Balance Changes

Hello all Ghosts and Ghostbusters! This is Community Manager Albert and Game Designer Jullian here to talk to you about the design intentions behind this patch. We’ve made quite a few changes to the overall balance of the game to make gameplay feel smoother, snappier, and more rewarding. Our intention behind this update is for both Ghosts and Busters to have a wider variety of tools and options to engage with each other.

Due to the amount of changes included in this patch, we will definitely be keeping a close eye on the overall balance of the game.

Please give us your feedback in our official Discord or on socials, we look forward to hearing from you!

Player Movement and Engagements

We’ve tweaked some numbers here with the intention to incentivize more direct engagements between Ghosts and Ghostbusters. These changes should give Busters a few more tools and a bit more time to catch up and lock down Ghosts, while still allowing for Ghosts to have a choice in the matter of engaging and disengaging.

Ghosts

General

• Reduced speed burst duration after breaking a tether
• Reduced the speed burst duration in order to incentivize Ghosts to use their speed burst for combat instead of only for escaping.
• Reduced movement speed while possessing chairs

Chair possessables are plentiful in many of our maps and are generally located around many instances of themselves. This makes it very easy for Ghosts to quickly jump between chairs and clear large distances while charging energy. Rapid possession through chairs makes it difficult for Busters to directly engage with Ghosts. This strategy was too beneficial for Ghost players with no downsides.

We’ve reduced the movement speed of possessed chairs to give Busters more of a chance to engage with Ghosts in these scenarios, while still allowing Ghosts to have fun with this strategy.

• Slightly decreased the difficulty of the Trap Escape QTE

There’s already plenty of button mashing when playing as a Ghost. We’d like the trap escape QTEs to be a bit more accessible to newer players or players who may need a bit of help in mashing.

Buster Secondary Gadgets 

Disruptor Pylon

Disruptor Pylons primarily became a tool for finding Rifts and did too good of a job at it. Due to the Disruptor Pylon’s ability to locate Rifts, this puts significant stress on the Ghost player. This went against our original design intentions of the Disruptor Pylon being a tool for locking down areas. To incentivize the original design intentions of the Disruptor Pylon, we’ve reduced its deployment time and removed the battery drain.

• Disruptor Pylons no longer target possessables with Rifts hidden in them

We’ve made this change to give Ghosts a counterplay option against Disruptor Pylons. By moving Rifts into other non-artifact possessables, the Disruptor Pylon will no longer automatically target the possessable.  The Disruptor Pylon will still target the possessable if the Ghost also possesses it. However, if that possessable is still within a Disruptor Pylon’s area of effect, the Ghost cannot extract the Rift until the Disruptor Pylon is haunted or destroyed.

• Disruptor Pylons will continue to target artifacts even if the artifact does not contain a rift.
• Reduced deployment time from 2.6 seconds to 2 seconds
• Disruptor Pylon battery no longer passively depletes

Given the Ghost’s ability to easily disable this gadget, we felt the depleting battery was unnecessary with the current changes. This change removes the gadget’s demand to be monitored or forgotten by Busters and instead redirects focus toward more strategic Disruptor Pylon placement.

Ionizer Pods

Ghosts were easily able to avoid the Ionizer Pod between its travel time and activation, especially if the Ghost was already speed bursting away.  This change will give the Ionizer Pods more of a chance to be deployed before the Ghost is out of range.

• Reduced deployment time from .5 seconds to .2 seconds

Belt Gizmo 

The Belt Gizmo was generally ignored by players due to players feeling like it lacked utility compared to other gadgets. This buff to the damage resistance from Scare Attacks will help incentivize the use of the Belt Gizmo for defensive players that want to keep themselves up and kicking longer against more aggressive Ghosts.

• [NEW] Increased damage resistance from Scare Attacks

Ecto Goggles

We’d like to see some more use of the Ecto Goggles without overtuning it. This change should incentivize the use of Ecto Goggles and make them feel a bit more viable.

• Removed movement speed debuff modifier

Ghosts

We noticed that Ghost players had a tendency to default back towards the Ectoplast Ghost Type due to their lower cooldowns, snappier feel, and smooth combos. The goal here was to enhance that sense of satisfying gameplay, uniqueness, and viability for all Ghost Types.

General

Swarm Minions

• Swarm Minions are now more likely to attack multiple targets

Trap Minions

• Increased health

Ghost Types

Ectoplast

Pokey

Ecto Torpedo

• Reduced Cooldown from 12 seconds to 7 seconds
• Reduced Slime damage
• Reduced Environment damage

Ghouly

General

Ultimate: Fear Inferno

• Reduced Fear Inferno’s cooldown from 200 seconds to 120 seconds
• Reduced Fear Inferno Ecto cost
• Reduced Fear Inferno startup time

Scare Attack

• Reduced Scare Attack cooldown
• Reduced Scare Attack Fear damage
• Reduced Scare Attack distance
• Slightly reduced Scare Attack cone angle

Drake

Possess Human

• Now refunds a small amount of energy after successfully possessing a civilian
• Slightly increased energy cost over time

Infernal

Darkness Orb

• Slightly reduced detonation time
• Slightly reduced health
• Slightly reduced Slime damage

Wraith

Nightmare

• Reduced cooldown from 25 seconds to 15 seconds
• Slightly increased radius
• Reduced maximum amount of objects haunted from 8 to 6
• Slightly reduced startup time
• Slightly reduced Fear damage
• Slightly reduced Slime damage
• Removed environmental damage

Bashers

General

Ultimate: Windmill

• Reduced cooldown from 200 seconds to 120 seconds
• Slightly increased attack and animation speed

Scare Attack

• Slightly reduced cooldown
• Reduced energy cost
• increased/decreased attack speed

Lunk

Fist slam

• Reduced cooldown from 25 seconds to 15 seconds
• Significantly reduced environment damage

Gloom

Spectral Barrage

• Reduced cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds
• Increased projectile speed

Squidler

Throw object

• Increased projectile velocity
• Reduced projectile size
• Adjusted projectiles to better align with the center of the reticle

Howler

General

Ultimate: Sonic Pulse

• Reduced cooldown from 230 seconds to 120 seconds
• Reduced startup time from 3 seconds to 1.5 seconds

Scare Attack

• Increased scare cone distance and range
• Slightly reduced Slime damage

Shriek

Scream Wave

• Reduced cooldown from 25 seconds to 15 seconds
• Increased Fear damage
• Increased Slime damage
• Increased collider size
• Slightly reduced startup time
• Slightly increased width and range

Chomp

Mute Bubble

• [NEW] Applies a small amount of Slime damage over time
• Reduced cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds
• Slightly reduced Fear damage over time
• Slightly reduced startup time
• Reduced duration from 20 seconds to 12 seconds

Bramble

Floating Seeker

• Slightly increased cooldown from 5 seconds to 7 seconds
• Slightly increased energy cost
• Slightly increased detection radius
• Slightly reduced startup time
• Reduced targeting delay

Poltergeist

General

Ultimate: Overcharge

• Reduced cooldown from 190 seconds to 120 seconds
• Slightly reduced startup time

Zappy

Zap Dash

• Reduced cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds

Toxie

Shock Pillar

• [NEW] Shock Pillar pulses now reduce Buster Stamina with each hit
• Reduced cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds
• Slightly increased Slime damage
• Slightly reduced Fear damage
• Slightly increased pulse speed
• Slightly increased pulse height

Gnasher

Arc Cast

• Increased Arc sweep size

Glutton

General

Consume

• Slightly increased movement speed while consuming objects

Muncher

Splatter Shot

• Reduced cooldown from 40 seconds to 20 seconds
• Slightly reduced damage to objects
• Slightly reduced Fear damage
• Slightly reduced Slime damage

Hurl

Refuse Rockets

• Reduced cooldown from 40 seconds to 20 seconds
• Slightly reduced damage to objects
• Slightly reduced Fear damage
• Slightly reduced Slime damage
• Slightly reduced AOE Slime damage

Spew

Hurlwind

• Reduced cooldown from 40 seconds to 20 seconds
• Slightly reduced startup time
• Slightly increased barrage radius
• Slightly reduced Fear damage
• Slightly reduced Slime damage
• Slightly reduced AOE Slime damage

Possessors

General

Ultimate: Possess Buster

• [NEW] Now refunds energy when successfully possessing a civilian or buster
• Slightly increased energy cost over time

Terror Sentinel

Arm Trap

• Increased number of maximum traps from 3 to 5
• Slightly increased Fear damage

Hellion

Hellion Charge

• [NEW] Grants immunity to being tethered and Ionizer Pod fields after the initial warmup of the ability
• Increased cooldown from 21 seconds to 25
• Slightly reduced direct hit Slime damage

Scuttle

Malevolent Vortex

• [NEW] Now spawns 3 smaller Vortexes
• Reduced Vortex duration from 10 to 6 seconds
• Slightly reduced direct hit Fear damage
• Slightly reduced direct hit Slime damage
• Reduced initial speed
• Reduced max speed

Watchers

General

Ultimate: Bugout

• [NEW] Possessing, spawning swarm minions, spawning trap minions, and using Ectovision no longer cancel invisibility granted after activating Bugout
• Increased amount of Eye Torpedoes spawned from 12 to 15
• Slightly reduced startup time
• Slightly reduced initial targeting delay
• Slightly reduced movement speed modifier
• Reduced invisibility duration from 10 seconds to 8 seconds

Scare Attack

• Reduced cooldown
• Slightly reduced direct Slime damage
• Slightly reduced direct Fear damage
• Slightly reduced indirect Fear damage

Sneaky Eye Jab

• Reduced cooldown from 3 seconds to 2 seconds

Bug-eye

Optical Flail

• Adjusted energy consumption to cost a flat amount instead of a cost over time
• Slightly increased Slime damage per hit

Peeky

Lookout

• [NEW] Now applies a small amount of Fear damage over time while within the radius and line of sight of Lookouts

Overlord

General

Possessable Bomb

• Reduced cooldown from 4 to 3

Samhain

Black Lightning

• Reduced cooldown from 16 to 15

Darklock

PKE Shield

• [NEW] Shield replenishes energy upon shield taking damage
• Reduced cooldown from 35 seconds to 25 seconds
• Reduced shield health

Gravebringer / Garraka

Dark Lance / Ice Lance

• [NEW] Dark Lance and Ice Lance now splinter off into 3 separate projectiles after being thrown
• Adjusted projectile to better align with the center of the reticle

Gear Changes

We wanted certain Buster Gear stats to have a more profound impact on gameplay. We also wanted to change up these stats to give players more options to play around with when designing their own loadouts.

Particle Thrower

Central Unit

Quantum Accelerator

• Tether Creation Speed +15% → +10%
• Stream Range modifier removed

Cryo Venter

• Venting Efficiency +40% → +20%
• Damage Output modifier removed

Heat Sink

• Heat Resistance – +20% → +15%
• Tether Creation Speed modifier removed

Stream Extender

• [NEW] Firing Movement Speed  -5%
• Stream Range +30% → +20% 
• Tether Extend / Contract Speed +60% → +30%
• Movement Speed modifier removed

Whip Pulsar

• [NEW] Tether Health +10%
• Movement Speed modifier removed

Nozzle

Sidewinder

• [NEW] Firing Movement Speed +15%
• Stream Control +20% → +10%
• Tether Creation Speed  -20% → -5%
• Movement Speed modifier removed

Focused Tip

• [NEW] Tether Extend/Contract Speed +10%
• [NEW] Tether Creation Speed +5%
• Stream Control +40% → +20%
• Stream Range -10% → -5%

Breaker

• Movement Speed modifier removed

Snub Nose

• Movement Speed +15% → +10%
• Recoil Control -45% → -25%
• Stream Control -40% → -20%
• Equip Speed modifier removed

Grip

Vertical Foregrip

• Movement Speed modifier removed

Horizontal Grip

• Mantle Speed modifier removed

Grip Taped Handles

•  Stream Control +25% → +15%

Dual Vertical Grips

• [NEW] Sprint to Action Speed -25%
• [NEW] Firing Movement Speed -5%
• Landing Recovery modifier removed
• Recoil Control modifier removed
• Movement Speed modifier removed

Side Component

Containment Monitor

• Equip Speed modifier removed
• Stream control modifier removed

Stream Amplifier

• [NEW] Stream Control -10%
• Damage Output +40% → +20%
• Tether Creation Speed -20% → +5%
• Venting Efficiency modifier removed
• Movement Speed modifier removed

Ionic Reverser

• [NEW] Tether Health +10%

Particle Thruster

• [NEW] Firing Movement Speed -15%
• Tether Creation Speed modifier removed
• Movement Speed modifier removed
• (Active) PT Mode – Heat Resistance -65% → -30%
• (Active) PT Mode – Tether Health removed

Top Attachment

Active Heat Isolator

• [NEW] Tether Health +5%
• Heat Resistance +25% → +20%
• Stream Control -25% → -15%

Neural Frequency Emitter

• Civilian Conversation Distance +30% → +50%

Proton Pack

Injection Booster

Energy Isolator

• Damage Output +5% → +15%
• Tether Health modifier removed

Efficiency Optimizer

• [NEW] Firing Movement Speed -5%
• Tether Creation Speed -10% → -5%
• Movement Speed modifier removed

Centrifugal Thruster

• Sprint Boost +80% → +60%
• Venting Efficiency -15% → -25%

Generator

Cyclical Exhaust Port

• Movement Speed modifier removed

Lightweight Module

• Self Revive Speed modifier removed

Governor Release

• [NEW] Tether Creation Speed +5%
• Venting Efficiency modifier removed

Cyclotron

Enhanced Regulator

• [NEW] Heat Resistance +10%
• Overheat Cooldown Speed modifier removed
• Self-Revive Speed modifier removed
• Movement Speed modifier removed

PKE Meter

Arms

Pure Selenium

• Ghost Stun Time +30% → +40%
• Reboot Speed -10% → -5%
• Movement speed modifier removed

Ecto Zapper

• Reboot Speed -10% → -5%
• Pulse Range modifier removed

Handle

Wielder Grip

• Equip Speed -20% → -50%
• Movement Speed modifier removed

Attachment

Pulse Booster Bypass

• Ghost Stun Time modifier removed
• Movement Speed modifier removed

Outboard Chipset

• Equip Speed modifier removed

Ghost Trap

Inner Mechanism

Supercharger

• Trap Pull Strength +60% → +20%

Pedal

Seismic Proximity Pedal

• Battery Efficiency modifier removed

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Changes and Improvements

General

• Fixed an issue where Nintendo Switch users could become stuck inside Ray’s Occult Shop after exiting the Ghost tutorial
• Fixed an issue where a Rift’s health regeneration VFX would appear after the Rift was hidden

Ghosts

• Fixed an issue where Watchers would not appear in Ghost Bounties

Busters

• Fixed an issue where the “Modern Age” Particle Thrower Shell could appear very dark under certain lighting conditions
• Fixed an issue where the XP reward prompt would not appear when completing the “Cracked” Particle Thrower/Proton Pack Shell research contracts
• Fixed an issue where the Gear Cart menu could persist during the match outro cinematic
• Added VFX for the RGB PKE Meter while Buster is slimed

Based on the roadmap, we should be getting one more major patch before the year is over.

[Source: Ghostbusters SU]