The landscape of the Dota 2 has once again been dramatically altered, following the introduction of Patch 7.34 on 9th August. A staggering 90% of the hero pool, numbering over 100 heroes, has been modified in some way. These adjustments have been made to either balance overpowered heroes or reintroduce those that have fallen by the wayside, all in preparation for an exciting month of professional play leading up to The International 12 (TI 12).
The alterations made to various items will significantly shape the Dota 2 TI meta, and the first modification to Captain's Mode drafting will especially impact tournament play. With additional bans available, heroes that escaped nerfs may not feature as prominently on both the grand stage and in ranked matches. Patch 7.34 brings a multitude of new features and adjustments, and we've highlighted a few heroes we think will be especially popular.
The Most Buffed Heroes of Patch 7.34
Queen of Pain
Despite a consistent presence over the years, Queen of Pain's (QoP) recent pick and win rates have been on a decline. However, Patch 7.34 is rejuvenating her with comprehensive buffs. With a reduced cooldown on Shadow Strike and a slight radius increase to Scream of Pain, she's becoming even more formidable. The major change to her Sonic Wave ultimate is particularly fascinating, ensuring she's ready to reclaim her mid lane throne.
Morphling
Once infamous for an overpowered ultimate, Morphling's skill set is evolving again. Instead of copying abilities, he can now create an illusion to cast those abilities while attacking you. With the ability to teleport instantly to the illusion, Morphling looks powerful on paper, although his poor win rates may balance this out.
Earth Spirit
Timely boosted for the upcoming TI meta, Earth Spirit becomes untargetable and invulnerable when using Rolling Boulder, allowing him to dodge significant abilities. With a magic damage build becoming even stronger in 7.34, expect to see professionals experimenting with him in the TI qualifiers.
Huskar
Despite initial complaints about Huskar's vulnerabilities during life break, a simple strategy of activating Black King Bar has largely resolved these issues. Dominant in lane and able to scale effectively, Huskar fits the current midlane meta perfectly.
Arc Warden
Arc Warden's issue lies in his illusions and clones benefiting from extra attack range and damage, leading to a massive damage output. If properly supported, Arc Warden can dominate early and transition into the late game. Countering him requires mobility, barrier-type items, and ideally, ending the game as quickly as possible to avoid his late-game prowess.
These changes reflect a strategic shift in Dota 2's competitive scene, and we're eager to see how players adapt and innovate within the new 7.34 meta. The upcoming matches leading to The International promise to showcase the depths and intricacies of these adjustments.
Deciphering Emojis: Patch 7.34 Arrives Ahead of The International 12 Qualifiers
If you were well-versed in emoticons, you just might have been able to read the new Dota 2 - 7.34 patch notes earlier than most.
The promised 7.34 patch definitely came, and we got a preview of it from a post composed entirely of emojis, released by Valve
While an experienced Dota veteran might have been able to parse these patch notes into something legible, most scrambled for help. Efforts to decipher the patch notes were ongoing within the Dota 2 community, with some users figuring out notes for heroes like Invoker and items like Monkey King Bar.
Adjustments to the Captain’s Mode drafting order and numerous changes to items and heroes were made right before The International 12 qualifiers. The good news was that 7.34 arrived in non-emoji form sooner rather than later.
