After a long wait, Dota 2 Update 7.32 has finally arrived. It brings a wide array of balance changes and new options to try out. There are many changes to neutral items, along with key tweaks to important items and many hero rebalances. Here’s the long and short of Dota 2 Update 7.32.
[Related: Is Dota 2’s Black King Bar A Problem?]
General Updates
The first of Update 7.32’s changes may be it’s most impactful. For starters, Primal Beast was added to Captains Mode, officially introducing him to the competitive scene. Along with him come changes to how XP works. Both the XP needed to level up and the XP from streaks have received similar changes. They now start slightly lower but ramp up much faster, quickly outstripping their old values. This will likely put more value on early-game streaks and leads, potentially worsening Dota’s problem with stomps. Fans can expect to see more explosive games in the upcoming Regional Qualifiers. Picks and bans will likely favor heroes that peak early and snowball hard.
The Flagbearer Creep
A further change to early laning is the addition of Flagbearer Creeps. These spawn every second wave, starting at two minutes. These have 40% Magic Resistance and give all allies in a 700 unit radius +3 health regen. They also give double the gold of a normal Melee Creep when killed. These creeps will likely shift the laning phase to focus around them, as they are a key asset. They provide extra gold to enemies and powerful sustain to allies. As this aura also applies to other Creeps, they will be essential for shoving waves. This means they will be impactful at all stages of the game. Early on they will be high-priority targets, and later they will help with split pushing, de-emphasizing teamfights.
Map Changes
Along with the previously mentioned general changes, there have been numerous to the map as well. While none of them specifically stand out, they will certainly impact the flow of the game. Overall, jungling seems to have gotten riskier, with camps being farther from safe areas like the river and lanes. To go with this, passive GPM was decreased by 15%, encouraging players to venture out and take risks. Conversely, bases have gotten safer, with Fountain health regen being doubled. Ancients themselves also got 10 more armor, although this likely won’t matter too much. What certainly will matter is the change to Glyph of Fortification. It is now refreshed whenever the first tower of each tier falls for a team. This should help stall deathball pushes, and encourages spreading out tower damage.
Side Note: Bounty Hunter et al.
These general changes suggest that there will be clear winners in this patch. First and foremost is Bounty Hunter, who will likely be much better at most levels of play. Firstly, his Jinada ability makes killing Flagbearers easy, allowing him to build up an early gold lead. This compounds with his already strong early game, making securing an early lead even easier. With the changes to leveling, Bounty Hunter’s early power spike should be much higher. But the early game isn’t the only stage being kind to Bounty Hunter. With Flagbearers making split pushing more viable, Bounty Hunter won’t have to join in on teamfights. He’ll also have more solo targets to Track, putting him in his element.
While Bounty Hunter is one of the biggest winners here, similar heroes also benefit. Clinkz can use his Death Pact like Jinada, although this is usually a waste. His Skeleton Walk allows him similar mobility to Bounty Hunter, making split pushing easier. Riki’s Cloak and Dagger gives him both mobility and extra damage, putting him into the same camp.
Item Changes
Arguably the most important item currently is Black King Bar. Thus, it’s good to see that it was nerfed, even if only a little. It now costs 50 mana to activate, which while not usually significant in the late game is good. Apart from BKB, there were numerous item changes, but none were quite so significant.
That is, of course, apart from Neutral Items. Numerous Neutral Items were removed and replaced with entirely new ones. The Tier 1 items Chipped Vest, Keen Optic, and Ocean Heart were removed. In their place are Seeds of Serenity, Lance of Pursuit, and Occult Bracelet. The Tier 2 items Essence Ring, Fae Grenade, and Quicksilver Amulet were also replaced. Supplanting them are Eye of the Vizier, Specialist’s Array, and Dagger of Ristul. Only one Tier 3 item was removed, Spider Legs, with Ogre Seal Totem replacing it. Oddly enough, the Tier 4 items Havoc Hammer and The Leveller were removed, but nothing was added to replace them.
Final Notes
While there was the usual slew of hero changes, few entries stand out like the general changes. Of note, several heroes had interesting changes to their Aghanim’s Scepter effects. Doom, Centaur Warrunner, Enchantress, and Viper are among the most interesting. Doom’s upgrade gives his ultimate more utility, while the latter three gain new active abilities from their Scepters. For more information on Dota 2 Update 7.32, the full patch notes can be found here.
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