Dota 2 Patch 7.34e and Frostivus Overview

Dota 2 Patch 7.34e is here, so let’s learn more information about it. Click to read the full analysis.

The first patch after The International 12 is finally here. Even though we expected to see massive changes from the 7.35 patch, it seems like Valve decided not to release a groundbreaking new update yet. Consequently, they gave us access to the Dota 2 Patch 7.34e. There are a lot of interesting things about it, so let’s dive in.

Dota 2 Patch 7.34e – Item Updates

Considering this is not the 7.35 patch that we expected, 7.34e only has a couple of item changes. They include small nerfs and buffs to some items, such as Hands of Midas, because the latter now have a 110s base charge restore time rather than 100s. Perhaps the most interesting Dota 2 Patch 7.34e item change is related to Heart of Tarrasque. Following the changes, the recipe now costs 100g more, and the STR bonus is +35 instead of +40. This was expected, considering the popularity of the item.

Hero Changes

The new Dota 2 patch also includes several interesting hero changes. A lot of names are affected by the new update, but we will only focus on those with more drastic changes.

Bristleback

Bristleback was an interesting name that appeared every now and then in the pro scene, but he was big in PUBs. It seels like Valve has noticed it because the Dota 2 7.34e patch notes include a lot of nerfs:

• Quil Spray’s max damage is now 500 instead of 550
• Bristlebcak’s damager threshold is 300/275/250/225 instead of a flat 225
• Hairball has a 1000-cast range instead of 1500  and has a 13s CD instead of 10s.
• His level 20 talent gives Quill Spray +20 stack damage instead of +25

Chaos Knight

We predicted that Chaos Knight would be one of the Dota 2 heroes that will be nerfed after The International 12, so it is no surprise that this happened. According to the Dota 2 7.34e Reddit information, here is what has changed:

• CK’s base damage is down by 5
• Chaos Strike now has a 70% lifesteal penalty against creeps instead of a 40%
• Phantasm now costs 100/200/300 mana instead of 75/124/175

Overall, these changes will most likely push Chaos Knight out of the meta. Even though he continues to be a strong carry, he will definitely have mana issues, and he won’t be able to life steal as much. The damage reduction early on is also a negative because it will be harder for players to secure the last hits.

Kunkka

Another name that receives nerfs after The International 12 is Kunkka. The Dota 2 7.34e patch notes reveal that he also got several big nerfs, and it seems like they will be enough to remove him from the current meta:

• Ghostship – Decreased the damage delta from 45% to 35%
• Torrent Storm now has a 4s duration instead of 5, and its cooldown is 75s instead of 70s. 
• Tidal Wave deals 180 damage instead of 250

The good news about the changes following the Dota 2 patch 7.34e is that Kunkka’s early game won’t be impacted negatively. However, the hero is definitely not that strong later on, which should have a negative effect on his popularity. 

Necrophos

By the looks of the Dota 2 7.34e patch notes, the most recent Dota 2 update targets some of the popular PUB heroes. Following Kunkka and CK, Nechrophos becomes the 3rd hero on our list that received a lot of big nerfs. Even though he was never popular in Pro matches this year, the hero had one of the most impressive win ratings in PUBs.

• Ghost Shroud now costs 75 instead of 50 mana
• Heartstopper Aura has a 7s regen duration, and the Agh’s HP regen to decay is down to 55% from 60%
• Death Seeker has a 19s CD instead of a 16s

Overall, the changes to Necrophos are not that bad, and we believe he will continue to dominate the Dota 2 meta.

Spirit Breaker

Pur 7.35 Wishlist included nerfs to Spirit Breaker, but we are happy to receive them in the Dota 2 7.34e patch notes. Here is what is new:

• Charge of Darkness has 22/19/16/13s CD instead of 21/18/15/12s
• The CD with an Aghanim Scepter is 9s instead of 8s.
• Greater Bash will deal 1.3x multiplier against creeps rather than 1.5x

To be honest, we expected the Dota 2 patch 7.34e to include more nerfs. We believe Spirit Breaker will continue to be a popular pick in PUB and professional Dota 2.

What’s next in Dota 2? – Frostivus

There are a lot of other small buffs and nerfs, so you should take a look at the complete update. Speaking of the devil, Valve said that players will have access to an event called Frostivus. The event should have new features, new cosmetic items, as well as many different surprises.

What’s even more interesting is that Valve talked about the Arcanas. According to the company, the event surrounding the Arcanas has some problems that have to be resolved, which means it will not arrive this year. The good news is that the company will try to resolve them and release the special event in the next couple of months. There will be a lot of other changes to Dota 2, so we can’t wait to see what’s going to happen. Make sure to follow us for more information to keep an eye on everything.