The recent Dota 2 patch 7.31 brought loads of essential changes to the game and made it interesting to watch. Pro players and casual Dota 2 fans alike got bored of seeing the same heroes in every game. Due to some problems, Valve delayed the arrival of the newest update. As a result, the previous patch was active for more than eight months.
Fortunately, patch 7.31 introduced tons of new things that made the game a lot more interesting. Aside from the standard hero changes, we also have access to new items, as well as a new hero. Despite the fact that Primal Beast is not that popular yet, this is likely to change in the future once the hero becomes available in competitive games.
Like any new patch, the changes made some heroes a lot more popular than others. We’ve already pointed out some of the biggest winners in 7.31, which is why it is time to focus on the losers. Let’s look at some of the heroes with the lowest win rating in the current patch and see why they are unsuccessful. You can also check out our Meta report for the recent GAMER GALAXY: Invitational.
Batrider
Regardless of the patch, IO is usually the hero with the worst win rating in PUBs because of the way the hero works. However, thanks to DotaBuff, we can see that this is no longer the case because Batrider occupies the last spot.
Patch 7.31 brought a lot of changes to the hero. He was always among the go-to option in pro games, but it seems like the new changes didn’t positively impact his success. Even though his Base Armor was increased by 1, and his spells cost less mana than before, his win rating dropped significantly. That’s the reason why the following update (7.31b) gave Batrider even more small buffs. After the changes, the hero has 3410 base movement speed, Flaming Lasso’s mana cost is now down to 200 on level 3. Also, if you get an Aghs Shard, your attack now has a 50% chance of applying Sticky Napalm. Sadly, the hero’s level 15 talent now grats +20 MS instead of +25.
We are yet to see whether these changes will make Batrider a good option again. For now, he mains the hero with the lowest win rating in Dota 2.
Nature’s Prophet
The next name on this list is another famous hero that often gets the chance to show his prowess in the competitive scene. In fact, a couple of teams decided to bet on it during the GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Dubai 2022. Which was strange, considering the hero’s poor performance in PUBs. If we look at the statistics, we can see that Furion has around 44% win rating, which makes him the second-worst hero in Dota 2.
The fact that Nature’s Prophet is not as successful as he once was is surprising, considering the fact the hero received a couple of buffs. Besides the fact that his turn rate was improved, Furtiou’s Wrath of nature costs significantly less mana. The same applies to Nature’s call, although the Treant’s base damage is slightly lower.
NP’s talents also received a couple of changes, but they didn’t seem bad, at least on paper. The good news is that we are still early in the patch, which means that pro players might figure out how to utilize Nature’s Prophet.
Broodmother
Unlike the other two heroes that can work in most scenarios, Broodmother is a hero that is often picked last. Although she is notorious for winning games on her own, the hero is countered, which means people who want to pick it should be careful.
With that being said, Broodmother’s win rating is 45%, which means she is not as effective as she once was. This may not surprise some people because this hero received several changes in the last patch.
For starters, BM’s Spinner’s Snare can now be cast anywhere there is a web, regardless of the range. There are also a couple of changes to her Spawn Spiderlings ability. The spiders last 50 seconds, but their damage scales up to 20 on level 3. Poison Sting is also changed because the ability no longer deals DPS. Instead, it slows enemies by 10% on level 3.
Some of Broodmother’s talents also received changes. For example, her level 10 one gives +3 Spin Web max Webs instead of +10 AGI. The level 15 one provides + 30 AS instead of +16 AGI, whereas the level 20 option gives +15 Silken Bola slow instead of +50% Spiderling building damage.
Lina
One of the names that will surprise many people is Lina. Those who watched some of the hottest Dota 2 tournaments in the previous patch remember that this was the go-to option for many teams. Even though the hero was not as strong as Queen of Pain, many pro players ripped through their competitors. Sadly, it seems like this isn’t the case anymore because Lina’s win rating is down to a little over 45%.
The hero received several changes in patch 7.31. Lina’s shard now gives the hero 10 more spell damage for each Fiery Soul charge. Speaking of the devil, this ability now has seven charges instead of 3. The stack duration is increased to 15s, but the MS and AS bonuses are lower. Furthermore, the only way to get a charge is if Lina’s abilities do damage to an enemy hero. This is the thing that makes the hero less effective than before.
Due to the heavy nerf, Valve decided to provide a couple of small buffs in 7.31b. Besides a better AGI and INT growth rate, Light Strike Array now does slightly more damage, whereas Laguna Blade costs 450 mana instead of 550 on level three.
Sven
The last hero on the list is Sven, one of the strongest right-clickers in Dota 2. Even though this was one of the preferred options for pro teams a couple of years the go, the hero was not popular in the previous patch. He does a lot of damage, but the best Dota 2 players in the world know how to kite Sven and not allow him to utilize his power. As a result, the hero is not as effective as other carries. This explains why he has a little over 45% win rating.
Since Sven was not as popular as Valve wanted it to be, the company decided to buff him in 7.31. Consequently, the right-clicking monster received a higher AGI gain and the ability for Storm Hammer to dispel its target. Sven’s shard was also different because the hero’s Warcry is now undispellable and grants five armor to all allies in the 1200 range. These two changes are a clear indicator that we might see Sven support once again. OId-School DotA players probably remember that this was the hero’s primary role many years ago.
In addition to these changes, Sven’s level 15 talent that used to give 15% lifesteal now provides -15s God’s Strength Cooldown. Furthermore, the hero’s level 20 talent that provided +25 MS now grants +8% Warcry movement speed.
