Why was the Bloonchipper removed from BTD6?
The developers at Ninja Kiwi have stated that the Bloonchipper tower was removed from BTD6 due to balance issues and development priorities for the game.
As a long-time BTD fan, I was initially disappointed to see the Bloonchipper absent in BTD6. It had been a staple tower in previous games and was a favorite for many players, including myself.
However, upon reflection I realize game design involves many complex factors and tradeoffs. As players, we only see a fraction of these considerations. Some key reasons why removing the Bloonchipper may have been the right decision:
Difficult to Balance
The Bloonchipper was extremely powerful in previous BTD games. With the right upgrades, it could shred even the strongest MOAB-class bloons. Balancing this raw power in BTD6 while still making it viable would have been tricky.
Other towers have more flexibility in tuning power levels via price adjustments, ability cooldowns, etc. This allows them to fill both early and late-game roles. The Bloonchipper’s core functionality was more binary – either it decimated bloons or it was useless.
Limited Design Space
Much of the Bloonchipper’s power came from its inherent vacuuming ability. This left less room for adding exciting path upgrades compared to other towers.
Introducing new mechanics like sentries, drones, blowback attacks, etc. allows for greater tower diversity and strategic creativity. The development team likely saw greater potential in other tower concepts.
Performance Considerations
The Bloonchipper had highly detailed sucking animations. Rendering all those individual bloons could get expensive, especially in late-game rounds with dense swarms.
Optimizing tower performance and avoiding slowdowns is critical for a smooth user experience. This may have also factored into the decision.
While longtime fans still pine after the Bloonchipper, BTD6 introduced several great new towers that fill parts of its niche:
The Embrittlement Ice Monkey slows MOABs dramatically, helping other towers take them down. Combined with damage-over-time icicle attacks, it handles groups nicely.
The Super Glue Glue Gunner immobilizes even the toughest bloons in place. This fake-out stall ability buys critical time for your main attacks to thin bloon waves.
The MOAB Eliminator Sniper specializes in puncturing Blimps with its high-powered rounds. With buffs from other monkeys, it can one-shot the deadly BAD down the line.
Of course no single tower completely replaces the raw MOAB demolition that a maxed Bloonchipper provided. But these new strategic options add fun complexity for defeating tricky late-game rounds.
Ninja Kiwi has ruled out bringing the Bloonchipper back to BTD6. However, it still remains a possibility for future BTD games.
If the developers can find solutions to balance and performance constraints, while carving out a unique role among newer towers, the Bloonchipper may suck its way back onto the scene. We can always hope!
In the meantime, BTD6 offers so much variety and challenge even without this classic tower. I’ve enjoyed mastering new playstyles and tower combinations. Though I’ll always have a soft spot for the Bloonchipper, BTD6 delivers countless hours of tactical balloon-popping action with or without it.
Let me know in the comments if you miss the old Bloonchipper or have adapted fine without it! I’m always happy to discuss favorite towers and strategies with fellow BTD fans.
