10 changes that have shaken up the meta in Dota 2 Wandering Waters

Dota 2’s annual major patches have shaken up the meta for the last three years. From an expanded map size in 2023 to a new Innate/Facet system in 2024, we have been treated to some creative Dota in the last couple of years, and we are in for more in 2025.

Patch 7.38, titled “Wandering Waters” continues that tradition, and here are the top 10 changes so far.

Top 10 notable changes in Dota 2 Wandering Waters

As the Dota 2 meta evolves, some heroes fall off while others rise up the rankings. Now that we are a few days into Patch 7.38 and everyone has become more familiar with the map and neutral item changes, new patterns have emerged that change the way the game is played.

If you’ve just logged in after a break and want to get back into pubs or ranked play, these are the meta changes you want to know.

10) Bloodseeker and Lina languish beneath the waves

If you have been playing Dota recently, you would know that two heroes absolutely dominated the pub scene toward the end of Patch 7.37. While Bloodseeker scaled well into a late-game powerhouse, Lina maintained a steady rise in power from the mid-game onwards. These heroes were also contested heavily in the pro scene, but pubs were where they truly shined.

Both of these heroes performed so well with their Blood Mist and Flame Cloak abilities, respectively, that they were hard to counter in an uncoordinated environment. The Wandering Waters update drastically reduced Lina’s burst potential while removing Bloodseeker’s Blood Mist ability outright. These changes led to a steep drop in their pick rates and win rates, making room for new heroes.

9) Jakiro emerges from his perch

Since Lina is temporarily retired, there might be room for a new high-damage midlaner. Jakiro has been consistently played as a top-tier support for the last few patches, with the occasional mid lane experimentation. His Innate has been buffed this patch, with more players trying him out in the mid lane using his Twin Terror Facet.

A more stable way to play the hero would be through his traditional support role. The new Ice Breaker Facet lets Jakiro detonate his Ice Path for increased damage and double the stun. This has led to better lane control along with his ability to use Liquid Fire and Liquid Frost at the same time.

8) Artifacts and Enchantments galore

Another major change to the game is the new Madstone item crafting system for Neutral Items. Gone are the days of Neutral Item Tokens since we now have a new resource to craft custom Neutral Items with. Pick up enough Madstone until the crafting option becomes available, and then choose from a series of Artifacts and Enchantments to create your perfect item.

Artifacts will provide the active or passive component of the item while Enchantments will let you choose from various stats. Depending on the hero and the state of the game, you could create your perfect Neutral Item for the duration of the entire match.

7) Is Phantom Lancer viable again?

Phantom Lancer has been shunned for over a year despite the popularity of other illusion heroes and Manta Style because of his lackluster Innate and Facets. The recent changes to Revenant’s Brooch have massively buffed this hero’s damage numbers, allowing his illusions to deal full magic damage to enemy units they come in contact with.

Similar to Patch 7.36 Legion Commander’s Stonehall Plate, this combination feels a little overtuned right now, so expect an incoming nerf soon. Even if this combination is negatively affected, the new Lancelot Facet brings new changes to the hero that might be further explored to its full potential.

6) Roshan relocates back to his old riverside home

The corners of the map have been Roshan’s hiding spots for the last two years now. Wandering Waves has relocated everyone’s favorite sentient golem back to the river, with two pits instead of one. His movement remains the same, shifting pits between the day/night cycle, albeit with some changes.

If a hero walks in Roshan’s path during his movement, he will toss the hero in a random direction, dealing damage. However, the short walk between pits can be easily exploited by heroes like Techies, mining the whole way through, so get ready for some wacky new strategies and unexpected Roshan fights.

5) Rotting his way to the top

What was once a meme has now become every pub player’s nightmare (or delight) as physical damage carry Pudge is now officially meta. The addition of his new Rotten Core Facet increases Pudge’s physical damage every second while Rot remains active. This buff caps out at 80 percent and is commonly seen combined with DPS items.

Popular choices for now seem to be Harpoon, Mask of Madness, Sange and Yasha, and Basher. Pudge can no longer save his allies with Dismember, but his Aghanim’s Shard allows him to maintain his old Flayer’s Hook Facet bonuses.

4) The chill of Winter Wyvern persists

Even though Winter Wyvern had her Universal status revoked, she is no less of a threat in Wandering Waters. In fact, the hero has been outperforming via her new Facets, with Recursive tearing through weaker lineups. Not only does Wyvern’s Winter Curse not end after the target dies, but it spreads to the next weakest target with a refreshed duration.

This can lead to chain kills with one well-placed Winter’s Curse. If you are a Wyvern player, now would be the best time to get back to the hero and increase your MMR.

3) Return of the Sacred Warrior

Huskar has notoriously been a cheesy last pick to counter a weaker enemy midlaner. The hero worked on a timer since he could be easily countered with items like Spirit Vessel and Heaven’s Halberd. However, with the introduction of his new Cauterize Facet, Huskar can now dispel debuffs placed on him for a fraction of his health using his Berserker’s Blood.

This leads to more aggressive plays without fear of being countered before Huskar has his own BKB. Depending on how many debuffs were dispelled, Huskar will also heal towards the end of the spell’s duration, allowing for some clutch saves.

2) Magnus’ stocks are on the rise

Magnus has always been popular in the pro scene, especially in the last patch. One would think that a hero who sees action in all five roles would be nerfed, but it was quite the opposite in Magnus’ case. The old Reverse Reverse Polarity Facet was ditched in favor of two new Facets that clearly emphasize his role as either a utility hero or a physical damage core.

Magnus can be tricky to play if you are a new player, so make sure you practice him if you want to pick him up this patch. The rewards are worth it since you will have a hero in your pocket who is viable in any of the five positions.

1) The Dragon soars even higher

To everyone’s surprise, Dragon Knight is the biggest winner of this patch by far. Although his early game farm has been slowed down with the removal of his innate cleave, it’s all uphill from there. Dragon Knight gets bonus magic damage with his Fire Dragon Facet with increased AOE in his Dragon form.

Additionally, his other Dragon Facets have been buffed with the innate splash damage that was previously exclusive to the Fire Dragon Facet. This has led to the viability of all three Dragon Facets, with the Corrosive Dragon dealing purely physical damage while the Frost Dragon focuses on control and anti-regeneration with its Wyrm’s Wrath passives.

The numbers speak for themselves, as Dragon Knight is currently rocking an almost 60 percent win rate in pubs and over 60 percent in the pro scene. Play him while you can because the nerf hammer is coming.