Dota’s Patch 7.07, also known as the Dueling Fates update, is now two months old, having launched around the start of the current Pro Circuit season.
Hard carry heroes have dominated the 7.07 meta, with picks like Medusa, Tiny, Morphling, Anti-Mage, and more getting their time in the spotlight. In the new patch released last night, however, some of these carries and other heroes might have to surrender their status in the top tiers of the competitive scene.
Patch 7.07d is the latest minor revision to 7.07, with Medusa and Morphling perhaps taking the heaviest nerfs listed in the change log.
Medusa was one of the most effective carries in 7.07c, performing well in tournaments like The Summit 8 and Mars Dota 2 League Macau. In both events, she posted win rates of no less than 65 percent across a total of 49 games.
IceFrog has therefore seen fit to knock her right off her pedestal as one of the best carries in the metagame, by significantly reducing her movement speed and strength gain. These two changes should make it much harder for players to stretch her natural durability and kiting prowess.
As for Morphling, the talent that gives an additional 15 seconds to his ultimate’s duration has been moved from level 15 to level 20, swapping places with the talent that allows his Waveform ability to attack targets on the way. In addition, Waveform’s damage has been reduced by 25 points per level, capping out at 300.
Morphling’s new ultimate was shown to be incredibly effective and versatile in this patch, as it allowed the hero to use an enemy hero’s abilities against them while simultaneously giving him an extra layer of health. Now that the duration talent is harder to reach, Morphling’s strength in the mid game should be more manageable for teams trying to deal with him.
Other metagame picks like Omniknight, Night Stalker, Tinker, and Broodmother were neutered in the patch. Meanwhile, heroes like Enigma, Dazzle, and Chen were given some minor buffs—so perhaps we’ll see these support picks back in the hands of pro players soon.
