Dota 2 News

Dota 2 7.31c patch: new update nerfs Primal Beast before Major

Dota 2's new patch is live, and includes several hero buffs and nerfs ahead of the MOBA game's upcoming Stockholm Major tournament. Dota 2 7.31c update nerfs the new hero Primal Beast and long-time favourite Tiny among several other meta-dominant characters. This update will be used for the tournament in Stockholm, which is the first major of Dota 2's pro circuit season.

A total of 41 heroes have seen tweaks in 7.31c, with a focus on nerfs to some of the heroes who have looked strongest in the recent meta. First and foremost is recent arrival Primal Beast, who, along with nerfs to his Uproar and Trample abilities, has also most notably had a sound queue added to his Onslaught ability that can be heard through fog of war. This should give enemy players ample warning that he is channelling his devastating charge attack from the shadows.

Also heavily impacted is rock giant Tiny, who has been one of the game's hardest hitters. His Tree Grab now deals less damage to buildings, his Grow damage multiplier has been scaled back slightly, and his 'grow damage with tree' talent has been moved from level 15 to level 20. These changes should make him a little less impactful overall and slightly slower to reach his full potential.

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Dota 2 patch 7.31c cuts Tiny down to size ahead of Stockholm Major

Dota 2 developer Valve has evidently been busy preparing some last-minute tweaks, as the popular MOBA title shapes up for the beginning of its first Major of the Dota Pro Circuit season in Stockholm next week. Dota 2 patch 7.31c arrives just in time for the event, and will serve as the official tournament patch.

This time round, Valve is focusing heavily on Dota 2's Heroes, with 41 members of its expansive roster of characters getting tweaked. Meta heavy-hitters Primal Beast, Sand King, and Tiny are all receiving sizable nerfs to put a dampener on their power - Tiny in particular has had his numbers squished multiple times across 7.31.

Meanwhile, on the buffs front, Valve is continuing its attempts to bump Zeus up following his Heavenly Jump change on patch 7.31, while also giving a bit of extra love to a number of Heroes like Chen, Phoenix, and Witch Doctor. Though the buffs on this patch generally appear to be more conservative than the nerfs, we'll have to wait and see just how much they impact the pro meta.

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The Stockholm Major Fantasy and Gameplay Update 7.31c

The Eastern Europe Qualifier tournament is now complete after 5 days of intense Dota. Congratulations to BetBoom, Team Spirit, and Mind Games who will now join teams from the around the world at the Stockholm Major.

The Major kicks off on May 12th, and tickets are still available to see the teams live at Hovet Arena from May 20-22 at www.esl-one.com/dpc.

[h2]Fantasy for the Major[/h2]
Be a part of the action by playing Fantasy Dota during the Major. Fantasy will work largely the same as during the Spring Tour league with the biggest difference being that there is a period every day of the Major instead of every week.

As a refresher, here's how to participate:

Earn Card Packs
- Earn one card pack for each first win of the day.
- Buy card packs for your favorite teams.
- Join Supporters Clubs to get bonus packs.
Open Card Packs
- Basic packs now contain players only from teams qualified to the major.
- Team card packs for teams that didn't qualify will still grant you the gold or silver card for that team, but all other cards will be for major qualified players.
Choose your Daily Lineup
- For each day in the major, choose a team of player cards that you think will perform the best.
- The daily schedule will be available at www.dota2.com/esports once groups have been determined.
Reap the Rewards
- Earn 4/3/2/1 Fantasy Levels for being in the top 10%/25%/50%/100% of all participants.
- Earn shards for every 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fantasy level, plus a Lineage Treasure for every 4th.

[h2]Gameplay Update 7.31c[/h2]
Just in time for the Major, this patch also includes Gameplay Update 7.31c. Check out all the changes at www.dota2.com/patches/7.31c.

Russian esports team booted from Dota 2 qualifier after player draws Z on the minimap

Russian Dota 2 player Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko and the rest of the Virtus.pro roster have been disqualified from a qualifying tournament for the upcoming ESL One Stockholm Major after Moskalenko appeared to express support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine by drawing a large letter Z on the in-game map...
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The Stockholm Major Approaches

Another action-packed tour of the Dota Pro Circuit is drawing to a close. Now the top teams in Division I will gather in Stockholm to square off against fellow competitors from around the world. Congratulations to the teams that have earned the right to attend:

Region

Teams

Western Europe

OG, Gaimin Gladiators, Team Liquid, Tundra Esports

China

PSG.LGD, Xtreme Gaming, Team Aster, Royal Never Give Up

Southeast Asia

Fnatic, BOOM Esports, T1

North America

Evil Geniuses, TSM FTX

South America

Thunder Awaken, beastcoast

The end of the tour also features a shift in divisional power, as the two lowest Division I teams in each region are relegated to Division II, and the two strongest teams in the lower ranks are invited to join the Division I contenders for the upcoming summer tour.

Region

Teams Promoted

Teams Relegated

Western Europe

goonsquad, Alliance

Brame, Nigma Galaxy

China

Dandelion Esport Club, Aster.Aries

Team MagMa, LBZS

Southeast Asia

RSG, Talon Esports

Neon Esports, Execration

North America

5RATFORCESTAFF, felt

Team DogChamp, simply TOOBASED

South America

SG Esports, Wolf Team

APU King of Kings, Balrogs

The Stockholm Major hosted by ESL One kicks off on May 12, and tickets for the Main Event May 20 - May 22 are still available at www.esl-one.com/dpc — join the crowd and reserve yours today.

[h2]Eastern Europe Qualifier Tournament[/h2]
Due to the terrible events of the war in Ukraine, we were forced to postpone the EEU DPC tour. Throughout this time, we've been talking directly with the affected teams to see if we can find a safe and fair way to resume DPC play for the EEU region.

As the result of these discussions, we've determined that we can run an EEU qualifier tournament, and the winners will be able to join their peers in Stockholm for the Major. The tournament will begin on Wednesday, April 27th, using a double-elimination bracket, and DPC points will be distributed in a similar way to what would have come from the league.

[h2]Supporters Club Sale[/h2]

The challenges of the season have revealed the top contenders, and the Major that awaits them is nearly set to begin. Show support for all your favorite teams by joining their Supporters Clubs — now on sale for 50% off through the remainder of the tour. As always, 50% of every Supporters Club sale goes directly to the team.

Supporters Clubs are also a great way to load up on Fantasy player card packs — so you can ensure extra depth for your rosters before Fantasy unlocks for the Major.

[h2]Fantasy Preparation[/h2]
During the League portion of the DPC Spring Tour, Fantasy was divided per-region so that players could primarily follow their favorite region to earn rewards. In the upcoming Major, teams from all regions will be coming together for international play, which may put participants that only have cards for a single region at a disadvantage.

To help avoid this, we've temporarily disabled opening card packs until the EEU tournament finishes and we know all teams slated to play at the Major. After that, any card packs opened will contain cards from all teams qualified to the Major instead of only a specific region.

Full details about Fantasy for the Major will be revealed after the EEU tournament is complete.