We take a moment’s break from the madness of E3 to remind you that the biggest games in the world are already out and played every day. That sobering thought aside, Dota 2 was patched today to bring balance in line for the upcoming International qualifiers. Patch 6.88 brought balance switch-ups across the board, and we’ve got all the detailed below.
You probably just about have time to pick the best Dota 2 heroes for beginners and qualify.
Basically everyone was buffed, while a few heroes were brought down a notch from previously dominant positions. Here’s the changelist:
Dota 2 Patch 6.88 Hero Changes
Abaddon –buffed
* Mist Coil cast point reduced from 0.452 to 0.35
Anti-Mage –buffed
* Mana Void ministun duration increased from 0.15 to 0.3
Arc Warden –buffed
* Flux cooldown reduced from 20 to 18
* Tempest Double duration increased from 12/13/14 to 12/14/16
* Tempest Double cooldown reduced from 50/40/30 to 40/35/30
Bane –buffed
* Brain Sap cooldown reduced from 14 to 14/13/12/11
Beastmaster –nerfed
* Primal Roar damage reduced from 200/250/300 to 150/225/300
Bloodseeker –buffed
* Rupture damage increased from 20/40/60% to 26/42/60%
* Blood Rite cooldown reduced from 30/25/20/15 to 25/21/17/13
Bounty Hunter –nerfed
* Track self gold reduced from 170/260/350 to 150/250/350
Brewmaster –buffed
* Brewmaster’s Earth attack range increased from 128 to 150
* Brewmaster’s Fire attack increased range from 128 to 150
* Brewmaster’s Fire armor increased from 0 to 0/3/6
* Primal Split duration increased from 15/17/19 to 16/18/20
Centaur– buffed
* Double Edge cooldown reduced from 6 to 5
* Centaur Strength gain increased from 3.8 to 4.0
Chaos Knight– buffed
* Phantasm cooldown reduced from 140 to 130
Clinkz –buffed
* Attack range increased from 630 to 640
Clockwerk– buffed
* Rocket Flare radius increased from 575 to 600
* Power Cogs cast point improved from 0.3 to 0.2
* Power Cogs radius increased from 200 to 215
Crystal Maiden– buffed
* Crystal Nova radius increased from 400 to 425
* Frost Bite cast range increased from 500 to 525
Death Prophet– nerfed
* Spirit Siphon base health drain reduced from 25 to 16
Disruptor– nerfed
* Static Storm silence no longer lingers for 0.5 seconds after the duration is over
Doom– nerfed
* Doom cooldown increased from 140 to 145
Drow Ranger– buffed
* Turn rate improved from 0.6 to 0.7
* Frost Arrows slow increased from 15/30/45/60% to 16/32/48/64%
Earthshaker– buffed
* Echo Slam radius increased from 575 to 600
Enigma– changed
* Black Hole damage type from Magical to Pure and pierces Spell Immunity
* Black Hole damage reduced from 55/110/165 to 50/100/150
Earth Spirit– nerfed
* Magnetize cooldown increased from 80 to 100/90/80
Gyrocopter– buffed
* Gyrocopter’s Scepter Side Gunner attack interval improved from 1.4 to 1.2
Invoker– nerfed
* Forge Spirit damage decreased from 29/38/47/56/65/74/83 to 22/32/42/52/62/72/82
Jakiro– buffed
* Ice Path duration increased from 1/1.4/1.8/2.2 to 1/1.5/2/2.5
Keeper of the Light– buffed
* Chakra Magic cooldown reduced from 19/18/17/16 to 17/16/15/14
* Intelligence increased from 22 to 25
Kunkka –buffed
* Torrent slow duration increased from 1/2/3/4 to 1.75/2.5/3.25/4
* Tidebringer bonus damage increased from 25/40/55/70 to 25/45/65/85
Legion Commander-buffed
* Overwhelming Odds damage per hero increased from 20/35/50/65 to 20/40/60/80
* Moment of Courage cooldown reduced from 2.6/2/1.4/0.8 to 2.3/1.8/1.3/0.8
Lich-buffed
* Scepter now improves Chain Frost slow from 30 to 50%
* Ice Armor attack speed slow from 20 to 30 (matches movement slow)
Lifestealer-nerfed
* Base attack time increased from 1.7 to 1.85
Lina-buffed
* Dragon Slave cooldown reduced from 8.5 to 8
Luna-buffed
* Lucent Beam stun duration increased from 0.6 to 0.8
* Movement speed increased from 330 to 335
Magnus-buffed
* Empower cleave radius increased from 200 to 225
* Strength gain increased from 2.75 to 2.9
Medusa-buffed
* Intelligence gain increased from 1.85 to 2.1
Meepo-buffed
* Geostrike damage per second increased from 8/16/24/32 to 10/20/30/40
Morphling-buffed
* Hybrid cooldown reduced from 70 to 60
* Agility gain increased from 3.4 to 3.7
Naga Siren-buffed
* Strength gain increased from 2.3 to 2.5
Necrophos-changed
* Heartstopper Aura range reduced from 1200 to 900
* Heartstopper HP drain increased from 0.6/0.9/1.2/1.5 to 0.6/1/1.4/1.8%
Nyx Assassin-buffed
* Movement speed increased from 300 to 305
Ogre Magi-changed
* Ignite manacost reduced from 95/105/115/125 to 90
* Multicast interval increased from 0.4 to 0.5
Omniknight-buffed
* Strength increased from 20 + 2.65 to 22 + 2.8
Outworld Devourer-buffed
* Essence Aura mana bonus increased from 75/150/225/300 to 125/200/275/350
* Arcane Orb Intelligence steal duration increased from 50 to 60
Oracle-buffed
* Purifying Flames cast range increased from 750 to 800
Phantom Assassin-buffed
* Phantom Strike can now target Spell Immune heroes
Phoenix-nerfed
* Sunray base damage reduced from 15/20/25/30 to 10/15/20/25
Pudge-buffed
* Rot slow increased from 27% to 30%
* Dismember cooldown reduced from 30 to 30/25/20
Pugna-buffed
* Intelligence growth increased from 4 to 4.5
* Nether Blast cooldown reduced from 5.5 to 5
Razor-buffed
* Eye of the Storm damage per strike increased from 37/50/63 to 40/55/70
Riki-nerfed
* Smoke Screen manacost increased from 75/80/85/90 to 90
Sand King-buffed
* Epicenter cooldown reduced from 140/120/100 to 120/110/100
* Strength increased from 21 to 22
Shadow Demon-buffed
* Disruption illusion duration increased from 6/8/10/12 to 8/10/12/14
Shadow Fiend-buffed
* Movement speed increased from 305 to 310
* Necromastery Max Souls increased from 15/22/29/36 to 18/24/30/36
Shadow Shaman-buffed
* Mass Serpent Wards splash radius increased from 75% to 100%
* Mass Serpent Wards attack damage increased from 40-45/55-60/70-75 to 40-45/60-65/80-85
Silencer-buffed
* Agility increased from 16 to 22
Skywrath Mage-buffed
* Concussive Shot impact AoE increased from 200 to 250
Slardar-nerfed
* Movement speed reduced from 295 to 290
Slark-nerfed
* Pounce damage reduced from 50/100/150/200 to 40/80/120/160
Sniper-buffed
* Shrapnel damage increased from 15/30/45/60 to 15/35/55/75
Spiritbreaker-buffed
* Greater Bash increased damage from 22/28/34/40% to 22/30/38/46%
Storm Spirit-buffed
* Overload damage increased from 30/50/70/90 to 40/60/80/100
* Overload AoE increased from 275 to 300
Templar Assassin-buffed
* Psi Blades Spell Width increased from 68 to 75
* Psionic Trap max movement slow increased from 50% to 60%
Terrorblade-buffed
* Conjure Image manacost reduced from 80 to 70
* Conjure Image duration increased from 32 to 34
Tiny-buffed
* Toss cooldown reduced from 9 to 8
Treant Protector-buffed
* Base damage increased by 6
Troll Warlord-changed
* Berserker’s Rage no longer provides 100 Health Bonus
* Strength increased from 17 to 20
* Berserker’s Rage armor bonus increased from 3 to 6
* Berserker’s Rage base attack time improved from 1.55 to 1.5
* Ranged Whirling Axes travel distance increased from 945 to 1000
Undying-buffed
* Intelligence gain increased from 2.5 to 2.8
* Decay cast range increased from 625 to 650
* Decay duration increased from 40 to 45
Ursa-buffed
* Fury Swipes debuff duration increased from 15 to 20
* Base HP Regen increased from 0.25 to 0.75
Venomancer-buffed
* Intelligence increased from 15 + 1.75 to 17 + 1.8
* Plague Wards damage increased from 10/19/29/38 to 13/22/31/40
Viper-buffed
* Viper Strike Scepter cooldown reduced from 12 to 10
* Strength gain increased from 1.9 to 2.1
Visage-buffed
* Gravekeeper’s Cloak armor bonus per layer increased from 1/2/3/5 to 1.5/3/4.5/6
* Gravekeeper’s Cloak magic resistance bonus per layer increased from 3/6/12/16% to 5/10/15/20%
Winter Wyvern-buffed
* Winter’s Curse cooldown reduced from 90 to 80
Warlock-buffed
* Golem HP increased from 900/1200/1500 to 900/1350/1800
* Fatal Bonds no longer gets reduced by Damage Block
Weaver-buffed
* Base damage increased by 2
Windranger-buffed
* Windrun cooldown reduced from 15 to 14
Wisp-nerfed
* Tether movement speed bonus reduced from 14/15/16/17 to 13/14/15/16%
Wraith King-buffed
* Wraithfire Blast damage over time increased from 15/30/40/50 to 20/35/50/65
Zeus-buffed
* Arc Lightning cooldown reduced from 1.75 to 1.6
Dota 2 Patch 6.88 Item Changes
Armlet– nerfed
* Recipe cost increased from 500 to 550
Bloodthorn –buffed
* Critical Strike multiplier increased from 1.35 to 1.45
Butterfly –buffed
* Agility increased from 30 to 35
Crimson Guard –buffed
* Cooldown reduced from 50 to 46
Dragon Lance– nerfed
* Strength and Agility reduced from 15 to 14
* Attack Range bonus increased from 130 to 140
Hurricane Pike –buffed
* Attack Range bonus increased from 130 to 140
* Active now grants 100 Attack Speed for the 4 attacks it provides on the target
Rod of Atos –buffed
* Cooldown reduced from 12 to 10
Smoke of Deceit –change
* Now has a 1 second cooldown on use (to prevent accidental usage)
The official version of the patch is over on Steam, though as usual, no explanation of the changes was provided.