It is confirmed that sniper will be removed as a class from Season 25. Votes from the Balancing committee were 5 to remove, 2 to maintain.

As a general breakdown:

<b>Arguments for retention:</b>

It adds diversity to tactics and playstyles

It appeals to players who enjoy the unique challenge of sniping and retention could help maintain interest from those who prefer the mechanic, adding a bit of depth to the league

<b>Arguments for removal:</b>

Sniper was a crossover from SL to USL, but they are not the same league. There is no balancing that will make the class fit, as proven considering sniper is tweaked almost every offseason

The class further promotes camping (not the sole factor, but is a factor)

Playing against a sniper is the same tactic: Find camp, push/overload side with sniper, pray no one takes a bad timed stray. The true counter-play to the class was built for SL and sneaking through trees, not USL and being out in the open.

Playing med and throwing down 1000+ energy before teams even fight because the marines are taking 60 damage from two coords away when that damage doesn’t even create a tactical advantage is just exhausting for no reason.

<b>Conclusion:</b>

Sniper wasn’t designed for USL. It was made for the tree cover in Skirmish League, with one hit kills on medics and 80 hp off of fighting classes. The idea to nerf the ammo count resurfaced, but the class itself is already considered weak overall and only consists of one person playing it consistently in competitive play. No other factors can be buffed on the class without making it overpowered. The idea of it creating more interest in the league based on a different playstyle sounds well and good, but the argument becomes weakened when only one person consistently plays the class. If anything, more people seem to get less enjoyment with a sniper being in the game.

Therefore, the class will be removed for Season 25. Thank you for your time, and thank you to the Balancing Committee for looking over this change thoroughly and on so many levels.

#IStandwithBowen

Ban it from pub next plz

Idc if sniper is removed, but the logic stated in this post is ridiculous. It's on the players to adapt and learn how to play vs a sniper.



1) It doesn't promote camping. Teams will send an AT or solo flank to them. Teams can hunt the sniper down from the back lines. Teams can overpower the team with extra gun fire, especially if the sniper is missing shots / not having an impact in the battle. If anything, why the hell would a team camp vs a sniper if they have the advantage with more firepower?



2) Playing vs the sniper isn't the same tactic. You could say the same thing about playing vs a demo. Pray no one takes an overpowered rpg, that travels as long as an AR bullet and has little to no delay and unlimited ammo to spam every battle, to the face or an incin nade launched from 100 feet away. Or pray someone doesn't take a mortar from 2-3 cords away over walls to a building that apparently the have no ceilings.



3)the trees in SL were for both the sniper and other players. In USL it's harder for the sniper than the other players because they don't have anywhere to hide, but other players can constantly change positions to force the sniper to reposition / players only not have to get sniped 1 shot every what 5–10 seconds? Not that difficult



4) If people are getting sniped that much, taking heals and still getting hit after that, then that's a skill problem and not a class problem. There are many ways to dodge a snipe, especially since most people are playing on a giant resolution nowadays. Class changes shouldn't be changed because of skill issues, get better at the game.





In conclusion, idgaf what you all do with whatever this is you guys call a league. But, imo playing vs a sniper is annoying, but it's annoying because it forces a medic to keep the HPs up (the same can be said with the over-powered demo class with RPGs), it forces players to look out for snipes (the same can be said with over-powered demo class with RPGs), especially if they are lower HP (same can be said with the over-powered demo class with RPGs). IDC if sniper is removed, but don't give a bunch of bs reasons to mask the real skill issues people have. One person plays the class, and he's the wrong person. If it were the right one person, then the class would not be removed.

In conclusion adapt (though not much because one person played Sniper) because sniper is gone now. TLDR

Agreed with Brent 110%. If we’re going to be using the logic given why is AT allowed along with all of these variations to classes (Nader/Ripper)? One person plays this class, there’s really no reason to remove it lol.

This league is nutty.

Freebacks2024

agreed with havok

You guys give backs a lot of attention and special treatment.
Try focusing on how to not have 80% of all active rings on one squad

Could you also include the reasoning behind why Backs was informed by staff that he couldn’t serve as captain this season? If such significant actions are necessary, I recommend adding a clear rule, so that if he violates it in the future, removal as captain would follow. Currently, per the rules, the only grounds for removal as captain is forfeiting twice.

He posted a screenshot:
<i>myself and DAs have all agreed that if you do come back we're not allowing you to captain or co captain.</i>

I am so exhausted of constantly trying to fight the forces against me.

I have no chance up against Fausto, Bowen, everyone on staff.

If this went to a community vote Sniper will not have been removed.

I believe it’s Fausto getting revenge towards me.

If staff wants to make the BEST call, they should do the following:

- Leave both sniper and ranger. Each person has their own play style. One allowed per team. You cannot have a sniper and a ranger.

This league is about strategy. Giving people different strategies is what it’s about. Choices.

Like I said, they chose not to poll it because they know sniper would have won the vote.

I also don’t understand why I can’t captain a squad but as I have no support or people fighting for me to retain my captainship what other option do I have but to give my squad away?

They have beaten me down. Robbed me of support award this season too.

I am broken.

They may have won the battle, but they haven’t won the war.

Crusaders, RISE UP.

Manu still the best captain I ever had.

agreed, those points were well written.

Demo next plz n thx, I don't want to see that Chris guy ever again :x

My main issue is that this decision was decided on by a “balancing committee.”

Bowen admits that Sniper in his consensus is “weak” in comparison to the rest of USL classes which is 100% accurate. Over the course of the last season and seasons before, I have seen dozens of players get enjoyment over playing sniper in SBs even if it seldom gets chosen for match play due to it being weak.

Ninja
Tyrael
King
ThatDude
LT
Oct
Aerith
Eric
Kevin
ER
Backs

The list goes on… this is a big fuck you to all of those players from the league admin.

Why wasn’t this decision decided on by the entire player base of USL?

Sniper is weak enough to where it does hurt competitive match play.

The only argument for removal is that enough people hate playing against it that it ruins their experience. And while that can be a valid argument, that deserves to be polled with the entire player base - not a special committee that is populated by some very known anti-sniper players.

Why should victim or any of the other members of the “balancing committee” have more say so in class changes than the rest of the community?

I just think people were getting tired of backs being really good at sniper that no one was good enough to match him. League shouldn't dictate the class you want to play. Instead of removing, just add more classes

Highly agree with everything you say.

This committee came out of nowhere and came after I was told and I quote:

“You use your discord as leverage”

So they are afraid of my discord having influence on a sniper vote?
They knew the league would have voted to stay. So they pivoted to some bullshit committee that had 5 anti-sniper members and 2 members who voted sniper to stay (Romulocks and Smackrock)

Demo is annoying to me remove it. Teams can hold easy with demo.

AT is annoying, it gives away vision on where my team isn remove it.

Nader is annoying. Remove it. It allows teams to camp and hold.

Sniper? Y’all said it’s easy to hold with a sniper? And camp? Are y’all dumb? Delusional? If you can’t push a sniper then you’re just bad or that sniper doesn’t miss and you can’t blame him (me) for being that good at the class.

This is 100% true. Not one person matched me as sniper in matches.

They tried, and what happened? They switched class because I bodied them immediately and realized they will never be able to compete.

The bipolar is real...you literally posted in a thread fighting back about sniper 2 hours after you said you were done fighting back about sniper.