Riyadh Masters play-in stage meta

Riyadh Masters’ play-in stage only lasted for two days but it already gave us a lot of important information about how the meta is evolving.

What’s strange is that a lot of the highly picked heroes have abysmal win rates. Just take Templar Assassin for example. She was played in 20 games and her win rate is 30%. Other heroes, such as Timbersaw, had slightly higher win rates but still suffered from the same problem.

It seems that everyone has been thinking hard about a way in which the strongest heroes of Dota 2 patch 7.33d can be countered. So even though these heroes are powerful and easy to play, everyone knows their timings and what tactics can be employed to ruin their game.

The list of failed OP heroes is long: Undying (41.6%), Ember Spirit (42.8%), Broodmother (36.3%), Bloodseeker (38.9%), Storm Spirit (44.4%) etc.

However, not all popular heroes have failed. Some of them are as successful as ever. Examples include Batrider (63.6%), Snapfire (54%), Enigma (60.9%), Naga Siren (80%), Medusa (63.6%), Beastmaster (64.3%), and Morphling (53.8%).

That’s our #RiyadhMasters Play-In Stage complete! Join us tomorrow when we begin the Group Stage 😎#Gamers8 #TheLandOfHeroes pic.twitter.com/VfqtQ1P1x9

— Gamers8 Esports (@Gamers8GG) July 20, 2023

How the meta is evolving

It seems that the meta is shifting towards high-speed farmers who can take advantage of the huge map but can also fight early. Heroes who need to dodge fights for the first 20 minutes of the game are no longer viewed as valuable. Everyone is getting ready for dealing with early pressure or creating such pressure.

So far, the most picked heroes of Riyadh Masters 2023 have been Rubick (45), Snapfire (37), and Undying (24). For a lot of other heroes, we’re talking about 16-23 picks and a hell lot of bans.

The most banned heroes of the first stage of the tournament were Timbersaw (53), Broodmother (52), Undying (49), Ember Spirit (43), and Bloodseeker (39).

Some of the heroes that are strong individually but did not function at all were Chen (28.5% win rate), Pangolier (33.3% win rate), and Silencer (20% win rate). Even Legion Commander, who is currently the highest win rate hero in Dota 2, won just 33% of her games.

At the other extreme we had Doom (80%), Lycan (70%), Phantom Lancer (75%), Slark (75%), and Drow Ranger (80%).

It remains to be seen how the percentages will change after the start of the big matches. The play-in stage was full of teams that are likely to lose no matter what they pick. But in the group stage, the situation is completely different.

Header: Valve Corporation