'Starcraft II' Coming to Xbox Game Pass as Patch 5.0.14 Becomes Available on Test Server

Blizzard is seemingly prepping Starcraft II for its biggest update ever as the popular real-time strategy game is set to come to Xbox Game Pass.

That particular update is scheduled to arrive on Nov. 5, 2024, after it was originally revealed during the Tokyo Game Show in September. The game's version 5.0.14 is currently accessible on the test server.

Starcraft II Patch 5.0.14

The patch features a variety of adjustments and changes to different units and buildings available in Starcraft II. Patch 5.0.14 comes roughly seven months after the last one and is focused on balancing changes.

All in all, 14 units and 10 buildings have been affected by the changes that are included in the latest patch. Furthermore, there are two new skills that are being introduced in 5.0.14 that could dramatically shake up the meta, according to Game Pressure.

The developers had several goals when they thought of adding the changes to the upcoming patch. One of these was to weaken defenses as well as reduce "camping" playstyles for all races at every stage of the match.

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Another goal they had was to reconstruct various Protoss tools for the benefit of high-level players of Starcraft II. The adjustments and changes aim to ensure strong, alternative gameplay styles for various matchups that can happen.

For the Protoss race, one change affected the Nexus where its Shield Battery Overcharge ability has been completely removed. It has been replaced by Energy Overcharge, which costs 50 Energy and recharges 100 Energy for a target allied unit or structure. This effect has a maximum range of 8, according to Blizzard.

Coming to Xbox Game Pass

For the Terran race, the most notable change affects the Bunker, Missile Turret, and Sensor Tower. These buildings now all have the Salvage ability that returns 75% of their original Mineral and Gas cost. Another change is that the Salvage process can now be interrupted by the building taking damage.

And for the Zerg, the patch mainly affects units with increased Mineral cost for the Queen and reduced move speed on creep for Hyrdralisks with the Muscular Augments upgrade. The latter instead gains a new ability called Dash that gives 60% bonus movement speed for 0.71 seconds.

The arrival of Starcraft II to Xbox Game Pass comes as there are many other new real-time strategy games coming to the market. These include the likes of Stormgate and Tempest Rising, which challenge standards, according to PCGamesN.

Related Article: Starcraft 2 Beginner's Guide to Build Orders for All Races