Balance changes and updates based on your Beta feedback and results

I want to take this opportunity to once again thank our players and our community for their participation in the Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 Multiplayer Beta. We were able to gain some valuable feedback to help with our first round of character balance and tuning. We'll continue to listen to our community and watch the game telemetry as we fine tune the experience over time.

If you have any additional comments, questions or suggestions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Justin Wiebe,
Creative Director – Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2
@JA_WIEBE

January 2016, Garden Warfare 2 Tuning/Balance Notes

New Features

• Added Region Selector to choose which multiplayer server to connect to in Multiplayer Portal.
• Added some additional quests to the Backyard Battleground.
• Improved presentation for Super Boss Waves in Ops modes.
• Improvements to stickers in sticker shop for better readability.
• Numerous quality fixes.

Tuning Notes

All

• Slightly reduced movement speed for most characters (exception - Super Brainz, Chomper, Sunflower, Scientist)

Kernel Corn

• Increased corn weapon damage

Citron

• Laser will overheat faster
• Shield strength decreased

Rose

• Damage increased
• Reduced stamina cost for Arcane blast when in Arcane Enigma form
• Rose Magic Thistles target-lock improvements. This allows the player to move the crosshair off of their target for up to 0.5s before they lose the lock.
• Rose now does regular damage to Mechs instead of blocked damage.

Super Brainz

• Removed ammo for punches and allow for infinite punching
• Increased fist beam strength
• Reduced cooldown times for all abilities to allow more frequent ability usage
• Significantly increased whirlwind damage

Imp

• Reduced ammo count for primary weapons
• Increased gravity grenade cooldown time
• Greatly reduced Impkata range and damage
• Reduced Z-Mech Health
• Improved biotic pull for Z7-Mech

Captain Deadbeard

• Significantly Improved barrel protection

Engineer

• Engineer turret now uses Mechanic crosshair instead of Default Engineer crosshair.
• Reduced Jackhammer time
• Engineer turret improvements for damage and projectile speed

Sunflower:

• Vampire Sunflower now does Regular, Blocked, and Critical damage instead of just Regular damage.

Additional Changes:

• Characters hit with the toxic buff now spread toxic damage to close teammates.
• Gooped characters now have a uniform look speed penalty.
• Healer Improvements - Scientists and Sunflowers revive teammates to 100% health (all other characters revive to 50%).
• Fixed respawn/revive invulnerability timer.
• Pirate Cannon, Pirate Barrel, Engineer Turret, Whirlwind, and Impkata can now be dispelled by the Spikeweed.
• Increased number of Vanquishes required to fill Legendary Meters.
• Fixed bug where Burrowed Chompers could move the Balls in Space mini game.
• Impkata and Husk Hop are now dispelled by knockback.
• Drone cooldowns now continue on death/respawn.
• Decreased camera flinch when receiving damage.
• Many other bug fixes!

Tuning Details:

Corn:

• Increased Primary Weapon StartDamage from 6.5 to 7.5

Citron:

• Increased HeatPerBullet for Citron from 0.1 to 0.11
• Decreased HeatDropPerSecond for Citron from 0.52 to 0.5
• Increased HeatPerBullet for Ice Citron from 0.12 to 0.13
• Decreased Shield Ability Health from 100 to 75

Rose:

• Increased Default Rose damage from 9 to 10.5
• Increased Druid Rose damage from 4 to 5
• Decreased SubsequentDurationConsumption from 50 to 25 (Allows for maximum of 3 blasts)

SuperBrainz:

• Tuned punch magazine capacity for all variants from 9 to Infinite
• Increased FistBeam StartDamage from 3.5 to 4.5
• Increased FistBeam EndDamage from 2.5 to 3.5
• Decreased FistBeam DamageFallOffStartDistance from 35m to 30m
• Decreased Divekick Cooldown Time from 20s to 15s
• Decreased Ability Cooldown Reload Time for Super Ultra Ball from 24s to 20s
• Decreased Whirlwind cooldown from 30s to 24s
• Increased Whirlwind damage from 5 to 8

Imp:

• Decreased default Imp magazine capacity from 45 rounds to 35 rounds
• Increased Gravity Grenade Cooldown Time from 35s to 40s
• Decreased Movement Speed Multiplier from 1 to 0.75 for all Imp variants while zoomed
• Decreased Impkata damage range from 25m to 20m
• Decreased Impkata StartDamage from 6.5 to 3 and EndDamage from 4.5 to 2
• Decreased DamageFalloffStartDistance from 15m to 10m and DamageFalloffEndDistance from 20m to 15m
• Increased Impkata cooldown from 30s to 35s
• Decreased Z-Mech Health from 400 to 350
• Decreased Pylon Mech health from 350 to 300
• Decreased Ground Velocity from 7.7 m/s to 7.45 m/s
• Decreased In-Air Velocity from 8.5 m/s to 7.45 m/s
• Decreased In-Air jump Velocity from 8.5 m/s to 7.45 m/s
• Increased the Blast Radius on the Z7-Mech Biotic Pull from 2m to 3m.

Captain Deadbeard

• Increased Barrel armor damage reduction from 0.75 to 0.25

Engineer

• Reduced Jackhammer time from 20s to 15s.
• Engineer turret: Increased projectile speed 200m/s to 400m/s, and set rate of fire to 750 rounds/min.

All

• Most character movement speeds have been lowered to make games feel less hectic.

Scientist:

• Increased Velocity from 7 m/s to 7.45 m/s

Cactus:

• Decreased Velocity from 7.0772624 m/s to 6.45 m/s

Peashooter:

• Decreased Velocity from 7.0772624 m/s to 6.45 m/s

Sunflower:

• Decreased Velocity from 8.174513 m/s to 7.45 m/s

Rose:

• Decreased Velocity from 8.174513 m/s to 7.45 m/s

Chomper:

• Decreased Velocity from 6.8578124 m/s to 7 m/s

Corn:

• Decreased Velocity from 7.0772624 m/s to 6.45 m/s

Citron

• Decreased Velocity from 6.5835 m/s to 6 m/s

Ball:

• Decreased Velocity from 9.45 m/s to 9 m/s

Chomper:

• Increased default health from 150 to 175

Imp:

• Decreased Velocity from 8.36 m/s to 7.7 m/s

Mech:

• Decreased Velocity from 7 m/s to 6.45 m/s

Pylon Mech:

• Decreased Velocity from 9.5 m/s to 7.45 m/s

Scientist:

• Decreased Velocity from 7.68075 m/s to 7 m/s

Deadbeard:

• Decreased Velocity from 7.0772624 m/s to 6.45 m/s

Goat:

• Decreased Velocity from 10 m/s to 9 m/s

Engineer:

• Decreased Velocity from 6.8578124 m/s to 6.25 m/s

Super Brainz:

• Decreased Velocity from 7.68075 m/s to 7 m/s

All-Star:

• Decreased Velocity from 7.68075 m/s to 7 m/s

Soldier:

• Decreased Velocity from 7.0772624 m/s to 6.45 m/s