Season 3 Ladder Map Changes (Official)

The following changes are being made to the ladder map pool when Season 3 begins on Tuesday, July 26:
1v1
Removed:
Scrap Station (2)
Slag Pits (4)
Delta Quadrant (4)
Metalopolis (4)

Carried over:
Xel’Naga Caverns (2)
Backwater Gulch (4)
Shakuras Plateau (4)
Tal'Darim Altar LE (4)
The Shattered Temple (4)
Typhon Peaks (4)

New:
Nerazim Crypt (4)
Searing Crater (4)
Antiga Shipyard (4)
Abyssal Caverns (4)

2v2

Removed:
Monlyth Ridge (4)
Gutterhulk (4)
Omega Sector (4)
Red Stone Gulch (4)

Carried over:
Discord IV (4)
High Orbit (4)
Khaydarin Depths (4)
Scorched Haven (4)
The Ruins of Tarsonis (4)
Tempest (8)

New:
Tyrador Keep (8)
The Boneyard (8)

3v3

Removed:
Quicksand (6)
Colony 426 (6)
Monsoon (6)
Typhon (6)

Carried over:
Arakan Citadel (6)
Cinder Fortress (6)
Dig Site (6)
Frontier (6)
The Bio Lab (6)
Ulaan Deeps (6)

New:
Green Acres (6)
Temple of the Preservers (6)

4v4

Removed:
High Ground (8)
Megaton (8)

Carried over:
District 10 (8)
Extinction (8)
Lava Flow (8)
Outpost (8)
Sand Canyon (8)
Toxic Slums (8)

New:
Fossil Quarry (8)
Deadlock Ridge (8)

FFA

Removed:
Metalopolis (4)
Slag Pits (4)

Carried over:
The Shattered Temple (4)
Quicksand (6)
Tectonic Rift (6)
Abyss (8)

New:
Abyssal Caverns (4)
Antiga Shipyard (4)
Nerazim Crypt (4)

In Season 3, we’re introducing a number of changes to the map pool; we’re dropping some older maps, and adding a number of new ones. One of the more notable changes we’re making is the removal of Metalopolis. We realize that this is quite a popular map, and we wanted to discuss the reasons why we might make such a change and hopefully lay some of your concerns to rest. We also would like to point out that merely because a map has been removed from the pool, does not mean that it will never make a return in the future. Despite its flaws, Metalopolis has strong potential to be a map that returns in future ladder seasons.

Still, there are reasons why we decided to retire Metalopolis for now:

Metalopolis has been around for quite a long time, over a year including beta. We felt that taking it out of the rotation would make some room for variety in the map pool.

Metalopolis suffers balance issues when close spawn positions occur, but becomes too predictable when they are simply disabled. Close positions have been under a lot of discussion lately, and we’re definitely examining better options to allow for random spawn positions across the map pool without also creating too much predictability and vulnerability to proxy rushes.

Overall balance has also proven to be an issue on Metalopolis -- even factoring in close position spawn issues. It’s among the least balanced maps currently in the ladder pool, and along with Scrap Station (also being removed) and Tal’darim Altar, has a heavy (60%+) bias toward zerg at the highest levels of play.

If Metalopolis makes a return to the ladder pool in the future, it will likely receive some balance tinkering, much like that administered to Lost Temple which resulted in the creation of Shattered Temple. In the meantime, we hope that you enjoy the fresh maps that have been added to the ladder pool in Season 3.