Dota 2 Patch 7.39e is here and it brings the much awaited Kez into Captain's Mode. This means the hero can now be drafted in professional matches. There are also a myriad of changes to the game in order to balance it up for the next competitive season.
While not a giant patch, bringing in Kez, along with the changes, should refresh the scene and give new heroes a chance to shine.
The Biggest changes in Dota 2 patch 7.39e
Kez enters the scene
Time to see what you're made of Kez. (Credit: Valve).The biggest change in Dota 2 patch 7.39e is that players can now pick Kez in Captain's Mode. But the question is, will pros actually take the hero?
Kez has a fairly low win rate in the pub scene, with a sub-50% success rate across all brackets. He's not exactly popular either, being among the least picked heroes in pubs.
A big negative for the hero was that he wasn't competitively viable, which prevented pros from practicing him. Now that the hero is allowed in captain's mode, we expect his popularity to rise accordingly.
Valve is being cautious with the hero. Dota 2 patch 7.39e buffed Kez' mana regeneration slightly, but nerfed most of his skills in return. Overall, it doesn't seem like Kez will make a huge splash but time will tell.
Several defensive items took a big hit in Dota 2 patch 7.39e
Blink and he will take away your buildings. And your dog. (Credit: Valve)Certain interactions in the past have been deemed too powerful. Among them is being able to become both Ethereal and Magic Immune. This effectively renders a hero invincible in most cases.
That is changed now. If a target has BKB active and uses Ghost Scepter or has it applied from another source (Pugna, Necrophos) the Ethereal effect is inactive and the hero is effectively just using a BKB.
This is a significant nerf to Etheral Blade, Pugna, and Necrophos. However, Muerta can still use BKB and her ultimate without being affected. Time will tell if this is intended or if Valve forgot to patch this for the hero.
Outworld Staff also took a hit. Instead of hiding the hero (Disruption, Astral Imprisonment), it now turns the hero immune to damage and immobile. This means Juggernaut's Omnislash can no longer be dodged with Outworld Staff.
Kez isn't the only hero nerfed in Dota 2 patch 7.39e
Not as difficult to kill as she used to be. (Source: Valve)There are the usual winners and losers of each update, with several of the most popular heroes received nerfs, while buffs are handed out to the underserved members of the Dota 2 hero pool.
Dawnbreaker's Aghanim's Scepter's aura lasts a second less, greatly reducing it's effectiveness. Disruptor has a weaker slow on Thunder Strike and a longer cooldown on Static Storm in lower levels.
Earthshaker got hit from two fronts. The hero deals less damage from Aftershock and Fissure, while stacking creeps is less rewarding this patch than before. He and Medusa might be our biggest losers for this update.
But while some fall, others rise to take their place. Jakiro's Liquid Frost is 50% more effective at level one and lasts 25% longer. Lich has a little more intelligence to work with early. In the meantime, Phantom Assassin, OD, and Timbersaw all saw significant buffs to their early game.
Overall, Dota 2 patch 7.39e is a solid letter patch. It brings Kez into the fold, nerfs the Helm of the Dominator playstyle, and tries to rebalance heroes to make them all viable. Personally, I am looking forward to the next update, with hopefully much bigger changes.
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Featured Image Source: Valve
