Starcraft 2 news » Heart of the Swarm Beta Patch 2.0.1 Notes

The StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Beta Patch 2.0.1 is now live. This update to the beta test includes a number of new systems and changes to the look and feel of the game.

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 the beta now includes.

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.
• XP System
  • Players now earn XP when playing Ranked and Unranked matchmaking, and playing Custom Games on Blizzard melee maps.
  • Earned XP builds toward level gains, with a maximum level of 20 for each race.
  • Decals and portraits are rewarded through the XP system
  • More detailed information on the XP system can be found here.
• Physics effects on the battlefield have been greatly enhanced.
  • Many units have received updated death animations.
  • With ragdoll physics, unit models are now blasted away from explosions more naturally when they die.
  • After being killed, units can now fall off cliff edges, into caverns, and more.
• Improved Score Screen and added Stats
  • Experience Tab: Added a score screen tab that tracks XP gains and progress.
  • Performance Tab: Gameplay performance stats such as Average Float and Combat Efficiency are now tracked. Lifetime averages and values for the current match are shown.
  • 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 XP 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, and allow 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.
  • The 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. Only status bars for units that are below max health or energy are shown.
  • 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 on the Leader Panel icons to center the game camera on that 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 sides that 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.