Valve unleashes Dota 2 gameplay update 7.28b with dozens of balance changes

Not everything is balanced in Dota 2 right now, especially after the Mistwood update. For example, the developer near-instantly nerfed the new hero Hoodwink after the initial 7.28 update. Now, Valve has unleashed the Dota 2 gameplay update 7.28b, featuring a massive list of balance changes to dozens of heroes.

Dota 2 gameplay update 7.28b details

It’s always good to know exactly which balance changes have been made after a huge Dota 2 update. This will help players competing in tournaments, via Ranked matchmaking, and more to make the wise choice on item and hero picks. In the latest Dota 2 gameplay update (7.28b), Valve made changes to several items and dozens of heroes.

Outworld Destroyer arguably got the most balance changes, while some heroes only received a slight adjustment. In terms of items, the Cloak of Flames got quite a few nerfs, while, for example, the Falcon Blade got some nice buffs. Check out the full list of balance changes in the latest Dota 2 update below, starting with items, then moving on to heroes.

Dota 2 item changes detailed

Orb of Corrosion

• Now has a 100 gold recipe

Falcon Blade

• Mana regen increased from 1.6 to 1.8
• Health increased from 150 to 175

Cloak

• Cost increased from 450 to 500

Swift Blink

• Buff allows you to exceed max movement speed
• Movement speed increased from 30% to 40%
• Bonus damage and attack speed increased from 40 to 50

Satanic

• Damage increased from 45 to 55

Chipped Vest

• Return damage from 26/13 to 28/17

Bullwhip

• Speed modifier increased from 16% to 20%
• Speed modifier duration reduced from 5 to 4

Cloak of Flames

• Armour reduced from 5 to 4
• Radius reduced from 400 to 375
• Illusions now deal 30 damage per second instead of 45 (this was applied in a recent patch)

Psychic Headband

• Cooldown reduced from 30 to 20

Book of Shadows

• Cooldown reduced from 25 to 15

Dota 2 hero balance changes

Abaddon

• Curse of Avernus shard slow increase from +6% to +10%

Alchemist

• Berserk Potion shard cooldown reduced from 45 to 35

Axe

• Counter Helix shard attack speed increased from 25 to 35

Batrider

• Sticky Napalm now does half damage to ancients

Beastmaster

• Base damage reduced by 2

Bloodseeker

• Bloodrage shard increased from 1.5% to 2%

Broodmother

• Silken Bola shard root duration increased from 2 to 2.5

Clockwerk

• Jetpack shard cooldown reduced from 25 to 20
• Jetpack shard movement speed bonus increased from 15% to 22%
• Jetpack shard manacost reduced from 150 to 75

Dark Seer

• Normal Punch illusion damage dealt increased from 25% to 40%
• Normal Punch max stun duration increased from 2 to 2.25

Disruptor

• Thunder Strike shard radius increased from +160 to +260

Dragon Knight

• Fireball shard manacost reduced from 150 to 100

Drow Ranger

• Frost Arrows shard now also adds +5 damage per stack

Grimstroke

• Ink Over shard cast range increased from 700 to 950
• Ink Over shard total damage increased from 240 to 320
• Ink Over shard movement slow increased from 20% to 25%

Huskar

• Inner Fire slow increased from 35% to 40%
• Inner Fire shard cooldown reduction from -2 to -3

Invoker

• Ice Wall shard cast range increased from 900 to 1100

IO

• Tether shard movement bonus increased from +5% to +10%

Lich

• Ice Spire shard health increased from 300 to 600
• Ice Spire shard radius increased from 500 to 600

Lifestealer

• Base damage increased by 3
• Feast increased from 1.6/2.2/2.8/3.4% to 1.8/2.4/3.0/3.6%

Lycan

• Summon Wolves Cripple moved from level 3 to 4
• Summon Wolves Invisibility moved from level 4 to 3
• Feral Impulse damage reduced from 14/26/38/50% to 12/22/32/42%

Magnus

• Horn Toss shard landing damage increased from 150 to 200

Monkey King

• Base strength reduced from 19 to 18
• Max damage reduced from 57 to 55
• Wukong’s Command Scepter spawn interval increased from every 3.5 seconds to every 4 seconds

Naga Siren

• Rip Tide shard slow increased from 30% to 40%
• Rip Tide shard slow duration increased from 3 to 4
• Rip Tide shard active no longer deals 100 bonus damage
• Rip Tide shard increases armour reduction by 2

Nyx Assassin

• Base movement speed reduced from 315 to 310
• Vendetta shard movement speed bonus reduced from +40% to +25%
• Vendetta manacost increased from 160/220/280 to 180/240/300

Ogre Magi

• Ignite damage reduced from 26/34/42/50 to 20/30/40/50
• Fire Shield shard manacost reduced from 125 to 75
• Fire Shield cooldown reduced from 18 to 16

Omniknight

• Level 10 Talent changed from +20 Movement Speed to +40 Base Damage
• Level 15 Talent changed from +70 Damage to +30 Movement Speed

Outworld Destroyer

• Base armour increased by 2
• Agility gain increased from 1.3 to 1.6
• Movement speed increased from 315 to 325
• Base HP regen increased from 0 to 1
• Essence Flux chance increased from 25% to 30%
• Astral Imprisonment damage increased from 120/190/260/330 to 120/200/280/360
• Astral Imprisonment mana steal from 14/16/18/20% to 16/18/20/22%
• Sanity’s eclipse base damage increased from 200/275/350 to 200/300/400
• Level 15 Talent changed from +8 Armor to +30 Movement Speed
• Level 20 Talent increased from +0.1 Sanity’s Eclipse Multiplier to +0.15
• Level 25 Talent increased from +1.6% Arcane Orb Damage to +2%

Phantom Lancer

• Spirit Lance shard now also increases cast range by 200

Puck

• Dream Coil cooldown increased from 70/65/60 to 80/75/70
• Level 20 Talent reduced from -7s Waning Rift Cooldown to -6s

Pudge

• Dismember shard cooldown reduction from -7 to -10

RIKI

• Base hp regen reduced from 3 to 2.5
• Sleeping Dart slow increased from 25% to 30%
• Sleeping Dart cooldown reduced from 15 to 12
• Sleeping Dart manacost reduced from 125 to 85

Skywrath Mage

• Ancient Seal shard status resistance reduction increased from 40% to 50%

Slark

• Fish Bait shard attack speed bonus increased from 50 to 75
• Fish Bait shard cooldown reduced from 12 to 9

Sniper

• Concussive Grenade shard manacost reduced from 75 to 50
• Concussive Grenade shard cooldown reduced from 20 to 16

Templar Assassin

• Psionic Trap max trap count now increases by 4 with a Shard

Terrorblade

• Demon Zeal shard hp cost reduced from 25% to 20%
• Demon Zeal shard melee bonus from 50% to 100%

Timbersaw

• Whirling Death manacost increased from 70 to 80
• Flamethrower shard slow increased from 25% to 30%
• Level 10 Talent reduced from +1.75 Mana Regen to +1.5

Treant Protector

• Nature’s Guise shard bonus now increases speed in trees by +15%

Tusk

• Frozen Sigil shard hits to destroy from 3 to 4
• Frozen Sigil movement/attack slow increased from 30%/30 to 35%/35

Visage

• Stone Form shard manacost reduced from 300 to 200

Winter Wyvern

• Splinter Blast shard now also increases damage dealt by 80

Wraith King

• Base damage reduced by 2
• Vampiric Spirit manacost increased from 50/60/70/80 to 65/70/75/80
• Reincarnation manacost increased from 160 to 180

So there you have it, all the balance changes in the Dota 2 gameplay update 7.28b released this week. While there is a massive list of changes, it is good Valve has made these changes ahead of the DPC season for 2021. It will be interesting to see how these balance changes affect the ever-evolving Dota 2 meta.

Header image via Valve.