Patch 1.06 Discussion

We’ve received a lot of community feedback about balance issues in multiplayer. We have improved the overall experience based on that feedback and our own testing.

Powers and weapons were underperforming at higher difficulties—particularly power combos and assault rifles. As a result, players relied heavily on the Vanquisher sniper rifle and melee-focused classes.

We found current damage levels significantly slowed the pace of games on Gold and Silver difficulties. To fix this, we started to overhaul the balance in multiplayer. Today’s changes are the first step in that process.


Powers

We determined that the base damage of powers were too low, which caused them to be underpowered in the late stages. We’ve now increased the base damage of powers and improved some of the bonuses granted by additional skill points. We’ve also improved damage from passive skill trees.

Combo detonations on Gold and Silver difficulties also received a buff because they inflicted less damage than intended.


Weapons

Mass Effect multiplayer is more fun when it’s fast-paced, but low weapon damage limited that pace on Gold and Silver difficulties. There was also a noticeable imbalance between weapon classes, particularly for shotguns and assault rifles.

We’ve boosted the base damage for several underperforming assault rifles, pistols, and shotguns to make them more effective. In particular, we wanted shotguns to become better skirmish weapons, so we boosted their damage and accuracy outside of cover, while reducing the extra accuracy bonus when firing from cover.

Finally, we reduced the damage of the Vanquisher sniper rifle to make it comparable with other weapons. Its overwhelming damage far outclassed other weapons and made this particular sniper rifle a must-have. We’ve now evened the playing field so players feel more comfortable bringing something besides the Vanquisher to a Gold-level game.

We’ll continue to consider potential adjustments for some weapons.


Enemy Factions

We’ve also changed how difficult some enemy factions are to fight.

Due to their individual survivability, the kett were the most difficult faction. To combat this, we reduced their health and defenses. We also lessened the chance the Fiend will sync-attack on Silver and Gold difficulties. We’re investigating latency issues that cause the Fiend to appear like it teleports when it jumps.

We wanted to make the Outlaws more challenging, so we improved the ability of Sharpshooters and Hydras to push players into cover. We also made the Berserker easier to fight from cover and the Hydra is now stronger and more dangerous.

We left the Remnant untouched and continue to monitor their performance.


Player:

Fixed a bug that made Silver and Gold difficulties use normal stats for Shield Gate and Health Gate

Fixed a bug that made Silver and Gold difficulties use normal stats for damage reduction due to armor. Enemy armor now reduces 15 damage per hit on Silver and 20 damage per hit on Gold, to a minimum of 10 damage per hit


Powers:

All Damage Powers

Raw damage upgrades increased by a cumulative 25-35% per power

All Offensive Passive Lines

Power damage upgrades increased by a cumulative 20% per line

Power Combos

Fixed an issue that caused combos in Gold and Silver difficulties to inflict incorrect base damage

Increased base combo damage by approximately 60% in Bronze, 140% in Silver, and 200% in Gold.

Increased the value of combo damage upgrades in all passives from +30% to +50%


Combat Powers:

Barricade

Increased base duration from 12s to 13s

Decreased Rank 4 duration bonus from 40% to 35%, although the end duration is still greater than before

Increased Rank 5 buff from 20% to 30% power damage bonus

Flak Cannon

Increased base primary damage from 180 to 250

Increased base power cell count from 2 to 4

Tech Powers:

Assault Turret

Increased the Rank 5 flamethrower’s damage per second from 45 to 150, and burn damage over time from 22 to 35 damage per second

Increased the Rank 2 health upgrade from +30% to +50%, and the Rank 4 health upgrade from +50% to +75%

The power’s cooldown now triggers when the turret spawns, instead of when it is destroyed.

Increased base bullet damage from 20 to 36

The cooldown is now 30s, but can be reduced to 10s with the Rank 4 cooldown upgrade.

Fixed a bug causing the Rank 6 cryo ammo to inflict no damage

Incinerate

Increased the base damage from 120 to 350

Decreased the damage over time from 50 to 45 damage per second

Overload

Increased base uncharged damage from 150 to 200, and charged damage from 200 to 300

Flamethrower

Increased base damage from 220 to 240 damage per second

Cryo Beam

Increased base damage per second from 135 to 150

Energy Drain

Increased base damage from 160 to 175

Shield Boost

Increased base radius from 6m to 8m

Increased support score generated by successfully giving another player shields from 10 to 20

Invasion

Improved Rank 4 infection radius and Rank 5 spread radius

Remnant VI

Increased base health from 500 to 800

Increased Rank 2 health upgrade from 15% to 65%

Improved Rank 4 health regeneration rate and delay

Increased Rank 5 close-combat health upgrade from 120% to 200%

Increased the Rank 6 missile damage from 90 to 450

Decreased the Rank 6 missile cooldown from 10s to 5s

Increased base beam damage from 70 to 100 damage per second

Fixed issue where VI would occasionally get stuck

VI will now teleport to player if its path is too complex


Biotic Powers:

Pull

Increased Rank 5’s crushing grip damage over time from 35 to 60 damage per second

Throw

Increased base damage from 225 to 240

Shockwave

Increased base damage from 225 to 245

Singularity

Decreased base cooldown from 24s to 20s

Increased Rank 5 recharge rate bonus from +25% to +40%

Backlash

Increased base aegis health from 350 to 400

Increased base reflection damage bonus from +180% to +200%

Increased Rank 4 and Rank 5 bonuses

Charge

Increased base damage from 250 to 275

Nova

Increased base damage from 400 to 420

Annihilation

Increased the base cooldown penalty from 60% to 75%

Decreased the Rank 4 radius bonus from 50% to 35%

Damage and bonuses from different users will now stack on the same target

Lance

Slightly improved aim assist at longer ranges


Passive Powers:

Barrier

Barrier Drain: shield regeneration value from melee attacks decreased from 20% to 15%

Biotic Link: can now only apply its effect once every 5s

Saving Barrier: cooldown on the automatic shield regeneration increased from 10s to 15s

Biotic Ascension

Improved the bonuses for Rank 6 evolutions


Character Stats:

Asari Adept

Decreased base shields from 250 to 200

Krogan Vanguard

Decreased base shields from 180 to 150


Weapons

Assault Rifles

Avenger

Increased damage from 35–47 to 39–50

Mattock

Increased damage from 50–63 to 90–113

Increased magazine size from 16 to 20

Zalkin

Increased damage from 60–76 to 79–99

Valkyrie

Increased damage from 86–99 to 164–190

Increased magazine size from 16 to 20

Increased total spare ammo from 128–160 to 140–175

Soned

Increased damage from 51–59 to 70–81

Improved rate-of-fire charge time from 1s to 0.5s

Improved accuracy when firing from the hip or firing blindly over barriers

Maximum accuracy while aiming down sights was slightly decreased; the accuracy penalty for firing was reduced.

PAW

Increased damage from 35–40 to 58–67

Halberd

Increased damage from 90–113 to 150–180

Pistols

Carnifex

Increased damage from 175–220 to 255–321

Hornet

Increased damage from 46–55 to 101–121

Sidewinder

Increased damage from 150–180 to 167–200

Hurricane

Increased damage from 49–57 to 65–75

Eagle

Increased damage from 69–80 to 96–111

Improved accuracy

Rozerad

Increased damage from 48–56 to 73-84

Increased rate of fire from 420–525 to 490–613

Improved rate-of-fire charge time from 2s to 1s

Improved accuracy

Ushior

Increased damage from 463–535 to 775–896

Increased magazine size from 1 to 2

Increased total ammo from 18–23 to 20–25

Reduced weight from 0.25–0.13 to 0.2–0.1

Charger

Accuracy slightly reduced

Shotguns

Katana

Increased damage per pellet from 46–61 to 64–85

Piranha

Increased damage per pellet from 54–62 to 59–68

Disciple

Increased damage per pellet from 60–76 to 79–99

Ruzad

Increased damage per pellet from 98–123 to 171–215

Crusader

Increased damage from 382–442 to 699–808

Bullet trails added to the slug

Hesh

Increased damage per pellet from 55–66 to 66–79

Scattershot

Increased damage per pellet from 46–55 to 66–79

Dhan

Increased damage from 595–688 to 850–983

Increased magazine size from 2 to 3

Increased total spare ammo from 20–25 to 21–26

Deals extra weak point damage

Venom

Increased damage from 290–348 to 352–422

The initial round will now explode on contact with a target and the fragments will travel faster and longer before they explode

Sniper Rifles

Vanquisher

Reduced damage from 675–810 to 600–720

Shadow

Increased damage from 38–46 to 85–102

Increased damage as the Shadow gets closer to overheating; weapon will overheat faster

Valiant

Increased damage from 463–535 to 550–636

Total spare ammo increased from 35–44 to 45–56

Naladen

Increased damage from 496–574 to 650–752


Enemies

Kett

Wraith

Reduced health by 20%

Chosen

Reduced health by 5%

Anointed

Reduced shields by 47%

Destined

Reduced shields by 67%

Fiend

Decreased the chance that a Fiend initiates a sync attack on Hardcore and Insanity difficulties in single-player and Silver and Gold difficulties in multiplayer

Ascendant

Cobra RPG can now damage the Ascendant after its Orb is destroyed; on Normal or Bronze difficulty, the Cobra RPG can kill the Ascendant in one shot

Increased effectiveness of powers and weapons that lack extra weak point damage against the Orb

Outlaws

Angaran Saboteur

Increased armor by 33%

Turian Anarchist

Increased armor by 33%

Increased weapon damage by 20%

Salarian Agent

Increased armor by 33%

Now fires more frequently

Asari Pariah

Increased armor by 33%

Increased weapon damage by 20%

Sharpshooter

Increased shields by 60%

Increased frequency of firing at targets in cover

Decreased aiming time against out-of-cover targets at higher difficulties

Decreased sniper rifle damage by 18%

[SP] Fixed a bug that caused Roekaar Sharpshooters to deal 75% more sniper rifle damage than intended

Krogan Berserker

Reduced armor by 20%

Hydra

Increased armor by 38%

Weak point health now scales per difficulty in proportion to base health, effectively making it harder to break the weak point on Hardcore and Insanity difficulties in single-player and on Silver and Gold difficulties in multiplayer

Bonus damage from destroying the weak point now also scales with health

Increased normal shot damage by 67%

Normal shot projectile speed doubled


Bug Fixes

The Destroyer and Hydra’s remains will properly disappear after being defeated

Matches / Missions

Match Medals

Score required to achieve a Support Medal for Bronze, Silver, and Gold difficulties increased from 400/800/1,200 to 800/1,600/2,000

Store

Item Store

Added Experience Boosters to the Item Store

Equipment

Adaptive War Amp

Increased damage bonus from 15% to 30%

Engineering Kit

Increased damage bonus from 15% to 30%

Enhanced Munitions

Increased damage bonus from 15% to 30%