Season 24 summary: changes in meta and new season speculations

We recently highlighted DreamLeague's refining strategies. As a logical conclusion, we review Season 24 as a whole.

Season 24 of Dota 2 has been a dynamic period of adjustments, introducing new heroes and mechanics that have shaped the competitive meta. With the latest patches and the community adapting to significant changes, this article dives into the impact of updates like Patch 7.37d, highlights hero trends, and speculates what's next.

Hero Trends

The 7.37d patch's effects rippled through the hero pool, with new faces emerging while old favorites were fine-tuned. According to Dotabuff's Hero Meta Statistics, the following trends emerged:

Top Picks:

Pudge leads the charge with a staggering 27.46% pick rate and a 51.29% win rate, maintaining his dominance thanks to his versatile role as a tank and initiator.

Shadow Fiend shines as a high-risk, high-reward mid-laner with incredible snowball potential.

Ringmaster remains a top-tier off-lane pick, even after his nerfs, thanks to his ability to dictate team fights with Encore and Showtime.

Surprise Comebacks:

Ogre Magi saw a resurgence in pro play as a tanky support with versatile utility, capitalizing on meta shifts favoring durability and crowd control.

Visage is back in niche strategies, leveraging his improved scaling abilities to secure objectives and punish greedy drafts.

New Heroes Spotlight

Season 24 brought two significant additions to the hero roster: Kez, a freshly minted Agility carry from the Crownfall Act IV update, and Ringmaster, a flamboyant showman introduced earlier in the year but refined through a series of patches. These heroes have added fresh dynamics to public and professional play, shaking up the meta with unique abilities and playstyles.

Kez: The Agile Weapon Master

Debuting on November 6, 2024, Kez arrived with a splash as the 126th hero in Dota 2. With her elegant yet deadly combat style, Kez delivers a mix of burst damage, mobility, and versatility through a weapon-switching mechanic.

Core Role: Kez is primarily an Agility carry designed for scaling into the late game. Her weapon swap between Katana and Sai allows her to adapt to different combat scenarios.

Abilities:

Katana Mode: Focused on high physical damage with bonus crits that punish debuffed enemies, making her a natural pairing with heroes like Venomancer or Shadow Demon.

Sai Mode: AoE control and mobility take center stage here, allowing her to shine in clustered team fights or escape tight situations.

Ultimate (Bladed Tempest): Amplifies her weapon's current mode, adding devastating effects and granting global mobility through a targeted teleport. This makes her a strategic wildcard for split-pushing and sudden ganks.

Impact: Early experimentation with Kez has shown promise, particularly in matches where her flexibility lets her counter aggressive drafts. She's seen some testing in professional play as a core and occasionally as an unconventional roaming mid-laner. However, her skill ceiling makes her a challenging pick for most players, requiring precise timing and team coordination.

Ringmaster: The Show-Stopping Disruptor

The Ringmaster entered the fray as Dota 2's 125th hero. A Strength-based disruptor, he brings flair to every fight, controlling the battlefield with his circus-themed abilities. Despite being a newer addition, Ringmaster's presence has been felt heavily in competitive play, though his dominance has been tempered by recent nerfs in Patch 7.37d.

Core Role: Most commonly played as an off-laner or a teamfight-oriented support, Ringmaster excels at locking down enemies and creating chaos during engagements.

Abilities:

Encore: A massive AoE ability that creates a circular "stage" where enemies are slowed and forced to stay within its boundaries for the duration.

Showtime: Deals burst AoE damage while stunning all enemies caught in its range. Combined with his ultimate, it can single-handedly turn the tide of a fight.

Big Top Trick: Grants bonus strength temporarily, allowing Ringmaster to tank through fights or act as a pseudo-carry.

Patch 7.37d Adjustments:

Base Strength Reduction: Ringmaster's early game durability was slightly decreased, requiring more cautious laning.

Showtime Cooldown Increased: Teams can no longer rely on Showtime in quick succession, reducing his uptime during prolonged skirmishes.

Despite these changes, Ringmaster remains a high-priority pick, especially for teams looking to dominate mid-game engagements with his overwhelming crowd control.

Impact: Ringmaster has established himself as a top-tier disruptor, consistently drafted in pro matches for his ability to dictate fights. His synergy with heroes like Disruptor or Snapfire—who add even more AoE presence—makes him a centerpiece of wombo-combo team strategies.

The Professional Scene

In the pro meta, adaptation has been the name of the game. With Ringmaster seeing consistent nerfs to tone down his game-breaking potential, teams began experimenting with alternative picks. An analysis by KawaiiSocks on Dotabuff revealed several key trends:

Flexible Supports: Heroes like Ogre Magi and Snapfire were prioritized for versatility and tackiness.

Shift in Core Dynamics: The rise of hybrid cores such as Lycan, combining push potential and burst damage, reflects a preference for scaling into mid-game power spikes.

Specialist Heroes: Kez's debut introduced chaos into early tournaments as teams experimented with her in unconventional roles like mid-lane or roaming.

Speculations for the Next Season

Looking ahead to Season 25, several dynamics could define the competitive and casual landscapes:

More Kez Experiments:

With her intricate design and strong carry potential, expect pros to find optimal drafts that maximize her unique utility.

Ringmaster's Continued Popularity:

Despite nerfs, Ringmaster will likely remain a contested pick due to his ability to single-handedly control team fights with his disruptive AoE abilities.

Meta-Centric Items:

Gleipnir's price hike may push players to explore alternatives like Orchid Malevolence or Drums of Slom, diversifying itemization paths.

Valve's Tendency for Mid-Season Adjustments:

Given the frequency of balance updates, another mini-patch could emerge post-TI, addressing any imbalances left unchecked in 7.37d.

Conclusion

Season 24 of Dota 2 has been one of innovation and adaptation, driven by Valve's active balancing and the introduction of Kez, the latest hero to shake up the meta. Heroes like Ringmaster, Pudge, and Shadow Fiend continue to dominate, while emerging picks and item trends hint at an exciting future. As players and teams prepare for the new season, the evolving meta ensures that every patch feels like the start of a new journey.