Dota 2 Patch 7.35c changelog: Jungle spiced up and more changes

The Dota 2 patch 7.35c brings a series of tweaks to neutral creeps, items, and heroes that could significantly affect the overall gameplay and meta going into the Dreamleague S22.

This comprehensive update aims to fine-tune the balance while enhancing the complexity of the game before the upcoming major update, Crownfall, eventually releases. However, with the release of this minor patch, the highly anticipated update will likely have to wait even longer.

Top changes in Dota 2 Patch 7.35c patch

Now, we wouldn’t want to bore you with every single minor stat change, such as Phantom Assassin’s 0.2 extra agility gain. As such, these are what we think are the highlights of the Dota 2 patch 7.35c changelog.

Neutral Creep Adjustments

In a move to spice up the jungle, the patch increases the base damage of the entire Kobold camp, including the Kobold, Kobold Foreman, and Kobold Soldier by three points. This change could subtly shift the early game jungle, especially for the poor Crystal Maiden support player, making these creeps slightly more challenging yet rewarding to defeat.

Furthermore, the Hill Troll Priest will cease to cast heal upon its first attack, and the Ogre Bruiser‘s ability to cast Ogre Smash is now conditional on its health being above 70 percent. The latter change is quite appreciated, considering it’s frustrating for players pulling an Ogre Bruiser’s camp to miss the pull timing.

Dota 2 Item Rebalancing

Moreover, the Dota 2 patch 7.35c also introduces a slew of item changes designed to recalibrate the game’s balance:

Mage Slayer sees a significant adjustment with an increase in its recipe cost from 200 to 400 and a total cost bump to 2,825. Its magic resistance bonus is reduced from 25 to 20 percent, potentially diminishing its immediate appeal but retaining its core functionality of spell damage reduction. The item has been a top item build for many carry heroes, so this change certainly hurt for the carries.
Black King Bar now offers a more potent Avatar Magic Resistance, jumping from 50 to 60 percent, making it a more formidable defensive tool against magic damage.
Bloodstone undergoes a recipe alteration, swapping a generic 700 gold recipe for a Void Stone, efficiently affecting the mana regeneration buff without changing the total cost. This change means Bloodstone is a great bargain to pick-up, as early as getting a mere Void Stone on heroes, such as Timbersaw and Storm Spirit to enjoy the mana regen.
Diffusal Blade now imposes a 25 mana cost on its active ability, Inhibit, which may seem minimal. However, it’s a change that can rake up in cost, considering how frequently one utilizes it.
Disperser, which requires the Diffusal Blade as its component, received a notable nerf too, doubling its recipe cost to 800 and removing the AoE aspect of its Suppress effect, alongside an increase in total cost to 6100. We can expect the popularity of the item to decrease, now that its effectiveness has dropped significantly.

Dota 2 Hero Updates

Arc Warden faces substantial nerfs, with reductions in base strength and strength gain, alongside a significant cut in the duration of Spark Wraith from 45 seconds to just 16. These changes aim to recalibrate Arc Warden’s laning phase and map control capabilities. However, it’s definitely a crucial change due to how overpowered double Spark Wraiths can become in the late game. We have seen how Arc Warden players stack multiple Spark Wraiths in the Roshan’s Pit, which can deal massive damage instantly when Roshan approaches them.
Lion sees multiple adjustments that diminish his mana-draining efficiency and the potency of his crowd control abilities, particularly with increases in the cooldown of Earth Spike and reductions in the effectiveness of Mana Drain. These nerfs will impact his utility in team fights and his overall pick rate in competitive play, which has been very popular in the recent meta.
Witch Doctor experiences a specific but impactful change with Death Ward’s Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade losing True Strike, potentially decreasing its damage. Nevertheless, his versatile skillset still makes up for the damage reduction.

These hero adjustments indicate a focused attempt to rebalance specific heroes who may have been overperforming in the current meta. The nerfs to Lion and Arc Warden, in particular, suggest a move to moderate their pick rate in matches, while the change to Witch Doctor’s Death Ward introduces a different item build for WD players to rely more on other skills besides their ultimate and Aghanim’s Shard buff.

Dota 7.35c https://t.co/Z8mdAKeDfv #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/xCf6omHDli

— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) February 22, 2024

Overall, the 7.35c patch represents Icefrog’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a balanced competitive meta in Dota 2. By tweaking the abilities of neutral creeps, the functionality and cost of items, and even the power levels of various heroes, the developers aim to ensure enjoyable gameplay.