StarCraft II 5.0.17 PTR Patch Notes

General Discussion
1

Developer’s Note: Following the release of the last major patch, we have been collecting and closely reviewing your feedback. Our intention was to try something new, particularly with workers, and needed time to let the meta develop in order to ensure the most accurate feedback was being considered. Based on that feedback, for patch 5.0.17 we are rolling back most balance changes to the live release of StarCraft 2 from patch 5.0.16 to 5.0.15. This will be on PTR for the next few days while we bug test, before we push to live.

Economy

  • Worker Start Count increased from 8 to 12.
  • Default Large Mineral patch resource count increased from 1,600 to 1,800.
  • Default Small Mineral patch resource count decreased from 1,100 to 900.
  • Default Vespene Geyser resource count increased from 2,000 to 2,250.
  • Total Default Gas per base increased from 4,500 to 5,000.

Terran

Command Center

  • Cost increased from 300 to 400.
  • Supplies increased from 13 to 15.

Widow Mine

  • Attack launch delay increased from 0.85 seconds to 1.07 seconds.

Reaper

  • Build time reduced from 34 seconds to 32 seconds.

Ghost

  • Health increased from 100 to 125.
  • Attack damage changed from 15 to 10 (+10 vs Light).
  • Attack range reduced from 7 to 6.
  • Movement speed increased from 3.85 to 3.94.
  • Steady Targeting:
    • Damage reduced from 170 to 130 (+40 vs Psionic).
    • Energy cost reduced from 75 to 50.
    • Cancels upon taking damage.

Protoss

Nexus

  • Supplies provided increased from 13 to 15.

Warpgate/ Gateways

  • Researching Warpgate no longer speeds up production time of units from Gateways.
  • Warp-in Time is determined by ‘slow power fields’.
  • Universal warp-in Time splits from 4s to 11s in slow zones and 3.6 in fast zones.
  • Warpgate cooldown values:
    • Zealot: from 22 to 20
    • Adept: from 22 to 20
    • Stalker: from 22 to 23
    • Sentry: from 22 to 23
    • High Templar: from 35 to 32
    • Dark Templar: from 35 to 32
  • ‘Transform to Warpgate’ ability now costs 0/(0) down from 25/(25).

Shield Battery

  • Starting energy when placed near a Nexus will be 100, otherwise 50.

Sentry

  • Forcefields now only take 1 bile to destroy, down from 2.

Colossus

  • Colossus damage decreased from 12(+3 vs Light) to 10(+5 vs Light).

Mothership

  • Shields increased from 200 to 350.
  • Life decreased from 400 to 350.

Adept

  • Adept damage modifier per attack upgrade decreased from 2(+2 vs Light) to 1(+1 vs Light).
  • Train time reduced from 33 seconds to 30 seconds.

High Templar

  • Damage increased from 100 to 110.

Disruptor

  • No longer has phantom weapon.

Zerg

Hatchery, Lair, and Hive

  • Supplies increased from 4 to 6.
  • Cost reduced from 300 to 275.

Creep

  • Spread/Recede delay reduced from 0.55 seconds to 0.45 seconds.

Larva

  • Periodic spawn rate increased from 9.9 seconds to 10.7 seconds.

Spore Crawler

  • Damage against Biological reduced from 20 (+15 vs Biological) to 20 (+10 vs Biological).

Carapace Upgrades

  • Level 1 cost increased to 150/150 from 100/100.
  • Level 2 cost increased to 200/200 from 150/150.
  • Level 3 cost increased to 250/250 from 200/200.

Infestor

  • Microbial Shroud range decreased from 12 to 9.
  • Microbial Shroud must be researched from the Infestation Pit.
  • No longer has a weapon.

Viper

  • Abduct can no longer be cast on Siege Tanks.

Overlord

  • Base speed without Pneumatized Carapace increased from 0.85 seconds to 0.9 seconds.

Mutalisk

  • Mutalisk Glaive targeting no longer obeys attack priorities.
  • Weapon arc bonus reduced from 180 to 45.

Bug Fixes

  • Archon merge completion sound volume reduced slightly.
1 Like
New PTR is up. Almost all changes are being reverted
2

It’s been 2 days so I’m not sure why Blizzard hasn’t posted this on the PTR forums or hasn’t unlocked them yet, so I posted them here.

I do not work for Blizzard, I just posted them for the community here.

3

there wasnt a need for it, its the patch before the last patch. almost nothing changed, and its already been posted for months now.

4

Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
September 30, 2026 (2 days ago)

5

no, its been posted since patch 5.15 mate, same patch. that was was late last year.

there just completely reverting the patch to that one. with like 2 very minor changes.

6

Terran

Unit / Structure 5.0.15 5.0.17 PTR
Command Center — Cost 300 → 400; supply 13 → 15
Widow Mine Drilling Claws 1.07 → 0.71 sec Attack launch delay 0.85 → 1.07 sec
Reaper — Build time 34 → 32 sec
Ghost Supply 3 → 2; gains Light attribute HP 100 → 125; damage 15 → 10 +10 vs Light; range 7 → 6; speed 3.85 → 3.94; Steady Targeting 170 → 130 +40 vs Psionic, energy 75 → 50, cancels when damaged
Viking Cost 150/75 → 125/75 —
Siege Tank Cannot be Abducted while sieged Cannot be Abducted
Hyperflight Rotors Research 100 → 79 sec —
Liberator Sight 10 → 9 —

Protoss

Unit / Structure 5.0.15 5.0.17 PTR
Nexus — Supply 13 → 15
Warpgate / Gateway — Major production/warp-in system changes; cooldowns changed; transformation cost 25/25 → 0/0
Shield Battery — Starting energy 100 near Nexus / 50 elsewhere
Sentry — Forcefield requires 1 Bile instead of 2 to destroy
Colossus — Damage 12 +3 vs Light → 10 +5 vs Light
Mothership Speed 2.83 → 2.25 Shields 200 → 350; HP 400 → 350
Adept — Upgrade damage 2 +2 vs Light → 1 +1 vs Light; train time 33 → 30 sec
High Templar — Damage 100 → 110
Disruptor — Loses phantom weapon
Energy Recharge Energy 100 → 50; cooldown 60 → 45 sec —
Psionic Storm 80/3 sec → 140/6 sec; radius 1.5 → 2; range 9 → 8 —
Dark Templar Blink Attack delay 0.75 → 0.25 sec —
Observer — Surveillance Mode Reveals Observers; vision 13.75 → 15 —
Purification Cooldown 21.4 → 17 sec —
Stasis Ward Duration 170 → 90 sec —

Zerg

Unit / Structure 5.0.15 5.0.17 PTR
Hatchery / Lair / Hive — Supply 4 → 6; cost 300 → 275
Creep — Spread/recede delay 0.55 → 0.45 sec
Larva — Spawn rate 9.9 → 10.7 sec
Spore Crawler — Biological damage 20 +15 → 20 +10
Carapace — L1 150/150, L2 200/200, L3 250/250
Infestor Microbial Shroud: 50% ranged reduction; cost 75 → 100; requires 150/150 upgrade; effect no longer persists after leaving Shroud range 12 → 9; requires Infestation Pit research; loses weapon
Viper Siege Tanks cannot be Abducted while sieged Cannot Abduct Siege Tanks
Overlord — Base speed 0.85 → 0.9
Mutalisk — Glaive targeting no longer obeys attack priorities; arc bonus 180 → 45
Spire Cost 200/200 → 150/150; build time 71 → 66 sec —
Baneling Centrifugal Hooks gives +5 HP again —

Economy

The 5.0.15 notes contain no Economy section.

The 5.0.17 notes add an Economy section with:

  • Worker start count: 8 → 12
  • Large mineral patch: 1,600 → 1,800
  • Small mineral patch: 1,100 → 900
  • Vespene geyser: 2,000 → 2,250
  • Total default gas per base: 4,500 → 5,000

These are presented by Blizzard as changes in 5.0.17; they are not being labeled as 5.0.15 values here.

Bug fixes

There is also a straightforward difference in scope:

  • 5.0.15: a large list of bug fixes and QoL fixes.
  • 5.0.17: one listed bug fix — reduced Archon merge completion sound volume.

Bottom line

This is the cleanest way to read the two notes:

  • 5.0.15: mostly specific Zerg/Protoss/Terran balance changes plus a very large bug-fix/QoL list.
  • 5.0.17: introduces a new economy section and a much larger set of unit/structure changes, particularly Warpgate/Gateway, Ghost, Command Center, Mothership, Adept, Infestor, and Mutalisk.
  • Anything shown as “—” means that particular patch note does not contain a change for that item; it does not mean we are assuming a particular underlying game value.
1 Like
7

^ seems like its not

I just posted it here for those wanting to read it. You don’t have to read it if you feel like its the same patch. Not sure why we needed to go back and forth on it.

1 Like
8

Because when the game was retired, everyone went, including those who managed the forums. That’s why the last dates in the PTR forums are from the last PTR before development ended in 2020. None of the PTRs since 2020 have used those forums.

2 Likes
9

5.15 wasnt the 8 worker patch, it was the 12 worker patch , you posted the 516 vs 5.17 patch. nice try to give people info, but you failed bad here. might want to delete that.

this is the patch there reverting to. StarCraft II 5.0.15 Patch Notes — StarCraft II — Blizzard News

10

The link I gave above was for 5.0.15, the exact link you provided as well.
If you look above and the comparison was for both 5.0.15 vs 5.0.17. I’m not sure why you said I had 5.0.16 in there. It’s not included at all, so I have no idea why you assumed that.

You were dead wrong.

11

dude,

  1. 15 was the regular lotv 12 workers, not 8. everything on the column for 5.0.17 that you have right there is the same for 5.0.15. 5.0.16 started the 8 and mineral line changes.

nice try editing, i got it before you did.

12

That was because it was comparing, it doesn’t mean it was saying that was from 5.0.16

I re-added it for your pleasure. my point is there was way more differences then you claimed to be just a revert.

Again you were dead wrong.

13

dude you made it ten times harder to understand what changed and what didnt. just stop. go read the other forum post about the 3-5 changes that were kept from the revert and just list them.

14

Dude I did that because you were whining. It was a comparison, You were wrong that it was just a revert patch.

You are dead wrong, admit that and then I’ll remove it.

15

you know what man never mind you do you, you want to confuse every one and repost what ever, do you. you know you messed up there and dont want to admit you were wrong, what ever, not gonna argue with you, its a waste of time just like reposting this.

2 Likes
16

How is that post 10x harder to understand? please explain…

You’re dead wrong, again.

17

Thank you for admitting you were wrong and it’s not just a revert patch. That is exactly what I needed to see.

18

This is literally the worst patch ever. It’s way worse than the previous one (which actually was good, CC to 300 minerals was a great change - also the CC is going back to 400 but zerg gets even more buffs on his hatchery? 275 minerals for hatchery? Maybe just do 200 instead? Or Free? Well… Technically its free - with typical zerg players 5k minerals bank in midgame…).

The only good thing in that patch is worker start count but honestly I didn’t care that much about that change…

Also to the Command Center change… Does they revert the planetary fortress cost aswell? They didn’t mentioned anything about it.