In the final week of 2023, we venture through all the major Dota 2 patches to have embraced the game through the year.
Another year in the books, and another 12 months of Dota 2 to look back on. 2023 was an exciting year for Dota 2 in a few ways, the biggest one being the release of the New Frontiers Update (Dota 2 patch 7.33), which brought in massive changes that the game desperately needed.
The first patch of the year took a long time to come along, and there was considerable frustration until that point. But the patch did deliver in terms of adding novelty to the game, and two major patches after that kept things fresh for the remainder of the year. Besides the three major patches, nine balance patches were also released in 2023. In the final days of the year, we do a quick review of all the major patches of 2023, with a list of the notable changes each patch brought with it.
Balance patch 7.32d (March 2023)
Dota 2 patch 7.32d was a slight letdown, as everyone was expecting a major patch. However, the saving grace of this patch was that it brought a new hero with it – Muerta. It was also the beginning of the end for Wraith Pact, the item that had a telling impact on the outcome of TI11.
- Muerta introduced to the game.
- Wraith Pact massively nerfed (changed to only block physical damage).
- Blademail’s active buffed (getting the item ready for domination at TI12).
Dota 2 patch 7.33 (April 2023)
This was definitely the patch of the year. Dota 2 patch 7.33 arrived in April, but it made up for lost time with some massively game altering changes. Some would say there were perhaps a bit too many changes, but that’s better than few changes!
Notable changes-
- Bigger map.
- Introduction of new neutral camps.
- Introduction of the Wisdom Rune.
- Change in Roshan’s pit location.
- Introduction of Tormentor.
- Introduction of Twin Gates.
- Introduction of Watchers.
- Introduction of Lotus Pools.
- Addition of two new Outposts.
- Change in Outpost locations.
- Change to the neutral item system.
- Plethora of hero changes.
- Introduction of Blood Grenade, Diadem, Pavise, Disperser, Harpoon and Phylactery.
- Magic Immunity changed to Debuff Immunity.
Letter patches for Dota 2 patch 7.33
Balance patch 7.33b
Balance patch 7.33c
Balance patch 7.33d
Balance patch 7.33e
Dota 2 patch 7.34 (August 2023)
The DPC Leagues and DPC Majors were done and dusted, and the TI12 qualifiers were set to begin. No one expected a new major patch to be released before the qualifiers, but Dota 2 patch 7.34 did arrive before the qualifiers. It might have been a bit of an unwanted surprise for teams practicing for the qualifiers, but it turned out to be a good decision in the long run, as Valve were able to finetune the patch with balance patches before TI12 began.
Notable changes-
- Change to the pick-ban phases in Captains Mode.
- Introduction of Slow Resistance.
- Hand of Midas getting two charges.
- Invoker changed from an intelligence hero to a universal hero.
- Outposts moved from main jungle to triangle for each side.
- Plethora of hero changes.
Letter patches for Dota 2 patch 7.34
Balance patch 7.34b
Balance patch 7.34c
Balance patch 7.34d
Balance patch 7.34e
Dota 2 patch 7.35 (December 2023)
Valve really screwed the pooch after TI12 when they didn’t release any good content after the end of the tournament, even after they had promised arcanas and the likes. To top that, the patch they had announced turned out to be a balance patch in the form of patch 7.34e. The community was not happy. But they did pull it back with the release of patch 7.35 in the middle of December. Considering the last two seasons have seen the first major patch arrive quite late in the season, this was a great gift to end the year and enjoy the holiday season. The talk of the town for patch 7.35, other than the hero changes, were the new items and the item changes.
Notable changes-
- Introduction of Khanda and Parasma.
- Major changes to Bloodstone, Ethereal Blade, Revenant’s Brooch, Solar Crest and Shiva’s Guard.
- Plethora of hero changes.
Letter patches for Dota 2 patch 7.35
Dota 2 patch 7.35b
It has been a topsy turvy year. Content like the Battle Pass and a holiday themed event like Diretide were nowhere to be seen in 2023. However, there were more gameplay patches than what the previous two years have seen, including a patch that will have long lasting impacts on the game (Dota 2 patch 7.33). Here’s to hoping that in 2024, the gameplay patches will continue, and will be supplemented with additional events as well.
