Recently, threads for a potential balance mod were started on our forums and the UWE competitive forums. Team captains were contacted and asked about their willingness to participate in Season 4 with the inclusion of such a mod. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Every single team in Premier and almost 90% of the Division 1 and 2 teams agreed to play this season with the balance mod included. The smattering of Division 3 and 4 teams that responded were also agreeable.

While the current season has officially started, only a few matches have occured. The matches that have already been played will be considered "in the books". After this weekend's set of schedule games are over, the entire league will continue the rest of the season playing NS2 with the balance mod.

The understanding is that the balance mod will be shaped, evolve, and refined throughout the season. The mod can already be found in the Steam Workshop (ModID E5FFA15). Here's a list of modifications in our first iteration of the mod:

• Mucous - Only heals hit points. Direct change from armor regeneration to flat hit points recuperation
• Reduce intial blink cost to fades by 3. 11 down from 14
• Added 0.5 second (up from 0.0 seconds effectively) delay between marines using phasegates
• Increased Nutrient Mist cost from 1 to 2 resources
• Decreased cyst maturity time from 180 to 60 seconds
• Reduced mature cyst hit points from 550 to 450
• Reduced biomass 1 cost from 20 to 15 resources. Biomass 2 cost from 30 to 20 resources.
• Increase shift, shade, crag, whip costs from 10 to 13 resources
• Reduced spur, veil, shell costs from 20 to 15 resources
• Lifeform upgrade costs reduced. Skulk (Leap/Xeno) - From 20 to 15 resources, Gorge (Babblers, Bile, Web) - From 30 to 20 resources, Lerk (Umbra/Spores) - From 35 to 25 resources, Fade (Shadowstep, Vortex, Stab) - From 35 to 25 resources, Onos (Charge/Boneshield) - From 35 to 30 resources
• Increased lerk egg team resource drop biomass requirement from biomass 2 to biomass 4

In an effort to keep the changes in the balance mod transparent, further explanation behind the reasons for these particular changes can be found in the general forums. You may and are highly encouraged to leave feedback.

One final thing. READ THE LEAGUE RULES. READ THEM LIKE YOUR LIFE IN THE LEAGUE DEPENDS ON IT, because it does. The complete and most update to version of the League Rules can be found here. After some feedback, a few rules have been modified.

• Rule 8(e)vi - Players may stream their own matches with a three minute delay. Upped from no delay to prevent coaching during a live stream.
• Rule 8(f)iii - Added Balance Mod to server requirements

Please read the rules 8(b) regarding match scheduling. BOTH teams need to confirm in the match page.

Let's have some fun this season.