4/20/17 Update: Version 2 settings are now live! Read more here.

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Last week, Tashi detailed an early look at changes to game type settings for the Halo Championship Series Summer Season, including changes to starting weapon set as well as weapons that are being removed for this season and evaluated for reintroduction following balance updates. If you missed it, you can catch those details here.

Earlier this week, members of the 343 Multiplayer team met with top HCS players to gather feedback, input, and ideas for this season’s settings. Based on this feedback, today, we’re excited to launch “version 1” of the HCS Summer Season settings in the HCS Summer Preview playlist – live in Halo 5 right now. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be gathering feedback from top players via official feedback sessions, and the entire community via an official forum thread below, as we work to make final tweaks and lock the final settings for HCS Daytona by UMG and the Summer Season of the HCS Pro League and Open Circuit.

Read on for detailed game type and map changes.

Game Variant Changes

These changes will be applied on all HCS maps found within the HCS Summer Preview playlist, and can also be found within the Official HCS fileshare (maps | modes).

Changed starting Primary Weapon from Assault Rifle to Magnum

Changed starting Secondary Weapon from Magnum to None

Changed all Tier 1 weapon respawn times to 40 seconds

Changed all Tier 2 weapon respawn times to 20 seconds

Removed all automatic weapons from all maps

Removed all Splinter Grenades from all maps

Set Motion Sensor Inner Range to 60%

Set Motion Sensor Base Movement Speed Visibility to Off

As a note, we are looking for community input and recommendations for which additional weapons you’d like to see added on the maps in place of the weapons that have been removed, and will be collecting this feedback via the aforementioned official methods. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be making updates based on this feedback.

Map-by-Map Changes

These changes will be applied on all HCS maps found within the HCS Summer Preview playlist, and can also be found within the Official HCS fileshare (maps | modes).

Coliseum

Removed Splinter Grenades from Red Pillar, Blue Pillar, and Trench

Removed Silenced Assault Rifle from Trench

Removed Brute Plasma Rifle from Top Mid

Removed SMGs from under Red and Blue Base

Replaced Rocket Launcher on Yellow Tower with SPNKr Rocket Launcher

Set DMR respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Covenant Carbine respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Boltshot respawn time to 40 seconds

Eden

Removed Splinter Grenades from Red Platform and Blue Catwalk

Removed Brute Plasma Rifle from Red Nest

Removed SMG from Red Basement

Removed SMG from Blue Bend

Removed Silenced Assault Rifle from Security [Slayer Only]

Replaced SPNKr Rocket Launcher located Outside with Overshield [Slayer Only]

Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds

Set LightRifle respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Hydra respawn time to 20 seconds [Slayer Only]

Empire

Removed Silenced Assault Rifle from Tower One

Set DMR respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Boltshot respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Plasma Pistol respawn time to 20 seconds

Fathom

Removed Silenced Assault Rifles from Red and Blue Tree House

Removed Splinter Grenades from Red and Blue Sub

Set LightRifle respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Boltshot respawn time to 40 seconds

Plaza

Removed SMG from Yard

Removed Storm Rifle from Bottom Mid

Removed Splinter Grenade from Cinema Loft

Removed Splinter Grenade from Elevator [Slayer Only]

Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds

Set LightRifle respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Boltshot respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Plasma Pistol respawn time to 20 seconds

Set Shotgun respawn time to 20 seconds [Strongholds Only]

Regret

Removed Splinter Grenades from Red and Blue One

Removed Silenced Assault Rifle from Bottom Nest

Removed Storm Rifle from Tunnel

Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Covenant Carbine respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Boltshot respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Plasma Pistol respawn time to 20 seconds

The Rig

Removed Splinter Grenade from Open Deck

Removed SMG from Bottom Nest

Removed Storm Rifle from Pit

Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds

Set DMR respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Scattershot respawn time to 20 seconds

Set Needler respawn time to 20 seconds

Truth

Removed Splinter Grenades from Red and Blue Sneaky

Removed Energy Sword from Top Mid

Removed Storm Rifle from Bottom Mid

Moved Plasma Pistol from Carbine Tower One to Top Mid

Set Plasma Pistol respawn time to 20 seconds

Set Battle Rifle respawn time to 40 seconds

Set Covenant Carbine respawn time to 40 seconds

It is also worth noting that these updated settings have many similarities between the community-created settings that top players have recently been scrimming on, with two key differences:

The Assault Rifle will not be featured as an on-map weapon. As stated last week, the Assault Rifle’s effectiveness is similar across a wide range of skill levels, which is not intended. We’re actively evaluating best ways to update the weapon and reintroduce it into competitive play once the weapon has been retuned and tested, but the weapon will not be featured in competitive play during the Summer 2017 season.

We have doubled the respawn time for weapons that are not on weapon pads, based on feedback that these weapons were respawning too frequently, as discussed last week. It is worth noting that this is different from the community-created settings we’ve been keeping an eye on, as our team feels it is important to maintain a level of simplicity and understanding for players to know and learn the spawn times for different classes of weapons.

We’re looking forward to hearing your feedback on these settings – head over to our forums if you're looking to discuss all the new changes, and be sure and stay tuned for further updates!

343 Industries