This strategy game is getting one last massive update that's worth checking out

What you need to know

• Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox are launching Update 1.3 for Homeworld 3.
• This update adds a number of gameplay reworks and improvements, while also coming alongside all of the remaining DLC packs, letting players command the Somtaaw and Taiidan forces in War Games.
• This is the last major update planned for Homeworld 3, though 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 launched 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 all the remaining promised DLC packs arriving alongside the update.

I had the chance to go hands-on with the DLC and Update 1.3 a bit early. I'm happy to say that the changes do feel significant, with the armor system rework in particular shaking up the flow of combat.

New fleets and features

While there's a long, long list of changes introduced in Update 1.3, by far the most instantly meaningful is the armor system rework, with different classes of ships getting a different level of armor.

There's some variation but in general, the heavier a ship is the heavier its armor is, providing far more damage negation. Armor can scale from a mere 10% on lightly-armored strikecraft to a battle-changing 30% on destroyers, or even 50% on your Mothership.

This change comes in conjunction with a new bonus to hitting ships from behind, something that was somewhat 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 tried out the new DLC fleets, both of which play fairly differently compared to the existing offerings. The Taiidan use their Carrier to gather resources, meaning you have to be far more careful when tackling objectives. Meanwhile, the Somtaaw (labeled as the "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 Controllers to repair other ships. The Somtaaw in particular are really fun to play, and I can see myself using them for several more runs.

Ultimately, I'd encourage anyone who picked up Homeworld 3 but fell off to give it another chance, and I'm having a fair bit of fun running War Games again with these new fleets. Still, I wish we could've gotten a lot more. Homeworld 3 wasn't perfect, but I certainly had fun with it at launch, and seeing future campaign DLC was a hope of mine for a long time. With this update marking the last of the new content, it's clear that won't be happening.