Starstorm Station

''This article is about the map, Starstorm Station. For the expansion named after it, see Awesomenauts: Starstorm Expansion. For the utility upgrade, see Starstorm Statue.'' The Starstorm Station is the 6th Awesomenauts map. It was released on April 27, 2016 with Patch 3.1.

Starstorm Station was released as part of the Awesomenauts: Starstorm Expansion. However, it is free to use for all players in all modes.

Background
In the Raki star system, a gigantic remnant of the first AI war drifts near the burning star. This massive unfinished battle station is called the Starstorm.

Emergency reports of the sun imploding into a giant burning space storm have indicated that the Starstorm has somehow been activated. The news of the clearly battle-ready station has drawn the attention of the Ones and the Zeros.

Both factions have sent their best teams to investigate and secure the station and gain control of the Starstorm's destructive power!

Teleporters
The Starstorm Station features 6 teleporter portals. Three of them are entry points: two located behind and above each team's outer bottom turrets and one floating above the bottomless pit in the middle of the map below the bottom lane. The other three are exit portals: two located between the top-lane turrets of each team and the third above top lane in the middle of the map. Entering any of these portals will teleport the Awesomenaut to the corresponding exit portal (each bottom-lane team portal leads to the portal above it, while the portal in the waste disposal leads to the center). To most Awesomenauts, these teleporters are the only way out of the waste disposal shaft that leads to the bottomless pit and the only way to quickly change lanes.

Bottomless pit
In the middle of the bottom lane, below the map's hide area, there's a waste disposal shaft that leads down to a bottomless pit. The area is filled with Solar coins, platforms, and two creeps. It also features a teleporter, allowing non-flyers a way out. Players that fall down the bottomless pit are instantly killed.

Exposed turret
Lastly, unique to the Starstorm layout the inner top turret is exposed to enemy attacks from the very start. Meaning players who are feeling bold can technically jump between both enemy top turrets and try to take out fleeing enemy 'nauts or even attempt to destroy the turret itself. It is technically possible to win a match on this map by destroying just this one turret, as doing so disables an energy wall that protects the Solar Drill.

Hide Areas
While there are areas behind the outer bottom turrets that could partially hide flying Awesomenauts, there is only one "true" hide area in this map. It is located in the middle of bottom lane, granting access to the bottomless pit.

Creep Areas
There are 4 creeps in this map. One above each team's inner bottom turrets and two above the bottomless pit. Killing them will drop a small Healthpack that restores 250 Health, and grant 5 xp, plus 3 Solar.

Tips and Tricks

 * The speed and direction of an Awesomenaut's movement are conserved when entering a teleporter, meaning a Froggy dashing upwards towards a portal (as an example) will come out of the exit portal also dashing upwards.
 * 'nauts with access to stationary traps such as mines, weedlings or turrets may consider placing those around the teleporter exit portal to surprise enemies using them.
 * Knockback and slowing effects are great ways of making your enemies fall into the bottomless pit.

Trivia

 * This Kickstarter update has a short interview with Ronimo Games explaining a few early concept ideas and the development process of the Starstorm Station.
 * Ronimo considered several features for the map before settling with the current design, including floor panels that would spit fire and neutral turrets that attack both teams.
 * Starstorm Station is the only map with naturally occurring golden Solar. There's a cube located above the teleporter in the bottomless pit.
 * References to each of the Starstorm 'Nauts can be found on Starstorm Station. Ted's pants can be seen in the waste disposal, Penny's scooter can be seen hanging in the top left in bottom lane, several deactivated Sentries are hanging above both bases, one of Skree's totems can be seen in the center of bottom lane, and there several "cave paintings" of Skree and Nibbs past the Red turret on bottom lane.
 * Originally Penny and Nibbs weren't going to have references, but Xin, the lead artist at Ronimo Games, was convinced to add them by the chat during a devstream.
 * The deactivated Sentries hanging above both bases will occasionally play random Sentry voicelines. They can be most easily heard using a flying 'Naut and hovering near them.
 * Selecting "Arena Walls" in a custom game on Starstorm significantly changes the layout of the map. The arena is set in the bottomless pit, and both walls are moved farther outwards. Many new glass and solid platforms are placed in the area. Four portals are set up, one entrance in each bottom corner and one exit in each top corner. Portals exit on the opposite side of the map. This is in stark contrast to every other arena, which only add a few walls.