The first tour of the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit ended, and there was a hero in almost every match in all regions. In four out of the six DPC regions, Rubick was the most picked hero. In the end, only Tusk (in China) and Treant Protector (in NA) came close.
Despite his high pick rate, Rubick still sustained a high win rate above 55 percent in two regions, while he averaged a solid close to 50 percent in the remaining four.
Considering most dominating heroes get instantly banned in every picking stage, Rubick serves as a trump card for most teams. With teamfight heroes like Treant Protector, Disruptor, and Crystal Maiden getting popular, Rubick is a versatile addition to each line-up.
The presence of Rubick grants a team the chance to turn a game around by stealing impactful spells, and one must not forget the hero’s early game presence. Rubick is considered one of the best early roamers. When the Grand Magus gets paired with a hero that can sustain himself in the lane, he can open up a lot of space on the map.
Rubick’s kit also provides the mage with quite a bit of magic amplification, which turns him into a real late-game threat. Rubick can one-shot an enemy team with a stolen Shadow Fiend ultimate, and there are many other game-changing ultimates Rubick can utilize in Dota 2.
Aside from spell stealing, even Rubick’s presence can change how teams move and play around the map in most stages of the game. The fear of getting an ultimate stolen may cause players to hesitate when it comes to casting spells, a situation that can be easily capitalized on in professional Dota 2 matches.
Rubick can also play mid-lane. Flexible heroes like Magus can help captains win drafts; the unpredictability can trigger a cascade of mistakes from the enemy team.
