Dota 2: The Lima Major 2023 Meta Analysis

After around 2 weeks of the highest-quality Dota 2 games, The Lima Major 2023 came to an end. The first big tournament of this year allowed us to watch tons of heroes, as well as the best players in the world. However, after an epic battle, Gaimin Gladiators won the event and the massive prize pool.

One of the many interesting things about The Lima Major 2023 was that Valve didn’t release a new update before it. We expected to see the big patch that would introduce Moira to the game. However, Valve didn’t do it and let the best Dota 2 stars play on the patch they were familiar with. 

Naturally, all teams that had the chance to play at the Major were familiar with the Patch and knew what to do to succeed. There were only 3 heroes that weren’t picked or banned a single time, meaning that we saw a lot of things. Yet, some of them were way popular, so let’s look at the hottest heroes in the tournament.

Rubick became the most picked hero

One of the things that may not surprise some people who followed The Lima Major 2023 is that Rubick became the most picked hero at the event. He was the go-to option during Tour 1 of the 2023 DPC in Western Europe, China, Eastern Europe, and a few other regions. Consequently, the best teams continued using the hero in almost every game.

After the end of the event, Rubick became the hero with the highest pick rate in the game. He appeared in more than 96 matches, which is impressive, to say the least. With that said, those who’ve paid attention to the probably won’t be surprised by the fact that he was the go-to option in the meta.

Rubick is a hero who can fit in any lineup and work against almost anything. He is among the best position 4’s you can have on your team because he can gank, do damage and steal all sorts of abilities. The latter is one of the things that makes him incredibly dangerous in the hands of those who know how to use him.

Broodmother is the most successful hero, with over 20 picks (and the hero has the most bans)

If we put aside the heroes that teams only used a couple of times, the stats reveal that Broodmother is the most successful hero. With more than 26 picks, BM has an impressive 65%+ win rate, making it the best. However, this may not come as a surprise to some people, especially if they’ve followed the action in the 2023 DPC Division I.

Broodmother has always been one of the hidden weapons of the best Dota 2 teams in the world, and for a reason. Besides being incredibly hard to deal with, BM is one of the best lane heroes in the game. She can go up against almost anything and win.

Another thing that makes Broodmother popular is her ability to push towers and do tons of damage in team fights without the need to have a lot of time. Broodmother was a popular pick for Team Liquid, but the hero was also a solid option for the other WEU squads.

Another important thing to mention about Broodmother is that this is the hero with the most bans. With an almost 85% ban rate, this hero is one of the worst things you can face in the current meta.

Undying and Treant Protector are also among the most dominant heroes

Even though they didn’t get the title for the most picked heroes or the ones with the best win rate, there is no arguing that Undying and Treant Protector are among the best in the game. These 2 supports appeared in over 80 games, making them almost as popular as Rubick. 

Treant is an incredibly efficient hero early on because of his ability to heal allies. He is also pretty good lane support against some offlaners because he can deal insane amounts of damage with his right click. When it comes down to the late game, the hero is popular mainly because of his ultimate, which is fantastic for initiating a team fight. 

Undying, on the other hand, is probably among the best Dota 2 heroes in the game when it comes down to team fights in the early and mid-game. Many people underestimate Tombstone, but this ability can win fights on its own, especially if Undying positions it properly. 

Of course, we must also remember that Decay is incredibly efficient against weak carries. Since the current patch favors heroes like Spectre, Undying can be a nightmare to play against.

Nature’s Prophet was the most popular core

If we put aside Tiny because some teams used him in position 4, we can safely say that Nature’s Prophet was the most popular core at The Lima Major 2023. With around 73 picks, he was the preferred option for all sorts of teams, and they’ve used him in different positions.

The current Dota 2 meta favors a Nature’s Prophet in the safe lane because of his ability to farm fast and participate in teamfights. However, some teams have put him in the mid-lane, as well as the offlane. It all depends on the other heroes from his team and the tactic of the specific squad.

We expected Nature’s Prophet to be one of the teams that will receive a lot of changes in the upcoming patch. Considering he was also popular at The International 11, we wouldn’t be surprised if Valve decides to nerf him a lot.

Lina is really good

Even though we probably don’t have to mention this, there is no arguing that Lina is one of the best Dota 2 heroes right now. She may not have the pick rate of Nature’s Prophet, but Lina is among the best carries. She can farm with the speed of light, do tons of physical damage, and rely on her ultimate to finish off opponents on low HP. Unsurprisingly, we expect to see substantial nerfs, and she might not be a part of the meta anymore.