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There are still several features and improvements coming to Heart of the Swarm, and this is not a final pre-release patch. Please read the full patch notes and related articles to learn all about what’s available in the beta test.
General
New Menu Screens
Revamped overall UI layout, art, and graphic style.
More detailed information on these changes can be found here.
Clans Support Added
Clan tags are now pre-pended to character names of all players who join a clan.
More detailed information on Clan Support can be found here.
Leveling System
Players now earn XP when playing Ranked and Unranked matchmaking games or when playing Custom Games on Blizzard melee maps.
As players earn XP they will progress in level, with a maximum level of 20 for each race.
Decals and portraits are rewarded through the leveling system.
More detailed information on the leveling system can be found here.
Physics effects on the battlefield have been greatly enhanced.
Death animations have been updated for many units.
Ragdoll physics now cause units to get blasted away from explosions more naturally.
After being killed, units can now fall off cliff edges, into caverns, etc.
Improved Score Screen and Added Stats
Experience Tab: Added a Score Screen tab that tracks XP gains and leveling progress.
Performance Tab: Now tracks gameplay performance stats such as Average Float and Combat Efficiency, and displays lifetime averages and values for the current match.
Added a “Play Again” button to the post-game Score Screen.
Race Report: Added a profile section that tracks performance by race for each matchup.
Map Report: Added a profile section that tracks performance on each ladder map.
User Interface
Custom Games
Many drop-down filters are now consolidated into side navigation.
Merged Join Game and Create Game screens into a single page.
Moved all party displays and controls into the Party Chat window.
Updated the Profile Summary screen to include progress UI for the new leveling system.
Updated loading screens with new background images, more clearly displayed player names, and the overhead map.
New Copy Link buttons have been added, which automatically copy certain pages in-game to the clipboard, allowing players to share them with others via clickable links in chat or on the web. When clicked, these links will navigate to the in-game page.
In-Game UI Polish
Moved the Main Menu and Help buttons above the command card.
Achievements and Message Log menus are now accessible via the Main Menu.
Added a Select Army Units button next to the Idle Worker button.
Unit Status bar settings have been added to the Gameplay Options screen.
Show Unit Status Bars – Damaged: Show only status bars for units that are below max health or energy.
Team Colored Status Bars: Status bar border frames match each player’s team color.
Observer Mode
Leader Panel
Added Structure tab and Upgrades tab.
Observers can now click Leader Panel icons to center the game camera on a unit or structure.
Clicking multiple times cycles through units of the same type.
Minimap
Attacked units now flash white for the observer.
Nuclear Launch and Nydus Canals now create pings on the minimap for observers.
Versus Mode Side Toggle
Added a hotkey (Control-X) that flips the side on which players appear in various parts of the UI when watching a 1v1 Versus Mode game.
By default, the player with the leftmost start location will appear on the left in the user interface.
Balance
The latest balance changes can be found in our Balance Update threads in the Beta Discussion forum.
Bug Fixes
A full list of documented game and service bugs can be found in our Known Issues sticky in the Beta Bug Report forum.
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