Account Cart Search

The Balance Update - Now Available for Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation

Published on Thursday, May 8, 2025 By redskittlesonly In Ashes of the Singularity News

Major Balance Changes Now Available

We’re pleased to announce that a significant update is now live, introducing a series of balance changes aimed at enhancing your gameplay experience. This latest round of adjustments focuses on providing more strategic options and elevating the intensity of battles. With an emphasis on better differentiating the PHC and Substrate factions, these changes are designed to create a more engaging and dynamic environment for our dedicated players.

Get Ashes of the Singularity Now

Clearer Distinction Between PHC and Substrate

In our ongoing effort to foster a balanced and competitive atmosphere, we’ve implemented key adjustments that give each faction a clearer identity. PHC units now feature heavier armor, boosting their durability on the battlefield, while Substrate units benefit from faster shield regeneration, allowing for greater tactical flexibility. These changes encourage you to adapt your strategies and playstyles to effectively leverage the strengths of each faction.

Improved Unit Survivability

We’ve conducted a thorough review of unit costs and survivability, ensuring that each unit feels impactful and rewarding to use. One significant change is the increased construction time for units, which enhances pacing and encourages thoughtful planning. This adjustment, combined with improvements to the durability of many units, is set to lead to more intense and strategic encounters.

Map Adjustments

We’ve also made noteworthy changes to the game maps. Frosthaven has been updated with additional Radioactives, providing players with more strategic resources, while Italia has been reconfigured to increase the distance between starting points. These updates promote diverse strategies and exploration, encouraging you to adapt as you navigate the battlefield.

Specific Unit Changes

The unit adjustments are particularly exciting. PHC defensive buildings now have additional armor, making them more resilient, while the Artemis missile barrage has been retooled for more frequent strikes with a reduced cooldown. Key units like the Archer and Brute have received enhancements that improve their effectiveness and survivability in combat. The Hermies scout has also been given a boost with increased HP, and the Reaper now spawns more frequently, enhancing its presence on the battlefield.

Perhaps the most significant change comes with Substrate units. While they no longer have armor, they now feature much faster shield regeneration and higher max shields, allowing for greater resilience in battle. This shift encourages players to rethink their strategies and how they engage with these units.

 

We Value Your Feedback

We’re eager for you to explore these changes and experience the new dynamics they bring to the game. Your feedback is crucial to us, and we look forward to hearing how these adjustments impact your gameplay. Together, let’s continue to improve and evolve our game!

 

 
 
 
Full Changelog:

We're currently working on a significant update to the game’s balance. The differentiation between PHC and Substrate has improved, with PHC units now featuring heavier armor and Substrate units benefiting from faster shield regeneration than before. Additionally, we've cleaned up build costs and generally enhanced unit survivability. Your feedback on these changes is highly anticipated. Read below for more details.

 

To enable the patch, please do the following: 

  • Select Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation in your Steam Library list 

  • Right-click and select Properties 

  • Select the BETAS tab 

  • From the dropdown, select "Opt-in – v3.30 " and click Close (if you don't see this option, restart Steam) 

  • Steam should pull down the changed files; if you ever want to go back, do the same as above but select "default." 

 

This Insiders build is an early preview of the next update, and you might experience bugs or other issues.   

Change Log  

Map Changes 

  • Frosthaven given additional Radioactives. 

  • Italia given additional Radioactives, more region distance between starting points. 

Units 

  • In general, units now take substantially more time to construct for better pacing (use the + and - keys to adjust game speed) 

  • General balance pass on units for Substrate vs. PHC to be more evenly matched based on the general idea that PHC units will be more heavily armored and Substrate units will have faster shield regen than before 

  • PHC defensive buildings given additional armor 

  • General clean-up of costs to make them more rounded, same with build times. 

  • Artemis missile barrage reduced in count, but cooldown decreased from 6s to 4s. 

  • General change to make units more survivable.  Example of changes: 

    • Archer 

      • Spawn reduced from 2 to 1.

      • Max HP increased.

      • It is now lightly armored.

      • Logistics reduced from 8 to 5. 

    • Brute: 

      •  Spawn reduced from 4 to 3. 

      • Max HP increased.  

      • Now heavily armored. 

    • Hermies (scout) HP increased 

    • Artemis  

      • HP significantly increased. 

      • Given light armor. 

      • Volley decreased from 5 to 3.  

    • Reaper 

      •  Spawn count increased from 2 to 3. 

      • HP increased. 

    • Substrate units no longer have armor but now have much faster shield regen and generally higher max shields.