Dota 2 update 7.23f changes heroes ahead of WePlay! Bukovel Minor

The WePlay! Bukovel Minor is just a few days away, but that didn’t stop Valve from dropping a new balance update on players.

Dota 2 patch 7.23f is here, bringing changes to several powerful heroes that have found success in high MMR play over recent weeks. Notably, this is the first update to 7.23 that doesn’t change either neutral items or outposts, suggesting that Valve is finally satisfied with the impact of those items and structures.

The only notable change outside tweaks to heroes is a change to how the game handles gold bonuses. The arithmetic behind calculating gold bonuses takes into account which team is in the lead. With the 7.23f update, the two teams are now considered equal if the difference between the two teams is less than 1,000 gold.

This change is likely meant to address some of the issues that have surrounded the first blood bonus. The calculation previously saw the unofficial “second blood” kill end up being more valuable due to how the math shifted based upon which team was leading, which was particularly troublesome in the very early game.

This should offer greater and more consistent rewards for successful early aggression, without the unintentional punishments that previously occurred.

Dota 2 update 7.23f hero balance changes

Outside that gold bonus calculation change, 7.23f was entirely comprised of balance changes to heroes. All of them were nerfs.

Unsurprisingly, the hardest hit was Treant Protector. The support hero was reimagined in the original 7.23 update and was found to be wildly overpowered as a result. This has resulted in nerfs with almost every update in the months since.

7.23f sees Treant Protector hit once again on multiple fronts. His strength gain was reduced while Leech Seed and Overgrowth were both hit with reduced slow and higher mana costs, respectively.

Puck also received multiple nerfs that will see the hero’s power better aligned with the rest of the pool. Puck’s base damage was reduced by two points and Waning Rift’s miniature teleportation ability was also changed to no longer take effect when rooted. More importantly, the Phase Shift Attacks talent was shifted back from level 10 to level 15, with a new +30 Damage talent taking its place at level 10 while the +90 Damage talent at level 15 disappears.

Outworld Devourer, who had also been riding atop the hero pool in recent weeks, has seen another reduction to its ultimate damage multiplier.

Tiny receives a much-needed nerf as well. The hero was given a light reworking with the Outlanders Update after being used as a potent flex option at The International 2019. In 7.23f he likely remains a carry option, but sees some of his power disappear with reduced strength gain, an increased movement speed penalty on Tree Grab, and scaling range for Toss.

Several other heroes including Drow Ranger, Lone Druid, and Vengeful Spirit were changed in this update. The full patch notes for Dota 2 version 7.23f can be found on the official Dota 2 blog.