Professional players have been whining and begging Valve for a Dota 2 update for a long time. Well, be careful what you wish for. When Valve dedicates an entire page to an update, you know it's serious. Dota 2 patch 7.38 brings huge changes to the gameplay, and players will have a lot to figure out.

Let's start with the most important part: Valve has made massive changes to the Dota 2 map.

  • The developers have moved the Roshan pit from the corners of the map back closer to the center. It seems the idea of having two spawn locations worked, but their placement in the corners wasn’t optimal. Now, we’ll once again have epic team fights for Roshan in the middle of the map, while still maintaining balance between the two sides.
  • Tormentors, however, have been relocated to the corner of the map. Instead of each team having their own, there will now be just one for both teams, positioned in the corner opposite to Roshan’s pit.
  • Another major update is the addition of river currents along the safe lane. If you’re moving from the base towards your Tier 1 tower, you’ll receive a movement speed boost. If you’re going in the opposite direction, you won’t get a penalty, but you also won’t get a boost. This is somewhat similar to the movement speed buff champions in League of Legends receive after returning to base, but in Dota 2, it’s a more permanent mechanic.
  • New neutral camps have also been introduced. The camps now located in the water will be inhabited by new evolving aquatic creeps. Additionally, ancient camps will once again feature the familiar Prowlers.
  • Now, you can no longer just pick up a Lotus or Wisdom Rune instantly. You’ll need to stand in special altars for a few seconds, and they’ll only work if there are no enemies nearby. Meanwhile, Bounty Runes will now spawn every four minutes instead of three.

Dota 2 update 738 completely reworks neutral items and brings huge map changesImage: dota2.com

The changes don’t stop at the map. Valve has completely overhauled the neutral item system. Now, they have to be crafted. The ingredients for crafting, called Madstones, are still obtained from clearing neutral camps, but now players will have the option to choose not just the item itself, but also its passive ability. This adds more combinations, more randomness, but also gives players greater control over their builds.

As usual, higher-tier neutral items will unlock over time, as will the limit on how many Madstones you can store. Obviously, neutral items have been entirely reworked, and it’s too early to fully analyze the impact of these changes.

Dota 2 update 738 completely reworks neutral items and brings huge map changesImage: dota2.com

Some major artifacts have also been modified. Gleipnir no longer releases lightning but has received a buff from Vanguard (due to a recipe change). A new item, Orb of Frost, has been added.

One significant change is that abusing the Bottle refill mechanic with teleporting to the base is no longer possible. Now, the Bottle will only refill when the hero or their courier is physically near the fountain.

Valve has also reworked Lifesteal, making it more consistent and easier to understand. Lifesteal is now divided into physical and magical, as well as into whether it works against heroes or non-hero units. Depending on these factors, its effectiveness can vary significantly.

Finally, Dota 2 patch 7.38 introduces several Quality of Life improvements:

  • You can now check Roshan’s status just by hovering over the timer—it will even tell you which Roshan pit he is currently in.
  • Items can be marked for sale, and if the hero is near a shop, the item will be sold instantly.
  • Dota Plus subscribers now have all rune, Roshan, and neutral creep statuses displayed in one convenient place.
  • The biggest quality-of-life improvement: items delivered by the courier can now be moved from Backpack to the Active Inventory without a penalty for the first six seconds after delivery. Additionally, once per game, each item can be moved between the Inventory and Backpack without a penalty. This is a huge help for many players.

Dota 2 update 738 completely reworks neutral items and brings huge map changesImage: dota2.com

We haven’t even touched on hero changes yet, which are also significant. For example, Vengeful Spirit is no longer a Universal Hero and has returned to being an Agility Hero, but analyzing all hero adjustments would require a separate discussion. The full list of changes is available on the official Dota 2 update page titled Wandering Waters.

Main image: dota2.com

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