The biggest changes in Dota 2 patch 7.34d

With The International 2023 just a week away, Valve releases the latest gameplay update, Dota 2 patch 7.34d.

DreamLeague Season 21 revealed that the previous Dota 2 patch limited the hero pool for multiple roles, leaving only a handful of viable picks. This was particularly egregious for carry players, with Sven and Phantom Assassin getting picked or banned in every match.

Dota 2 patch 7.34d aims to enable as many heroes as possible ahead of the upcoming International, nerfing the meta picks while buffing previously unpickable heroes.

The biggest changes in Dota 2 patch 7.34d

Eul's Scepter of Divinity receives a little love

More control, more! (Credit: Valve)

In terms of items, there aren't any massive changes in the latest update. Heart of Terrasque received a small price increase, and Hand of Midas lost a tiny bit of attack speed.

Overall it's minor changes to just a few items.

The only item that received a buff was Eul's Scepter. The recipe cost is reduced by 100 gold, a solid price reduction for an item that only cost 2,700 gold in the past.

We expect Eul's Scepter to get picked up a little more in the future. The item provides movement speed, mana regeneration, a basic dispel, and the ability to take someone out of the fight for 2.5 seconds.

Ninja Gear is no longer an auto-pick neutral item

Riki is the best hero to get Ninja Gear. (Credit: Valve)

Neutral items also didn't receive many changes, with only three of them getting nerfed.

Of the three, the one that stands out is Ninja Gear, which has an additional 15 seconds added to its cooldown.

Going from 45 to 60 seconds is pretty bad, but the other nerf is even worse.

In previous patches, players would use the smoke from Ninja Gear and then swap it for a more battle-oriented neutral item. That is no longer viable.

Unequipping Ninja Gear instantly removes the invisibility of the user. You either keep Ninja Gear on at all times, or you don't pick it up in Dota 2 patch 7.34d.

Phantom Assassin gets smashed with a Nerf hammer

The carry queen is a tough hero to face in battle.

As mentioned in the introduction to this article, the problem with the previous patch was that a handful of heroes were dominating the meta, leaving other options in the dust.

For carries, it was Sven and Phantom Assassin, and both of them took sizable nerfs.

Sven lost four base damage, and his ultimate deals 20% less damage at all levels, making it significantly harder for him to bring down his enemies.

But it's Phantom Assassin who took the biggest hit in the latest update. Mortred is much easier to find now due to the increase in Vanish Radius. Her crit chance is reduced as well, going from 20% to 17%.

The meta supports didn't escape the nerf hammer either, though the changes aren't quite as drastic.

Warlock's Upheavel is a little less obnoxious to deal with, Treant has less damage and mana regen, making him less of a threat during the laning stage.

Overall, 21  of the most contested heroes received direct nerfs, a much-needed change ahead of The International 12.

Will the buffs in Dota 2 patch 7.34d bring Lifestealer back into the meta?

Truly a face only a mother could love. (Credit: Valve)

There were more buffs than nerfs in the latest update, as Valve tries to ensure every hero is competitively viable.

Some buffs are relatively minor, such as Death Prophet receiving a tiny cooldown change to her level 15 talent, not a whole lot to celebrate there.

Predicting which updated hero will be viable is nearly impossible, as pros tend to prioritize different aspects of each hero.

Still, on paper, some heroes do look like they have received some hefty buffs.

Meepo has a higher lifesteal at earlier levels of Ransack, along with a longer duration for Mega Meepo. Spirit Breaker deals 5% more damage at all levels of Greater Bash. Anti-Mage got one armor, need we say more? 

For our money, we believe Lifestealer could make a big comeback. Feast deals 0.5% more damage at all levels in Dota 2 patch 7.34d. On paper that may not seem like a lot, but for a durable high attack speed hero like Naix, it could be just what the hero needs.

It's very early in the patch to know exactly what is broken and what is no longer viable. The upcoming International will be one of the most unpredictable in history, as teams have only one week to prepare for the biggest Dota 2 event of the year.

READ MORE: The Favourites for The International 2023

Featured Image Source: Valve