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Season 2 is approaching its end—which means Season 3 is just around the corner! Once the new season commences, we’ll be removing Catalyst LE, 16-Bit LE, Redshift LE, and Darkness Sanctuary LE from the ladder pool. In their place, we’re adding the following new maps, as well as new Team maps.
1v1
Fracture LE
![[image loading]](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/page_media/RI1ZCQO9GI861533000451891.jpg)
This map features a lower base count than other 1v1 maps, and there is a direct attack path between the opponent’s expansion locations. You can destroy rocks to create additional pathways.
Blueshift LE
![[image loading]](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/page_media/OEBKRWBTGXXW1533000450510.jpg)
Attack along the central corridor for the fastest attack path or take the more open high ground routes to your opponent's expansions. Destroy the rocks to clear pathways between all three main attack routes.
Cerulean Fall LE
![[image loading]](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/page_media/2KHV31LI4WZP1533000451847.jpg)
There are multiple options for the third and fourth base expansion locations. Also, the center has high ground expansions that can be an important acquisition in the later stages of a match.
Para Site LE
![[image loading]](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/page_media/V2UGDQHBJGOO1533000452176.jpg)
This macro map features non-linear expansion patterns, and there are multiple options for later expansions. In the beginning, it’ll be easier to hold multiple bases, but the bases tend to spread out more as the game progresses.
Team Maps
2v2
Ulzaan
![[image loading]](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/page_media/BC3GFEW26HVW1533000452509.jpg)
You can easily fortify your starting area to defend from a direct attack, but there are other routes your enemy could take. Control the north xel’naga tower to monitor incoming air attacks and keep an eye on the destructible debris to the south to avoid any costly surprises.
3v3
Canyon of Tribulation
![[image loading]](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/page_media/A79H42B67NP61533000450630.jpg)
Your starting locations are well-fortified, but your opponents can open additional pathways to your base as the game progresses.
4v4
Sacred Grounds
![[image loading]](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/page_media/L973H1HD1BNG1533000452285.jpg)
Your starting location is well-protected and has a good number of resources, but cooperation with your allies is necessary to secure the additional resources you'll need to be victorious.
The final 1v1 map pool for Season 3 will be:
- Acid Plant LE
- Dreamcatcher LE
- Lost and Found LE
- Blueshift LE
- Fracture LE
- Para Site LE
- Cerulean Fall LE
These maps are currently available for testing under the Custom tab, so feel free to jump in and start practicing strategies before new season begins on August 14. GLHF!
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I'm a fan of these changes overall. Cerulean Fall and Para Site did poorly in the public voting, but were nevertheless some of the best maps of the contest. Blueshift is basically just an updated Catalyst, but is still a good map. Acid Plant staying isn't ideal, but I guess they only wanted to swap out four maps.
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On August 01 2018 04:20 ZigguratOfUr wrote:
I'm a fan of these changes overall. Cerulean Fall and Para Site did poorly in the public voting, but were nevertheless some of the best maps of the contest. Blueshift is basically just an updated Catalyst, but is still a good map. Acid Plant staying isn't ideal, but I guess they only wanted to swap out four maps.
It's a tragedy, we've been robbed of Blueshift into Redshift at Blizzcon.
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On August 01 2018 04:32 Elentos wrote:Show nested quote +On August 01 2018 04:20 ZigguratOfUr wrote:
I'm a fan of these changes overall. Cerulean Fall and Para Site did poorly in the public voting, but were nevertheless some of the best maps of the contest. Blueshift is basically just an updated Catalyst, but is still a good map. Acid Plant staying isn't ideal, but I guess they only wanted to swap out four maps. It's a tragedy, we've been robbed of Blueshift into Redshift at Blizzcon.
It seemed so close, and yet now it seems so far away!
On an related note, Ulzaan is my favorite 2v2 map in a while. I might have to poke and prod my old 2v2 partner out of his depression and alcoholism, and back onto the ladder.
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Nice maps overall. More macro, less gimmicky.
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Austria24422 Posts
Pretty good maps I'd say. Dreamcatcher the odd one out, but solid map pool overall I'd say. I'm always a fan of standard maps. Let players play the game, don't force strategies on them.
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Norway839 Posts
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That's a pretty solid map pool! This current season was the first one in quite a while that I had to use all three vetoes and all of the three maps are gone. Looking at this I'll probably play on 7 maps next season. NICE.
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Next season we better get a Oneshift and Twoshift.
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On August 01 2018 05:01 Olli wrote:
I'm always a fan of standard maps. Let players play the game, don't force strategies on them.
Macro is a strategy forced upon players by "standard" maps. It is literally impossible to make a map that doesn't influence how players play. Some iterations of that are just more vilified than others.
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Austria24422 Posts
On August 01 2018 05:32 Boggyb wrote:Show nested quote +On August 01 2018 05:01 Olli wrote:
I'm always a fan of standard maps. Let players play the game, don't force strategies on them. Macro is a strategy forced upon players by "standard" maps. It is literally impossible to make a map that doesn't influence how players play. Some iterations of that are just more vilified than others.
Yes and no, you can cheese or all-in just fine on most macro maps, but sure every map influences how players play. That should be kept to a minimum, though, as far as I'm concerned.
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Is there any info on which map will leave the 2v2 pool?
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goooooooooooooooooodddddddddddddddd byeeeeeeeeeeeeee 16 bit
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My prayers have been answered. A 3v3 map that allows all players to have more than 1 one base!
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That's a pretty decent Map pool for season 3 
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Bit sad that 16 bit is gone but overall I'm quite happy. Bit surprised that Acid Plant stays for another season as I don't think the map is THAT good.
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Am I the only one who wants Abyssal reef back?
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On August 01 2018 16:50 Zaros wrote:
Am I the only one who wants Abyssal reef back?
Abyssal Reef, Daybreak, Pvergrowth and Akilon Waste
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On August 01 2018 17:25 Charoisaur wrote:Show nested quote +On August 01 2018 16:50 Zaros wrote:
Am I the only one who wants Abyssal reef back? Abyssal Reef, Daybreak, Pvergrowth and Akilon Waste
No just abyssal reef that map was very close to perfection I feel
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Wish they did add a few smaller maps and also i wish map makers would add some distance between expands.
Look at a map like frost. Its to easy to defend multiple bases with todays maps. Would be a lot more scirmish and action if they put the expansions farther away for each other and not so compact.
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I really like the new maps i think we will see great games on them, i really like the way they handeling the 1v1 mappool atm
but im very sad blizz is just switching 1 team map in 2v2 3v3 4v4,
yes 1v1 is the main point but i als enjoy some team games with my friends but atm the team maps are so bad or old in my opinion and most of them didnt changed for ages, would be nice to see more changes there
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On August 01 2018 20:47 Krootie wrote:
Wish they did add a few smaller maps and also i wish map makers would add some distance between expands.
Look at a map like frost. Its to easy to defend multiple bases with todays maps. Would be a lot more scirmish and action if they put the expansions farther away for each other and not so compact.
Rush distances for season 3 from top of main ramp to the other (previous season right column) :
32s Fracture - 33s Darkness close position
33s Blueshift - 35s Redshift
35s Dreamcatcher -
36s Cerulean Fall - 36s Catalyst
39s Lost & found - 39s 16bits
42s Para Site -
43s Acid plant - 44s Dark cross position
The maps are the smallest they have been in a long time.
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I really like the colour scheme for Blueshift and Cerulean Fall. That canyon in Canyon of Tribulation is pretty eye-catching as well.
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Why couldn't Blizzard retire Acid Plant? Pros have been playing on it constantly because the other maps are worse, not because it is amazing.
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Which 2v2 map is being retired?
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I like the first one, just because it is not a dark map again.
Please, map creators, more bright and shiny maps! <3
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Confirmed:
Blizzard hate 4-person map, grass map, but like rocks.
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It makes me so sad there aren't any 4 player maps nowadays, i really miss them.
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4 player maps are awful to make, awful for pro play.
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On August 02 2018 02:08 bearhug wrote:
Confirmed:
Blizzard hate 4-person map, grass map, but like rocks.
Has there been a genuine desert map since late Wings of Liberty/early Heart of the Swarm?
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On August 02 2018 06:52 Fanatic-Templar wrote:Show nested quote +On August 02 2018 02:08 bearhug wrote:
Confirmed:
Blizzard hate 4-person map, grass map, but like rocks. Has there been a genuine desert map since late Wings of Liberty/early Heart of the Swarm?
Cactus Valley?
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After two questionable map pools in a row we have a good one! All those maps look way better than what we have currently. Now I can use my vetoes for things other than blocking gimmicky maps.
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On August 02 2018 09:18 ZigguratOfUr wrote:Show nested quote +On August 02 2018 06:52 Fanatic-Templar wrote:On August 02 2018 02:08 bearhug wrote:
Confirmed:
Blizzard hate 4-person map, grass map, but like rocks. Has there been a genuine desert map since late Wings of Liberty/early Heart of the Swarm? Cactus Valley?
True that.
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On August 02 2018 09:48 Fanatic-Templar wrote:Show nested quote +On August 02 2018 09:18 ZigguratOfUr wrote:On August 02 2018 06:52 Fanatic-Templar wrote:On August 02 2018 02:08 bearhug wrote:
Confirmed:
Blizzard hate 4-person map, grass map, but like rocks. Has there been a genuine desert map since late Wings of Liberty/early Heart of the Swarm? Cactus Valley? True that.
catalyst is also a desert... just with different colored rocky terrain than normal.
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Map pool looking good so far, decent overall macro maps!
Also +1 for keeping Acid Plant!
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Redshift gone  and no other "crazy" map instead of it. I loved it, like Battle for Boardwalk. It created so many interesting situations, not only in my games, but also many more in progames I've watched. IMO SC2 is more interesting with less standard maps.
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Redshift gone and no other "crazy" map instead of it. I loved it, like Battle for Boardwalk. It created so many interesting situations, not only in my games, but also many more in progames I've watched. IMO SC2 is more interesting with less standard maps.
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If I'm to complain I would say the pool is a bit boring and there are too few grassy maps.
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Is it just me or does Blueshift seem like a pretty safe/generic LOTV map? Is there something I'm missing? I want to like the new maps but just played on that and it feels like every other basic map I've played lately.
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On August 07 2018 13:43 hegemony wrote:
Is it just me or does Blueshift seem like a pretty safe/generic LOTV map? Is there something I'm missing? I want to like the new maps but just played on that and it feels like every other basic map I've played lately.
Yeah, it's (by the mapmaker's own admission) a rotated variation on Catalyst with some elements of Frozen Temple thrown in.
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tbh,
i always like a mappool with one or two "stupid" maps. while for a player of my level it is somewhat funny (some would say infuriating) to see what we noobs come up with, and at the pro lvl you get some pretty entertaining maps here and there (a lot of bad ones as well tbh).
redshift for example gave as a few crazy basetrades, maru vs soo was the most recent example. And we should not forget, that we can get bad matches on the more standard maps as well.
but i think blizzard had the blizzcon in mind with that pool
One thing i always wonder:
why aren't there more 3 player maps? the spawning issue is not as bad as for 4 player maps, but it still would result in different playstyles.
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On August 07 2018 14:19 uummpaa wrote:
tbh,
i always like a mappool with one or two "stupid" maps. while for a player of my level it is somewhat funny (some would say infuriating) to see what we noobs come up with, and at the pro lvl you get some pretty entertaining maps here and there (a lot of bad ones as well tbh).
redshift for example gave as a few crazy basetrades, maru vs soo was the most recent example. And we should not forget, that we can get bad matches on the more standard maps as well.
but i think blizzard had the blizzcon in mind with that pool
One thing i always wonder:
why aren't there more 3 player maps? the spawning issue is not as bad as for 4 player maps, but it still would result in different playstyles.
Three players maps are difficult to make due to symmetry issues. Ramps have to be at multiples of 45 degrees, mineral lines too to some extent, and while trying to maintain all that pseudo-symmetry you have to make sure the spacing and airpsace is approximately the same. The three player maps that we have had have only been mostly successful with that. And three player maps do still to some extent suffer from the spawn issues (though to a much lesser degree).
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On August 07 2018 14:40 ZigguratOfUr wrote:Show nested quote +On August 07 2018 14:19 uummpaa wrote:
tbh,
i always like a mappool with one or two "stupid" maps. while for a player of my level it is somewhat funny (some would say infuriating) to see what we noobs come up with, and at the pro lvl you get some pretty entertaining maps here and there (a lot of bad ones as well tbh).
redshift for example gave as a few crazy basetrades, maru vs soo was the most recent example. And we should not forget, that we can get bad matches on the more standard maps as well.
but i think blizzard had the blizzcon in mind with that pool
One thing i always wonder:
why aren't there more 3 player maps? the spawning issue is not as bad as for 4 player maps, but it still would result in different playstyles. Three players maps are difficult to make due to symmetry issues. Ramps have to be at multiples of 45 degrees, mineral lines too to some extent, and while trying to maintain all that pseudo-symmetry you have to make sure the spacing and airpsace is approximately the same. The three player maps that we have had have only been mostly successful with that. And three player maps do still to some extent suffer from the spawn issues (though to a much lesser degree).
i'm no mapmaker, so sorry if i'm wrong with my basic math:
why not just make a "pizza-slice" with an inside angle 120° and take it times three, and fill the area required to make the map square with air(-blockers if needed) then it should be perfectly symmetrical.
as for the spawning issue:
it still might be there, but i think the whole point of some maps should be to add a little extra challange, and why not with spawns (terrans for example have a little RNG in every map with their addons)
and doesn't broodwar use them quite a bit? as far as ramps and so on go the requirements should me somewhat the same or is there something i miss?
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On August 07 2018 15:09 uummpaa wrote:Show nested quote +On August 07 2018 14:40 ZigguratOfUr wrote:On August 07 2018 14:19 uummpaa wrote:
tbh,
i always like a mappool with one or two "stupid" maps. while for a player of my level it is somewhat funny (some would say infuriating) to see what we noobs come up with, and at the pro lvl you get some pretty entertaining maps here and there (a lot of bad ones as well tbh).
redshift for example gave as a few crazy basetrades, maru vs soo was the most recent example. And we should not forget, that we can get bad matches on the more standard maps as well.
but i think blizzard had the blizzcon in mind with that pool
One thing i always wonder:
why aren't there more 3 player maps? the spawning issue is not as bad as for 4 player maps, but it still would result in different playstyles. Three players maps are difficult to make due to symmetry issues. Ramps have to be at multiples of 45 degrees, mineral lines too to some extent, and while trying to maintain all that pseudo-symmetry you have to make sure the spacing and airpsace is approximately the same. The three player maps that we have had have only been mostly successful with that. And three player maps do still to some extent suffer from the spawn issues (though to a much lesser degree). and doesn't broodwar use them quite a bit? as far as ramps and so on go the requirements should me somewhat the same or is there something i miss?
Brood War is a completely different game and the 2 shouldn't ever be compared when it comes to maps.
Also, BW does use ramps that are a multiple of 30 degrees which, besides different absolutely different expanding patterns and strength of particular types of units, is a big help with symmetry.
The asymmetry for example is a gamebreaker. You can't compare being unable to wallground wall with a rax, because of the add-on position to being close to an unwinnable spot when the game starts because you spawned on the wrong side of your enemy (and it happened on MGR and Catallena which were the 2 3p maps we had in HotS map pools).
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On August 07 2018 15:09 uummpaa wrote:Show nested quote +On August 07 2018 14:40 ZigguratOfUr wrote:On August 07 2018 14:19 uummpaa wrote:
tbh,
i always like a mappool with one or two "stupid" maps. while for a player of my level it is somewhat funny (some would say infuriating) to see what we noobs come up with, and at the pro lvl you get some pretty entertaining maps here and there (a lot of bad ones as well tbh).
redshift for example gave as a few crazy basetrades, maru vs soo was the most recent example. And we should not forget, that we can get bad matches on the more standard maps as well.
but i think blizzard had the blizzcon in mind with that pool
One thing i always wonder:
why aren't there more 3 player maps? the spawning issue is not as bad as for 4 player maps, but it still would result in different playstyles. Three players maps are difficult to make due to symmetry issues. Ramps have to be at multiples of 45 degrees, mineral lines too to some extent, and while trying to maintain all that pseudo-symmetry you have to make sure the spacing and airpsace is approximately the same. The three player maps that we have had have only been mostly successful with that. And three player maps do still to some extent suffer from the spawn issues (though to a much lesser degree). i'm no mapmaker, so sorry if i'm wrong with my basic math: why not just make a "pizza-slice" with an inside angle 120° and take it times three, and fill the area required to make the map square with air(-blockers if needed) then it should be perfectly symmetrical. as for the spawning issue: it still might be there, but i think the whole point of some maps should be to add a little extra challange, and why not with spawns (terrans for example have a little RNG in every map with their addons) and doesn't broodwar use them quite a bit? as far as ramps and so on go the requirements should me somewhat the same or is there something i miss?
Three player maps are essentially made of three 120 degree slices, and often do have air blockers (for example Merry Go Round does) to make sure the airspace is the same (Catallena didn't and had issues with airspace). Airblockers are somewhat buggy though.
And this doesn't fix the bigger issue that ramps would still have to point at multiples of 45 degrees and can't simply be mirrored, and mineral lines likewise have to be composed of 1x2 patches and can't simply be rotated which means you have to be careful with the amount of space behind them, and the distances etc. Brood War has had some three player maps (though not that many in the grand scheme of things), but many of them aren't very symmetrical (for example Rush Hour). Because of bad pathing and how units move in BW, maps there are a lot more tolerant of asymmetry imo.
None of these problems I mention are insurmountable, but they do mean that most mapmakers avoid three player maps. Timmay (mapmaker of Catallena and Dreamcatcher) does like three player maps (and is probably the only mapmaker who does) and did submit Marshmallow to the contest, but in general 3p maps are far and few between.
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On August 07 2018 15:29 Ej_ wrote:
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Brood War is a completely different game and the 2 shouldn't ever be compared when it comes to maps.
Also, BW does use ramps that are a multiple of 30 degrees which, besides different absolutely different expanding patterns and strength of particular types of units, is a big help with symmetry.
The asymmetry for example is a gamebreaker. You can't compare being unable to wallground wall with a rax, because of the add-on position to being close to an unwinnable spot when the game starts because you spawned on the wrong side of your enemy (and it happened on MGR and Catallena which were the 2 3p maps we had in HotS map pools).
first of all:
no, they are not COMPLETELY different games, both are RTS and have similiar ideas behind it, i don't see a reason why ideas from one game can't be used in the other one, with some modification of course, since they are still different games, i don't argue there.
as for the degrees of the ramps, are those given for the games, or can they be changed if one wants to do that? if not, thats a pretty good reason against 3 player maps i agree.
as for catallena:
i just looked at the winrates on liquipedia, and they didn't look to onesideded there, and i can recall having good games there for myself as well (which doesn't say too much).
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On August 07 2018 15:41 ZigguratOfUr wrote:Show nested quote +On August 07 2018 15:09 uummpaa wrote:On August 07 2018 14:40 ZigguratOfUr wrote:On August 07 2018 14:19 uummpaa wrote:
tbh,
i always like a mappool with one or two "stupid" maps. while for a player of my level it is somewhat funny (some would say infuriating) to see what we noobs come up with, and at the pro lvl you get some pretty entertaining maps here and there (a lot of bad ones as well tbh).
redshift for example gave as a few crazy basetrades, maru vs soo was the most recent example. And we should not forget, that we can get bad matches on the more standard maps as well.
but i think blizzard had the blizzcon in mind with that pool
One thing i always wonder:
why aren't there more 3 player maps? the spawning issue is not as bad as for 4 player maps, but it still would result in different playstyles. Three players maps are difficult to make due to symmetry issues. Ramps have to be at multiples of 45 degrees, mineral lines too to some extent, and while trying to maintain all that pseudo-symmetry you have to make sure the spacing and airpsace is approximately the same. The three player maps that we have had have only been mostly successful with that. And three player maps do still to some extent suffer from the spawn issues (though to a much lesser degree). i'm no mapmaker, so sorry if i'm wrong with my basic math: why not just make a "pizza-slice" with an inside angle 120° and take it times three, and fill the area required to make the map square with air(-blockers if needed) then it should be perfectly symmetrical. as for the spawning issue: it still might be there, but i think the whole point of some maps should be to add a little extra challange, and why not with spawns (terrans for example have a little RNG in every map with their addons) and doesn't broodwar use them quite a bit? as far as ramps and so on go the requirements should me somewhat the same or is there something i miss? Three player maps are essentially made of three 120 degree slices, and often do have air blockers (for example Merry Go Round does) to make sure the airspace is the same (Catallena didn't and had issues with airspace). Airblockers are somewhat buggy though. And this doesn't fix the bigger issue that ramps would still have to point at multiples of 45 degrees and can't simply be mirrored, and mineral lines likewise have to be composed of 1x2 patches and can't simply be rotated which means you have to be careful with the amount of space behind them, and the distances etc. Brood War has had some three player maps (though not that many in the grand scheme of things), but many of them aren't very symmetrical (for example Rush Hour). Because of bad pathing and how units move in BW, maps there are a lot more tolerant of asymmetry imo. None of these problems I mention are insurmountable, but they do mean that most mapmakers avoid three player maps. Timmay (mapmaker of Catallena and Dreamcatcher) does like three player maps (and is probably the only mapmaker who does) and did submit Marshmallow to the contest, but in general 3p maps are far and few between.
i see, thanks for the detailed answer.
and if Timmay reads this:
keep on with them, there are still players who like 3 player maps ^^
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On August 07 2018 15:51 uummpaa wrote:Show nested quote +On August 07 2018 15:29 Ej_ wrote:
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Brood War is a completely different game and the 2 shouldn't ever be compared when it comes to maps.
Also, BW does use ramps that are a multiple of 30 degrees which, besides different absolutely different expanding patterns and strength of particular types of units, is a big help with symmetry.
The asymmetry for example is a gamebreaker. You can't compare being unable to wallground wall with a rax, because of the add-on position to being close to an unwinnable spot when the game starts because you spawned on the wrong side of your enemy (and it happened on MGR and Catallena which were the 2 3p maps we had in HotS map pools). first of all: no, they are not COMPLETELY different games, both are RTS and have similiar ideas behind it, i don't see a reason why ideas from one game can't be used in the other one, with some modification of course, since they are still different games, i don't argue there. as for the degrees of the ramps, are those given for the games, or can they be changed if one wants to do that? if not, thats a pretty good reason against 3 player maps i agree. as for catallena: i just looked at the winrates on liquipedia, and they didn't look to onesideded there, and i can recall having good games there for myself as well (which doesn't say too much).
Ramp angles are given and can't be changed.
And winrates aren't broken down by spawn, so they won't tell you that player X got screwed over in ZvZ because they got the bottom spawn where the natural can't be walled-off, or that player Y got dropped to high heaven since they got the spawn with too much airspace etc.
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until an extremely recent remastered patch, BW only had one official ramp per tileset/cliff level - the vast majority of ramps you see were created by mapmakers using a modded editor, cobbled together from various bits of cliff terrain and other tiles. that's how they can achieve ramps of any angle.
SC2's editor is much more capable by default, but since the engine is fully 3D and not tile/sprite based, it's impossible to pull off the same kind of hacks you can with BW.
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I'm not a fan of acid planet, at this point I'm just tired of the map, unlike other maps that have stayed in the pool along time I just find it to be very generic as far as good maps go. It's not a bad map but it's also not a great one like an abysall reef. wish it had droped from the pool otherwise the pool looks good I look forward to trying out the new maps.
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On August 07 2018 13:43 hegemony wrote:
Is it just me or does Blueshift seem like a pretty safe/generic LOTV map? Is there something I'm missing? I want to like the new maps but just played on that and it feels like every other basic map I've played lately.
Yeah the high ground low ground with rocks is kind of interesting since it uses that feature with a different lay out than other maps, the player who pushes low ground will have some interesting option to maneuver, also has somewhat large airspace, but other than that not a whole lot of new or interesting stuff. I would like the map a lot more if it did not have the lowground fairly secure 5th base for both players and instead player would have to take an edge or center base to get a 5th base up so we would see a bit more midgame action. As it stands I think this map will lead to a fair number of 5 base on 5 base into big air blob kind of games and also a fair number of 3 base timing games, it's probably just a little to straight forward since there's not many features that promote interesting strats on this map.
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EPT
