Attempts to establish Linux as a gaming platform have failed time and time again, with Valve’s SteamOS being the latest high-profile casualty. Yet, Linux has emerged as a significant platform in the much smaller niche of retro gaming, especially on the Raspberry Pi. Atari has now re-emerged from the fog of gaming history with an Ubuntu-based Atari VCS gaming and media streaming console aimed at retro gamers.

In addition to games, the Atari VCS will also offer Internet access and optional voice control. With a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, the system can be used as a standard Linux computer. The catch is that the already delayed systems won’t ship until July 2019.

Indiegogo deals

Shortly after appearing on Indiegogo this week, the Atari VCS vaulted over its $100,000 funding goal to hit $1.7 million and counting. Indiegogo packages that are discounted by $50 include a basic Atari VCS Onyx model that goes for $199 or $229 with a classic joystick. These are both Early Bird deals that expire June 4.

There is also a wood-paneled Collector’s Edition version that sells for $299 with a classic joystick or $339 with a modern game controller.  Other deals, including a $319 package with both the joystick and modern controller, are available for the next month.

The Atari VCS was unveiled as the Ataribox last September. The new prototype looks the same, with a design borrowed from the circa-1977 Atari 2600, but with sleek, tapered edges.

The Ataribox was originally said to run a Linux stack on an AMD customized processor with Radeon Graphics technology. Some observers had hoped that the delay in launching the Indiegogo campaign meant that Atari would tap one of AMD’s new, gaming-friendly AMD Ryzen processors. However, it settled for one of AMD’s two-year old Bristol Ridge A1 chips with Radeon R7 graphics. This is overkill for most retro games, but, depending on the A1 model, may be too underpowered to attract developers thinking of porting more modern games.

Back in the ’70s and ’80s, Atari offered one of the largest game platforms around, combining a console with a large catalog of 2D titles. The company faded later under the onslaught of major 3D gaming consoles from Nintendo, Sony, and others, and its last console — the 1993 Jaguar — disappeared quickly. After filing for bankruptcy protection in 2013, Atari rebounded as a mobile games developer, and has licensed its name for the Blade Runner 2049 movie.

Features

Atari offers an Atari Vault library with more than 100 classic games in their original arcade and/or Atari 2600 formats. Next year, it will launch a new Atari VCS Store in partnership with “a leading industry partner to be announced shortly.”

By the launch date, Atari plans to have “new and exclusive” games for download or streaming, including “reimagined classic titles from Atari and other top developers,” as well as multi-player games. The Atari VCS Store will also offer video, music and other content. For now, Atari has listed 14 content partners.

The hardware is not open source, and the games will be protected with HDCP. However, the Ubuntu Linux stack based on Linux kernel 4.10 is open source, and includes a “customizable Linux UX.” A Linux “sandbox” will be available for developing or porting games and apps.

Developers can build games using any Linux compatible gaming engine, including Unity, Unreal Engine, and Gamemaker. Atari also says that “Linux-based games from Steam and other platforms that meet Atari VCS hardware specifications should work.” Developers must register with Atari, and the games must be pre-approved. Atari VCS Store will take an “industry-standard percentage” of the sale price.

Manufactured by Flex, the Atari VCS ships with 4GB DDR4 RAM, as well as 32GB eMMC and a microSD slot. The 14.5×5.3×1.6-inch system is further equipped with dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0, as well as HDMI 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and 4x USB 3.0 ports. A 4-mic array supports voice commands, and the system is compatible with typical Bluetooth and USB controllers in addition to Atari’s Bluetooth-connected joystick and controller.

The platform will offer live streaming using Twitch.tv and will support cross-game chat using Skype and Discord. Optional cloud storage and other Internet services will be available via subscription.

Despite its Indiegogo success, there’s no guarantee the Atari VCS won’t go the way of the Steam Machine in the larger gaming market. However, the competition is less daunting in retro gaming, and the fact that at least 6,300 backers are willing to wait over a year for their Linux gaming box is promising indeed.

Join us at Open Source Summit + Embedded Linux Conference Europe in Edinburgh, UK on October 22-24, 2018, for 100+ sessions on Linux, cloud, containers, AI, community, and more.

Pokémon games unveiled for Nintendo Switch

During a special Pokémon press conference in Tokyo today, The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo announced three new ways to play Pokémon for Nintendo Switch™—Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, and the free-to-start Pokémon Quest. With the addition of these new titles, Pokémon is broadening the scope of video game offerings from the franchise to appeal to its wide variety of fans at all player levels. Pokémon also announced that the next introduction to its popular core RPG series, which was teased last year at E3, will arrive in late 2019 on Nintendo Switch for the first time.

Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!

With Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, Pokémon is inviting fans on a new journey by taking them back to a familiar setting. Inspired by Pokémon Yellow, which was originally released in Japan on Nintendo’s Game Boy in 1998, these two new titles feature many of the intuitive gameplay functions offered to players in the hugely popular Pokémon GO and are designed for players taking their first steps into the Pokémon video game world. Trainers will embark on an epic adventure set in the iconic Kanto region joined by their trusty Pikachu in Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Eevee in Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! They feature brand new gameplay to make the most of the unique capabilities of Nintendo Switch, such as throwing Poké Balls to catch Pokémon by swinging Joy-Con™ controllers, as well as the opportunity for family and friends to battle and explore together in a new two-player mode. The games were unveiled in partnership with GAME FREAK, the games’ developers and original creators of the Pokémon video game franchise.

“With the launch of Pokémon GO in 2016 and the global sensation that ensued, millions of new players were introduced to the world of Pokémon,” said Junichi Masuda, director at GAME FREAK inc. “For many people, Pokémon GO was their first experience with the Pokémon brand, so we have crafted these two new titles to be an accessible entry point to our core RPG series while giving our longtime fans a new way to play Pokémon.”

The connection between these two new titles and Pokémon GO doesn’t end there – literally. GAME FREAK and The Pokémon Company teamed up with Niantic to bring next-level innovation by offering players the ability to connect their Pokémon GO to their Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! game. Players can catch Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region in Pokémon GO and then transfer them into their Nintendo Switch adventure. Something special will also be coming to the world of Pokémon GO, making the connection between both games even more appealing for Trainers. Details for this will be revealed in the near future.

The Poké Ball Plus* a device that can be used to play Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! in place of a Joy-Con or alongside Pokémon GO instead of the Pokémon GO Plus, was also unveiled, continuing the innovative ways to connect the games. The Poké Ball Plus features motion controls, lights up with a variety of colors, vibrates, and plays sounds. When catching a Pokémon in the Nintendo Switch games, players will be able to feel it moving within the device. It also does more than function as a controller—using the Poké Ball Plus, players can bring one of their Pokémon from Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! with them as they explore the real world, giving Trainers the opportunity to spend time with favorite Pokémon even when they’re not playing the game. Additionally, Trainers can receive a variety of rewards once Pokémon are returned to the Nintendo Switch games.

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! will launch on November 16, 2018, exclusively on Nintendo Switch. The Poké Ball Plus will be available at participating retailers on the same day.

Watch the Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! announcement trailer here.

For more information about Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, please visit: Pokemon.com/PokemonLetsGo.

Pokémon Quest

Pokémon Quest, a rambunctious action RPG game, was also revealed at the press conference, along with the surprise for fans that it is available today on Nintendo eShop. Developed by GAME FREAK, Pokémon Quest takes players across Tumblecube Island, where everything’s a cube—including the Pokémon. Travel the length and breadth of the island hunting for treasure, battling with wild Pokémon, discovering unexplored territories, and even cooking tasty treats to tempt new Pokémon to join your party.

Gameplay features of Pokémon Quest include:

• Battle by tapping—Pokémon Quest uses simple touch controls that can be enjoyed by everyone.
• Befriend many Pokémon—Use items collected throughout expeditions to befriend a wide array of Pokémon.
• Create your Pokémon dream team—Partner with three of your Pokémon friends to battle through diverse environments.
• Pokémon unique to you—Use different Power Stones to personalize your Pokémon friends however you want and give them unique stats.
• Customize your base camp—Decorate your home with cute and fun collectibles that not only look good, but can provide in-game benefits.

“This new Pokémon title, developed by GAME FREAK, lets players explore the island of Tumblecube with their team of cute, cube-shaped characters known as Pokéxel,” said Shigeru Ohmori, director at GAME FREAK. “Players will be able to personalize their Pokémon and develop a strong bond with their Pokémon friends while battling their way through the adventure. With the simple touch-screen controls, Pokémon Quest is a game that Pokémon fans of all ages can pick up and play.”

Watch a trailer for Pokémon Quest here: https://youtu.be/j0AEUmgGHRE.

For more information about Pokémon Quest, please visit: Pokemon.com/Quest.

*The Poké Ball Plus will be sold separately and is not included with Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! At the time of release, the Poké Ball Plus will only be compatible with Pokémon Go, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! and will not be compatible with any other Nintendo Switch software.

Games Shown:

It might be one of the most popular video game franchises in the world, but Call of Duty isn’t scared to take some risks.

At a community reveal event in Los Angeles, Activision and developer Treyarch gave gamers their first good look at Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The explosive shooter is going bigger than ever, capturing the zeitgeist with a battle royale mode and eschewing a traditional single-player campaign in favor of a narrative-driven approach to multiplayer.

Here are the five biggest features coming to Black Ops 4.

1. Blackout mode gives fans the royale treatment.

Games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite have ushered in the era of the battle royale. Black Ops 4 hopes to move the trendy genre into the future with the new Blackout mode.

Blackout will let players drop onto a huge map – we’re talking 1,500 times the size of iconic Black Ops map “Nuketown” – and battle it out to be the last person standing. Featuring playable characters from classic Black Ops games, fan-favorite maps, land, sea, and air vehicles, and all the weapons, gadgets and gear you’d expect from a full-fledged Call of Duty experience, Blackout should be a formidable – and fun – new entry in the burgeoning battle royale space.

2. Boots are back on the ground.

Having pushed the sci-fi envelope in Black Ops III and Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty returns to the boots-on-the-ground action that the franchise is famous for. Forget flitting around with jump jets and wallruns – the combat in Black Ops 4 is grittier, more tactical, and decidedly less fantastical. Players can no longer rely on rocket-powered boosts to zip away from danger. In Black Ops 4, the smart, strategic player will succeed.

Black Ops 4 will also reward dedicated players with the introduction of a new “predictive recoil” feature. Each weapon has a distinct recoil pattern; use a gun long enough and you can master its spread for maximum accuracy and damage. This move away from randomized bullet patterns will undoubtedly please hardcore and competitive players anxious to up their game and hone their skills.

3. Specialists are the stars of the show.

Specialists return in Black Ops 4, and they’re the lynchpin of multiplayer. Eight different specialist classes were on display during the reveal event, each with unique equipment and abilities. Taken together, the Specialists bring a hero shooter mentality to Black Ops 4.

Ruin, for instance, wields a Grapple Gun to quickly cover ground or reach higher elevation. He can also trigger a lethal area-of-effect Grav Slam to wipe out enemies huddled together. Firebreak totes a flamethrower and can emit a radiation field to damage nearby enemies. Seraph creates spawn points with her deployable beacon, Recon shoots a sensor dart that reveals enemy positions, and Torque can slow down enemies with a deployable barricade.

Perfecting the interplay between these powers will be crucial to team success in Black Ops 4 multiplayer, but the Specialists also offer a window into the game’s overarching narrative by way of story-driven solo missions and trials.

4. Take control of your health.

If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything. In Black Ops 4, players begin a match with more health than ever before: 150 instead of the 100 found in every prior Call of Duty. That means you can take more punishment before going down, theoretically extending skirmishes by giving players a slightly better chance to escape from danger.

The flipside? Health is no longer restored automatically. Instead, players will have to manage their own health with a new Heal button. Press the left bumper and you’ll inject yourself with a stim pack to regain health, but this potent ability is on cooldown. Should you stay in the fight while trying to heal, or briefly take cover and risk losing a sure kill or two? Remembering to heal – and learning how to use this feature most effectively – will separate the haves from the headshot.

5. Three Zombies for the price of one.

It wouldn’t be Black Ops without a few thousand undead corpses to blast back to the grave, but Black Ops 4 isn’t content with one measly Zombies mode. To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Zombies, three distinct maps will be included in the Black Ops 4 package on Day One – and these aren’t your father’s boring old shamblers.

‘Voyage of Despair’ tasks its four sturdy characters with surviving a zombie outbreak on the Titanic; ‘IX’ outfits our crew with swords and shields and before tossing them into a Roman gladiator arena; and ‘Blood of the Dead’ revisits the legendary Mob of the Dead prison level from Black Ops II. With deep customization options, multiple difficulty levels, and an in-game tutorial for newbies, it’s shaping up to be the brainiest Zombies experience to date.

We’ll doubtlessly learn more about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s many modes, features, and innovations in the coming months. It’s due out for Xbox One on October 12.

Studio Saizensens new fighting game, Blade Strangers, brings together a diverse and interesting mix of established characters in their own respective universes, but are new to the fighting game genre. Teaming up with publisher Nicalis has further bolstered the roster to include the protagonists from indie favourites Shovel Knight, Binding of Issac and Cave Story, as well as including the studio’s own Code of Princess heroine Solange and lead character from Super Famicom platformer, Umihara Kawase. So we caught up with president Toshinobu Kondo to discuss title leading up to its upcoming summer release. 

Nintendo Life: Hello, could you introduce yourself? 

Toshinobu Kondo: Nice to meet you, my name is Toshinobu Kondo, president of Studio Saizensen. I started making video games as a hobby when I was around 13 years old and I’ve been making games for 35 years now. My first job was as a video game graphic designer. Next, I became a manga artist and illustrator, and then we established a game company. That was 20 years ago.

It seems like more than the average amount of backstory has gone into Blade Strangers. Could you outline the story for those new to the game? 

The world of Blade Strangers is actually a virtual world, part of a simulation of the entire universe. Our world is also one of the many virtual worlds, as are the game worlds that our favourite characters come from. And this virtual world is facing a great danger that threatens the survival of all the worlds. Only the strongest fighters can face that danger, which is why many heroes have gathered together in the virtual world – so they can become Blade Strangers and save the whole universe!

What influenced the story?

We based the story on the theory that our current universe is actually simulated by a computer, speaking in terms of quantum mechanics. If that is really true, we can restore the world to a previous time or even make different routes, similar to the SVN (Apache Subversion) software that we use in game programming. Things like UMAs can be thought of as conflicts created by merging a different route. Are Akashic records really not the logs of the main server?! What is the difference between a perfectly simulated world and the real world? It was fun for us to think about these concepts, and they formed the basis of the game’s main storyline.

Was it difficult to balance the game for both newcomers and fighting game veterans? 

Balancing is a very difficult element when it comes to fighting games. We progressed with adjustments that were based on having both novice players and veteran world-class professionals playtest Blade Strangers over and over. We put many hours into the playtesting and we’re confident that all players will be happy with the final balance at launch.

How did the roster come together? 

We were originally making the game by ourselves, so at first, we were mainly looking at Studio Saizensen characters like Solange and Umihara Kawase. And then we had a wonderful encounter with Tyrone from Nicalis! He and I (and the team) discovered that we all had very similar thoughts and opinions regarding the direction of the game. So, whenever Nicalis would say, “How about adding THIS character?” everyone was totally up for it! Everything was decided very smoothly, and pretty soon we had 14 characters lined up, haha!

How was the selection process of bringing in various Studio Saizensen characters, along with a few other Nicalis published games and even a surprise or two?

Like I said, it happened very quickly. You’d think there would have been long, drawn-out debates and arguments about the character selection process. However, we found that everyone involved liked similar games, so by agreeing with each other’s ideas, the line-up sort of evolved by itself!

Is it difficult to introduce characters that weren’t in a fighting game before or characters that might not be well known to players? 

I love all these characters, and the characters that you love should go above and beyond the game where they originally appeared; they should transcend genres. Therefore, it never bothered me that the characters came from different kinds of games. Of course, it’s fun to include characters that are already known and loved by fans, but it’s even more fun to introduce characters to people who are unfamiliar with them and create new fans. That was very enjoyable; I never thought of it as a difficult thing to do.

How does the range in the background of the characters affect their fighting style and move sets?

That was one of the first things we needed to think about. We tried hard to include the skills that each character already had in the games where they previously appeared. Because of this, the characters’ fighting styles and move sets were heavily influenced by their backgrounds.

Blade Strangers is a mixture of ’old school’ and ’new school’. Can you elaborate for less seasoned fighting game players?

Games that have been established in a genre can sometimes be a dead-end in terms of evolution, so it narrows down the user base and makes it harder for new players to join. With Blade Strangers, we are trying to make a game that provides a new experience – to make good use of the more established elements, but evolve them to make it easier for new users to join in. Our goal is to create an enjoyable experience that both established fighting game players and new players can have fun with!

The development system of transforming a 3D character models into 2D sprite work is an interesting choice. How did they become an option and what were the challenges? 

Studio Saizensen has been using and refining this style of development for more than ten years. So for us, the decision to go with this art style for Blade Strangers was an easy and natural one.

What are you hoping from Blade Strangers in terms of entering the competitive fighting game scene?

Even players who have avoided fighting games up to this point should be able to compete well in Blade Strangers matches, because of the elegant controls. My wish is for the game to become a fighting game that many people can play, both casually and competitively.

What do you think it can offer that differentiates itself from the institutions of the genre such as Street Fighter or Tekken?

Probably the biggest difference is that the characters in Blade Strangers can be freely used with simple controls; players aren’t required to memorize complex button inputs. Also, players can become familiar with many characters that nobody would’ve expected to see in a fighting game. We want to provide our players with the fun of simple controls that feel good, along with the freedom to choose the character of their liking. And to top it off, if players are then able to hone their skills and discover the depth of the fighting game that lies beyond the simplicity, that would make us extremely happy too.

Are there any Switch specific features or is there any exclusive content at launch/in the future?

The great thing about the Switch hardware is the ability to take it with you wherever you go and challenge other players on the go. Aside from that inherent hardware benefit, there are no platform-exclusive features that we’ve announced.

Publisher Nicalis has done a great job of including extra content with physical editions of Switch games. Can you reveal any information about what’s coming with the physical edition? 

You’ll have to ask Nicalis about this, but I’m sure they’ll have some announcements coming soon.

What other media would you like to see the Blade Strangers universe in?

To tell you the truth, I really want to see the different types of fan art that this game will inspire. Next, I’d love to see anime.

We would like to thank Kondo-San for his time. Blade Strangers arrives on Nintendo Switch this summer…

7.16:
===

The upcoming patches will be mostly focused on balance tweaks in preparation for The International. There are a few more biweekly patches planned, with the primary ones scheduled around the final Major and the TI Qualifiers. After TI, we expect the first half of the new season to have longer periods between gameplay updates.

* Bounty Runes team gold reduced from 40 + 3/min to 40 + 2/min

* Reduced the following Movement Speed Talents:
– Bane Level 20: 75->65
– Beastmaster Level 10: 30 -> 25
– Bounty Hunter Level 10: 30 -> 25
– Clockwerk Level 10: 25 -> 20
– Dark Willow Level 15: 40 -> 35
– Gyrocopter Level 20: 50->45
– Legion Commander Level 20: 60->50
– Leshrac Level 15: 40->30
– Lifestealer Level 15: 35 -> 30
– Nature’s Prophet Level 10: 40 -> 35
– Nightstalker Level 20: 50 -> 45
– Oracle Level 20: 75 -> 65
– Outworld Devourer Level 15: 40 -> 35
– Sand King Level 10: 30 -> 25
– Shadow Demon Level 15: 40 -> 35
– Shadow Fiend Level 15: 35->30
– Techies Level 20: 75 -> 60
– Zeus: Level 15: 40 -> 30

* Increased Base HP regen to 1.75 for the following Agility heroes: Anti-Mage, Arc Warden, Clinkz, Drow Ranger, Meepo, Pangolier, Phantom Assassin, Templar Assassin, Troll Warlord, Vengeful Spirit

* Melee Barracks health increased from 1800 to 2000

* Roshan attack damage upgrade over time increased from 2.5/min to 4/min

* Blades of Attack: Cost increased from 420 to 430

* Bottle: Fixed Bounty Runes not being storable when the Bottle is full

* Enchanted Mango: HP regen reduced from 0.6 to 0.5

* Hand of Midas: Cooldown reduced from 100 to 95

* Moon Shard: Attack Speed increased from 130 to 140

* Nullifier: Projectile speed reduced from 900 to 750

* Rod of Atos: Recipe cost reduced from 1100 to 1000

* Sentry Ward: Duration increased from 4 to 6 minutes

* Shadow Amulet: Cost increased from 1300 to 1400

* Silver Edge: Recipe cost reduced from 700 to 600

* Skull Basher: Recipe cost reduced from 1150 to 1000

* Vladmir’s Offering: Mana regeneration increased from 0.65 to 1.0

* Alchemist: Greevil’s Greed bounty rune multiplier increased from 3 to 3.5

* Anti-Mage: Base attack rate improved from 1.45 to 1.4

* Arc Warden: Base damage increased by 2
* Arc Warden: Magnetic Field manacost reduced from 80/90/100/110 to 50/70/90/110

* Bane: Enfeeble duration reduced from 14/16/18/20 to 8/12/16/20

* Bloodseeker: Level 10 Talent increased from +4 Armor to +8 Armor
* Bloodseeker: Level 20 Talent increased from +14% Rupture Damage to +18%

* Bristleback: Level 25 Talent increased from +20 Warpath Damage Per Stack to +30

* Broodmother: Spiderlings health increased from 250 to 280

* Centaur Warrunner: Base damage increased by 4
* Centaur: Hoof Stomp manacost reduced from 130 to 115/120/125/130

* Chaos Knight: Base intelligence increased by 2

* Clinkz: Intelligence increased from 16 + 1.55 to 18 + 1.7
* Clinkz: Strafe dodge no longer has a count limit

* Clockwerk: Power Cogs manacost increased from 50/60/70/80 to 80

* Crystal Maiden: Arcane Aura self mana regeneration increased from 1.3/2.2/3.1/4.0 to 1.6/2.4/3.2/4.0
* Crystal Maiden: Base Damage increased by 2

* Dark Willow: Bedlam cooldown reduced from 40/35/30 to 30
* Dark Willow: Bedlam duration increased from 4 to 5

* Dazzle: Strength gain increased from 2.15 to 2.3
* Dazzle: Poison Touch count rescaled from 4/5/6/7 to 2/4/6/8
* Dazzle: Poison Touch cooldown reduced from 35/30/25/20 to 27/24/21/18

* Death Prophet: Base movement speed reduced from 310 to 305
* Death Prophet: Spirit Siphon manacost increased from 70/65/60/55 to 70
* Death Prophet: Level 10 Talent reduced from +50 Damage to 40

* Disruptor: Thunder Strike cooldown increased from 12/11/10/9 to 15/13/11/9

* Doom: Infernal Blade base damage reduced from 25/30/35/40 to 25
* Doom: Scorched Earth movement speed reduced from 14% to 11/12/13/14%

* Dragon Knight: Base movemend speed reduced from 285 to 280
* Dragon Knight: Elder Dragon Form bonus movement speed increased from 25 to 30
* Drow Ranger: Base Damage increased by 4

* Earthshaker: Base armor increased by 1

* Enchantress: Base strength increased by 1
* Enchantress: Nature’s Attendants manacost reduced from 140 to 110/120/130/140

* Enigma: Demonic Conversion Eidolon bounty reduced from 29 to 23

* Gyrocopter: C all Down Missile One damage reduced from 200/275/350 to 150/250/350
* Gyrocopter: Level 10 Talent reduced from +25 Damage to +20

* Huskar: Life Break increased from 34/38/42% to 34/39/44%
* Huskar: Inner Vitality manacost reduced from 170 to 140/150/160/170
* Huskar: Inner Vitality base regen increased from 10 to 12

* Invoker: Invoke manacost removed

* Io: Base movement speed reduced from 290 to 280
* Io: Level 15 Talent reduced from +90 Spirits Damage to +75
* Io: Level 20 Talent changed from Attacks Tether Ally’s Target to +20 Health Regen
* Io: Level 25 Talent changed from +50 Health Regen to Attacks Tether Ally’s Target

* Kunkka: Level 25 Talent changed from +50% Tidebringer Cleave to -1.5s Tidebringer Cooldown

* Leshrac: Base Intelligence reduced by 2 (base damage unchanged)
* Leshrac: Lightning Storm cast range reduced from 800 to 650/700/750/800

* Lich: Chain Frost damage increased from 280/370/460 to 300/400/500 (Scepter from 370/460/550 to 400/500/600)

* Lycan: Intelligence gain reduced from 1.55 to 1.4
* Lycan: Shapeshift critical strike reduced from 160/180/200% to 150/175/200%

* Magnus: Empower cleave distance increased from 460 to 625 (matching Battle Fury)
* Magnus: Empower cleave end radius increased from 240 to 330 (matching Battle Fury)

* Meepo: Earthbind projectile speed increased from 857 to 900
* Meepo: Earthbind now fully affects invisible units

* Mirana: Leap attack speed increased from 40/60/80/100 to 60/80/100/120
* Mirana: Moonlight Shadow duration increased from 15 to 18 seconds

* Monkey King: Wukong’s Command armor increased from 8/14/20 to 12/18/24

* Morphling: Morph now only dispels on initial cast, rather than on all toggles

* Necrophos: Attack Point improved from 0.53 to 0.4
* Necrophos: Base damage increased by 2
* Necrophos: Death Pulse Mana Regen per stack from 2/2.25/2.5/2.75 to 2.25/2.5/2.75/3

* Night Stalker: Void no longer applies a ministun during the day
* Night Stalker: Darkness no longer sets enemy vision to a fixed amount
* Night Stalker: Darkness now reduces enemy unit and ward vision by 25% (doesn’t affect buildings)

* Ogre Magi: Multicast 2x chance from 40/50/60 to 60/60/60%
* Ogre Magi: Multicast 3x chance from 0/20/25% to 0/30/30%
* Ogre Magi: Multicast 4x chance from 0/0/12.5% to 0/0/15%
* Ogre Magi: Level 10 Talent increased from +60 Gold/Min to +90

* Pangolier: Level 15 Talent changed from +30 Attack Speed to +2s Rolling Thunder Duration
* Pangolier: Level 20 Talent improved from +30 Swashbuckle Damage to +40
* Pangolier: Level 25 Talent improved from -16s Rolling Thunder Cooldown to -35

* Phantom Assassin: Blur now only triggers on real heroes
* Phantom Assassin: Blur now always triggers on Invisible and Spell Immune enemies

* Phantom Lancer: Doppelganger can no longer be cast while rooted

* Phoenix: Fire Spirits damage increased from 10/30/50/70 to 20/40/60/80

* Pudge: Meat Hook cooldown increased from 14/13/12/11 to 17/15/13/11
* Pudge: Meat Hook damage increased from 90/180/270/360 to 150/220/290/360

* Pugna: Nether Ward damage per mana increased from 1/1.25/1.5/1.75 to 1.25/1.5/1.75/2.0

* Queen of Pain: Level 25 Talent improved from 20s Spell Block to 15s

* Riki: Base HP regen increased from 1.5 to 3.0
* Riki: Blink Strike can now be cast on Spell Immune enemies
* Riki: Tricks of the Trade cooldown increased from 40/35/30 to 50/45/40
* Riki: Cloak and Dagger fade delay increased from 6/5/4/3 to 7.5/6/4.5/3

* Sand King: Caustic Finale slow reduced from 30% to 21/24/27/30%

* Shadow Fiend: Level 20 Talent changed from +20% Evasion to +2 Damage Per Soul
* Shadow Fiend: Level 25 Talent changed from +3 Damage Per Soul to -5 Presence Aura

* Silencer: Last Word cooldown reduced from 30/24/18/12 to 28/22/16/10
* Silencer: Arcane Curse damage increased from 14/22/30/38 to 16/24/32/40

* Slardar: Bash of the Deep damage increased from 60/80/100/120 to 80/100/120/140

* Slark: Pounce damage reduced from 40/80/120/160 to 30/60/90/120

* Sniper: Nigh t vision increased from 1100 to 1400

* Spirit Breaker: Base HP regen increased from 1 to 1.5

* Sven: Level 20 Talent increased from -5s Storm Hammer Cooldown to -6s
* Sven: Level 25 Talent increased from +0.75s Storm Hammer Stun Duration to +1.25s

* Tiny: Tree Grab building bonus damage increased from 60/80/100/120% to 90/120/150/180%
* Tiny: Tree Throw splash damage increased from 100 to 130%

* Tusk: Ice Shards cooldown increased from 21/18/15/12 to 23/20/17/14

* Treant Protector: Living Armor regen increased from 4/7/10/13 to 4/8/12/16

* Undying: Soul Rip manacost reduced from 100/110/120/130 to 80/95/110/125

* Ursa: Level 15 Talent changed from -1s Earthshock Cooldown to +25s Fury Swipes Reset Time
* Ursa: Level 20 Talent changed from +25s Fury Swipes Reset Time to +12 Fury Swipes Damage
* Ursa: Level 25 Talent changed from +14 Fury Swipes Damage to Enrage gains 80% Status Resistance

* Vengeful Spirit: Magic Missile cooldown reduced from 13/12/11/10 to 10
* Vengeful Spirit: Wave of Terror manacost reduced from 40 to 25/30/35/40

* Weaver: Shukuchi damage increased from 75/100/125/150 to 80/110/140/170

* Winter Wyvern: Splinter Blast slow increased from 25% to 30%
* Winter Wyvern: Splinter Blast manacost reduced from 120/130/140/150 to 90/110/130/150

* Wraith King: Mortal Strike no longer has a chance to kill creeps
* Wraith King: Mortal Strike now gains skeleton charges for every 2 enemy units you kill
* Wraith King: Mortal Strike skeleton count rescaled from 4/5/6/7 to 2/4/6/8
* Wraith King: Mortal Strike skeletons bounty reduced from 15/15 XP/Gold to 5/5
* Wraith King: Mortal Strike manacost reduced from 75 to 30/45/60/75

* Zeus: Base damage increased by 5
* Zeus: Strength gain reduced from 2.6 to 2.3
* Zeus: Arc Lightning damage rescaled from 85/100/115/145 to 70/95/120/145
* Zeus: Lightning Bolt cast range increased from 700 to 700/750/800/850
* Zeus: Lightning Bolt damage increased from 100/175/275/350 to 125/200/275/350