The start of our third season of the 2019 StarCraft II Ladder has arrived! Click through for the details. 

2019 Ladder Season 3 will begin on August 21 at 11:00 p.m., PDT with a few balance updates below, and a set of new maps.

Balance Changes

Terran

• Stimpack upgrade research duration reduced from 121 to 100 seconds.
• New upgrade that increases Ghost EMP Round radius from 1.5 to 2. Cost is 150/150. Research duration is 79 seconds.

Zerg

• Overlord's Pneumatized Carapace upgrade research cost decreased from 100/100 to 75/75.
• Bugfix: Infested Terran's Infested Rockets will no longer ignore armor.
• Infested Terran's Infested Rockets attack period increased from 0.95 to 1.14.

Protoss

• Warp Prism cost increased from 200 to 250 minerals.
• Warp Prism pick up range decreased from 6 to 5.
• Carrier Interceptor build time decreased from 11 to 9.
• Nexus Strategic Recall cooldown increased from 85 to 130 seconds.

We’re introducing several new maps in Season 3, and starting today, they’ll be available for testing under the Custom tab. Feel free to jump in and start practicing strategies before the new season begins!

You can expect to see these maps on the ladder when 2019 Season 3 commences the week of August 19! We encourage you to click on the images below to see detailed views of them in all their glory.

Take your place on the dancefloor and show off your best moves to take the victory. Be cautious, though, as the colorful tiles and flashy lights might interfere with your vision and allow your opponent to sneak up on you.

A series of small bridges and ramps aid in defense and emphasize positional awareness. Destroy the rocks to open up larger, unobstructed attack paths across the higher ground.

This map features a mixture of bases on high and low ground, set in a frozen outpost. A Xel'Naga watch tower in the center of the map gives vision of important attack routes. Bundle up!

Winter’s gale is a smaller map with a direct route between the high ground third base locations. However, Inhibitor Zone Generators are placed along the way to slow down any units that go past them. Be cautious of the path you choose.

This dreamlike battleground provides three choices for your third base—the standard option, the aggressive low-ground base with a rich geyser, and the protected base located behind a row of depleted minerals.

Pirates and outlaws have been known to use these abandoned low-orbit platforms as bases.

The main bases are accessible by a single ramp and some reaper cliffs. Taking the natural expansion opens to two ramps, which also lead to interesting choices for the third expansion locations.

In this heart of twisted human desires, unite with your allies to take revenge on your enemies. You start with some easily defended chokes and expansions, with pathways opening up as everyone moves on the third base and beyond.

The final map pool for 2019 Season 3 will be:

• Disco Bloodbath LE
• Ephemeron LE
• Triton LE
• Winter’s Gate LE
• World of Sleepers LE
• Acropolis LE
• Thunderbird LE

• Rhoskallian LE
• Divergence LE
• Efflorescence LE
• Dusty Gorge
• Traitor's Exile
• Overgrown Facility
• Emerald City LE

• Jungle Depths LE
• Bone Temple LE
• Rosebud LE
• Snowbound Colony
• Buried Caverns
• Whitewater Line LE
• Canyon of Tribulation

• Mementos LE
• Sunset Valley LE
• Shipwrecked LE
• Troizinia LE
• Old Estate
• Last Remnant
• Multiprocessor LE

Along with the new map pool, the new season also brings everyone a free name change! Simply follow the steps below to change your character name:

• Log in to the game
• Left click on your character portrait in the upper right corner
• Click the gear icon next to your current name
• Click Change Name
• Enter a new name

Also, check out a new trophy top that’s being introduced this season!

BattleCruiser