All the new Dota 2 7.33 mechanics explained

After months and months of waiting, the new mechanics in Dota 2 7.33 are finally revealed, and calling them crazy is an understatement.

IceFrog, if his rumored return was true, has done it again. 7.33 is arguably the biggest Dota 2 patch since the game first launched, as it has massively expanded the map and number of mechanics in the game. There’s a lot to digest, and even more to explore. However, we’ve put together a pint-sized explanation of all the new systems to get you started on your 7.33 journey. 

New 7.33 shield and wisdom runes explained

Shield runes are a new type of river rune that grant a temporary shield. The total They work the exact same as other power runes, spawning in the river every two minutes and refilling bottle. They’ll be especially useful on strength mids, but every character can take advantage of the extra bulk. Since the runes now cycle through a complete set, you’re almost guaranteed to see it in your first match on Dota 2 7.33.

Wisdom runes, however, are a completely different beast. These spawn close to your base near the offlane tier two every seven minutes. These grant 280 experience increasing with each spawn. With Tome of Knowledge removed from the game, wisdom runes essentially function as their replacement. Since they’re located so far back, it’s also possible to save them and get a whopping 1,120 experience at 14 minutes.

7.33 Tormentor mechanics explained

The Tormentor is the new Roshan alternative that has been rumored for months. This new neutral doesn’t attack but instead reflects damage back on the attackers. It spawns starting at 20 minutes, but the real twist is that there are two of them. They spawn near the offlane tier two close to the wisdom rune. While Rosh scales over time, Toormentors only get more powerful once they respawn after ten minutes.

The reward for defeating them are a little more abstract than an Aegis. One of the two lowest net worth heroes on your team, which basically means the supports, will get a free Aghanim’s Shard. It also grants 250 gold to its killer. These new mini-bosses are significantly easier to kill than Roshan, through strategies around them are yet to be developed.

Dota 2 7.33 adds new warp gates to the game

Global mobility comes at a premium in Dota 2, but the new warp gate mechanic added in 7.33 gives every hero a free trip to the opposite end of the map. Located in the bottom-right and top-left corners, they allow heroes too warp to the other end of the map after a short channel with no cooldown. Ganking between the side lanes is going to get crazy.

Roshan’s new location also has interplay with the mechanic, as Rosh will move between the corners depending on the day and night cycle. He uses the warp gate to do so, so there’s a chance he’ll wander right through the middle of a heated team fight. 

Lotus pools and watchers give a new way to sustain

Experience Dota 2 players will remember shrines and all the problems they caused, but Valve has sort of brought them back in two different parts. The first are lotus pools, new structures that spawn near the safe lane tier one towers. These generate lotuses every three minutes, which can be stored and claimed by heroes with a short channel. They restore 125 health and mana upon use, but stocking them up can combine them into even more powerful consumables.

Watchers, meanwhile, provide the vision of shrines without all the baggage. These are permanent wards that can be claimed by either team, though they provide significantly less vision than the traditional observers. These are located all throughout the map, and heroes can sabotage enemy watchers with a short channel. Watchers will play a big role in how teams take charge of the map before the horn.