win.gg
Win.gg Dota 2 Biggest winners and losers of Dota 2 patch 7.30

Biggest winners and losers of Dota 2 patch 7.30

Author Icon
William Davis Published 18/08/2021

Dota 2 patch 7.30 is finally here, and the meta might get turned upside down.

Patch 7.29 was dominated by Aghanim’s Shards and Scepters, many of which have been toned down for The International 2021. The neutral items pool received a big shakeup, and a few heroes have cool new abilities to play around with. Out of Dota 2’s 121 heroes, six in particular stood out for being either buffed to the moon or nerfed into the ground. 

Here are the biggest winners and losers of Dota 2’s 7.30 update.

Most buffed heroes of patch 7.30

Bane

One of Bane’s biggest issues is mana in the laning stage. Brain Sap is one of the best trading tools in the game, and any reduction to its mana cost makes it even better. That said, the real star of the show is the cast point reduction on Fiend’s Grip. A lot can happen in .4 seconds, but .2 seconds is fast enough to snag enemies juking around trees. Expect to see plenty of pure damage Nightmares at TI10 in Bucharest.

Underlord

Dark Rift has always been a little underwhelming for an ultimate ability. It’s amazing on paper and in certain situations, but Underlord’s new Aghanim’s Scepter is terrifying. The new Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade Fiend’s Gate creates a two-way portal between any two locations. Teammates can take the portal several times, creating a direct link from a team fight to your fountain. It also isn’t limited to targeting a friendly unit, so you can plop a portal right in front of the enemy ancient if the situation calls for it.

Lich

Valve showed a lot of love to support heroes in 7.30 and Lich is no exception. The hero has been somewhat underwhelming since losing Sacrifice for Sinister Gaze. Lich’s mana-draining stun now costs 80 mana at all levels and got a nice cast range boost. The Scepter upgrade, which was already quite strong, now lets you cast Chain Frost during your massive stun. Lich’s biggest issue last patch was mana and positioning. The 7.30 update helps fix both problems.

Most nerfed heroes of patch 7.30

Axe

Carry Axe was the breakout star of 7.29, winning the WePlay AniMajor and carving up public matchmaking with an Aghanim’s Shard ability that allowed Counter Helix to proc on attack. Carry Axe had its time in the spotlight, but it’s now gone for good after the 7.30 update.

https://twitter.com/WePlay_Esports/status/1404164445077639176

His Counter Helix Shard has been reworked to apply a damage-reducing debuff instead of proccing from Axe’s own attacks. The days of Manta Style Axe are in the past, but the hero might still have legs in the offlane. 

Leshrac

Poor Leshrac. Diabolic Edict becoming pure damage is amazing for lane harassment and team fights, but the changes remove part of his core identity. Leshrac was one of the few caster mids that was able to take towers after drowning the enemy in magic damage. Now he’s a weird mix of Zeus and Outworld Destroyer who can’t just press R to win. Expect the disco pony to land in the dumpster for TI10.

Clinkz

Clinkz’ rework is interesting at first glance, but there are only a few instances where Burning Barrage beats out Strafe. Barrage is great when it hits multiple heroes or stacked camps, but Clinkz has lost his ability to knock down towers before the enemy can properly react. The 40% damage reduction leaves a lot to be desired, as the ability only really shines when it hits multiple heroes. The new Clinkz could become a terrifying carry with a few buffs but for now, he ends our list as one of the hardest-hit heroes in Dota 2 patch 7.30.

William Davis
About William Davis

View full profile
Read Also
Oddin.gg’s head of risk helps explain how alleged match fixing during Dota 2 at EWC was flagged Dota 2
Oddin.gg’s head of risk helps explain how alleged match fixing during Dota 2 at EWC was flagged Michael Hassall The Dota 2 competition at The Esports World Cup 2026 was shaken to its core during the Survival Stage earlier in the week when Southeast Asian-backed, South American team PTime (better known as PlayTime) were removed from the event citing “integrity concerns.” While the case is still ongoing, and none of the accused confirmed to be guilty, one of the biggest questions behind the incident was just how these concerns ...
PTime removed from Dota 2 at EWC 26 as ESIC investigates coach and captain Dota 2
PTime removed from Dota 2 at EWC 26 as ESIC investigates coach and captain Michael Hassall Filipino organization PlayTime Esports has been removed from the Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 competition following an intervention by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and a ruling by the Esports Foundation and EWC. Following a postponement of the PTime vs. Vici Gaming Survival Stage matchup on July 14, ESIC announced that it was actively investigating two members of the South American-based PTime organization, Team Captain Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera and ...
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Esports Betting
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Hannan Mundia The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...
Dota 2 at the EWC 2026 preview, details, predictions, and more Dota 2
Dota 2 at the EWC 2026 preview, details, predictions, and more Michael Hassall A titanic 24 teams are set to compete in Dota 2 at the Esports World Cup 2025 in one of the largest events of the competitive season. These two dozen organizations are set to take over the Paris Convention Center, filling it with top-tier competitive Dota 2 action. With a $2,000,000 USD prize pool, the largest on the Dota 2 calendar, there’s everything to play for in the final major ...
Top Dota 2 combos to boost your MMR fast Dota 2
Top Dota 2 combos to boost your MMR fast Wasif Ahmed Dota 2 is a complex and interesting game that requires skill, strategy and teamwork to be successful. Having said that, one of the best ways to improve your MMR is by learning certain Dota 2 combos that have proven themselves over time. It’s worth knowing that there are not that many Dota 2 combos that have survived the test of time because every new patch changes the game’s meta. Nevertheless, ...
Dota 2 temporarily deletes popular hero before launching huge Dark Carnival update Dota 2
Dota 2 temporarily deletes popular hero before launching huge Dark Carnival update Michael Hassall If you were an Axe player in Dota 2 earlier this week, you’d have found yourself out of luck when you tried to pick the stalwart Oglodi warrior, as the hero was straight up removed from the game on June 23. The hero was completely missing from All-Pick and his hero model was replaced with a missing poster. Axe couldn’t even be demoed or picked in a custom game for ...
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Dota 2
Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex have defeated LGD Gaming in the grand finals of BLAST Slam VII in a dramatic 3-1 series that saw both teams pushed to the limit, but ultimately Yandex come out on top. Concluding the last major tournament before teams head to the Esports World Cup and The International 2026 next month and in August, Yandex were able to counter the momentum of LGD that had brought them into ...