The Dota 2 Stockholm Major could bomb without a balance patch

The PGL Stockholm Major could be one of the least-balanced events in Dota 2 history unless another patch comes through.

Dota 2 patch 7.31b is meant to go out with a bang at The Stockholm Major, but the current state of balance could turn it into a flop. The most recent Dota Pro Circuit season showed just how unbalanced the game is, and the pro meta indicates that it’s getting worse. So if Valve does decide to release a patch, when can fans expect it?

Across the five active DPC regions, a handful of heroes dominate the win rates of the upper divisions. Necrophos boasts a high win rate and pick rate in all regions except South America. Medusa is in a similar spot, and Timbersaw’s lowest win rate is 66.67% with 100% in multiple regions. Every patch has strong heroes, but the number of heroes not getting picked at all paints a clearer picture.

The Chinese Upper Division picked only 91 heroes in total, meaning that 30 captain’s mode-enabled heroes did not appear in any of the 67 matches. The most diverse regions, North and South America, still left 26 heroes on the table. On that note, new heroes Primal Beast and Marci are still not enabled for pro play. The lack of hero diversity doesn’t help the metagame one bit.

With all that considered, The Stockholm Major desperately needs a minor balance patch to shake things up. If not, expect to see very similar drafts over and over again.

Will Dota 2 get a balance patch before The Stockholm Major?

Despite how much fans would appreciate it, it’s unlikely a Dota 2 balance patch arrives before The Stockholm Major. The event begins on May 12, which is very close. Subpatches before big events usually come out at least two weeks or so ahead of time. That window has already passed. 

But a patch right before a big tournament is not completely unprecedented. If Valve decides to push a Dota 2 7.31c patch before the Stockholm Major, the most likely release date will be May 3, 2022. Patches tend to come out on a Tuesday, and that would still leave nine days for pro players to polish their plans.