Valve released a new gameplay update today, 7:23d, which will freshen up the game.
The latest patch brings considerable changes to the game, such as passive gold income no longer increases with level, the hero kills XP bounty reduced, outpost experience reduced, and much more!
Items:
Removed: Elixir, Helm of the Undying.
Nerfs: Orb of Destruction, Havoc Hammer.
Buffs: Poor Man’s shield, Iron Talon, Clumsy Net, Nether Shawl, Greater Faerie Fire, Enchanted Quiver, Telescope, Illusionist’s Cape, Flicker, Faerie Fire.
Heroes:
- Bloodseeker – rupture cooldown increased by 10 seconds, from 60 to 70 seconds.
- Crystal Maiden – base mana regeneration increased by 0.5 from 1 to 1.5, arcane aura self multiplier increased from 2 to 3.
- Drow Ranger – multishot damage reduced by 5% per level, level 15 talent reduced from 14 to 12 agility, level 25 talent reduced from 50% cooldown reduction to 40% cooldown reduction.
- Lina – base damage reduced by 2.
- Outworld Devourer – Sanity’s Eclipse buffed from 0.5 to 0.5/0.6/0.7.
- Treant Protector – Leech seed mana cost increased from 80 to 110, leech seed cooldown increased from 16/15/14/13 to 22/19/16/13. Overgrowth cooldown increased from 100/85/70 to 100.
The elixir removal will be felt by a lot of players during the laning phase, considering the high impact it had and how it made lanes easier. The entire community positively receives the removal of ‘Helm of the Undying,’ the impact it had on the games was tremendous. While the item was useless on some champions, it was utterly bonkers and unbalanced on others.
The gold and experience adjustments will make it harder for players to snowball and be able to carry the game. The nerf to Bloodseker and Drow Ranger were long overdue, considering the high pick rate alongside a high ban rate. While the nerfs were warranted, it is unclear why the Void Spirit escaped the nerf hammer considering she is dominating in ranked matches in all divisions. The same can be said about Ursa, having a 57% win rate in very high MMR games with a pick/ban status.
The tome change will be impactful and felt every game; In 7.22, where two tomes were available, each team would get 1400 XP, divided between the two supports. In 7.23d, each team receives 1450 XP, 700 from the book, and 750 from the outposts. Almost the same amount of XP, except now, the supports get less, making them less impactful.
Most of the changes from this patch update are good, but the community is unsatisfied with the decision to slowly remove and phase out neutral items. While some power picks have been nerfed, others remain untargeted, and the balance philosophy is unclear for now.
