Dota 2 Patch 7.38 Breakdown: Key changes you need to know

Dota 2's 7.38 patch update brings major hero, item, map, and gameplay changes, impacting how the game is played. It’s time to stash away the old strategies and redefine the new meta with all the exciting changes.

This breakdown will try to cover all the key changes you need to know to stay ahead of the curve.

Hero Buffs in Patch 7.38

We’ve chosen five heroes which have received buffs in Dota 2’s latest patch 7.38 and might do well in the meta:

• Spectre: Spectre has become a universal hero now, making her a huge late-game threat. Damage at level 30 has been increased by 27 and considering the map changes and the influx of more creep camps, the picture looks bright for the hero from the dark.
  
• Sven: Sven’s Heavy Plate facet has received a huge buff. Additionally, Warcry armour and Storm Hammer AoE (area of damage) have received buffs as well. We might as well see the return of Sven as a support or perhaps as a core too.
  
• Faceless Void: Faceless Void’s Timezone facet has gotten a rework. Overall, it might just be a better ability compared to Chronosphere. Similarly, all the other abilities have received buffs as well. More importantly, his Time walk has gotten buffed for the earlier level which means a better laning stage. Do we sense a core Void incoming?
  
• Bloodseeker: Former Aghanim’s overheal is now Aghanim’s shard ability. His Bloodrush facet has also been buffed. In the earlier meta, only his other facet, Arterial Spray, was the viable choice. Now Bloodseeker can be played with both facets. More importantly, BS with Mjolnir and Aghanim will be a lethal right-click hero.
  
• Bane: Bane’s base damage has increased. It means that he has more damage to harass during the laning stage to secure the lane for his core. Both of his facets have also received buffs and he might just have a place in the new meta, especially on Patch 7.38, making him a viable counter against many core heroes.

Hero Nerfs in Patch 7.38

Many of the popular meta-heroes in the old Dota 2 patch have been nerfed. Here’s the list of heroes that have undergone the nerf hammer:

• Dragon Knight: The Dragon has been slain. Figuratively, of course! Fire Dragon has been reworked and nerfed. DK will no longer have the ability to deal cleave damage, an ability that allowed him to scale in the previous patch. However, he could still be a good offlane or midlane hero because it now deals bonus magic damage.
  
• Lycan: Lycan has been demoted to Strength hero. His base damage, along with his overall damage at level 30, has been decreased. The biggest nerf to Lycan has been to his go-to facet, Alpha Wolves, which was a huge point of menace for squishy supports in the earlier patch. A much-needed reprieve?
  
• Earthshaker: Earthshaker’s Slugger facet has received a nerf. He can no longer continue to be a good midlane hero. However, Fissure has gotten buffed, which means we might just see him on pos 4/ pos 5 roles.
  
• Tiny: Tiny’s Crash Landing facet has been tossed to the grave. Toss landing bonus damage is now always 20% and thus he cannot one-shot creep waves anymore.
  
• Lich: Lich has gotten a huge nerf. The cast range of Frost Shield, along with its cast duration, has been decreased. Chain Frost bounce range also got reduced. Ice Spire got nerfed hugely, and now whenever Chain Frost bounces off it, it will be damaged by 1 hero attack.
  
• Honorary mention (Phantom Assassin): Phantom Assassin’s Methodical facet just got nerfed. Her go-to items like Battlefury also got nerfed while her ultimate, Coup de Grace’s damage has been reduced. It will be interesting to see how she fits into the new meta.

Map Changes

The latest update has introduced a few map changes. Let’s see how the map has changed in patch 7.38:

• New Waterways: New waterways have been added in this patch update. You can now find additional rivers on both sides of the map, near the Radiant and Dire jungles, and it comes along with some perks. Moving in the direction of the current will boost your movement speed, but moving against the current won’t slow you down either while going the other way.
  
• Roshan’s new pit: Roshan is back home. His two pits have been relocated to the river, with two new lairs near the two power runes. During the day, and at the start of the match, Roshan will spawn in the Southern pit, while during the night it will move towards the Northern pit. He will toss any units coming his way during that transition.
  
• Shrines: Wisdom Runes have been removed. They have been relocated and replaced with Shrines of Wisdom. Similarly, now you’ll have to stand inside the Lotus Pool to obtain the lotuses. But there’s a catch: neither of them can be activated in the presence of an enemy. No easy path from here on.
  
• Tormentors: Tormentors will no longer spawn near each team’s base. Only one tormentor will spawn on either corner of the map. It will always spawn on the opposite side of Roshan.
  
• New Neutral Creeps: New amphibian neutral creeps have been introduced in the latest Dota 2 patch update. These amphibians will populate the Flooded Camps (neutral creeps residing within the newly introduced waterways).
  
• Bounty Runes: Bounty runes spawn interval has been increased from 3 minutes to 4 minutes. Gold bounty has also been rescaled.
  
• Miscellaneous map changes: Region-specific map buffs have been removed. For example, Mighty Mines. Corner outposts have been removed. The Twin Gates have also been repositioned to the corners of the map on a new high-ground area near the Tormentors.

These changes will redefine how the game is played. Expect to see more focus on team fights and hero kills to capitalize on Wisdom Shrines. The introduction of new waterways and neutral camps also has a major impact on hero farming. A new meta-shift is on the horizon!

Item Changes in the new patch

A few items have been reworked in the latest Dota 2 patch. Neutral items are now composed of two parts: Artifacts and Enchantments. A new resource, Madstone, has also been introduced. You can now craft neutral items unique to your play style and the circumstances of the match.

Among the list, Gleipnir, Revenant’s Brooch and Khand are the major items which have been reworked. A new starting item, Orb of Frost, has been added. It's a lesser alternative to Orb of Venom and has the function of slowing down the enemies.

Neutral item drops after killing neutral creeps are removed. Instead, one needs to procure enough Madstone and craft your own neutral item according to the situation. The neutral items, now have been classified as Artifacts, will be available to craft through different stages, and in different tiers.

Conclusion on Patch 7.38

The new patch will have a massive impact on the state of the game. Be prepared for an overall change in the gameplay and mechanics of the game. Patch 7.38 might probably become more farm-heavy, with map rotation being harder to execute.

Tormentor fights will probably become the new normal with securing objectives being more important than ever. Additionally, Roshan will also be harder to take considering he’s back in his old pit.

What are your thoughts on the new Dota 2 patch 7.38?