First week after the patch 7.30 release

Last week, the long-awaited patch 7.30 was released on the Dota 2 client and brought many changes to the game's balance. A few days later, the pre-meta has been already formed. In this article, we will analyze the 5 most popular heroes at the moment.

Void Spirit – 52 matches

First place with a score of 52 maps goes to Void Spirit. This hero also felt great in the previous patch. In terms of popularity, he was in the top 30, and the total number of maps played with him was 441. Despite this, his Aether Remnant ability was boosted. He got bonus damage from the new Level 10 talent, and his ultimate Astral Step from Level 3 talent was increased by 100 more damage.

In the early days of the new patch, Void Spirit is mostly used on the professional scene as a mid-lane hero. However, some use him as a carry.

Pangolier – 50 matches

Pangolier is second with 50 maps played. The situation with this hero is very similar to that of Void Spirit. The hero was also popular in the previous patch but still was boosted. The active Shield Crash ability took over the slowing effect from the passive Lucky Shot ability.

With the new patch, the hero hasn't changed its position and continues to be actively used in offlane. Based on ESL One Fall, he was used on 19 maps and had a 68.42% Win Rate.

Mars – 46 matches

Third place and once again without surprises. The second most popular hero in the previous patch, Mars, didn't lose anything after the update. The developer gave him a longer ultimate cooldown and stronger talents, which counterbalanced his loss.

In the new patch, teams are still using him in offlane mostly. However, the hero's Win Rate leaves a lot to be desired: it is currently only 47.83%.

Keeper of the Light – 44 matches

Who really surprised us with his appearance in the top 5 after the patch 7.30 release is Keeper of the Light. In the last patch, which was relevant for over 3 months, the hero was picked only 95 times, but now he's been picked 44 times. In the new patch, KOTL got 2 changes: Illuminate max cast time was reduced from 4.1 seconds to 3 seconds as Chakra Magic's cooldown.

KOTL is still usually used as a support hero, and with a 65.91% Win Rate, he could return to the meta.

Omniknight – 42 matches

The 5th most popular hero in the new patch is Omniknight. As Keeper of the Light, this hero was at the bottom of the previous patch meta with only 54 picks. But the latest update has dramatically increased his popularity. We can say that this is directly due to the new effect of the Hammer of Purity ability. Now, it reduces the enemy's outgoing damage by 60%. These are inspiring numbers for any stage of the game, and especially for the late-game.

In the first week, Omniknight was used both in the support position and in the offlane. Teams may continue to experiment with him in the near future.