Players left disappointed with Dota 2 Patch 7.34e updates

Dota 2

November 21, 2023

Marcus Wong

Dota 2 Patch 7.34e marks the first “significant” change since Dota 2 The International 2023 (TI12). Yet, this patch primarily introduces nerfs to several heroes and items, such as Hand of Midas and Heart of Tarrasque, along with changes to heroes like Spirit Breaker, Chaos Knight, Primal Beast, Bristleback and others.

Only a select few characters, namely Drow Ranger and Enigma, received modest buffs.

Underwhelming Dota 2 Changes

Posted by Reddit user, u/2B2V

The long-awaited Patch 7.34e has arrived, but it may not meet the community’s high expectations. The update doesn’t significantly alter the existing Dota 2 meta, which has been a point of contention among players since TI12. Heroes such as Spirit Breaker, Spectre, and Chaos Knight, which were dominant in the tournament, have received nerfs, but these changes don’t necessarily introduce a new dynamic to the gameplay.

Additionally, less popular choices like Drow Ranger and Enigma still struggle to find their footing in the current aggressive gameplay landscape. As a result, players might continue to see a similar roster of heroes in their everyday pubs. This trend is likely to extend to the competitive scene, with upcoming events like ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 expected to showcase similar strategies and hero selections as those seen since TI12.

Just look at the miniscule change Spectre and Spirit Breaker received:

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Spirit Breaker

Charge of Darkness
- Cooldown increased from 21/18/15/12s to 22/19/16/13s
- Aghanim’s Scepter Cooldown increased from 8s to 9s
Greater Bash
- Damage multiplier against creeps decreased from 1.5x to 1.3x

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Spectre

Base Armor decreased by 1

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Future Expectations: December 2023 and beyond

The reaction to patch 7.34e within the Dota 2 community is mixed. On platforms like Dota 2 Reddit, some players express dissatisfaction with the minor nature of the gameplay updates, while others appreciate Valve’s commitment to delivering promised updates, that do not leave the players in the dark.

Credit: Valve

Looking ahead, Valve has hinted at exciting developments for the upcoming Frostivus 2023 event and the release of new Arcanas. Set around Christmas, many fans look forward to the Frostivus 2023 to also coincide with the introduction of a new Dota 2 hero, Ringmaster.

Chances are Ringmaster’s release will only arrive as part of the forthcoming Dota 2 Update 7.35 early next year.

Ancient Apparition

Ice Vortex
- Damage per second decreased from 12/20/28/36 to 12/18/24/30
Ice Blast
- Frostbitten Duration decreased from 10/11/12s to 10s

Bristleback

Quill Spray
- Max Damage decreased from 550 to 500
Bristleback (skill)
- Damage Threshold increased from 225 to 300/275/250/225
Hairball
- Cast Range decreased from 1500 to 1000
- Cooldown increased from 10s to 13s
Talents
- Level 20 Talent Quill Spray Stack Damage decreased from +25 to +20

Chaos Knight

Base Damage decreased by 5
Chaos Strike
- Lifesteal penalty against creeps increased from 40% to 70%
Phantasm
- Mana Cost increased from 75/125/175 to 100/200/300

Dark Willow

Shadow Realm
- Cooldown increased from 20/18/16/14s to 22/20/18/16s

Dazzle

Bad Juju
- No longer affects any Blink Dagger’s 3s mute period after taking damage

Drow Ranger

Multishot
- Cooldown decreased from 26/24/22/20s to 24/22/20/18s

Earth Spirit

Rolling Boulder
- Cooldown now begins when the current roll is completed

Enigma

Black Hole
- Cooldown decreased from 200/180/160s to 180/170/160s

Grimstroke

Ink Swell
- Aghanim’s Shard Spell Lifesteal now has a 20% penalty against creeps

Gyrocopter

Rocket Barrage
- Rocket Damage increased from 6/12/18/24 to 8/14/20/26

Juggernaut

Omnislash
- Bonus Damage increased from 30/40/50 to 40/45/50

Kunkka

Ghostship
- Damage Delayed decreased from 45% to 35%
Tidal Wave
- Damage decreased from 250 to 180
Torrent Storm
- Duration decreased from 5s to 4s
- Cooldown increased from 70s to 75s

Leshrac

Lightning Storm
- Slow Duration increased from 0.4/0.6/0.8/1.0s to 0.45/0.7/0.95/1.2s

Lion

Earth Spike
- Cast Range increased from 575 to 650

Lycan

Base Agility increased from 16 to 18
Agility gain increased from 1.4 to 1.8

Marci

Sidekick
- Cast Range increased from 700 to 1000

Muerta

The Calling
- Duration decreased from 7/8/9/10s to 5/6/7/8s
- Movement Slow decreased from 30% to 15/20/25/30%

Necrophos

Ghost Shroud
- Mana Cost increased from 50 to 75
Heartstopper Aura
- Regen Duration decreased from 8s to 7s
- Aghanim’s Scepter Health Regen to Decay decreased from 60% to 55%
Death Seeker
- Cooldown increased from 16s to 19s

Primal Beast

Trample
- Mana Cost increased from 90/85/80/75 to 90
Pulverize
- Cooldown increased from 36/32/28s to 40/36/32s
Talents
- Level 25 Talent Pulverize Duration decreased from +100% to +67%

Shadow Shaman

Hex
- Damage Amplification increased from 5/10/15/20% to 10/15/20/25%

Timbersaw

Whirling Death
- Stat Loss Percent increased from 10% to 13%

Tiny

Avalanche
- Mana Cost decreased from 120 to 90/100/110/120

Treant Protector

Base Movement Speed decreased from 285 to 280
Leech Seed
- Damage/Heal per second decreased from 25/40/55/70 to 20/35/50/65

Weaver

Geminate Attack
- Cooldown increased from 7/5.5/4/2.5s to 8.5/6.5/4.5/2.5s

Winter Wyvern

Cold Embrace
- Base Heal per second increased from 30/35/40/45 to 40/45/50/55

Witch Doctor

Paralyzing Cask
- Damage multiplier against creeps decreased from 2.0x to 1.5x
Death Ward
- Now prioritizes heroes within its attack range over creeps

Wraith King

Vampiric Spirit
Skeleton Damage decreased by 3

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