Valve shipped Patch 7.40 the night of December 15, 2025. The update added a new hero and a pile of balance changes that keep Dota 2 in its current fast, skirmish-heavy groove. Early data and pro play from recent DreamLeague matches show clear winners and losers forming in the first wave of games after the patch.
Broodmother, Tidehunter, and Drow Ranger have climbed into the upper win-rate tiers thanks to talent and kit adjustments that hit their power spikes earlier. On the other end, Pangolier, Lone Druid, and Clinkz lost much of their bite after Facet removals and nerfs. New hero Largo is struggling in pubs while players learn his rhythm-based ultimate and support toolkit, see our Largo coverage for more on the hero and role assumptions.
Winners to watch
- Broodmother – Talent changes moved a key lifesteal spike earlier and let her webs buff illusions. That combination makes her a much stronger lane and split-push threat, and she’s posting a win rate north of 56% in early numbers.
- Tidehunter – A few talent tweaks and spell buffs made Tidehunter less clunky in fast fights. The hero’s Gush and Anchor Smash interactions now translate into cleaner teamfight value, and pro teams are testing him more often.
- Drow Ranger – Slight manacost improvements and a slower Frost Arrows curve made Drow a more dangerous mid-game damage dealer. Her Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade also punishes healing-focused lineups, which matters with the new support options in the patch.
- Juggernaut – Still a pub favorite, Juggernaut retained enough power after minor nerfs to stay a high-win pick in many brackets. His Omnislash-centered play remains effective in the current tempo.
- Windranger – Buffs to agility and per-level damage kept Windranger relevant in both carry and mid roles. Killshot and the Tangled talent paths are flexible for different builds.
Losers to avoid right now
- Clinkz – Multiple changes, including the removal of Facets and a skill reversion to older behavior, left Clinkz without a clear identity. His win rate dropped into the mid-40s.
- Spectre – The rework that turned Shadow Step into a short-range ability removed a lot of Spectre’s early-game hunting power. The hero’s global threat feels muted compared with previous builds.
- Lone Druid – Splitting the hero and his Spirit Bear into separate skill and talent trees hasn’t been smooth. The result is a jankier play experience and a steep drop in success rate so far.
- Largo – New heroes often lag in win rate while players decode their kits. Largo’s Amphibian Rhapsody ultimate and support toolkit look powerful on paper, but the hero sits below the meta average as players learn his timing and combos.
- Pangolier – Facet removals and major nerfs to Shield Crash and Rolling Thunder destroyed combinations that once made Pangolier a lane and teamfight menace. He’s the lowest win-rate hero in this batch.
What this patch means going forward
Patch 7.40 is still fresh. Expect the meta to shift again as teams find counters, talent choices settle, and Valve follows up with tweaks. The early picture favors lane-centric scaling carries and sturdier teamfight initiators, while heroes that relied on older combo interactions need new answers or adjustments. Follow-up balance changes and pro experimentation will surface faster over the next few weeks.
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