StarCraft has been languishing for years. Many have left the scene, myself included. But with the recent announcement of a new StarCraft game, I found myself drawn back. I wish I could say my return was perfect. Drophackers were running rampant in high elo. Players were fed up with the meta. Fortunately, some old friends gave me a warm welcome. They gave me some insight into how bad it had become.
The StarCraft Patch Incident
For those not close with StarCraft, a quick background. Since the release of the Legacy of the Void expansion, StarCraft has started with 12 workers. At the start of the expansion, the change altered everything. Games got faster, new builds appeared, and everyone loved the quicker pace. Legacy of the Void came out on November 10th, 2015. Fast forward nearly 11 years to June 22nd, 2026. Blizzard announced a shift to 8 workers for the first time. It was one of many changes made. However, it was the one everyone talked about.
Granted, StarCraft II needed a balance update. They had been few and far between in recent years. The community had grown disgruntled. Blizzard took a shot in the dark, and it missed. The community quickly turned on the patch. But their words seemed to matter little. A couple of months passed; BlizzCon arrived. The patch was the same. Blizzard announced the StarCraft FPS after days of teasing players. Then, they broke their silence on the recent balance changes. A new patch is coming.
Earlier this week, Blizzard announced Patch 5.0.17. The patch reverted almost everything from the previous patch. 12 workers returned. But the community was still left wanting. They returned to a patch that was already terrible. Fortunately, Blizzard did confirm that another, more extensive patch is in the pipeline. Patch 5.0.17. remains on the PTR, but it should go to the live client soon. The revert is a step in the right direction, but the community needs more.
DropHacking Causing High Elo Problems
I heard rumors of the drophacking, but never dug deeper until Kevin “Harstem” de Koning posted a video on the issue. In it, he gives the background on the current issues in High Elo. Some accounts try to queue into each other to gain ladder points. If they queue into players, the game cancels before it loads
Other accounts aim to snipe players. Once they load in, they can take control of a player’s account and force them to forfeit. Most of these players hang around 5.2k MMR. Pros are 5.8 or higher. They drop 40-50 points for a loss. Most game losses are 20-30 points.
It only gets worse from there. One player ran into Harstem. Instead of ending the game, he decided to show off. The hacker could give Harstem control at any moment. He could freeze at will. He could go back in time. Ultimately, these players have control as if they are in a replay. All of these features exist within a replay.
The issue has existed for months, but Blizzard has not acted. The hacker’s desire to show off what he can do speaks volumes. They believe Blizzard will not act. While I am still growing as a writer, I wanted to do my part in increasing awareness of the issue.
Staining the Return
As a returning player, these issues have made me question if it is worth it. Ultimately, I want to see what Blizzard does. I hope they take action against the hackers and fix the balance. Now is the best time. I doubt I am alone. Many have or may return after seeing the StarCraft news. They must take advantage of the momentum as soon as possible. I want to see this game and the community flourish.
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