Dota 2 pros are being rocked by more than just visa issues as the Berlin Major draws closer. All signs are pointing towards the next patch releasing right before the event, and it will be as massive as players in the midst of the longest content drought ever hoped it would be.
But while its long-awaited arrival is exciting, the timing is being slammed as “poor management” considering how much it will shake things up before the major.
“Every pro team will tell you the timing is not the greatest. It will bring a lot of randomness to the major,” said TI winner Skiter during an interview at DreamLeague S19 on April 16. He hopes his team, Tundra Esports, will be one of the “lucky” ones to understand the patch better than others.
The Slovakian carry admitted the timing of the patch’s release will be “very cool” for viewers because it will make things chaotic, and in turn, make the major more of a spectacle. For pros like himself who have a lot on the line, however, it will be a nightmare.
His teammate 33 echoed the sentiment a day earlier on the DreamLeague S19 stream, explaining he “doesn’t really enjoy” drastic changes like new mechanics or new additions to the map, at least not right away, and especially not before an important event, although he’ll eventually “realize the change was good.” Instead, he would have preferred if Valve nerfed broken heroes and buffed weak heroes, and called it a day.
Gaimin Gladiators mid laner Quinn agreed during an interview later that day, saying it “definitely should have dropped earlier” and dropping it right before the major at a time where points matter so much is “a bit questionable.”
At this stage, the release hasn’t been confirmed. Valve said it would drop at the end of April, but leaks have narrowed it down to April 20, six days before the Berlin Major.
