The next Dota 2 major, Frankfurt, is less than two months away. Even though it begins on November 16th, that will not stop Valve and Dota 2′s balance guru/mad scientist Icefrog from making sweeping changes to the game, including nerfs of some big-time heroes from the last build of the game. Pro players will now have to adjust to the brand new metagame quickly, and there will surely be surprises at the Frankfurt major when some new, dominant hero tech takes center stage and must be accounted for.
At the International, Dota 2‘s largest tournament, certain heroes were picked or banned in nearly every game. Some of those heroes have received large nerfs, and some secondary characters have received buffs that looks like they may get pushed into the spotlight. Leshrac, Tusk, and Goblin Techies look like they will suffer the most from the 6.85 patch. In addition, it appears as if Undying and Storm Spirit may see their value decrease. Meanwhile, certain heroes gain when other lose. Enchantress, Batrider, Night Stalker, Necrophos, and Shadow Shaman are among the heroes that have received fairly significant buffs. This is not a guarantee that these five will be the strongest in the new patch. There are many heroes that have seen changes. A game like Dota 2 is so complex, however, that a multitude of changes this soon before a major could mean chaos when the pros get their hands on the new heroes. You can view the entire list of changes, buffs, and nerfs here.
In addition to specific hero changes, a few game mechanics had some tweaks as well. Notably, purging no longer gets a bonus against summoned units (which really helps out my favorite hero, Warlock), there have been some changes to siege creeps, and teleport scrolls have seen a reduce in cost. Overall, there are a huge number of little changes that can dramatically shift the balance of Dota 2. Stay tuned for the announcement of the qualifying teams for Frankfurt on October 5th, and get excited to see the new balance patch in the hands of the pros on October 16-21.
What heroes do you think will rise the most or fall the hardest due to the new balance patch? What heroes are going to dominate Frankfurt’s Dota 2 tournament? Let us know.
