blizzard is developing a new third-person shooter StarCraft title, with a high likelihood of its reveal at BlizzCon in September, which certainly caught attention.