It seems that Valve has made a habit of releasing updates during online tournaments. With patch 7.26c, the talent mayhem caused by the previous patch is mostly fixed.
Let’s start by saying that 7.26b was probably released too quickly. A single line in it (all talents are 20% weaker) is basically the reason we see the current update. Patch 7.26c focuses almost entirely on talents, with only a few heroes receiving additional changes. As usual, we’ll take a look at the most impactful ones, for the full patch notes you can check the official Dota 2 website.
And if you'd like to read more about the best esports players in Dota 2 and other games, check out our Life and Times series:
- READ MORE: The life and times of Topson – Part 1
The 7.26c Gameplay Update has been released https://t.co/4t1h9SW1D0
— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) May 3, 2020
Items
Royal Jelly
- Buff is now duplicated on illusions
- Now has a global cast range
Illusionist’s Cape
- Illusion now dies if the item is unequipped
It’s actually surprising that these item changes haven't implemented earlier. Royal Jelly practically gave up who the real hero was as illusions didn’t have the buff until now. The global cast range is more of a quality-of-life improvement so that the core players can get it even faster.
Illusionist’s Cape was often used to win games by equipping the item, making an illusion of the carry and then unequipping it for something more useful. Enemies who didn’t check the inventory would often fall for the trick. This will still work, but the Cape will now have to remain in the neutral item slot.
Heroes
Clinkz
- Searing Arrows damage reduced from 30/40/50/60 to 25/35/45/55
- Level 10 Talent changed from +8 Strength to +9
- Level 10 Talent increased from +6 Agility to +7
- Level 15 Talent increased from -24s Burning Army Cooldown to -30s
- Level 20 Talent increased from +275 Death Pact Health to +325
Clinkz has been a bit on the decline in overall win rate but still manages to stay over the 50% mark. The hero can easily get out of control due to the permanent damage gained from Death Pact and this won’t change even with 7.26c.
Juggernaut
- Fixed Helm of the Dominator not affecting your hero during Omnislash
- Omnislash now waits for 0.15 seconds before ending when it doesn't find any valid target, rather than instantly ending
- Level 15 Talent increased from +60 Blade Fury Movement Speed to +80
- Level 25 Talent increased from +0.8s Omnislash Duration to +1s
Ever since his new Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade was added, Juggernaut is almost always considered a decent pick. With patch 7.26c, his talents get even better and Omnislash can’t be disjointed by Manta Style as the item’s split duration is 0.1.
Mars
- Spear of Mars manacost increased from 100 to 110/120/130/140
- Bulwark toggle will now be turned off when casting Spear of Mars
- Level 10 Talent changed from +6 Strength to +15 Damage
- Level 10 Talent changed from +15 Movement Speed to -2s Spear of Mars Cooldown
- Level 15 Talent changed from +20 Damage to +20 Movement Speed
Mars is already a hero struggling with mana in the early game. Now it seems that Soul Ring and Mangos are pretty much obligatory with the latest mana increase to Spear of Mars. The toggle off on Bulwark will be something many Dota 2 players will have to keep in mind from now on.
Outworld Devourer
- Essence Flux slow increased from 11/22/33/44% to 20/30/40/50%
- Sanity's Eclipse base damage increased from 150/225/300 to 150/250/350
- Level 15 Talent increased from +5 Armor to +6
- Level 15 Talent reduced from +275 Mana to +250
- Level 20 Talent increased from +0.08 Sanity's Eclipse Mana Difference Multiplier to +0.1
OD was one of the most dominant heroes in Dota 2 once due to his scaling and the ability to instantly win a fight with his ultimate. Over time, he got toned down and he’s now sitting at around 45% win rate. In patch 7.26c, it’s all buffs but nothing stands out that much. Maybe we'll see him at the International... whenever that happens.
- READ MORE: The Dota 2 International postponed
The latest patch comes amid an online tournament and this will no doubt have an effect on some teams. Whether Valve will continue to release updates during live events remains to be seen. We honestly expected even more talents to get a tweak. Things like Warlock’s Level 25 talent which used to give 100% magic resistance to golems now stands at 80% and it’s just weird. Stay tuned for more Dota 2 news.
