Dota 2 Patch 7.41 Removes Facets!

Dota 2 patch 7.41 is here and it brings massive changes to the game. The first line already removes a feature introduced two years ago. Facets have been removed, and most of their effects added as either basic abilities, Shards, or Scepter upgrades.

That's not all though. The patch also added new items, reworked Neutrals, and a whole lot more. So let's dive into the biggest changes of Dota 2 patch 7.41.

The Biggest changes in Dota 2 Patch 7.41

Facets have been removed from Dota 2 

The immediate attention grabbing update is that Facets are now gone. Introduced as a way to allow players more options on how to play heroes, facets quickly devolved to having one good choice and another gimmicky or unpickable option.

Some heroes such as Weaver had genuine options, either going support and getting more experience or cores who can move slightly faster. Zeus as well had two solid options to pick from. But they were the exception. Most heroes defaulted to one facet choice every game, regardless of the enemy lineup.

In general facets were a bit of a failure in execution, and it's clear IceFrog felt the same. I'll miss some of the options, but it was an illusion of choice for most heroes and I am glad that removing facets will hopefully make the game easier to balance moving forward

Nine new items are introduced in Dota 2 patch 7.41

Four basic items and five recipes have been added to the game. Consecrated Wraps looks like an incredible defensive item, though it's hard to figure out who is meant to buy it just yet. Another great addition is the return of Specialist Array. This gives ranged heroes a "cleave-like" mechanic. It can also be upgraded to Hydra's Breath.

Essence Distiller is an interesting new item. Providing vision on enemies is a great way to allow allies to bring them down. Overall, the new items bring interesting new mechanics. But time will tell which provide enough bonuses to be picked up, and which are cute, but ultimately not worth picking up.

Fifteen new neutral items with reworked enchantments

It's a new season of Neutral items, with fifteen new or returning options. Some old favroties are back, while others bring new mechanics to the fold.

Forager's Kit looks like a fun new neutral to work with. You can find items or gold in trees. Some of them provide pretty big benefits, such as flat out stat boosts. You can also get significant amount of regeneration per foraged item. Enchanter's Bauble also looks cool, buffing whatever enchantment you take by 15% and stacking with multiple recrafting. Prophet's Pendulum looks like an amazing way to avoid being bursted down in fights.

It's not just the neuttrals which have been changed. Enchantments as well have been buffed. You now get the same choices of enchantment based on the hero's main attribute. A big change is that every hero can get greedy at tiers two and three, greatly expanding the options possible for gold-starved supports.

These are just some of the changes in Dota 2 patch 7.41. Heroes will get their own articles once we sort out the biggest winners and losers of the patch.

Read More: Team Liquid Had the Longest Day of Nonstop Dota 2 Ever

Featured Image Source: Valve