Yesterday, we updated the 2.0.3 PTR with additional changes that are now in-testing.
NEW CHANGES
World Editor
Fixed an issue with additional tileset textures not appearing.
This change increases the version number of the .w3e file. Saving a map with this version of the editor will make the map incompatible with older versions.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a crash that could occur when creating an invalid UberSplat.
Fixed a crash that would sometimes occur when loading a sound file from a Lua script.
Fixed several bugs that, in some cases, caused memory to become corrupted, which would then lead to potential random crashes later in the game.
MASTER CHANGELIST
World Editor
Fixed an issue with BlizSetAbility____ natives where they were applying globally instead of locally to abilities.
Increased the Tileset limit from 16 to 64.
Please note that using more tileset textures may significantly increase the load time of the map. Use with caution!
This change increases the version number of the .w3e file. Saving a map with this version of the editor will make the map incompatible with older versions.
Added an option under the Advanced Tab: Preserve Copied Object Height. When enabled, the editor will remember the height an object was copied at when it is pasted.
Undead
Ghoul base damage reduced from 10 to 9.
Neutral
Dark Ranger Drain Life can no longer target self.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a crash that could occur when creating an invalid UberSplat
Fixed a crash that would sometimes occur when loading a sound file from a Lua script
Fixed several bugs that, in some cases, caused memory to become corrupted, which would then lead to potential random crashes later in the game
Fixed an issue where Mouse Buttons were issuing incorrect commands when hovering over the UI.
Heroes in the Warchasers custom map now have inventory slots.
How about the balance change? I think this change is historic, after all, many custom games or games with AI participation have a significantly increased probability of crashing over time in long-term battles. However, it also depends on the actual effect, as many crashing factors are hidden and complex. Nevertheless, I still want to give this change a thumbs up
What else we need at the moment concerning balance of the game:
Pandaren brewmaster revert buff with increased breath of fire AOE
Rod of negation nerf - make it aoe again (otherwise it’s not a wand of dispell, it’s an anti-summon wand) and with a short cooldown - of like 5 sec. Maybe it can even work like a rod of necromancy - cooldown resets after the item got swapped between heroes - still good.
Thank you guys amazing changes, love how quick you guys fixed the issue with the additional tilesets…
Now there is this one bug that was introduced with Reforged, where SFX visibility is much dimmer compared to the original game, if you guys could take a look at that it would be amazing!
Image demonstrating the difference:
i.imgur.com/CbxhW68.png
I recall it’s a visible issue with units that are semi transparent too such as the WISP where it’s noticeable as well, would be amazing to have this fixed as a lot of the detail is lost in the SFX because of it. much love
Great, now please the next patch focus on matchmaking.
Stuff thats wrong right now
Team stacking inside a match. Too often, two stronger players are placed on one side and two weaker players on the other, instead of “cross-seeding” to balance team averages.
Overly wide MMR spreads within the same lobby. In team queues, you regularly see very large gaps between the strongest and weakest players, which turns many games unabalanced.
AT vs RT changes hurt 3v3/4v4. Splitting arranged teams (AT) from random teams (RT) makes sense, but with a small population it inflated queue times or prevented matches. You can check leaderboard and see how many teams are playing. In 4v4 only 9 games total are played all season!
High ping. Make matchmaking to never pair you up with someone if ping is higher then 170ms, every 10 games I play, I get one game where ping is 400ms stable which is unplayable.
Ranking UI problems. Odd promotion pop-ups and “N/A” rank displays, also on loading screen you cant still see LVL and MMR sometimes.
Placement matches not showing. When you play any first five games you get screen that you completed all 5 placement matches.
Improvements
1) Start with a strict MMR window, then expand over time
Begin with a narrow search band (e.g., ±200 MMR for the first ~2 minutes). If no candidates appear, expand stepwise (±400, ±600, …). Try something, if the waiting time is too large then adjust it. We are willing to give you feedback.
2) Do “in-match slotting” to minimize team variance
When 4/6/8 eligible players are gathered, assign teams to equalize team averages and reduce variance. Don’t let “two strong vs two weak” slip through just because all players fit the window.
3) Revive team queues with partial premades (under guardrails)
Allow partial AT groups (e.g., 2 players in 3v3, 2–3 in 4v4). Offset the communication edge with a small, transparent MMR adjustment (AT should play against higher MMR RT). This fills queues without letting premades overrun RT.
4) Regional ping caps with staged expansion
Keep low latency a priority but set reasonable max ping caps per region (e.g., ~160–180 ms).
5) Be transparent in the UI
Show the current search range and how it’s expanding (“Searching ±200… now ±400…”). Fix promotion spam and “N/A” rank displays. Transparency makes longer queues more tolerable and builds trust. Fix placment screen.
6) Tackle leavers
Use progressive timeouts for serial leavers.
7) Prefer AT-vs-AT mirroring whenever possible
When feasible within the search time, keep AT vs AT. If time expires and you allow AT vs RT, apply tighter MMR variance for the RT side to compensate for the premade’s coordination advantage.
If I forgot something, please write it in your post!
Still happening, though I’ve seen it not happen once so far. Also, the way I’m testing this is just starting the first level on Classic Mode and seeing if the Minimap colors are correct, so this isn’t like a custom map exclusive issue.
Just wanted to say huge props for mentioning the w3e change and actually making it! That will be great for all kinds of custom maps, and QoL in general
amazing changes, love how quick you guys fixed the issue with the additional tilesets…