During the We Say Things podcast, commentators Shannon 'SUNSfan' Scott and Troels 'syndereN' Nielsen discussed Patch 7.37b and expressed concerns about the lack of information regarding The International 2024.
Nielsen remarked that Patch 7.37b seemed relatively minor compared to other 'b' patches, although he acknowledged that the changes made were likely necessary and could be beneficial. He noted that the patch involved small adjustments, such as changes of -1% or +1% in various aspects.
On the topic of the Tinker hero, SUNSfan inquired whether the adjustments had sufficiently nerfed Tinker. Nielsen explained that the hero's healing from March of the Machines had been reduced, along with an increase in the ability's cost and a nerf to Defense Matrix. He believed these changes were significant, although Tinker might still be considered top-tier. Nielsen compared Tinker's situation to the cycle many heroes go through, where they are buffed and then nerfed once their impact is realised. He expected Tinker to remain a popular pick at The International, especially with strategies leveraging Repair Boots and midgame timing.
Regarding The International 2024, SUNSfan questioned the prize pool and potential additions to it, as well as whether the fourth act of the event might function as a mini version of the Battle Pass. Nielsen suggested that detailed answers might be buried in the Deadlock source code but noted that Valve's delays in announcements were unusual. He remarked that while Valve often announces things late, the current delay regarding prize pool details and other event-related information seemed unprecedented.
SUNSfan agreed that while delays in some areas might be common, the delay in announcing the prize pool was particularly strange.
The International 2024 is scheduled to take place from 4 to 15 September in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a starting prize pool of $1.6 million.