Patch 7.41e meta report: best heroes and changes at the top

Only one day has passed since the release of Patch 7.41e and the partial MMR reset, but significant shifts in hero popularity are already noticeable, along with a slight rise in the strength of physical damage cores.

In this report, we take an early look at the meta and highlight the top five heroes for each position following the release of Patch 7.41e.

Shadow Fiend has emerged as the new leader in the carry role with a 55.1% win rate while also topping the popularity charts with 254 picks. Luna ranks second and remains one of the most popular carries with 187 matches played.

Slark rounds out the top three, winning 60.3% of his 63 games. In the previous patch, his average win rate stood at 52.2%. Meanwhile, Drow Ranger, who had previously been among the top-performing carries, lost more than 5% win rate following the significant nerf to Multishot.

Among mid laners, Keeper of the Light has become the clear leader. Although the hero rarely appears in professional play, he has been performing exceptionally well in ranked matchmaking with a 60.7% win rate during the first days of the patch.

Invoker and Snapfire occupy second and third place, with both heroes increasingly becoming popular picks among professional players. Despite Snapfire's strong performance in high-MMR games, the hero's win rate has fallen below 50% in lower-ranked matches.

Zeus, meanwhile, lost around 3% win rate after several nerfs: the magical damage from Divine Rapier no longer stacks when purchasing multiple copies, Kaya lost 10% mana regeneration amplification, and the damage of Zeus's ultimate was reduced at every level.

Necrophos also dropped out of the top rankings after the health restoration from his innate ability Sadist was reduced.

In the offlane, Enigma has emerged as the strongest hero with a win rate of over 60%. The developers have buffed the hero over several consecutive patches, making it significantly harder to defeat her in the lane.

Night Stalker and Axe claimed second and third place, with both heroes being picked in more than 180 matches. They previously occupied the top two spots and remain excellent choices for the offlane. Meanwhile, Legion Commander, long considered one of the most reliable offlaners, received a Strength reduction, leading players to pick the hero less frequently.

The strongest position four and five supports remain Spirit Breaker and Treant Protector. Both heroes boast win rates above 56% and do not require exceptional mechanical skill to make a major impact on the game. Lion also posted an impressive 66.0% win rate across 53 games, while Dark Willow recorded 57.0% over 100 games.

Among more team-oriented heroes, Io and Ringmaster have climbed into the top rankings with win rates above 56%. Clockwerk and Bane, meanwhile, have retained their places among the top support picks. Notably, both heroes ranked among the five most-picked heroes at the recently concluded Esports World Cup 2026.

You can find the full list of hero and item changes on the official Dota 2 website or in the game client.

Earlier, Cyberscore published the final hero statistics from Esports World Cup 2026.