Homeworld 3’s final update adds much-needed improvements

What you need to know

Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox release update 1.3 for Homeworld 3.
This update adds a number of reworks and improvements to the game, while also coming together with all the remaining DLC packs, allowing players to control the Somtaaw and Taiidan forces in War Games.
This is the last major update planned for Homeworld 3, although Gearbox will be keeping an eye out for server issues.

It’s a very bittersweet day in the world of space strategy.

Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox Software released update 1.3 for Homeworld 3 on Thursday, bringing a number of significant balance changes to the experience, while also fixing some bugs and adding quality-of-life features. The team previously confirmed that this would be the final content update for Homeworld 3, with everyone remaining promised DLC packs arrives along with the update.

I had the chance to go hands-on with the DLC and update 1.3 a little early. I’m happy to say that the changes feel significant, in particular the overhaul of the armor system shakes up the flow of combat.

New fleets and features

A Somtaaw fleet engages in battle in Homeworld 3.

The Somtaaw and Taiidan fleets require new strategies. (Image credit: Windows Central)

While there’s a long, long list of changes introduced in update 1.3, by far the most immediately meaningful is the overhaul of the armor system, with different classes of ships getting a different level of armor.

There is some variation, but in general, the heavier a ship is, the heavier its armor is, providing much more damage negation. Armor can be scaled from just 10% on lightly armored battleships to a battle-changing 30% on destroyers, or even 50% on your mothership.

This change comes in conjunction with a new bonus for hitting ships from behind, something that was already in the game but is now even more noticeable, with a 2.5x multiplier for any damage a ship takes on its tail. During several battles, I was able to wipe out waves of enemy craft by ambushing them from behind, something that was technically possible before but felt more reactive now.

I also tested the new DLC fleets, both of which play quite differently compared to the existing offerings. Taiidan uses his Carrier to gather resources, meaning you have to be much more careful when engaging targets. Meanwhile, the Somtaaw (branded as “Pilgrim” and “Beast Slayers”, fleets, after their history and role in the events of Homeworld: Cataclysm/Emergence) lack dedicated support roles but can use their resource controls to repair other ships. Somtaaw in particular are really fun to play, and I can see myself using them for multiple runs.

In the end, I’d encourage anyone who picked up Homeworld 3 but fell off to give it another go, and I’m having quite a bit of fun running War Games again with these new fleets. Still, I wish we could have gotten a lot more. Homeworld 3 wasn’t perfectbut I really had fun with it at launch, and seeing future campaign DLC was a hope for me for a long time. With this update marking the last of the new content, it’s clear that won’t happen.

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Homeworld 3’s final update adds much-needed improvements

What you need to know

Kaneb

What you need to know

Kaneb

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