Today’s Hot Fix makes several changes to multiplayer balance and includes bug fixes to improve the overall gameplay experience. These gameplay changes will likely invalidate any saved Replay files made after the launch of the 2.1.1 update. Thank you to everyone who has submitted feedback; you can continue reporting any additional bugs by visiting the Relic Help Portal and submitting a new request.
General
Light Mortars – M1 81mm, 3-inch, GrW 34 8cm, Mortar Halftrack
We are slightly toning back the speed of offensive mortar shells to give mobile infantry more time to maneuver while allowing these weapons to remain effective team weapon counters.
These weapons have also proven to be too effective against vehicles which they are not intended to counter, so we are implementing a significant damage reduction against these targets.
Mortars will now also always penetrate barbed wire objects, allowing them to eventually clear these obstacles when given time.
Time to hit target increased from 2.5 to 3 for all lethal munition types; flares and smoke unaffected
Fixed an issue where mortar incendiary rounds from the 250 Mortar Halftrack did not receive the speed change
Now have a 50% damage penalty against vehicles except for Delayed Fuze Rounds
Now have a +150% penetration bonus against Barbed Wire
Heavy Machine Gun Paradrop and Fallschirmpioneer Squad Paradrop
Paradrops were meant to provide variety to early game strategies, however, on certain maps they could be oppressive as there was no way to stop or intercept the unit being paradropped.
We are adjusting the two early game paradrop abilities so the opposing player will have more time to intercept or prepare for paradrop.
Now starts on a 30-second timer at the start of the game; applies even before the ability is unlocked
After 30-seconds of game time, the cooldown will no longer apply, even if the ability has not been unlocked
Recharge times lowered from 75 to 60 seconds
Fallschirmpioneer Paradrop reduced from 280 to 260 manpower
Armored and Breakthrough Battlegroup FastDeploy/Rapid Production
We are reducing the production bonus of these abilities as they could be a little overwhelming when used correctly for rush times, or getting a new vehicle to the front where it can influence an ongoing battle.
Production rate speed bonus reduced from 75% to 50%
Field Defenses
We are making light changes to several field defenses to make them easier to remove when targeted directly. They are currently too resistant to certain weapon types and/or can be established too quickly.
Wire Cutters
This is a significant improvement to enable units with wire-cutters to quickly cut holes through barbed wire.
Wire Cutters now only need 1.25 seconds to cut wire after the model has pulled out the wire cutters and began their animation
Grenades
All non-white phosphorous explosive Grenades now deal +250% increased damage to Barbed Wire
Tank Traps
Build time increased from 6 to 7
Target size increased from 20 to 25
Sandbags and Sangar Walls
Target size increased to 25
Barbed Wire
Target size increased from 1 to 25
Armor reduced from 35 to 20
Reinforced Wire
Target Size increased from 1 to 25
Armor reduced from 35 to 20
Health reduced from 250 to 240
US Forces
M1919 Machine Gun Team
We are changing the M1919’s damage reduction passive to received accuracy/harder to hit. The original intention was to make the American HMG the most resilient to incoming damage, however, this made the unit too resistant to certain weapons like mortars. We are now changing it so the American heavy machine gun is only more resilient to small-arms fire rather than to all damage types.
Defensive Set-up 20% damage reduction changed to 20% received accuracy/Harder to hit
Improved Defensive Set-up bonus also changed to received accuracy
M3 Assault Carrier
The slight health reduction to the assault carrier is to increase its vulnerability to getting snared by weapons like the panzerfaust and anti-tank grenades. Previously, if no additional damage got through, the second panzerfaust/anti-tank grenade would fail to cause an engine critical on this unit thanks to its Reckless Assault passive.
Health decreased from 400 to 380
Wehrmacht
Jager Squad
The changes to Jagers stripped a little too much power from the unit. While the fear was that increasing its power too much would lead to the unit being much more efficient to spam, it has caused the Luftwaffe Kompanie to have a somewhat weak advanced infantry unit in the anti-infantry role.
We still want to focus on the scoped variants being the primary way the unit should fight infantry leading to their damage being further increased. Jagers will now also scale better into the mid-late game as the unit gains veterancy, similar to Panzergrenadiers.
Scoped Rifle damage increased from 16 to 18
Veterancy 1 Received Accuracy bonus increased from 15% to 20%
Veterancy 2 Accuracy bonus increased from 15% to 20%
Infanterie Kompanie Officer Quarters
The changes to how veterancy functions has removed significant power from the Infanterie Kompanie as it only provides units with a single stat boost, whereas prior they could have two to three additional combat bonuses.
As early veterancy bonuses are less potent, the cost of the upgrade no longer needs to be as high as it used to be and make it easier for the player to rush or backtech this upgrade to allow for strategies that rely more on prolonged fighting in Tier 1.
Fuel cost reduced from 35 to 25
221 Armored Car
The 221 Armored Car with the Panzerbuchse struggled to deal with enemy light vehicles due to a combination of factors like accuracy and rotation rate. Furthermore, this unit did not scale into the mid-to-late game being a purely anti-vehicle unit.
To remedy this, we are improving the unit’s accuracy, rotation rate, and removing the wind-up delay to allow the unit to be effective against fast moving light vehicles. Tracking has been adjusted so it’s based on a firing cone which should allow the unit to get onto target faster.
Players will now also be able to upgrade the Panzerbuchse variant to have the Radio Antenna, allowing the unit to fulfill the scouting/reconnaissance role once it has become too dangerous to hunt enemy vehicles.
Pivot and Rotation increased from 50/60 to 55/66
Panzerbuchse wind-up time reduced from 0.125 to 0
Panzerbuchse tracking to left and right remove
Panzerbuchse firing cone increased from 5 to 12.5
Panzerbuchse accuracy increased from 0.1/0.055/0.045 to 0.12/0.66/0.54
White Phosphorous Shot ready-aim time reduced from 1 to 0.125
White Phosphorous Shot now properly tracks targets that leave the gun's arc; previously the unit would get stuck when they exited the unit’s tracking cone
Panzerbuchse and Radio Antenna upgrades can now both be purchased together; no longer mutually exclusive options
Deutches Afrikakorps
Panzerjager Kommand Anti-tank Overwatch
The addition of a slight delay to this ability will give vehicles, like the Bishop, more time to move once the ability has been triggered. Previously, the projectile arrived immediately after the target area was set.
Cooldown has been adjusted so the Anti-tank Overwatch will still fire the same amount of shells for its full duration if enemies remain within vision.
Now has an initial delay of 1.75 seconds
Cooldown to reacquire a target sped up from 0.5 to 0.4 seconds
Elefant Tank Destroyer
The Elefant arrived too late and was too costly for its role as a specialist anti-tank vehicle that could not maneuver effectively on the map to contest enemy incursions or quickly respond to flanking attack. To make the Elefant a more reliable choice as a specialist, we have made significant command point changes along with a cost decrease.
Command Point cost reduced from 9 to 6
Cost reduced from 700 manpower and 180 fuel to 600 manpower and 160 fuel
Maps
Headquarters territories have been slightly adjusted, reducing the risk of call-in Heavy Tanks (such as the King Tiger and Tiger) becoming trapped behind the HQ
Reduced the automatch map weight back to normal on the following maps:
(2) Tuscan Vineyards
(4) Lorraine
(4) El Alamein
(6) Gabés Gap
(8) Red Ball Express
All multiplayer maps should now have the same chance to appear in your Quick Match playlist
Wehrmacht HQ has been given a reduced footprint, better enabling tanks and team weapons to move around and between the HQ and other production buildings
Cosmetics
Updated cosmetic names that had inconsistent unit names compared to their in-game equivalent
Updated several Load Out/Inventory and Store images with in-game images
Known Issues: Additional Fallen Leaf cosmetics will be released in a later release. Apologies for the delay
Bug Fixes
Heavy Barrels from Mechanized Support Center now properly applies to existing units on the field
Fixed an issue where the Kradschutzen Motorcycle Team Binoculars failed to function at Veterancy 3
Fixed a case where towing can be aborted before the crew is loaded into the tractor, causing the anti-tank gun to be permanently stuck in towed mode
Fixed an issue where the King Tiger had an incorrect veterancy tool-tip stating it gained +100% accuracy at Veterancy 3
Fixed an issue where Forward Observer Barrage from the Dingo did not trigger the BL 5.5's Forward Observer Supporting Barrage ability
Fixed US Forces M1 Mortar Team's Delayed Fuse HE Barrage not working properly on out-of-range targets
Fixed an issue where the V1 did less damage to emplacements. Now has the correct modifier of +50% against emplacements
Fixed an issue where Rapid Repairs from the Mechanized Support Center reduced the price of Designate Forward Repair Station
Fixed an issue where Defensive Positions did not activate for infantry in cover
Fixed an issue where the crew on the 210 Obice would have a population cost and drain 1 manpower per minute
Fixed a case where Focus Vehicle would not turn off after using weapon swap abilities such as grenades
In Automatch modes, changed the "waiting" message to "found" and greyed out leave and cancel buttons which no longer work during the window in which a player is joining a match. This should result in a better player experience when finding and joining a match, resulting in less matches being flagged for "leaving"
Fixed Italy Campaign autosaves not working in Russian and Ukrainian languages, which caused a campaign restart loop blocking progression
Added additional logging to help collect info on potential hard to reproduce campaign issues