Dota 2: Update 7.37e – Changes to Heroes and Khanda Nerf

On the night of November 19-20, patch 7.37e for Dota 2 was released, introducing several changes aimed at balancing the game. The update focused on nerfing popular heroes and adjusting some items.

Changes to the Khanda Item

Khanda, one of the most discussed items in the current patch, received significant adjustments. Its cost was reduced by 100 gold due to a cheaper recipe. However, this reduction came at the expense of its effectiveness. Now, Khanda deals only 60% of the caster's attack damage when a spell is used on a target, down from the previous 75%. This makes the item less impactful for heroes reliant on magical damage.

Hero Nerfs

Luna

Luna, who made excellent use of Khanda, received several nerfs that reduce her overall power:

• Lunar Blessing: Bonus night vision decreased from 400+20 per level to 250+25 per level, limiting her ability to spot enemies at night.
• Level 10 Talent: The reduction in Moon Glaive damage was decreased from 8% to 5%.
• Level 15 Talent: The previous bonus of +80 Lucent Beam damage was replaced with +1 Glaive for Lunar Orbit.
• Level 20 Talent: The talent that provided 2 Glaives from Lunar Beam was changed to +110 Lucent Beam damage.

These changes significantly limit Luna's power, especially in late-game scenarios, reducing her effectiveness in team fights.

Medusa

Medusa, known for her survivability and late-game dominance, also received nerfs. The changes target her ability to farm efficiently and sustain damage during fights.

Shadow Fiend

Shadow Fiend saw adjustments aimed at balancing his early-game aggression and team-fight potential, allowing support heroes to better counter him during the laning phase.

Earth Spirit

Earth Spirit's nerfs reduced his mobility and ability to control the battlefield. This could affect his popularity among professional players.

You can check out the rest of the hero changes on the official Dota 2 website or within the game itself.

Impact on the Meta

Patch 7.37e focuses on weakening heroes that dominated in previous matches and reducing their overall impact on gameplay. For instance, Luna and Medusa, frequently picked in professional games, now require new strategies to maintain effectiveness. The changes to Khanda will also influence tactics revolving around the item, pushing players to explore alternative hero builds.

Conclusion

Update 7.37e marks another step toward a balanced meta in Dota 2. Valve continues to closely monitor gameplay and respond promptly to significant imbalances in hero and item effectiveness. Whether this update will pave the way for new strategies remains to be seen in the near future and during upcoming tournaments, one of which is BLAST Slam I , set to begin on November 26. The event will feature numerous Tier-1 teams, including HEROIC, who recently made headlines after controversially kicking their best player, Parker, from the roster. Details about their decision and Parker's response are yet to unfold .