A little over a week after the release of Dota 2 patch 7.35, we look at which heroes are thriving in the new meta that is developing around the patch.
Image: LemKuuja on DeviantArt
Dota 2 patch 7.35 was released a little over a week ago. It always takes time for the meta to settle after the release of a major patch, but the early signs typically indicate where it is headed. Here, we will take a look at the big winners of the patch from two different perspectives – which heroes have the highest win rates and which ones have seen the biggest movement in win rates.
Keep in mind, the first balance patch in the form of Dota 2 patch 7.35b was released a week after the main patch release. So we will take a look at the data since the release of Dota 2 patch 7.35, as well as the balance patch. All data is taken from STRATZ.
Highest Win Rates from Dota 2 Patch 7.35
Sand King tops the charts since the release of patch 7.35, and that hasn’t changed anything for Crixallis with balance patch 7.35b released. The weird thing is, he was one of the highest win rate heroes in the previous patch as well. If you look at the change in his win rate since the release of 7.35, it is only a change of 0.4%. He was slightly nerfed in patch 7.35, but not enough to bring him down. In addition to that, Sand King is one of the best candidates for the new Veil of Discord that upgrades to Shivas Guard, which is an indirect buff to him.
The heroes that have actually benefitted from patch 7.35 to rise up in the ranks are Abaddon, Arc Warden and Underlord. With Abaddon however, the stats show that after the release of patch 7.35b, his win rate has decreased by 1.5%. This is because Abaddon, core or support, is one of the best builders of the new Solar Crest. But after the nerf to the item in the recent balance patch, it isn’t a good one for core Abaddon. In addition to that, patch 7.35b also nerfed Curse of Avernus. Support Abaddon may be the way to go in the days ahead.
(taken from STRATZ)
Underlord received buffs to Pit of Malice and Fiend’s Gate, but like Sand King, the secret to his rise lies in the new Shivas Guard, which is perfect for him. In general, spell casters have received the better end of the deal in patch 7.35, and Underlord seems to be taking full advantage of it.
Witch Doctor, like Sand King, was extremely strong in pubs in the previous meta, and the small nerfs haven’t really impacted him in any significant way.
Major Movers of Dota 2 Patch 7.35
A lot of heroes that were completely in the water before the release of Dota 2 patch 7.35 were buffed in the patch, and sometimes, it takes time for those buffs to catch up. Players are reluctant to play heroes that haven’t been strong for a while, but eventually, the strong heroes stand out. This is pointed out by the major movers in win rate, the heroes that have seen their win rate increase the most since the release of the patch. Now remember, their overall win rate might be below average, but they are trending in the right direction.
Ember Spirit was completely missing from the meta for the last few months, and rightly so. He had been strong hero for a long time, and deserved some time on the bench. But it seems he is ready to make a comeback, being the hero with the highest increase in win rate since the release of patch 7.35. Keep in mind though, that even with the 6.1% increase in win rate, Ember’s win rate is still below 48%. It might take a few more small buffs to make him strong in the mid lane.
Other notable heroes are Timbersaw and Death Prophet, who were both buffed in patch 7.35, and have managed to drag their win rates across the 50% line. Death Prophet has actually well crossed it and seems to be one of the strong heroes to pick in pubs right now.
(taken from STRATZ)
What is interesting is that unlike the list of heroes with the highest win rates, the major movers change when comparing the top 5 heroes after the release of patch 7.35 and patch 7.35b. This indicates that certain heroes like Juggernaut, Bristleback and Phantom Assassin are on the way up after buffs in the balance patch.
It is still early in the meta, and things are bound to shift a bit before settling. There might also be another balance patch in the form of Dota 2 7.35c before the professional tournaments ramp up in 2024. After Dota 2 patch 7.35 reaches the one month mark, GosuGamers will bring you the strongest heroes in pubs in each of the five positions from the new meta.
