BLAST Slam VII Meta Recap: Supports Taking Over

Now that BLAST Slam VII is over, it's time to bring back our meta recap and take a look at which heroes were the most popular picks and which ones might break into the meta after the changes introduced in Patch 7.41d.

Unlike previous tournaments, BLAST Slam VII saw support heroes dominate the rankings, taking over the Top 5 most popular picks after 101 matches were played.

BLAST Slam VII Meta Recap

Supports Take Over the Meta

Support heroes were the most popular choice among teams and occupied all five spots in the Top 5 most-picked heroes at BLAST Slam VII. Bane was the fifth most popular pick and had the second-highest win rate among the Top 5, with 20 victories in 32 matches (62.50%).

Clockwerk was only the fourth most popular hero but delivered the best performance, posting a 67.65% win rate across 34 matches. The hero received a couple of minor nerfs to Power Cogs in Patch 7.41d, but they do not seem to have affected his effectiveness.

The third most popular hero was also the least effective among the Top 5. Windranger recorded 13 victories and 23 defeats across 36 matches, placing her at the bottom of the group in terms of win rate.

Despite her versatility, it seems that the redheaded ranger does not perform well against some of the heroes currently dominating the meta, including both previously mentioned heroes. She failed to win a single matchup against Bane and won only 1 out of 9 matches against Clockwerk.

Hoodwink and Lion: Popular But Not Effective

Second place was taken by Lion and his underwhelming 45.24% win rate across 42 matches. Team Spirit made the best use of the hero, winning 3 out of 4 games with Lion, while Aurora Gaming won 6 out of 9 games after picking him.

Once again, Hoodwink claimed the title of most-picked hero at BLAST Slam VII, appearing in 46 of the tournament's 101 matches. She also posted an even worse win rate, securing victories in only 36.96% of her games.

Apparently, using Hoodwink effectively is one of the keys to success. Team Yandex and LGD Gaming reached the Grand Final, and both teams were the most successful with the hero, posting win rates of 66.67% and 55.56%, respectively.

Shadow Meta: Finally Some Cores

The Shadow Meta features a more varied hero pool and also serves as a convincing demonstration of why Valve implemented several smaller nerfs by dropping Patch 7.41d during BLAST Slam VII.

Over 70% win rate

Only Ember Spirit and Nature's Prophet were picked in more than 10% of the tournament's 101 matches and still managed to break the 70% win-rate barrier. Ember Spirit received a minor nerf to Sleight of Fist, losing 10 bonus hero damage across all levels, but should remain relevant in upcoming tournaments.

Surprisingly, Nature's Prophet performed even better, exceeding the 70% win-rate mark while also receiving a couple of buffs on his innate ability and his level 20 talent for Sprout damage in Patch 7.41d. If he was already performing well and then got buffed, he is certainly worth considering.

Over 60% win rate

In the 60%+ win-rate bracket, we find Bane and Clockwerk, already featured in the Top 5, accompanied by a strong variety of heroes:

Doom delivered a particularly impressive performance with a 65% win rate despite being continuously nerfed since Patch 7.41b. Beastmaster also faced successive nerfs and still performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament.

Most of the heroes in this bracket that did not make the Top 5 are popular midlane choices and should be considered if you're looking for an edge in ranked matchmaking.

Finally, Viper posted solid results despite his limited number of appearances, largely thanks to PARIVISION, which won both of its matches with the hero, and LGD Gaming, which won 2 out of 3 games with him, including some particularly exciting matches.

Closing Thoughts

BLAST Slam VII brought plenty of surprises, especially for South American fans. The meta appears to favor support heroes at a time when teams need stability and utility to complement their cores' efforts.

Hoodwink posted a poor overall win rate, but the teams that performed well with her seemed to gain a competitive edge over the rest of the field. In fact, the two teams with the best Hoodwink records both reached the Grand Final.

As for the Shadow Meta, Ember Spirit and Nature's Prophet appear poised to become either more contested or more impactful in upcoming events. If you want to stay informed about the latest news on professional Dota 2 remember to check the news section on the Strafe website!

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