Dota 2 Patch 7.39e by Valve had a substantial effect on hero diversity, changing the meta for both casual and competitive players. The patch wasn’t an extensive rework, but did improve balance for multiple heroes and items to elevate a new set of emerging heroes and a host of others that declined.
Dota 2 Patch 7.39e Overview
Image Credits: Valve
Using data from after patch 7.39e, Juggernaut, Wraith King, and Vengeful Spirit mythically ranked as some of the best heroes since each has a win rate at or above 54% by rank. Juggernaut has been hailed as one of the safest although predictable carry heroes in the game, due to his solid laning with Blade Fury, and healing capabilities with Healing Ward. When combined with flexibility in item possibilities, and almost all matchups against carry, Juggernaut remains a relevant pick in ranked.
Vengeful Spirit has also displayed impressive value and utility based on her teamfighting style of play. Vengeful Spirit’s ability to initiate fights, save teammates while doing so, and to still stay relevant even at times of death through Aghanim’s Scepter makes her a top-tier option in both the support and core roles in the game. Following a close second, Wraith King is another carry that has well-developed usability through fundamentally recognized mechanics and very good durability. Wraith King’s Reincarnation ability creates consistency in the late-game phase, especially in games that require killing or surviving through long teamfight engagements.
Struggling Heroes
Not all heroes have gained valuable adaptation to 7.39e. Doom, Monkey King, and Beastmaster have experienced dramatic declines, with Doom at around 43% winrate. The aura item nerf is especially punishing on Beastmaster and Doom. Both heroes heavily relied on stacking team and neutral auras for domination in the mid-game stage, and removing those advantages significantly devaluates their heroes. Monkey King has struggled to turn around his poor performance in pub, given that he is heavily reliant on his positioning and his impact ability is limited with long teamfighting engagements.
Meta Overview
Patch 7.39e has shown the game moving decisively away from the aura-stacking-‘zoo’ style of play. We are once more returning to self-sufficient heroes who are capable of taking over a lane, and scaling naturally into the late game. Utility, sustain, and flexibility have replaced priority on item synergy and players now have a more extensive, healthier, and balanced pool of heroes to choose from.
While continuing to navigate a balance between traditional ‘carries’ and ‘flex supports’ at the competitive level of Dota 2, the future of the game from patches, to the professional level of play, is likely going to follow the trend set by the last patch updates.
