The final StarCraft 2: Nova Covert Ops mission pack is out

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As promised at BlizzCon, the third and final chapter of the Nova Covert Ops missions for StarCraft 2 is now live, with new weapons, battles, and intrigues, as well as a new co-op mission called Miner Evacuation. The campaign's conclusion arrives alongside the Legacy of the Void 3.8.0 patch, which also includes a "major revamp" to multiplayer combat.

Changes made by the patch include a redesign of the Cyclone into a "front-line anti-armored damage dealer" that's a little bit slower than it used to be, but also cheaper to producer, tougher, and harder-hitting against enemy ground units. The Siege Tank can no longer be lifted by Medivacs while sieged, but their health has been increased, and so has their damage dealt while sieged. Hydralisks have been buffed to make them a "core tech option" for the Zerg, and the Tempest has been given a new Disruption Blast ability that stuns enemy ground units for seven seconds.

Blizzard served up a preview of the final Covert Ops Mission Pack last week, but if you're just getting into it, be aware before you click that there are spoilers. The spoiler-free version is this: The wrong people screwed with Nova, and now it's payback time.

"The level is designed to allow multiple paths to success, so take advantage and find the load-out that suits your style," Blizzard said. "Nova will have access to new technology to aid her in the fight ahead. You’ll have the army upgrades from the previous missions plus new enhancements including an upgrade that allows your Battlecruisers to attack multiple enemies at once. She’ll also have new weapons to unlock, such as a deadly plasma rifle that melts her targets into a pool of ooze."

Sounds like overkill to me, but whatever gets the job done. The Nova Covert Ops Mission Pack 3 is available now for $7.50, or you can snag all three in a bundle for $15.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.