Meta report: how heroes changed with the release of patch 7.40

More than a day has passed since the release of patch 7.40 and even in such a short period of time the meta has changed noticeably. Heroes that were rarely seen before have risen to the top, while some characters previously considered very strong in professional play have dropped significantly — despite their low popularity in ranked matches.

Juggernaut confidently broke into the carry role, posting a 54.0% win rate and leading in pick count with 1,119 games. Drow Ranger took second place, increasing her win rate by 6% to 56.3% across 627 matches. Windranger rounded out the top three, emerging as a new carry in the meta with a 55.7% win rate over 404 games. Weaver also made the top five at 55.6%, alongside Anti-Mage at 51.1%, who had already appeared among the leaders before.

Among mid laners, Void Spirit took the lead with a 54.3% win rate over 372 games. Puck (54.4%) and Invoker (53.1%) also entered the list of top performers. Meanwhile, Queen of Pain and Leshrac continue to hold their positions at the top.

In the offlane, Tidehunter has become the undisputed leader, gaining nearly a 6% win rate increase with the new patch. Across 369 matches, his win rate stands at 55.0%. Legion Commander has also returned to the meta with a 56.1% win rate, though she rarely appears on the pro scene and is mainly popular in ranked matches. In contrast, Timbersaw remains relevant among professionals with a 52.1% win rate — at the recent BLAST SLAM V tournament, the hero won almost all of his games, posting a 77.8% win rate. Pudge also deserves special mention, as he has broken into the meta across all three positions with a win rate above 55%.

On position four, Bounty Hunter dominates with an impressive 59.2% win rate. He is followed by Hoodwink (52.3%), Spirit Breaker (51.1%), and Snapfire (51.5%), forming an updated group of the most effective roamers of the patch.

Among hard supports, Venomancer leads with a 53.5% win rate over 333 games. He is followed by Disruptor (55.4%), Lion (56.6%), and Lich (54.9%). All of these heroes perform reliably throughout every stage of the game.

Several heroes also stand out for gaining the largest win rate increases and drawing renewed attention from players. Tiny gained 6.25% after changes to the Avalanche mechanic — the stun now extends continuously, meaning even Puck can no longer escape with Phase Shift. Tidehunter gained around 6% thanks to talent reworks. Drow Ranger also received significant buffs: her Frost Arrows slow was increased, and she gained a talent reducing mana cost as early as level 10.

The patch hit Lone Druid the hardest, as he received a complete rework, leaving players yet to find the optimal approach, and his win rate dropped by 8%. Pangolier was also hit hard, as every one of his abilities was changed. Rounding out the list is Spectre, who switched her primary attribute from universal to agility. An important factor was the complete removal of aspects from these heroes without introducing new ones.

You can find detailed information about all the changes to heroes and items on the game's official website or in the Dota 2 client.

Earlier, Cyberscore reported on the return of “Quarteto Curiosities” with new cosmetic rewards.