June 25 Balance Update Preview

[Seneca.6319]

On 5/24/2024 at 2:23 PM, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

Hi, everyone,

Welcome to the preview for the June 25 balance update! As always, the goal of previewing these changes is to gather your feedback before the live release. We'll be following the conversation and making further adjustments as needed.

Thanks,

Cal "cmc" Cohen
Skills and Balance Lead

General

• Heretic Amulet has been added to the PvP build panel.
  • 1,000 Power
  • 1,000 Precision
  • 500 Ferocity
  • 500 Healing Power
• Tyrant Amulet has been added to the PvP build panel.
  • 1,000 Power
  • 1,000 Condition Damage
  • 500 Precision
  • 500 Toughness
• Rune of the Ogre and Rune of Tormenting have been added to the PvP build panel.
• Taunt: Increased the defiance damage per second from 75 to 100.
• Frost Aura: Reduced the chill duration from 2 seconds to 1 second in WvW only.

Elementalist

With the recent introduction of pistol as a ranged condition damage weapon, we wanted to solidify scepter as more of a power damage weapon in PvE, and we've made a number of changes toward that goal.

We've also made some usability improvements to dagger and staff by reducing the casting time of breath attacks and adding an initial defiance damage-dealing strike to the crowd-control skills that require movement. This update also includes improvements for support tempest builds with more reliable might and fury sources in PvE and additional defensive tools in the earth specialization for competitive play. Overload Air also gets a significant power increase in PvE as we look to improve power-based damage builds for tempest.

• Flamestrike: Increased the first-hit power coefficient from 0.225 to 0.5 and the second-hit power coefficient from 0.375 to 0.7 in PvE only.
• Ice Shards: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.24 to 0.4 in PvE only.
• Water Trident: Increased the power coefficient from 1.6 to 2.0 in PvE only.
• Arc Lightning: Increased the power coefficient per stage from 0.15/0.3/0.449 to 0.4/0.45/0.5 in PvE only.
• Stone Shards: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.15 to 0.5 in PvE only.
• Hurl: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.33 to 0.44 in PvE only.
• Drake's Breath: Reduced the casting time from 2.2 seconds to 1.6 seconds. Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.4 to 0.44 in PvP and WvW.
• Cone of Cold: Reduced the casting time from 2.2 seconds to 1.6 seconds. Increased the base healing from 944 to 1,416 in PvP and WvW. Increased the healing coefficient from 0.6 to 0.8 in PvP and WvW.
• Frozen Burst: This skill now creates an ice field before performing its blast finisher.
• Convergence: This skill is now a blast finisher. Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.2 in PvP and WvW.
• Ring of Earth: Increased the secondary-strike power coefficient from 0.9 to 1.1 in PvP and WvW.
• Earthen Rush: Reduced the cooldown from 18 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Static Field: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
• Unsteady Ground: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
• Armor of Earth: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
• Mist Form: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
• Arcane Shield: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
• Signet of Air: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Earth's Embrace: This trait has been reworked. Gain resistance after using a healing skill.
• Earthen Blast: This trait now grants barrier to the user in addition to its other effects. Barrier will not be granted when attuning to the same element.
• Diamond Skin: This trait has been reworked. Remove a condition from yourself when you successfully combo a field with a leap finisher. Remove a condition from yourself and nearby allies when you successfully combo a field with a blast finisher.
• Soothing Ice: This trait now triggers after using a healing skill instead of when critically hit. Reduced the internal cooldown to 15 seconds in all game modes.
• Flow like Water: Increased the bonus strike damage while above the health threshold from 5% to 10% in PvP and WvW. This trait now also grants 5% bonus strike damage while under the health threshold. Reduced the health threshold from 75% to 50%. Reduced the internal cooldown from 10 seconds to 4 seconds.
• Soothing Power: This trait now also grants 300 vitality to the elementalist.

Tempest

• Overload Air: This skill now also grants fury to allies. Increased the power coefficient from 0.715 to 0.951 in PvE only.
• Heat Sync: This skill now also grants fury to the user before copying boons.
• "Feel the Burn!": Increased might from 5 stacks for 10 seconds to 8 stacks for 15 seconds in PvE only. This skill now also grants fury to allies in PvE only.
• Gathered Focus: The additional concentration from this trait no longer has a health-threshold requirement.
• Hardy Conduit: This trait now also grants protection to nearby allies.

Weaver

• Fracturing Strike: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.77 to 1.2 in PvE only.
• Plasma Beam: Reduced the cooldown from 18 seconds to 15 seconds in PvE only.
• Glacial Drift: This skill no longer requires a target. Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 2.0 in PvE only.
• Earthen Synergy: Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvE only. Increased the power coefficients from 0.77/0.33 to 1.4/1.0 in PvE. Reduced the power coefficients from 0.77/0.33 to 0.01/0.01 in WvW and PvP.
• Stone Tide: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.15 to 0.3 in PvE only.
• Stone Resonance: Reduced the ammunition recharge from 50 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
• Twist of Fate: Reduced the ammunition recharge from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
• Invigorating Air: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Fortified Earth: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.

Engineer

Alchemy gets a significant upgrade with the reintroduction of elixir condition removal on the minor grandmaster trait. This won't affect other allies as it did in its previous iteration, but it will give engineers some much-needed defense against conditions through elixir-skill triggers on the other minor traits and any other elixirs they bring.

We've also added a more reliable source of fury, replacing the rarely utilized Emergency Elixir trait to give damage-focused builds more consistent pressure. On the PvE side of things, we've adjusted damage numbers on Grenade Kit, Tool Kit, and some of the holosmith's exceed skills to bring them more in line with each other.

Elixir X also gets a fun addition: lich is being added to the pool of potential transformations while on land. We wanted to make the skill a more reliable offensive threat and felt that adding another offense-focused transformation was a more interesting direction than simply adjusting the individual chances of rampage and tornado.

• Healing Turret: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Personal Battering Ram: Reduced the launch distance from 450 to 0 in PvP only. Reduced the ammunition recharge from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP only.
• Elixir S: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
• Elixir U: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only. Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced quickness and vigor durations from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced stability duration from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in WvW only.
• Utility Goggles: Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Detection Pulse: This skill now also inflicts vulnerability on enemies.
• Superspeed (Slick Shoes Tool Belt Skill): Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Pry Bar: Increased the power coefficient from 2.0 to 2.5 in PvE only.
• Throw Wrench: Increased the cooldown from 17 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only. Increased the power coefficient per hit from 1.0 to 1.5 in PvE only.
• Magnet: This skill now properly plays its visual effect during the full channel. This skill cannot be retargeted. This skill now applies bonus defiance damage to targets with defiance bars.
• Freeze Grenade: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.5 to 0.75 in PvE only.
• Poison Grenade: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only. Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.5 to 0.75 in PvE only.
• Supply Crate: Reduced the cooldown from 120 seconds to 75 seconds in PvE only.
• Elixir X: This skill now also has a chance to transform the user into a lich.
• Compounding Chemicals: This trait now also removes a condition from the user when they use an elixir skill.
• Emergency Elixir: This trait has been reworked and renamed Boiling Point. Gain fury when you gain might at or above the threshold.

Holosmith

• Launch Wall: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
• Laser Disk: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
• Particle Accelerator: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
• Blade Burst: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35%.

Guardian

Guardian wards are another set of movement-requiring crowd-control skills that we're adding an initial defiance-bar strike to in order to make them more usable against stationary bosses. We've also reduced page costs for support firebrand builds in PvE to give them more flexibility, and we added some sources of resolution to the valor specialization to make it more usable for damage-dealing builds that rely on Righteous Instincts.

• Line of Warding: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
• Ring of Warding: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
• Hunter's Ward: The ward created by this skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when used in PvE.
• Contemplation of Purity: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Judge's Intervention: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• "Save Yourselves!": Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
• Focus Mastery: This trait now also grants resolution when using a focus skill.
• Monk's Focus: This trait now also grants resolution to allies when you use a meditation skill.

Dragonhunter

• Fragments of Faith: Reduced the cooldown from 36 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.

Firebrand

• Epilogue: Ashes of the Just: Increased the might stacks from 5 to 8 and increased the duration from 8 seconds to 10 seconds in PvE only.
• Chapter 4: Shining River: Reduced the page cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only. Increased the healing coefficient per pulse from 0.23 to 0.35 in PvE only.
• Chapter 2: Daring Challenge: Increased the taunt duration from 1 second to 2 seconds in PvE only.
• Chapter 3: Valiant Bulwark: Reduced the page cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only.
• Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand: Reduced the page cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only.
• Loremaster: Reduced the page generation interval from 6 seconds to 5 seconds in PvE only.

Mesmer

We've reduced the cooldown on a number of mesmer's defensive utility skills in PvE and made some slight improvements to underperforming builds, namely power-based virtuoso in PvE and condition damage-based mirage in competitive modes.

• Imaginary Axes: Increased the torment duration from 4 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Lingering Thoughts: Reduced the ammunition recharge time from 10 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Phantasmal Berserker: Fixed an issue that prevented the initial strike of this skill from counting as a blade for the purpose of activating traits.
• Ether Feast: This skill now also removes one condition, plus an additional condition for each active clone.
• Decoy: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Mirror Images: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
• Veil: Reduced the cooldown from 72 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
• Signet of Midnight: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Mass Invisibility: Reduced the cooldown from 48 seconds to 35 seconds in PvE only.
• Signet of Humility: This skill now requires a target. This skill can no longer be retargeted. This skill now displays an effect above its target's head. Reduced the duration from 6 seconds to 2 seconds in WvW only.
• Illusion of Vulnerability: Increased the number of vulnerability stacks from 3 to 6 in PvE only.
• Mental Gymnastics: Reduced the internal cooldown from 10 seconds to 5 seconds in PvE only.

Mirage

• Sand through Glass: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.

Virtuoso

• Psychic Force: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Blade Renewal: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 35 seconds in PvE only.
• Deadly Blades: Increased the duration of the damage bonus from 5 seconds to 7 seconds in PvE only.
• Infinite Forge: This trait now also causes blade attacks to deal more damage.
• Fixed an issue that prevented Bladesong Dissonance and Bladeturn Requiem from being affected by Mental Anguish.

Necromancer

Sword didn't quite land where we wanted in WvW, so this update includes some improvements to its damage to make it a more viable option. We've also improved some defensive tools for harbinger to give them some better survivability options and tuned up a number of defensive utility skills in PvE.

• Feast of Corruption: Increased the number of boons corrupted from 1 to 2 in PvP only. Increased the cooldown from 10 seconds to 12 seconds in PvP only.
• Satiate: Increased the power coefficient from 0.6 to 0.9 in WvW only.
• Path of Gluttony: This skill now corrupts a boon on targets it strikes.
• Gorge: Reduced the number of boons corrupted from 2 to 1 in PvE and PvP.
• Gormandize: Increased the power coefficient from 0.6 to 1.0 in WvW only.
• Consume Conditions: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
• Spectral Ring: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
• Spectral Armor: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Spectral Walk: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Signet of the Locust: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Well of Power: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.

Harbinger

• Elixir of Ignorance: This skill now grants protection in addition to its previous effects. Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Elixir of Bliss: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Implacable Foe: This trait now grants damage reduction for a short duration when entering Harbinger Shroud.

Ranger

The ranger changes for this update are focused on tuning up some underutilized skills, with improvements to short bow, longbow, and the juvenile aether hunter pet. We've also granted the ranger more control over the trigger condition for Lead the Wind, reduced the cooldowns of a number of defensive utility skills, and updated the unleashed visual effect so that it will fade out over time on both the pet and the player.

• Poison Volley: Reduced the cooldown from 8 seconds to 6 seconds in WvW and PvP.
• Crippling Shot: The bleeding inflicted by your pet now uses the ranger's condition damage and condition duration attributes.
• Concussion Shot: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds.
• Long Range Shot: Increased the power coefficients from 0.9/1.1 to 1.1/1.25 in PvE only.
• Rapid Fire: Increased the total power coefficient from 3.75 to 4.5 in PvE only.
• Signet of Renewal: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Signet of Stone: Reduced the cooldown from 80 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only. Reduced the duration from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in PvE only.
• Quickening Zephyr: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Lightning Reflexes: Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• "Strength of the Pack!": Increased the might duration from 6 seconds to 10 seconds in WvW and PvP.
• Spirit of Nature: Reduced the cooldown from 120 seconds to 90 seconds in PvE only.
• Lead the Wind: This trait no longer grants boons when striking a target at long range and now grants boons when using Point-Blank Shot.
• Juvenile aether hunter skills have been adjusted as follows:
  • Lunge: Increased the hitbox size, and reduced the cripple duration from 8 seconds to 3 seconds.
  • Dimension Breach: Reduced the aftercast by around 1 second.
  • Ley-Line Vortex: Increased the power coefficient from 0.3 to 0.5 in PvE only.
  • Lunge (Soulbeast): Reduced the power coefficient from 1.2 to 1.0.
  • Ley-Line Vortex (Soulbeast): Increased the number of hits from 4 to 8. Reduced the torment stacks per hit from 2 to 1. Reduced the power coefficient per hit from 0.6 to 0.35.

Soulbeast

• Prelude Lash: Reduced the power coefficient from 0.4 to 0.01 in WvW and PvP.
• Tail Swipe (Soulbeast Drake): Fixed an issue that prevented this skill from being affected by quickness.
• Wing Buffet (Soulbeast Wyvern): Fixed an issue that caused this skill to impose a 1-second global cooldown.
• Dolyak Stance: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.

Untamed

• Unleash Pet: The unleashed visual effect will now fade out over time when applied to the pet as it does on the player.
• Toxic Shot: Increased the velocity by 33%. This skill now weakens regardless of whether the target is poisoned. Increased the poison and torment durations from 5 seconds to 6 seconds.
• Mutate Conditions: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.

Revenant

Renegade is the primary focus of the revenant changes for this update. Power-based damage builds get a boost with an update to All for One, as the trait will now also grant an increase to outgoing strike damage after using a Legendary Renegade skill. We've also updated Citadel Bombardment to be significantly more reliable by reducing the spread of its missiles and slightly reduced the energy costs of a handful of renegade skills in PvP.

Power-based herald is another build that needs some help in PvP, and we've made some slight improvements to its damage to make it a more viable option.

• Vicious Reprisal: Increased the might duration from 8 seconds to 10 seconds in PvE and from 6 seconds to 10 seconds in WvW and PvP.
• Charged Mists: Increased the energy gain from 10 to 15 in PvP only.
• Roiling Mists: Increased the bonus critical chance from 10% to 20% in PvP only.

Herald

• Shining Aspects: Increased the base healing to 533 in all game modes.
• Reinforced Potency: Increased the damage bonus per boon from 1% to 1.5% in PvP only.

Renegade

• Heroic Command: Reduced the energy cost from 10 to 5 in PvP only.
• Citadel Bombardment: Reduced the missile spread radius from 240 to 120. Reduced the damage coefficient from 0.452 to 0.225 in WvW and PvP. Reduced the burning duration from 1.5 seconds to 1 second in WvW and PvP. Reduced the energy cost from 30 to 25 in PvP only.
• Icerazor's Ire: Reduced the energy cost from 20 to 15 in PvP only.
• Soulcleave's Summit: Increased the base healing when summoning another warband member from 714 to 929.
• All for One: Increased the protection duration from 2 to 3 in PvP only. This trait now grants increased damage to the revenant when a Legendary Renegade skill is used. This trait will now only trigger while in combat.
• Brutal Momentum: Increased the base critical-hit chance from 10% to 15% in PvP only.
• Vindication: This trait no longer grants might when gaining Kalla's Fervor and instead causes the user to heal for a percentage of their outgoing damage for each stack of Kalla's Fervor.

Thief

Venoms are receiving a big usability improvement in this update, with an increased maximum stack count. They'll still be limited on a per-source basis, but multiple thieves will now be able to grant venoms to the same target without issue. We've also increased the damage on a number of sword skills in PvE to make it a more potent pick, and we reduced the cooldowns on a number of defensive utility skills.

• Crippling Strike: Increased the power coefficient from 1.4 to 1.55 in PvE only.
• Tactical Strike and Malicious Tactical Strike: Increased the power coefficient from 1.33 to 2.0 in PvE only. Increased the daze duration while behind the enemy from 2 seconds to 3 seconds in PvE only.
• Flanking Strike: Increased the power coefficient from 0.8 to 1.0 in PvE only.
• Larcenous Strike: Reduced the initiative cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only. Increased the power coefficient from 1.6 to 2.17 in PvE only.
• Pistol Whip: Increased the initial power coefficient from 0.37 to 0.74 in PvE only. Increased the flurry power coefficient from 0.79 to 1.0 in PvE only.
• Unload: Increased the power coefficient from 0.4 to 0.45 in PvE only.
• Shadow Shot: The unblockable shot from this skill will now pierce targets if the Deadly Aim trait is equipped. Increased the power coefficient from 1.3125 to 1.8 in PvE only.
• Skale Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of skale venom allies can gain from 5 to 25. Allies cannot have more than 5 charges of skale venom from the same source at any one time.
• Spider Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of spider venom allies can gain from 6 to 25. Allies cannot have more than 6 stacks of spider venom from the same source at any one time. You cannot grant yourself more than 6 stacks of spider venom at any one time unless Leeching Venoms is also equipped.
• Skelk Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of skelk venom allies can gain from 4 to 25. Allies cannot have more than 4 charges of skelk venom from the same source at any one time.
• Ice Drake Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of ice drake venom allies can gain from 4 to 25. Allies cannot have more than 4 charges of ice drake venom from the same source at any one time.
• Devourer Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of devourer venom allies can gain from 2 to 10 in PvE only. Allies cannot have more than 2 charges of devourer venom from the same source at any one time.
• Hide in Shadows: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
• Infiltrator's Signet: Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Roll for Initiative: Reduced the cooldown from 28 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
• Shadow Refuge: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 35 seconds in PvE only.
• Shadow Portal: Increased the number of uses from 5 to 10 in PvE only.
• Dagger Storm: Reduced the cooldown from 90 seconds to 60 seconds in PvE only.
• Pumping Up: Increased the might stacks from 1 to 3 in PvE only.

Daredevil

• Escapist's Fortitude: Increased the base healing from 456 to 684 in PvE only. Increased the healing coefficient from 0.08 to 0.12 in PvE only.
• Unhindered Combatant: Reduced the duration of the exhaustion effect to 0.1 seconds for all conditions in PvE only.

Deadeye

• Kneel: Reduced the initiative cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only.

Specter

• Shadow Sap: Increased the splash effectiveness of boon duration to allies from 50% to 75% in PvE only.
• Well of Silence: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.

Warrior

This update includes a number of improvements for support warrior builds. We've significantly reduced the casting time of the defensive utility banners to allow them to be used more reactively while also bringing Banner of Tactics more in line with other stability options.

We've also updated Martial Cadence to refresh Soldier's Focus when swapping weapons to make it a bit more accessible when it's needed, made some minor improvements to the strength specialization for competitive modes, and tuned up a number of defensive utilities in PvE.

• Inspiring Whirl: This skill now heals allies instead of granting them regeneration.
• Banner of Tactics: Increased the stability stacks from 1 to 5 in PvE only. Reduced the casting time from 0.8 seconds to 0.3 seconds. Reduced the aftercast by 0.3 seconds.
• Banner of Defense: Reduced the casting time from 0.8 seconds to 0.3 seconds. Reduced the aftercast by 0.3 seconds.
• Endure Pain: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
• Balanced Stance: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
• Frenzy: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only. Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Dolyak Signet: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
• Stomp: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• Signet of Stamina: This skill now activates instantly.
• Battle Standard: Reduced the cooldown from 120 seconds to 90 seconds in PvE only.
• Reckless Dodge: Increased the might stacks on hit from 1 to 2 in PvE and PvP.
• Restorative Strength: This trait now grants resistance in addition to might. Reduced the might stacks from 5 to 2 in WvW and PvP.
• Might Makes Right: Increased the healing from 85 to 98 in WvW and PvP.
• Shrug It Off: This trait now triggers when using a healing skill instead of when having a number of conditions on you. Increased the number of conditions removed from 1 to 3 in PvE only.
• Martial Cadence: This trait now also recharges Soldier's Focus when you swap weapons and causes Soldier's Focus to remove a condition from nearby allies. Reduced the quickness duration from 3 seconds to 2 seconds in PvP and from 3 seconds to 1.5 seconds in WvW.
• Heightened Focus: This trait now also grants the user increased outgoing healing for a duration when striking an enemy with a burst skill, based on the adrenaline spent.

Spellbreaker

• Sight beyond Sight: This skill now also removes 3 nondamaging conditions from the user.
• Featherfoot Grace: Reduced the resistance and superspeed duration from 5 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP only. Reduced the cooldown to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.

I think you should also focus on Chronomancer's toolkit a bit. Here is my critique and suggestion:

Well of Action is useless in competitive modes although the buffs are quite nice. The reason it's useless is because the boons are on the last pulse which, in competitive modes, is really bad since nobody stays in a well for 3 seconds.

Also, the trait "All's Well that Ends Well" is useless because the heal occurs after the last pulse, same problem as Well of Action. 

Most wells, except Well of Precognition, suffer from this "last pulse" problem so nobody actually plays wells on Chrono. Basically more than half of Chrono's utilities toolkit are totally useless in WvW or PvP. 

I think wells, if they have are a hard CC (daze) or they give a 1 time boon (fury, superspeed etc.) should give it when they first land. The rest of the pulsing boons/soft ccs/conditions can stay the same. 

For the most part Chrono is in a good state right now. In competitive modes Delayed Reactions, Danger Time and Chronophantasma are rarely, if ever, played. 

 

 

[DarkK.7368]

On 5/25/2024 at 4:05 AM, DragonBornKings.5762 said:

I recommend that Restorative Strength be reworked to function as so: Every 5 stacks of might, you gain 4s of Regeneration/Vigor.

With this you kill my build. I'm already permavigor with Evasion relic, let me get endurance to keep dodging, thanks.

[Seneca.6319]

Another suggestion I have is for Rifle 4 for Mesmer. In Competitive modes that skill almost never manages to land successfully. Before the phantasm has a chance to shoot out the bullet the target is way out of range. A total waste. I believe this has to do with the animation speed of the phantasm, it just takes waaaaaay too long.

In WvW phantasms rarely even get to land their attacks, this is a big problem since clone generation is very problematic in zerg fights, at least phantasms should land 100% of the time. They don't have to survive after they become clones but at least we get the phantasm attack and their effects which would be a huge improvement to how we play mesmer. 

[CornFarm.9260]

On 5/24/2024 at 2:23 PM, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

Signet of Stamina: This skill now activates instantly.

Thank you for finally fixing this. And for the PvE stunbreak changes. Please also consider Making [Signet of Rage] an instacast. (Not a stunbreak by itself.) But so you could combo it with [Lesser Endure Pain] and choose to meditate more physical damage that way. (And so that we can have something that actually, meaningfully competes with [Resilant Roll].

P.S. Glad to see you're finally acknowledging by-proxy that Support Bladesworn was a mistake that literally everyone hated, by removing the Regen off [Inspiring Whirl] so that Bladesworn literally can't do Regen in groups anymore. ... Either that or Cal really was dating the Bladesworn Designer and they had a messy breakup, and this is the prettiest revenge I've literally ever seen.

 

Either way ty. ❤️ Genuinely. Patch looks great otherwise!

[Forgotten Legend.9281]

On 5/24/2024 at 1:23 PM, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

Citadel Bombardment: Reduced the missile spread radius from 240 to 120. Reduced the damage coefficient from 0.452 to 0.225 in WvW and PvP. Reduced the burning duration from 1.5 seconds to 1 second in WvW and PvP. Reduced the energy cost from 30 to 25 in PvP only.

What's the point of reducing the spread radius on a ground-targetted skill (making it harder to hit moving targets, the opposite of your stated goal of easier to hit the target) and then HALVING the damage? This is such a huge nerf in WvW where nobody stands still in a fight unless they're afk, and now it's a wet noodle in a gun fight

[Forgotten Legend.9281]

On 5/24/2024 at 1:23 PM, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

Lead the Wind: This trait no longer grants boons when striking a target at long range and now grants boons when using Point-Blank Shot.

So now friendly melee players in squad will be swinging at NOTHING because their longbow ranger friends pushed the enemy out of harm's way... If point blank shot caused knockdown instead (of push back) , this changed would be worth it... otherwise, there needs to be a better trigger for offensive boons than using a defensive skill...

Edited May 31 by Forgotten Legend.9281

[Tobias.4975]

2 hours ago, Forgotten Legend.9281 said:

What's the point of reducing the spread radius on a ground-targetted skill (making it harder to hit moving targets, the opposite of your stated goal of easier to hit the target) and then HALVING the damage? This is such a huge nerf in WvW where nobody stands still in a fight unless they're afk, and now it's a wet noodle in a gun fight

That's right. Better they increase the radius of the projectiles, otherwise, how should you hit something? If it stays with reduced radius, then they should not halve the damage.

[arazoth.7290]

57 minutes ago, Tobias.4975 said:

That's right. Better they increase the radius of the projectiles, otherwise, how should you hit something? If it stays with reduced radius, then they should not halve the damage.

They fixed little bit the problem but created same time another problem 😂

[Waffles.5632]

7 hours ago, arazoth.7290 said:

They fixed little bit the problem but created same time another problem 😂

This is classic Monkey's Paw Anet at work so nothing unusual I'm afraid.

[TheGrimm.5624]

On 5/24/2024 at 2:23 PM, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

 

Warrior

This update includes a number of improvements for support warrior builds. We've significantly reduced the casting time of the defensive utility banners to allow them to be used more reactively while also bringing Banner of Tactics more in line with other stability options.
 

• Shrug It Off: This trait now triggers when using a healing skill instead of when having a number of conditions on you. Increased the number of conditions removed from 1 to 3 in PvE only.

If this is being seen as a buff it feels more like a nerf. In WvW the way it is now it is both a warning indication of a potential condi bomb dropped and/or a way to quick clear a feint without wasting a heal. Now you will need to waste a heal to gain the benefit. If this is intended to buff it, then don't link it to the heal but leave it as is and increase the condi clear from 1 to 2 in WvW/PvP.

[Gendalfs.7521]

This is not directly comment on balance patch but while you guys messing with skills can you fix issue with Mech always giving  f2 buff to owner when im in range? Its quite funny when im in meta event and my Mech standing next to me randomly gives f2 to 5 other people around me except me 🙂 

[arazoth.7290]

30 minutes ago, Gendalfs.7521 said:

This is not directly comment on balance patch but while you guys messing with skills can you fix issue with Mech always giving  f2 buff to owner when im in range? Its quite funny when im in meta event and my Mech standing next to me randomly gives f2 to 5 other people around me except me 🙂 

You didn't oil him enough

[alvisreschly.4310]

3 hours ago, Gendalfs.7521 said:

This is not directly comment on balance patch but while you guys messing with skills can you fix issue with Mech always giving  f2 buff to owner when im in range? Its quite funny when im in meta event and my Mech standing next to me randomly gives f2 to 5 other people around me except me 🙂 

Thats true! There are so many more Mech-Golem Bugs. Like weird crazy pathing of the Mech-Golem; Golem stays back when you use a portal sometimes; you jump down from somewhere and golem stays back; you spam sometimes f3 skill and it does not react; after golem just spawned you use the elite signet skill „to fast“ and it gets the cd but does not use the „mech-golem beam“ etc etc

also there is no real viable option for cc as cdps mech (and no flame thrower skill 3 is not viable in group content). Would be easy to give a bit more cc options on a skill of granadekit or bombkit.

[Exalted Quality.8534]

- No nerfs to condi reaper is wild considering there are 3-4 nerds playing it every match in PvP, but I guess the person responsible for balancing would actually have to play/understand the game mode to realize this, so fair play.

- Since you are changing Elixir U, could you increase the base stability to 2 seconds in PvP? 1 second is awful.

Edited June 1 by Exalted Quality.8534

[serverhopper.3621]

why would u nerf weaver in a cele meta. it cant assassinate anything anyways and hitting the only reliable combo it has makes no sense. hurl is the only ability that u can combo with a 0 damage cc in that kit and its super inconsistent due to reflects- which is most commonly found in *checks notes* zergs, aka the only place weaver will find squishy targets anymore.

[serverhopper.3621]

why would u nerf weaver in a cele meta. it cant assassinate anything anyways and hitting the only reliable combo it has makes no sense. hurl is the only ability that u can combo with a 0 damage cc in that kit and its super inconsistent due to reflects- which is most commonly found in *checks notes* zergs, aka the only place weaver will find squishy targets anymore.

[Angesombre.4630]

It would be nice to put less budget into Anet advertising and put a little more into real balancing, bug removal and improving the fun of the game. Because with each update, the game loses more and more flavor, already in terms of classes, I think.

[Simcha.3605]

Willbender needs a massive nerf in WvW. But you should know that already.

 

[SpaceMarine.1836]

On 6/1/2024 at 6:57 AM, Angesombre.4630 said:

It would be nice to put less budget into Anet advertising and put a little more into real balancing, bug removal and improving the fun of the game. Because with each update, the game loses more and more flavor, already in terms of classes, I think.

What are you talking about? Their advertising/marketing budget already is pretty much zero. So having less budget for balancing would mean that the balance team members actually pay Anet to work on the game balance. Which... to be honest actually makes perfect sense given how this balance preview looks.

[vozahlaas.3514]

Another balance patch, another few months of condi zerker being ignored. *sigh*

[godofcows.2451]

garbo patch. bikini armor hype though. 

[Angesombre.4630]

6 hours ago, SpaceMarine.1836 said:

What are you talking about? Their advertising/marketing budget already is pretty much zero. So having less budget for balancing would mean that the balance team members actually pay Anet to work on the game balance. Which... to be honest actually makes perfect sense given how this balance preview looks.

I've been seeing a lot of gw2 advertising lately, hence my comment.

And as far as balancing is concerned, I'd like to see more people monitoring or regulating things, because it seems like there aren't many people who know what needs to be done when you've been seeing patches for months/years.

Edited June 2 by Angesombre.4630

[StraightPath.3972]

Necro
Harb is already too survivable for what it's supposed to be, especially in competitive.

Warrior
Rework Relic of Lyhr activation condition. If I'm gonna use it I don't want staff autos proccing it randomly.

[Raikiri.1508]

I really wonder if the Anet balance "team" plays this game...

PvP:

Thiefs are just overpowered, the amount of movement, permanent stealth, and 8-12k+ instant damage combos (1.5 seconds) need a nerf. I still wonder to this day why Thief's Shadowstep is a "double port". F1 has no cast time, and you can only try to predict when thieves use their combos. I also wonder why not every class has at least one reveal ability after 13 years. Overall, thieves' skills are barely seen compared to other classes like Virtuoso Mesmer's F1-F3 skills that literally have anime main character animations.

Ranger: Literally has everything on this point (stealth, projectile blocks, ports for pet and yourself, superspeed, tons of additional condis like poison, immobilize, cripple, weakness, and so on) and is also overtuned as hell. Even the pet automatically chases you when you go out of stealth (Mesmer, Thief, Ranger, Engineer) and hides behind an objective like a "house" if the Ranger had you in combat before stealth. So you can't just hide, wait for the player to leave, and take a node.

Berserker: The traitline has Endure Pain + Heal based on your damage, superspeed, stab if you go in and out of combat + Defiant Stance for 4 seconds. If you use additional Defy Pain (because most warriors use Defense trait instead of T2-2 Resilience Roll), you have even more Endure Pain + heal utilities. Spellbreaker isn't better on this point...

Meanwhile, Mesmer Distortion prevents capture point contribution; what a joke, while other classes have even more sustain. In vanilla times, it was okay, but nowadays this doesn't even make sense anymore. You literally press F4 once with full blades or clones and you almost lose the node already, while you try to hold the point or at least keep it neutral. Other classes can just nuke the whole node like Catalyst or bunker due to the amount of sustain like warrior.

Aside from that, the skilltrees are terrible on Mesmer compared to Warrior and other classes that literally have everything in their 2 main traitlines. As Mesmer, you either have to give up sustain (like condition clear which you need)to get more DPS. Meanwhile, Infinite Forge is buffed, which is useless except for PvE (but anyway, why? Virt is already the best PvE DPS class) due to the fact that they are projectiles and half of the classes have projectile blocks like Ranger every 20 seconds for 5 seconds. Other classes like Warrior even reflect them.

Same goes for the main 1vs1 damage weapons for Dagger and Pistol, which are also projectiles. Mesmer GS does less damage (besides if you use Bountiful Blades), so yes, the whole kit is full of projectiles; the damage is low compared to the time you need to cast it, which makes it easy to dodge the F1-F3 abilities. Overall, confusion; condi Mesmer should be nerfed.

Elementalist: About the Ele Dagger weapon skills, yes it needed a buff, but based on what I've seen, it's probably overtuned.

Engineer: To keep it short, it also needs slightly buffs; overall better sustain and maybe slightly less damage based on the sustain changes.

Dragonhunter: Active Test of Faith duration should be lowered (4-6k+ per hit), but overall the class would need additional changes.

WvW:

About the Mesmer Moa nerf to two seconds. Core Engineer now has a better Mesmer "ultimate" with his F5 Utility ability; gj. How about a rework of the ultimate at all, especially in PvP? It's still nasty. The same applies to Thousand Cut; why is it not target-related? And as for focusing commanders, a simple solution would be to give commanders with X amount of players in the raid group + map a defiance bar like with Dragonhunter or give them an extra special action button with extra stability/stunbreak or sustain or simply be immune to the Moa skill.

Overall, balancing in WvW and PvP is bad and I could write an essay on what changes would be needed to make it more balanced again. This game could be much better balanced and fun in less than 2 months in every game mode if Anet cared. With Celestial stats in particular, you should either buff the other stats or remove Cele completely.

But as long as Rangers and Thieves don't get the changes they've needed for years, I can't take balance patches seriously.

PvE:

Well, even the amount of love that Soto story got says enough about the state of the game. I was used to PvP and WVW being more or less abandoned, but now PVE as well?

 

Edited June 3 by Raikiri.1508

[Alp The Dev.7598]

Tempest got what it needed with only one missing update. Lucid Singularity and Elemental Bastion really need to merge. We can apply fury on our own now and this is great. We can grant buffed protection to allies which helps overall sustain. With these updates, tempest is more reliable now. It's only (not only but it closes a huge weakness) issue is now tempes has to come back to water to heal allies and it messes up the rotation and alac application. If lucid singularity and Elemental Bastion is merged, tempest can heal allies all the time by taking Unstable Conduit instead of Latent Stamina and give alac at the same time. If you need BIG healing go back to water I'm okay with that but also being able to give a decent healing without messing up with rotation and providing alac would be really awesome.