With the end of the WePlay AniMajor and ESL One Summer 2021, it’s that time of the year again. Time for Valve and IceFrog to bring us the next patch for Dota 2. The current base patch 7.29 was released on 9 April 2021 shortly after the One Esports Singapore Major. The game has now completed three months on this patch and is currently on version 7.29d. As is Valve’s tradition, patches have always been released sometime after a Major ends. This time with ESL One Summer 2021 starting immediately after the WePlay AniMajor, players have begun anticipating the next patch’s arrival. The strength of certain heroes and the fast-paced game meta have been made apparent and fans have become vocal about wanting changes. With that in mind, here are our top 10 buffs or nerfs to expect in Dota 2 patch 7.30.
Top 10 Buffs and Nerfs to expect in Dota 2 patch 7.30
10. Nerfs to the “Heal/Sustain” meta
As made evident by teams in the AniMajor and ESL One Summer, certain hero and item combinations are quite powerful in the current meta. Prime examples of this playstyle are Winter Wyvern and Phoenix. The rising popularity of Holy Locket is the reason for the strength of this playstyle and will probably result in nerfs to the item and the heroes that take advantage of it. Holy Locket in combination with the amplified healing bonus the item provides unbelievable burst heal with their respective healing abilities
9. Buffs to unpicked/ignored supports
With the increased pace of the game that has become the meta, certain heroes like Earthshaker and Keeper of the Light have been left in the dust. Both heroes are incredibly reliant on items like Blink Dagger and Aghanim’s Sceptre, to provide their true potential while heroes like Nyx, Hoodwink and Lion have taken the prime support position with their cheap and effective spells. We can expect buffs to the skills of these heroes so that they become less dependent on expensive items to reach their potential
8. Buffs to the Dire side of the map
The trend of the Radiant side being the stronger side has followed us into 7.29 and no one is any happier about it. This trend carries up to even the highest level of play. In the WePlay AniMajor, the games played had a win rate of 52% - 48% in favor of the team playing Radiant. Map design, strategy, and placement contribute to this. The Radiant triangle has always been more secure and harder to secure than the Dire counterpart and it is as such for many more areas of the map.
7. Nerf Ursa
The current meta build on Ursa that rushes Diffusal Blade and Aghanim’s Shard is nigh unstoppable if the enraged bear manages to get momentum going. The Diffusal Blade provides Ursa with incredible early game fighting potential. And the Agh’s Shard is something else, providing 80% damage reduction and 50% status resistance every time Ursa casts Earthshock. This renders stuns and silences useless on the hero and adds to the crazy powerhouse that is Ursa. Expect a nerf either to the hero himself or to his Aghanim’s Shard upgrade.
6. Nerfs to the Aeon Disk
This item is the premier broken item of the patch. Aeon Disk makes so many burst dive heroes useless and unlike Aegis of the Immortal, this incredible item is permanent. Storm Spirit dives and Orchid Silences a support? Aeon Disk instantly dispels the silence and provides a chance to turn it around. Enemy Faceless Void Chronos your backline supports? He can’t kill them because Aeon Disk makes them immune to damage for 2.5 seconds! Please nerf, thank you.
5. Nerfs to Aghanim’s Shards
It is noticeable that some heroes become much more stronger than others when they get an Aghanim’s Sceptre or Shard. And some of these heroes become far too powerful in some cases. Heroes like Phoenix, Ursa, and Dark Willow, become so much more stronger than other heroes when they get their Agh’s Shards. While many other heroes have completely useless Shards that no one even considers. We’re expecting nerfs to the Aghanim’s Shard itself, but given Valve’s affinity for chaos it wouldn’t be surprising to see them buff everyone else instead.
4. Nerfs to the fast-paced meta
The game has felt like a super-fast methodical execution of objectives with certain heroes and items that complement such playstyle becoming ‘meta’. Templar Assassin has taken over the midlane with her incredible farming speed, tower-taking potential, and the overwhelming pressure that can be applied to the enemy with the right lineups. The addition of water runes has made the midlane ‘easier’ which makes it that much easier for the game to snowball in favor of one side or the other.
3. Buff late-game Dota
With how focused the meta is on the fast pace of games, heroes, and items like Slark, Arc Warden, Anti-Mage, Maelstrom, and Battlefury have become unpopular. The time that it takes for these heroes to come online is just not available in the current meta. These items and Heroes need some love from IceFrog and Valve so they can see the light of play once more.
2. Nerfs to over-picked heroes
Over-picked and high win-rate heroes are always the indication of which heroes are strong, meta, and need nerfs. The heroes that make the list of this patch are Lion, Winter Wyvern, Phoenix, Nyx, TA, Ursa, and Hoodwink to name a few. These are the heroes that have enabled the game meta to transition into this fast pace that we are currently seeing and balance changes to them might smoothen the whole experience of games.
Valve
1. Nerf Broodmother
You knew this was coming, it’s the Broodmother. Broodmother has made a swift and successful transition into the offlane where she has become one of the premier picks in skilled hands. Brood counters many carries and forces attention and focus to her lane which provides a lot of space for her own carry to farm up. The enormous amount of space she can occupy is just too overwhelming if you don’t have experience playing against the wicked spider. An easy way to circumvent this would be to reduce her mobility so she can’t make a whole quarter of the map inaccessible for the enemy.
Bonus: Spectre
Yes, Spectre is in a solid place in the meta currently and looks pretty balanced if not quite strong in the meta. But it would not be in Valve tradition if they didn’t buff the hero that is about to get an Arcana. It is no hidden secret that the hero about to get an Arcana always gets a buff along with it. This time should be no different.
