By Official HCS -
4/20/17 Update: Version 2 settings are now live! Read more here.
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Last week, Tashi detailed an early look at changes to game type settings for the Halo Championship Series Summer Season, including changes to starting weapon set as well as weapons that are being removed for this season and evaluated for reintroduction following balance updates. If you missed it, you can catch those details here.
Earlier this week, members of the 343 Multiplayer team met with top HCS players to gather feedback, input, and ideas for this season’s settings. Based on this feedback, today, we’re excited to launch “version 1” of the HCS Summer Season settings in the HCS Summer Preview playlist – live in Halo 5 right now. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be gathering feedback from top players via official feedback sessions, and the entire community via an official forum thread below, as we work to make final tweaks and lock the final settings for HCS Daytona by UMG and the Summer Season of the HCS Pro League and Open Circuit.
Read on for detailed game type and map changes.
Game Variant Changes
These changes will be applied on all HCS maps found within the HCS Summer Preview playlist, and can also be found within the Official HCS fileshare (maps | modes).
- Changed starting Primary Weapon from Assault Rifle to Magnum
- Changed starting Secondary Weapon from Magnum to None
- Changed all Tier 1 weapon respawn times to 40 seconds
- Changed all Tier 2 weapon respawn times to 20 seconds
- Removed all automatic weapons from all maps
- Removed all Splinter Grenades from all maps
- Set Motion Sensor Inner Range to 60%
- Set Motion Sensor Base Movement Speed Visibility to Off
As a note, we are looking for community input and recommendations for which additional weapons you’d like to see added on the maps in place of the weapons that have been removed, and will be collecting this feedback via the aforementioned official methods. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be making updates based on this feedback.
Map-by-Map Changes
These changes will be applied on all HCS maps found within the HCS Summer Preview playlist, and can also be found within the Official HCS fileshare (maps | modes).
Coliseum
- Removed Splinter Grenades from Red Pillar, Blue Pillar, and Trench
- Removed Silenced Assault Rifle from Trench
- Removed Brute Plasma Rifle from Top Mid
- Removed SMGs from under Red and Blue Base
- Replaced Rocket Launcher on Yellow Tower with SPNKr Rocket Launcher
- Set DMR respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Covenant Carbine respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Boltshot respawn time to 40 seconds
Eden
- Removed Splinter Grenades from Red Platform and Blue Catwalk
- Removed Brute Plasma Rifle from Red Nest
- Removed SMG from Red Basement
- Removed SMG from Blue Bend
- Removed Silenced Assault Rifle from Security [Slayer Only]
- Replaced SPNKr Rocket Launcher located Outside with Overshield [Slayer Only]
- Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set LightRifle respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Hydra respawn time to 20 seconds [Slayer Only]
Empire
- Removed Silenced Assault Rifle from Tower One
- Set DMR respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Boltshot respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Plasma Pistol respawn time to 20 seconds
Fathom
- Removed Silenced Assault Rifles from Red and Blue Tree House
- Removed Splinter Grenades from Red and Blue Sub
- Set LightRifle respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Boltshot respawn time to 40 seconds
Plaza
- Removed SMG from Yard
- Removed Storm Rifle from Bottom Mid
- Removed Splinter Grenade from Cinema Loft
- Removed Splinter Grenade from Elevator [Slayer Only]
- Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set LightRifle respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Boltshot respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Plasma Pistol respawn time to 20 seconds
- Set Shotgun respawn time to 20 seconds [Strongholds Only]
Regret
- Removed Splinter Grenades from Red and Blue One
- Removed Silenced Assault Rifle from Bottom Nest
- Removed Storm Rifle from Tunnel
- Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Covenant Carbine respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Boltshot respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Plasma Pistol respawn time to 20 seconds
The Rig
- Removed Splinter Grenade from Open Deck
- Removed SMG from Bottom Nest
- Removed Storm Rifle from Pit
- Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set DMR respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Scattershot respawn time to 20 seconds
- Set Needler respawn time to 20 seconds
Truth
- Removed Splinter Grenades from Red and Blue Sneaky
- Removed Energy Sword from Top Mid
- Removed Storm Rifle from Bottom Mid
- Moved Plasma Pistol from Carbine Tower One to Top Mid
- Set Plasma Pistol respawn time to 20 seconds
- Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds
- Set Covenant Carbine respawn time to 40 seconds
It is also worth noting that these updated settings have many similarities between the community-created settings that top players have recently been scrimming on, with two key differences:
- The Assault Rifle will not be featured as an on-map weapon. As stated last week, the Assault Rifle’s effectiveness is similar across a wide range of skill levels, which is not intended. We’re actively evaluating best ways to update the weapon and reintroduce it into competitive play once the weapon has been retuned and tested, but the weapon will not be featured in competitive play during the Summer 2017 season.
- We have doubled the respawn time for weapons that are not on weapon pads, based on feedback that these weapons were respawning too frequently, as discussed last week. It is worth noting that this is different from the community-created settings we’ve been keeping an eye on, as our team feels it is important to maintain a level of simplicity and understanding for players to know and learn the spawn times for different classes of weapons.
We’re looking forward to hearing your feedback on these settings – head over to our forums if you're looking to discuss all the new changes, and be sure and stay tuned for further updates!
343 Industries
