# Stormgate 2026-01-16 PTR Balance Update

- Product: Stormgate (https://whatsnew.fyi/product/stormgate)
- Vendor: Frost Giant Studios
- Date: 2026-01-16
- Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2012510/view/247268204255119039
- Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/stormgate/releases/2026-01-16-2026-01-16-ptr-balance-update

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Reuse: the summaries, labels and curation here are © What's New. Quote freely with attribution and a link back; wholesale republication of the corpus is not permitted — terms: https://whatsnew.fyi/terms. The vendors' own release notes remain their publishers'.

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- **added** — Atlas and Hedgehog gain new Targeted Deployment ability while mobile to deploy at a target location
- **added** — Atlas and Hedgehog gain new Reposition ability while deployed to mobilize and deploy at a target location
- **added** — Hedgehog gains new Targeted Deployment ability while mobile
- **added** — Hedgehog gains new Reposition ability while deployed
- **added** — Celestial Carnivex unit added with Chrono Shell upgrade that defers 50% of damage taken
- **added** — Celestial Navi unit added with Radiant Mantle autocast defaulting to off
- **added** — Archangel Avatar trait added, granting 40 armor and resilience to disables when using abilities
- **added** — Archangel ground mode gains new Censure ability to leap and stun target enemy unit
- **added** — Infernal Dominari unit added with Chaos Mark and Wrath of the Domina traits
- **changed** — Vanguard Lancer Kinetic Redirection research time reverted to 90 seconds
- **changed** — Vanguard Lancer turn radius decreased from 0.35 to 0.2
- **changed** — Vanguard Scout turn radius decreased from 0.25 to 0.1
- **changed** — Vanguard Medtech attack projectile speed increased from 25 to 30
- **changed** — Vanguard Hedgehog HP decreased from 230 to 215
- **changed** — Vanguard Hedgehog Armor Shredding Missiles stack limit increased from 30 to 90
- **changed** — Vanguard Evac unload period decreased from 0.5 to 0.25
- **changed** — Vanguard Evac base speed increased from 6.5 to 7.5
- **changed** — Vanguard Evac veterancy movement speed reward decreased from 10% to 5%
- **changed** — Celestial Argent attack projectile speed increased from 20 to 28

##### PTR 2026-01-16 Balance update

To start, we'd like to highlight a nice QOL update we've introduced for the Atlas and Hedgehog: Redeploy and Targeted Deployment.

With these new commands, players can now tell these deployed units to deploy at a new location in a single command. They will run the sequence of: Un-deploy, move to new location, and deploy in place. Similarly a non-deployed unit can be given the command to deploy at a location.

##### **Vanguard**

- **Lancer**

- Kinetic Redirection research time reverted to 90 seconds

- Turn Radius decreased from 0.35 to 0.2

- **Scout**

- Turn Radius decreased from 0.25 to 0.1

- **Medtech**

- Attack Projectile speed increased from 25 to 30

- **Hedgehog**

- Hp decreased from 230 to 215 (up 15)

- New Ability while Mobile: Targeted Deployment

- Deploy at a target location.

- New Ability while Deployed: Reposition

- Mobilize, then deploy at a target location.

- Armor Shredding Missiles can now stack up to 90 times, up from 30

- **Atlas**

- New Ability while Mobile: Targeted Deployment

- Deploy at a target location.

- New Ability while Deployed: Reposition

- Mobilize, then deploy at a target location.

- **Evac**

- Unload period decreased from 0.5 to 0.25

- Base speed increased from 6.5 to 7.5

- Veterancy movement speed reward decreased from 10% to 5%

##### **Celestial**

- **Argent**

- Attack Projectile speed increased from 20 to 28

- **Scanner**

- Attack Projectile speed increased from 18 to 25

- **Cabal**

- Cost reduced from 100/100 to 100/50

- Debilitate reworked:

- 10 second cooldown (up from 5)

- Reduce attack speed and attack damage of enemy units within in a 1.5 radius of a target unit 25% for 10 seconds. (Radius increased from 0.75, and duration increased by 5)

- Autocast is set to OFF as the default setting (was default to on)

- **New Unit: Carnivex**

- Cost: 200/75 (up from 175/50)

- New Upgrade: Chrono Shell

- Requires Arcfortress, Guardian Nexus

- 60 second research time.

- Costs 100/100

- 50% of all damage taken is deferred. Deferred damage is dealt at a maximum rate of 20 damage per second and can be fatal.

- **Vector**

- Turn radius decreased from 0.3 to 0.15

- Swing time on ground weapon increased from 0.0 to 0.1

- Swing time on air weapon increased from 0.0 to 0.1

- **New Unit: Navi**

- Radiant Mantle autocast defaults to off

- **Seraphim**

- Cost increased from 100/75 to 150/75

- Attack projectile speed increased from 15 to 22

- **Animancer**

- HP decreased from 220 to 180

- Dark Prophecy range increased from 9 to 11

- Animus Redistribution range increased from 9 to 10

- Attack range increased from 8 to 10

- Attack projectile speed increased from 10 to 22

- Animus Redistribution heal on surrounding allies increased from 10 to 15. This is technically a bugfix since it was always supposed to be 50% of damage dealt (and it deals 30 damage)

- **Archangel**

- Traits:

- Avatar _(Requires Research Avatar)_:

- When Archangel uses Meteor Strike, Aether Slash, or Censure, It activates Avatar for 10 seconds. This duration is refreshed each time it uses an ability. (does not stack)

- While Avatar is active, the Archangel gains 40 armor and resilience to enemy disables (in both air and ground). It’s attack becomes ranged and deals 40 damage in a line (while still dealing 120 damage to the primary target).

- Attacks no longer slow while in avatar form

- This does not consume energy.

- Arbiter’s Respite trait removed

- Flying mode abilities:

- Aether Slash:

- 30 energy cost, 8 second cooldown

- Dashes towards a target location, dealing 20 damage to enemy air units in its path and slowing them by 40% for 5 seconds.

- If _Avatar_ has been researched, activate it.

- Reprieve removed

- Avatar (ability) removed

- Ground mode abilities:

- New ability: Censure

- 30 energy cost, 8 second cooldown, Autocastable (defaults to off)

- Target an enemy unit in range, leap to that unit and stun it for 1 second.

- If _Av

_[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2012510/view/247268204255119039]_