In any competitive multiplayer game, the development team walks a razor-thin tightrope when attempting to balance the roster of playable characters.
This article revisits some of the most controversial balance decisions in the history of the genre and the chaos they caused.
Unintended Consequences
Perhaps the most infamous example of a balance change gone wrong involved a massive, multi-stat buff to a splash-damage unit.
The developers were eventually forced to release an emergency 'hotfix' patch outside of their normal schedule to completely revert the changes.
The 'Emergency Hotfix' is the ultimate admission of failure by the devs.Sometimes, developers 'kill' a card intentionally.Even if a card's win rate is exactly 50%, if the community hates playing against it, the devs will usually nerf it.
The Unstoppable Clone
The 'Night Witch' release is the textbook example; a unit that spawned flying swarms upon death while dealing massive melee damage.
Players who unlocked her early went on massive, undefeated win streaks, causing outrage among the free-to-play community who couldn't access the card yet.
Community ReactionThe FixTanking the RatingsUsually forces immediate communication from the lead developer apologizing and promising a rapid hotfixRefusing to PlayThe most effective way to force a change, as it hurts the game's viewership and public image directly
The Impossible Task of Perfect Balance
These controversial patches, while frustrating at the time, are part of the game's rich history.
They give the community something to complain about, bond over, and eventually laugh at.
Here's more information about tower rush have a look at the web site.