Dota 2's 7.32d patch nerfs Wraith Pact, balances meta ahead of new DPC season
Dota 2's first post-The International 11 (TI11) gameplay update is out! Patch 7.32d is more extensive than most letter patches as it aims to balance the meta ahead of the upcoming Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) season.
Unlike numbered patches introducing sweeping changes, new mechanics, and hero reworks, letter patches focus on making as many heroes as possible viable in the competitive scene.
Here's a breakdown of the biggest changes in Dota 2 patch 7.32d you should know about:
Wraith Pact is no longer an auto-win item
7.32d change: Ward aura no longer reduces Magical or Pure damage (still affects physical damage from attacks and spells)
The most important item at TI11 was Wraith Pact. It came with a fantastic aura that boosted allies' physical damage and lifesteal while providing bonus armor. The summoned Totem also reduced the enemy's damage output by 30% regardless of the damage type.
The item was incredibly powerful and pushed competitive teams to pick offlaners who can rush it early in order to take control of the map. But that's not going to be the case in 7.32d.
The aura no longer reduces the enemy's magical and pure damage, making the item only viable against right-click heavy lineups. Not only is the aura significantly worse now, but items such as Crimson Guard, Guardian Greaves, and Pipe of Insight all received buffs, compounding the nerf Wraith Pact received.
Another issue that Wraith Pact will suffer from is that enemy lineups always consist of a mixture of physical right-click heroes and magic damage from spells. Few lineups feature more than two main physical damage dealers, which means that a Heaven's Halberd, an item 500 gold cheaper, will often be the superior choice for negating physical damage.
The Flagbearer Creep is more important now
7.32 change: Flagbearer Creep bonus gold for allies in range increased by 10
The Flagbearer is the most recent creep type introduced in the Dota 2 world. It's essentially a melee creep that provides a 3 health regeneration aura. When killed by an enemy hero, the Flagbearer grants its killer and all enemy heroes in a 1200 radius extra gold.
The new creep has changed how the laning stage is played, as teams have to decide whether they should focus more on winning the lane or pulling creeps. The Flagbearer's bonus gold has increased from an average of 36 to 46 per hero, further incentivizing teams to pick strong laning heroes.
It will be interesting to see how the meta develops as lane creeps continue to become a bigger source of income for teams.
44 heroes received direct buffs
One of the changes we wanted to see in our previous article was a buff to unpicked heroes at TI11, and IceFrog delivered, buffing seven of the nine heroes mentioned, along with another third of the heroes in the game.
Some of the buffs are relatively minor "notice-me" changes, such as Axe receiving an additional 2% movement speed from his level 10 talent. Others received more substantial buffs.
Queen of Pain's ultimate has a lower cooldown on all levels, enabling the hero to play far more active on the map. Bounty Hunter reduces the enemy's attack speed now, making him better at trading hits early, while Treant Protector's Leech Seed is 25% stronger at level one and has a scaling cast range now. Warlock's Upheaval now deals 110 damage when maxed out in a 650 AoE, making it an incredible teamfight ability.
20 Heroes were hit by the nerf stick
Just as some heroes received needed buffs, others had to be toned down. Exactly 20 heroes received direct nerfs after dominating the competitive scene the last few months.
Similar to the previous point, some of the nerfs will barely be noticeable. Sven's Aghanim Shard upgrade now provides one less armor, while Undying's level 15 talents are slightly worse than before.
Some of the bigger victims include Marci's Rebound, which has significantly reduced cast range, especially at lower levels. Nyx Assassin's Spiked Carapace lost almost half a second of stun time at max level, while Primal Beast's Onslaught is no longer unstoppable. Leshrac's Pulse Nova also took several hits, with lower damage and a one-second cooldown added to the spell.
Time will tell which heroes are the biggest winners and losers in the patch, for now, one thing is clear. Dota 2 patch 7.32d has brought important changes to the game and we can't wait to see how the meta develops.
But if you're feeling underwhelmed by this balance-focused patch, fret not. There should be a bigger update coming in early 2023 with the release of the new hero Muerta.
For the full list of changes in Dota 2 patch 7.32d, check here.
Otomo is a long-time gaming enthusiast and caster. He has been playing games since he was 10 and is the biggest Dota 2 fan.
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