Mediatonic, The Coalition, and Xbox Game Studios’ Clash Royale-inspired multiplayer strategy game has received its first balance patch to coincide with the launch of Gears 5 on PC and Xbox One. Many fans have been begging for this update since the game first launched last month, citing numerous “OP” units (or Pins) that were upsetting the game’s balance and quickly earning Gears POP the dreaded “pay-to-win” label. Thanks to the recent Gears POP 1.2 update, however, some of the major issues with this free-to-play mobile collaboration between Funko POP and Gears of War have now been addressed.
Gears POP 1.2 update highlights
Arguably the biggest news coming out of the version 1.2 build release is a substantial nerf for the Legendary Old Man Marcus Pin. This incredibly powerful unit, based on the aging Marcus Fenix character seen in more recent Gears of War games, still only costs four Power to play on the field and features their unique ability to roll between lanes. As such, OMM remains an incredibly versatile Pin for those lucky enough to have found him in the game’s loot crates, but for those who haven’t the 20% health and 31% damage decreases should certainly help in defeating him.
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Another very significant change is the 46% decrease in health for Dom Santiago. Dom was pretty tanky before his recent debuff, which coupled with his ability to heal himself and surrounding allies made him almost essential to any winning team. The lower starting health pool means that he can now more easily be dispatched before his powerful healing ability is charged and ready to unleash.
Other drastic changes include Seeder damage being decreased by 63%, meaning it may cease to be almost the defacto Ultimate in the game’s higher ranking Leagues. Additionally, the rare Legendary Skorge Pin has been nuked with a 26% damage decrease, 29% health decrease, plus nerfs for attack speed, special ability damage, and healing potency.
Gears POP 1.2 Update Patch Notes
The biggest changes that are most likely to significantly impact the game’s meta are outlined above, though there are still plenty of additional smaller tweaks detailed amongst the full 1.2 patch notes below:
- Augustus Cole: Health decreased 6%, Damage decreased 8%
- Butcher: Damage increased 19%
- Clayton Carmine: Health decreased 23%
- Damon Baird: Health increased 13%
- Dom Santiago: Health decreased 46%
- Frag Grenade: Damage increased 14%
- Ink Grenade: Power decreased to 3 (from 4), Duration decreased to 8 seconds (from 12), Damage decreased 25%, Damage Interval decreased 1 second (from 1.5), and Area decreased 30%
- Locust Drone & Drone Division: Health increased 25%, Damage increased 23%
- Longshot Gear: Health decreased 3%
- Marcus Fenix: Health decreased 14%, Attack Speed increased to 1.2 seconds
- Myrrah: Wretch Level increased to Myrrah’s level +3, Health decreased 13%, Summoning switched to periodically rather than upon entering combat
- Nemacysts: Damage decreased 6%
- Old Man Marcus: Health decreased 20%, Damage decreased 31%
- Seeder: Damage decreased 63%
- Sentry: Health decreased 33%, Damage increase 63%, Attack Speed increased to 1.2 seconds (from 0.5)
- Shepherds: Health decreased 12%
- Shock Grenade: Damage increased 320%, also updated to deal damage over time with a duration of seconds and damage interval of 1 second
- Skorge: Health decreased 29%, Damage decreased 26%, Attack Speed decreased to 0.7 seconds (from 1), Skill Damage decreased 45%, Skill Heal decreased 25%
