Overnight, Valve made six changes to the test version of Dota 2 and updated the game's website: new items there are now displayed in green instead of gray. For the community, this is a familiar signal: such preparatory work often precedes the release of a major update. 230 days have passed since the previous global patch, 7.41, so the next one, judging by everything, will be the long-awaited 7.42.
There is no confirmation of the date, and whether the patch will come out today or before November 20 is anyone's guess. But the question of "when" matters less than the question of "what to do when it comes out." After such a pause, the meta is reshaped far more than after ordinary minor tweaks.
Why a big patch is not just a set of small ones
Between global patches, Valve releases intermediate updates with letter indexes, for example 7.41f. They adjust balance in a targeted way: tweaking heroes, fixing bugs. A global patch changes the very framework of the game: it can add items, rework abilities, shift the map and the economy. Over 230 days, players have learned the current meta to the point of automatism: which heroes are strong, which items get bought, in what order the timings go. All of this is devalued at once.
The green color of items on the website is precisely a hint that the set of items will change. And an item is not only stats: it changes the tempo of the game, the value of gold, and who benefits from early fighting and who from the late game.
How to read the first days after release
After the patch goes live in public matches, a "wild west" period begins: hero win rates jump around, because some players try new things while others play from old memory. A few rules help avoid mistaking noise for a pattern:
- Don't trust the first day. A hero's win rate on a small sample of games means almost nothing. After a few days, the picture stabilizes.
- Read the description, not just the numbers. If an ability has received a new mechanic, you first need to understand how it works, and only then decide whether the hero is worth picking.
- Look at items, not heroes. Changes to the economy and builds affect dozens of heroes at once; this is where non-obvious shifts most often hide.
- Cross-check with the professional scene, but with a caveat. Teams at tournaments adapt faster and play from prepared plans, so what works for them may not work in public matches without a well-coordinated team.
What to do before the patch is released
While the patch hasn't come out, the time isn't wasted. It's useful to put your own hero pool in order: note who you play consistently regardless of the meta. Such heroes are insurance: if the new meta is unclear, you have someone to rely on. It's also good to decide in advance how you will test the new things: for example, play several games on each interesting hero and write down what exactly went wrong, rather than just "won" or "lost."
The community traditionally splits into two camps: some rush to the strongest heroes of the new patch in the first hours, others wait and watch. The one who combines both approaches wins more often: try things quickly, but draw conclusions slowly.
Launch options that people forget about
Separately, while we wait: in Dota 2 you can play with a gamepad. To do this, add +dota_disable_controller_support 0 to the launch options. The mode is not for ranked games, but it can be useful for experimenting and getting familiar with the interface.
A new global patch is always a moment when the map of the meta is drawn anew. And those who are ready for it without panic or haste usually end up ahead within a week.
