When Patch 7.06 was released May 15, many figured it would be good enough for The International—and it was nearly there, as it saw six “minor” gameplay patches not quite big enough for a number change, but big enough to stick letters onto. Four months later, we’re at 7.06f, and the end should be in sight.
Except now, with very few tweaks since mid-August and even fewer given such a large time span between the two patches, players have already “figured out” this patch.
The good news is we know Valve is working on the next patch, as they stated in a Dota 2 blog post that the Dueling Fates update will be the next major one. This means that we’ll finally see the release of the two new heroes previewed at The International, plus, very likely, a slew of other huge changes to the game.
Unfortunately, in the same breath, they admitted that they “are expecting it to take about another month to finish the content.” And it’s Valve time.
In the Dota 2 community, when the meta gets stale, the funposts prevail.
Of course, young champion Syed Sumail "SumaiL" Hassan was one of the first to rile up the army for a new patch in mid-September:
Someone wake icefrog up dota is in a really awful place rn GAMES DYING HELP!!!! SEND HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
— Sumail (@SumaaaaiL) September 14, 2017
Soon enough, public games were figuring out what the deal with the current patch was. On top would be Venomancer and Necrolyte, with disgustingly strong map control and hero lockdown respectively.
While Necro has been the 14th most-picked hero throughout the year, this week, he was the fifth most-played, over even fan-favorite pick Earthshaker (though not over Sniper and Pudge). Just this month, he’s gone from appearing in about 22% of public matches to 23-24%. It’s no surprise, as Necro was a play-provider at The International 7.
Of course, other heroes have slipped into the meta as well. Lich was a popular pick at TI7 for both his armor and crowd-control capabilities, and it’s since leaked into public matches. Meanwhile, Pugna has seen a small bump in gameplay as well, as has viper, though not by much for either—but people are complaining from the increased visibility, so that’s that.
Regardless of the facts, when people find something to complain about in Dota 2, it becomes an art and a competition.
For instance, /u/46souls created this nifty HEROscope:
One user, /u/Velocity_LP, shared a screenshot from an Evil Geniuses documentary describing how plenty of MMR-chasing players feel— “Spamming necro in pubs like”:
Others opted for more poetic approaches to summoning the God of Balance, Icefrog. Well-known funposter /u/Drakus_ (yes, that Drakus_) wrote a poem in anticipation, and in a passionate desire, for the Dueling Fates Update. It’s a bit long to show here, but here’s a taste:
And with my curious soul eternally, within me burning
I cannot quell or quash this constant, incessant urging
To fulfill, at the present, my one true eccentric desire
To read new patch notes, to set my theory crafting brain on fire
So Icefrog, if you find yourself reading this, of you I implore
Give us an omen, a vision, a sign of for what is surely in store
And /u/Pohka captures adequately captures that longing with a simpler, more visual approach:
Of course, sometimes, to dull the pain, we must remember that things can always be worse:
And finally, the only drama Artour “Arteezy” Babaev wants is the downfall of the 7.06 meta:
Idc drama just playing dota ty also any pugna veno thd lich nerfs tyty
— Artour Babaev (@Arteezy) September 28, 2017
When will the update come to quell this pain and bring a fresh meta to the public matches? Maybe a month, or maybe two. Or, maybe we’ll just get a summary of what could have been.