2023 Balance Update Announcement

Hi folks,

Happy New Year! I hope this new year brings you joy, health, and success in your endeavors. May it be a year filled with positive experiences and meaningful connections with the people you love.

The first patch for 2023 will be a significant balance pass and will come as early as this Monday, 9 January.

Many of you are probably wondering what 'Balance' has to do with your Single Player game and why I am trying to destroy your power fantasy. I am not; in fact, I am all in with you to break the game in many ways as long as this is your choice.

As you may know, this single-player game has released many updates, including three expansions, surpassing 5k cards. With the introduction of new mechanics and keywords at different times, it's understandable that the meta has changed and will continue to evolve. That's why it's essential to review the ruleset and cards occasionally to maintain consistency and provide a cohesive and enjoyable gameplay experience. Most of the changes made are based on your feedback on various aspects of the game in the past year.

So what better time than the beginning of the year?

While you can safely continue playing with your current save file, specific details may feel different. And you'll only be able to experience the full spectrum of the changes with your new characters. So whether you want to continue your character or roll a new one will be up to you.

This patch is already in the Dev. & Experimental branches. Both are public, and none require a password. So if you want to test things yourself, jump into the Dev or Experimental branches and give it a go.

If you do, you can also join the discussion of the patch here.

In this discussion, you'll also find a concise roundup of the changes. But most you'll experience only by playing the game.

The overall impact of the changes is that the early game tactic of using CC (crowd control) is less dominant, and there are now more options for surviving the early game thanks to buffs to both damage and defense. Unique allies will feel more powerful and distinct, while temporary allies will be more disposable. Elite units and companies will be more useful, and legendary items will live up to their reputation.

Last but not least, you will also find a new public branch called 'unnerfed,' which you can use to switch back to build 1.054.4 anytime. Ie. If you want to grab the old card and perk definitions or don't have steam, update the game and interrupt your game in progress with unwanted changes, etc.

Once this patch goes live, the first free content update will come sometime in January and will focus on new Events. After that, the first Expansion of the year probably is around March or April.

That's all for now, folks! Have a lovely weekend, and if you get to try the new changes, let me know your impressions, comments, or suggestions.