Here is a list of 5 losers who got Nerfed hardest in Dota 2’s patch 7.34d
In the ever-evolving world of Dota 2, the landscape of the game changes with every update. The new patch 7.34d is an especially pivotal one because it is almost surely the final major patch before The International 2023 (TI 12). This patch brings a final bundle of changes that promise to define the meta of Dota 2’s biggest show of the year. Some of the Heroes that were seemingly OP (Over-Powered) have been tweaked and balanced with nerfs. In this we delve into those Heroes that got hit the hardest right before TI.
5 Losers of Dota 2’s Patch 7.34d
Let’s dive straight in to our picks for the 5 biggest losers of Dota 2 patch 7.34d –
1. Phantom Assassin
First up, we have the Hero Yatoro, claimed as the most broken in the previous meta. We are inclined to agree with the TI champion on this: Phantom Assassin (PA) looked absolutely incredible in the recently concluded DreamLeague Season 21 and the high-ranked pub matches. So understandably the developers decided to tone some of her powers down before TI 12. PA was definitely the Hero that was hit the hardest in 7.34d
By far the strongest and most unique spell in PA’s kit, Blur received a set of nerfs. The vanish radius was increased from 400 to 500 units. This means that if a Hero or tower is within 500 radius from her, her Blur runs out. Aghanim’s Scepter upgrades of the ability got nerfed as well.
The cooldown is now 50 percent of the default cooldown, which is 30/27.5/25/22.5s, as opposed to the constant 10s. The upgraded vanish from Aghanim’s Scepter (Aghs) was also taken away, meaning PA no longer vanishes instantly when she uses Blur with Aghs. The vision and elusiveness of Phantom Assassin took quite a blow, but she is still one of, if not, the best carry in the current meta. Particularly because of her incredible scaling and late-game security, we believe PA will still show up in many of the drafts at TI.
2. Brewmaster
Next, we have another Hero who was bound to get a Nerf sooner rather than later. Brewmaster looked absolutely broken in recent times, being banned in most games during the latter stages of DreamLeague Season 21. Especially against the Brew specialists such as 33, Ace, and the like, the games seemed impossible to win for enemies when they got their hands on Brew.
To no one’s surprise, Brew’s ultimate Primal Split got significantly nerfed. Ever since his Aghanim’s Shard upgrade allowed Brew to choose which Brewling he would revert to when Primal Split ended, it had become a ridiculous spell. One of his Brewlings had invisibility and bonus movement speed, and another one had Debuff Immunity, and he could simply keep any one of them alive.
The spell had proven to be ridiculously taxing to play against, even for the best players in the game. The 7.34d update removed that upgrade and Brew now reverts back according to the original Brewling priority. The Mana Cost was also increased.
Drunken Brawler also received a nerf, where Brewed Up multiplies his buffers by 2.5x instead of 3x. The Hero is still pretty busted, with his kit offering just as much when it comes to teamfighting. The primary items he buys, such as Spirit Vessel, Hand Of Midas and Radiance, are still at large, and we will definitely still see him banned and picked quite a lot at The International 2023.
3. Pangolier
At number 3, we have Pangolier, a Hero who was considered a top priority by most teams ahead of TI 12. Pangolier was the most versatile mid-laner in the patch. This Hero had been first picked in many games, and it somehow always managed to be impactful in the game no matter how hard its laning stage went.
Therefore it’s understandable to see this Hero get tweaked a bit right before TI. The teams that did well leading up to TI, namely Team Spirit, Gaimin Gladiators and Tundra Esports, all abused early pick Pangolier in their drafts.
Pango received quite a few numerical nerfs in 7.34d. The Mana Cost of both Swashbuckle and Shield Crash was increased slightly at all levels. Shiel Crash damage was decreased as well, from 280 at level 4 to 240. Even so, Pango provides the option of being put in the off-lane and even position 4 if in dire need. And we believe it will still be a highly contested Hero as TI 2023 fast approaches.
4. Shadow Demon
Second to last, we have Shadow Demon (SD), the best saving support in the current meta alongside Vengeful Spirit. SD has looked incredible in recent patches, with his kit having added variety since the introduction of his Aghs and Aghanim’s Shard upgrades. In the most recent DreamLeague (Season 21), players such as Cr1t- and TORONTOTOKYO absolutely popped off with this Hero, making him look like an absolute guardian angel for teammates.
His Shard upgrade Demonic Cleanse, in particular, was quite OP and took a minor blow in the 7.34d gameplay update alongside his ultimate Demonic Purge. The duration for both Demonic Purge and Demonic Cleanse was reduced by 1s, meaning that it is now a 6s duration.
This nerf is quite significant but has not dampened his saving capabilities. His Disruption and Demonic Cleanse are still amazing saves and will be highly sought after by teams in a high-stakes tournament. Overall, we believe that SD is still one of the best supports in the game and it will be banned and picked quite a lot still.
5. Invoker
Last but definitely not the least, we have the Arsenal Magus, Invoker. Invoker has looked to be one of the best Heroes in the current meta, something that fans of magic have been pleased with. Just like Pangolier, the Hero seems to fare reasonably well regardless of what matchup it is put in. Invoker was similarly first picked by a lot of teams, especially with Invoker specialist mids.
Invoker received quite a few nerfs in the 7.34 patch. His base Health regeneration was decreased to 0.5, which was 1 previously. Cold Snap got a minor Nerf, with the self-heal per proc being reduced.
The most significant Nerf is definitely the one to E.M.P, with Invoker now regaining half the amount of Mana he did before. E.M.P now restores 25% of the total Mana burned instead of 50%. This Nerf is huge, as E.M.P is the only spell that restored Invoker’s Mana. The Hero uses a lot of Mana and relies a lot on this spell to keep his Mana Pool topped off. This will definitely hamper his ability to keep up the tempo and move around the map.
Closing Thoughts: Final Tweaks Before The International 2023
TI 12 is only a week away from starting, so understandably, the game wasn’t changed too much right before the mega event. The biggest losers out of this patch will all likely remain relevant. Stay tuned for more content on Dota 2’s greatest show.
