The 7.37e patch for Dota 2 has led to notable shifts in hero win rates, as reported by Dotabuff. Heroes like Luna and Earth Spirit have been particularly affected by nerfs, while others such as Kez have seen significant boosts.
Luna’s Changes and Decline in Win Rate
The patch introduced substantial changes to Luna, resulting in a 6% drop in win rate, now at 45.9%, down from 51.34% on November 19. Key adjustments include:
- Night Vision reduced from 400 + 20 per level to 250 + 25 per level.
- Level 10 Talent: Damage reduction per bounce decreased from 8% to 5%.
- Level 15 Talent: Replaced +80 Lucent Beam damage with +1 Lunar Orbit Glaive.
- Level 20 Talent: Replaced 2 Lucent Beam attacks per target with +110 Lucent Beam damage.
Additionally, the nerf to the Khanda item, a common choice for Luna, further weakened her effectiveness.
Other Hero Adjustments
The patch also impacted several other heroes' win rates:
- Medusa: Win rate decreased by 4.55%.
- Shadow Fiend: Win rate dropped by 2.98%.
- Pangolier: Down by 2.68%.
On the flip side, heroes like Kez, Meepo, and Anti-Mage saw win rate increases of 5.42%, 2.83%, and 2.64%, respectively.
Earth Spirit’s Nerfs and Ephey’s Reaction
Earth Spirit also received nerfs, notably the Rolling Boulder distance reduction tied to his Level 10 Talent. Popular Dota 2 personality Mira "Ephey" Riyadh criticised the changes:
"This is a terrible balance adjustment. If you're weakening Earth Spirit as a core, why also remove his key strength as a support—Rolling Boulder distance? Over the years, Earth Spirit has lost his identity as a support. Oh, and he still doesn’t have an innate ability. "
Ephey highlighted the continued challenges for Earth Spirit mains, pointing out that nerfs to his core role often leave his support playstyle unviable, with no compensation elsewhere.
The 7.37e patch, released on November 20, has shaken up the meta with buffs and nerfs affecting many heroes. It remains to be seen how these changes will shape competitive play in the coming weeks.