Dota 2 7.38 Patch: Explore the Wandering Waters in the new Gameplay Update

We have all been waiting for a long time, and finally, the moment has arrived—on 19.02.2025, a new Dota 2 patch (7.38) titled Wandering Waters was released. Most players anticipated this update as a long-overdue gameplay balance adjustment or a new ranking system, but Valve once again outsmarted everyone.

The game now features an updated map, water currents, new neutral creeps, revamped Wisdom Shrines and Lotus Pools, and many more exciting additions. In this article, we’ll cover everything about Wandering Waters, the major gameplay changes it introduces, and why this Dota new patch is so intriguing.

New Game Map

The first major change to discuss in new Dota patch is the revamped game map. Valve enjoys experimenting and periodically tweaks the map, introducing new key aspects. Since Wandering Waters is a patch dedicated to water (as stated by Valve on their official Dota 2 website), the map changes align with this theme.

Two water currents have been added to the Dota 2 map , located in the upper and lower jungle areas, respectively. These new water pathways aren’t just for visual enhancement—they have gameplay implications. Running with the current grants you a speed boost towards your safe lane, while running against it won’t slow you down. The main advantage of this feature is that it allows for faster lane access without using portals and enables more efficient jungle farming.

Another map adjustment is the relocation of portals. They are now positioned slightly farther from the Tier 1 towers, increasing the travel time between lanes.

Additionally, in 7.38 new Dota patch Valve has slightly updated the map’s textures, making them more vibrant and visually distinct.

Roshan’s Relocation

One of the most significant changes is Roshan’s new den. The legendary boss now resides in the central river near the Power Runes—locations that have long been iconic for him. Roshan will still shift to another den based on the day-night cycle, but now this transition occurs along the central river. This change is likely to increase the number of river skirmishes.

Transient Tormentor

Tormentors no longer spawn near each team’s base. Instead, a single Tormentor will appear at one of two corner locations on the map, depending on the time of day—meaning it will always spawn on the opposite side of Roshan.

Among several other adjustments, the Tormentor now has a new ability that leaves behind a healing AoE after it dies. These changes in the new Dota patch indicate one thing—more fights over the valuable Aghanim’s Shard.

Evolutionary Leap – New Neutral Creeps

Alongside the map update, creep camps have also been refreshed in the Wandering Waters patch. A new type of amphibious creeps has been introduced, evolving throughout the match from Tadpole to Froglet, and finally to Croaker.

Neutral creep camps within the water currents are now classified as flooded camps, inhabited by these evolving amphibious creatures. As mentioned earlier, these creeps go through an evolutionary process—while they are easy to kill in their early stages, they become significantly tougher at higher levels, requiring the right items to take them down efficiently.

For old Dota 2 players, Valve has also brought back the Ancient Prowlers, adding a nostalgic touch to the jungle.

Madstone – A New Resource

One of the biggest additions in this Dota new patch is a new resource called Madstone. It allows players to craft neutral items tailored to their playstyle and match conditions.

Madstone can be obtained by clearing neutral creep camps, rewarding two pieces for yourself and one for a random ally.

To craft a neutral item, you need to accumulate a certain amount of Madstone. Each neutral item now consists of two components:

• An artifact, which grants new abilities to the item.
• An enchantment, which provides additional passive stat bonuses.

A convenient feature is the ability to see what items your teammates are crafting, helping you avoid duplication and develop unique strategies.

Shrines and Lotus Pools

The Wisdom Rune and Lotuses have been removed in their usual form. Now, they can be obtained from shrines, which are located in approximately the same areas. You will still gain experience for yourself and an ally, but instead of picking up a rune, you must stand inside the shrine to receive the experience. The challenge is that the shrine will not activate if an enemy hero is nearby.

A similar mechanic applies to Lotuses. To collect one, you must stand inside a Lotus Pool. However, if enemies are nearby, the pool won’t activate—so make sure you’re alone before trying to claim your reward.

Quality-of-Life Improvements

Valve has finally listened to the community, introducing several comfort-focused changes in the Wandering Waters Dota new patch.

A long-awaited feature, the game now provides a Roshan respawn timer, showing whether the beloved boss is still admiring flowers in his cave or ready for battle. To check the time until the next rune spawn, simply hold ALT, and the relevant information will appear at the top of the screen.

You can now mark an item for auto-sell. Once you respawn at your base or reach the Secret Shop, the item will be sold instantly. Additionally, couriers are now aware of this feature—if they’re carrying any marked items, they’ll automatically return them to the Fountain.

Newly purchased items can now be moved to your backpack immediately, without waiting for the usual 6-second cooldown. This makes item management much smoother, especially in high-pressure situations. Some in-game items now feature custom animations and visual effects. Not only does this enhance the game's aesthetics, but it also makes it easier to identify which hero is the source of a specific item effect.

In addition, the characteristics and abilities of all heroes and items have been changed and balanced, so you'll need to get used to the new meta. What do you think of Wandering Waters?