SC2 Online Game Season 3 Map Changes : STARCRAFT 2 TIPS AND GUIDE

Season 3 of SC2 online game has started. Players are battling their ways and playing hard in their online games to obtain the very valuable SC2 Grandmasters League for Season 3. For your information, Grandmasters League from each Server, America, EU, Korea and SEA will only be available after 2 weeks from the season 3 ladder reset. This allows players to try out new maps from the new season and increasing their MMR (Match Making Rating) during this duration. After 2 weeks, the top 100 SC2 players with the highest MMR on each online game Battlenet server will be promoted into the Grandmasters League.

1v1 Maps removed
Lets take a look at the new map changes. In solo 1v1, four maps has been removed from the map pool as some of the maps are often vetoed by players.

Scrap Station (2)
Slag Pits (4)
Delta Quardrant (4)
Metalopolis (4)(Wow)

The removal of Metalopolis in 1v1 has caught many players by surprise. This map is considered one of the best map designed aside from Xelnaga Caverns. Everyone loves to play on this map. This is Blizzards reasoning of the removal of Metalopolis

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.

However, Blizzards reasoning did not really make sense. Blizzard could have just remove the Close Spawn location like the ones used in GSL, MLG and others. This will create only the close by air and far position which seems very well balanced. If Blizzard does not like the removal of close position, why allow it on Shakuras Plateau?

Another huge surprise is there isn't any new GSL maps added into the online game map pool. Players are eager to try out the GSL maps like Crossfire, Crevasse, Belshire Beach, Terminus, Xelnaga Caverns and others. However, Blizzard once again refuse to add the GSL maps. GSL maps has been seriously tested by professional gamers in Korea and the highest level of SC2 tournament gaming.

1v1 Maps carried over from last Patch