Valve gives cryptic hints on patch notes for Dota 2 7.33

Dota 2 7.33 is already upon us, and Valve is already giving hints on the biggest patch in years.

In a considerable break from tradition, Valve is giving Dota 2 fans a sneak peek at the next major patch. The hints were revealed in a blog post on April 19, 2023, which also confirmed the patch’s release date of April 20. It’s not much, but just a few lines confirm a lot of what fans were hoping for at the end of Dota 2’s longest-ever patch.

All of the previews were released in an official blog post through the official Dota 2 blog. Mysteriously titled “Riddles in the Dark,” the post coyly confirms an April 20 release date. More importantly, it includes nine unfinished patch notes with the catch that the mechanic, hero, or item they reference is left out. That leaves plenty of room for wild mass guessing. Here are all the lines and what we think they could mean.

• [UNIT] is now controllable by the player that dug it up
•  [HERO]: Always has 0 Intelligence. Always.
•  [ITEM]: Now has an initial and max stock of 4 and a restock time of 120s
•  After this effect the soul is forcefully returned to the body
•  [HERO]: Base armor increased by 1
•  [UNIT TYPE] now gain 15 movement speed during the night.
•  Mana cost reduction effects only apply to mana cost
•  [ITEM]: Requires Echo Sabre (2500), Diadem (1000), Recipe (1000). Total cost: 4500
•  Any player can use a [NOUN] to [VERB] to the other one after channeling for 3 seconds.

What do the Dota 2 7.33 hints really mean?

While it’s hard to tell exactly what these patch notes will mean, these hints confirm that 7.33 will feature new items, hero reworks, and possibly a new resource mechanic.

The first thing to note is the new item recipe involving Echo Sabre. Diadem is not currently an item in Dota 2. It’s essentially a different word for crown, meaning that it could combine multiple of that basic stat item into one. It will cost 1,000 gold, giving further weight to that theory. In one redacted patch note, Valve has confirmed that there will be new items to buy in both the early and late game stages.

The first line is likely referring to the potential kobold roll from Trusty Shovel, and the addition of a single armor is a recurring meme in Dota 2 patches. Most of the other lines are either too clear to be exciting or too vague to guess from. For example, the stock changes could affect sentry wards, smokes, or an entirely new type of consumable.

Most importantly, new lines hint at an entirely new resource mechanic. The first is a hero being stuck at zero intelligence. That would usually make it impossible to cast spells or use most active items, but if a third bar is introduced, it would solve that problem. This is further hinted at by the unassuming line regarding mana cost reduction.

If this mysterious third resource the hints imply exists, it will likely be the most massive change to Dota 2 coming in patch 7.33.