StarCraft II Weekly Mutation Chain of Ascension Battle Hardened Gameplay

In late 2025, StarCraft II (SC2) remains the “gold standard” of the Real-Time Strategy (RTS) genre. While Blizzard Entertainment officially ended major content development years ago, the game is experiencing a strange, second life in 2025 due to a mix of community-led balance patches, a shifting esports landscape, and its recent addition to PC Game Pass.

Here is the state of the Koprulu Sector in 2025:

1. The Major 2025 “Community” Patch (v5.0.15)

In a rare move, Blizzard released a significant balance update in September/October 2025. This patch was curated almost entirely by pro players and community modders to keep the meta from getting stale.

• Zerg Buffs: The Spire saw a cost reduction (down to 150/150), and Banelings regained their +5 HP bonus from Centrifugal Hooks, making them much tankier in the late game.
• Protoss Tweaks: The Mothership was made faster but less durable, and Psionic Storm was reworked to deal more total damage (140) over a longer duration (6 seconds), rewarding better “zoning” play.
• Terran Changes: Siege Tanks can no longer be “Abducted” by Zerg Vipers while sieged, a massive change for defensive play. Additionally, Vikings became cheaper (125/75), encouraging more sky-territory battles.

2. The Esports Shift: EWC and the End of EPT

2025 has been a year of massive transition for competitive StarCraft II:

• ESL Pro Tour Sunset: In April 2025, the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) for SC2 officially shut down after five years. This ended the iconic circuit that led to IEM Katowice for many years.
• Esports World Cup (EWC): SC2 has moved its “World Championship” status to the Esports World Cup in Riyadh. In the August 2025 tournament, herO (Protoss) and Cure (Terran) continued to dominate, proving that the “Old Guard” of Korean pros is still at the top.
• GSL Lives On: Against all odds, the Global StarCraft II League (GSL) in South Korea continues to run Seasons in 2025, though with smaller prize pools and a more intimate studio setting.

3. Game Pass & Player Base

• The “Game Pass” Effect: Since being added to Xbox/PC Game Pass in late 2024, the game has seen a steady stream of new players. While the competitive ladder is still “hardcore,” the Co-op Missions mode remains the most popular way to play, with 1v1 ladder counts holding steady at around 70,000–100,000 active daily players.
• Arcade Mode Troubles: In late 2025, there has been some community frustration regarding a “publishing shutdown” in the Arcade. Due to technical security fixes, Blizzard temporarily disabled the ability for modders to upload new maps, which has led to a stagnant (but still playable) custom game scene.

4. Summary: Should you play in 2025?