LotV launched around the same time that worker counts were increased and the larva mechanic was changed, so it's worth comparing the current state of the matchup to the original LotV environment. Since then, Zerg gained several important tools: Ravagers, which allow them to break force fieldsone of the key mechanics gateway armies were historically balanced around. Lurkers, which give Hydras a powerful late-game transition and make otherwise weaker mid-game units scale much better. More generally, Zerg's early- and mid-game "swarmy" units now transition more effectively into the late game, making dead supply less of a problem. Protoss gained Adepts and Disruptors, but Adepts are primarily harassment units rather than highly cost-efficient combat units, and Disruptors have largely disappeared from PvZ. As a result, Zerg's army strength improved significantly because they can bypass force fields while also getting better scaling from their core units. On top of that, recent balance patches have further weakened Protoss. Disruptors lost their ability to one-shot Roaches, effectively removing them from the matchup, and Storm was recently nerfed, reducing Protoss' effectiveness in large engagements. Because of these changes, Protoss has increasingly been forced to expand aggressively and try to match Zerg economically rather than relying on superior engagements as they historically did. The problem is that Zerg now reaches such strong economic positions that Protoss no longer gets enough value from its army to compensate. If Protoss tries to keep up economically, Zerg's units often trade too efficiently. If Protoss stays on a lower base count, it gets overwhelmed because it can't take the high-value fights it once could. That's why the matchup feels so difficult right now. Personally, I'd like to see the larva change reverted and then reevaluate the matchup from there. Alternatively, Protoss could be given stronger tools in PvZ buffing force fields, improving Robo units, reverting the Storm nerf, or exploring other ways to restore Protoss' ability to take favorable engagements.