Roughly two weeks after Team Falcons lifted the Aegis of Champions at The International 2025 (TI14), developer Valve has unleashed the highly anticipated post-TI gameplay update, unleashing Kez on the esports scene in patch 7.39e.

Patch 7.39e boasts a large number of balance changes to both items and heroes. Highlighting the massive update is Kez finally entering Captain’s Mode, and TI14 meta item, Helm of the Dominator, getting much-needed nerfs. Let’s take a page out of Kez’s book and swoop in.

Dota 2 hero Kez enters Captain’s Mode after 11 months

It’s been a long time since Kez was first revealed at TI13 back in September 2024. Often referred to as the “bird Invoker,” Kez was released that same year, on November 7, with update 7.37d.

Roughly 11 months later, on October 3, 2025, Kez finally entered the realm of Dota 2 esports with its addition to Captain’s Mode. For the uninitiated, new Dota 2 heroes have historically entered competitive play around two months after their initial release.

One can attribute the long wait for Kez to enter Captain’s Mode to the hero’s complex playstyle. After all, Kez can switch between two “disciples” on the fly, each with its own unique set of abilities.

Kez’s addition could have far-reaching effects on the Dota 2 meta, but only time and a lot of testing will make the hero’s impact clear. Valve made a few balance changes to Kez in the Dota 2 update 7.39e, along with a couple of bug fixes.

TI14 meta item Helm of the Dominator nerfed hard

At TI14, the Helm of the Dominator (and its upgrade, Helm of the Overlord) dominated the Dota 2 esports meta. Therefore, it wasn’t unexpected that Valve would step in to swing its mighty nerf bat at the popular item.

These are the changes to Helm of the Dominator and Helm of the Overlord:

• Dominate now has a 50 mana cost.
• Dominate can no longer be used if the currently dominated creep took damage from hero-based sources in the last 3s.
• Dominated Creep movement speed decreased from 380 to 370.

These nerfs may not seem significant at first glance, but they will undoubtedly have a lasting impact. Importantly, the 50 mana cost is huge since many heroes who purchase a Helm of the Dominator have low mana pools. Further, with a three-second delay on using Dominate if your current creep gets hit, in-battle takeover of creeps could be a thing of the past.

The Dota 2 version 7.39e update boasts over a hundred hero and item adjustments, which could result in significant meta changes. Current meta heroes such as Earthshaker, Beastmaster, and Disruptor got smacked by the nerf bat as well. We recommend checking the official patch notes for a comprehensive list of changes.