Dota 2’s Patch 7.06 has arrived and it looks awesome

Early this morning, Valve released the notes for Patch 7.06, a sweeping set of changes big and small that will alter virtually every aspect of Dota 2 as it is now played.

Simply named “Gameplay Update 7.06,” the patch is the first major update to Dota 2 following the Kiev Major and will likely be either the penultimate or final patch before The International 7 in August.

Though it will take time for players and fans to work out the design philosophy behind the patch, at first blush 7.06 adheres to the old truism that Dota 2 gets balanced by making everything overpowered. Nature’s Prophet, for example, has been granted a level 25 talent that removes the cooldown on Teleportation, while Warlock has a new level 20 talent that causes him to spawn a Golem on death.

Arguably, though, the biggest single change in 7.06 is to Dota 2’s signature deny mechanics. Previously, denying lane creeps merely limited an opponent’s experience; now, denying grants 30 percent of the experience bounty to the denying team, incentivizing players to deny creeps throughout the entire game. The implications of the change are many: a competent mid player will be able to grow their experience advantage more quickly, while an uncontested safelane carry will be able to increase in level more rapidly than ever before. Level-starved supports can go to an empty lane and rapidly catch up in experience unless opponents commit to sending someone to their lane.

There are, however, some general patterns across the patch. Recipes are on the out, being largely replaced by additional components in compound items. Mask of Madness, for example, which was previously built from a Morbid Mask and recipe, now requires a Morbid Mask and a Quarterstaff. Likewise, every talent that manipulates a hero’s respawn timer has been replaced. To see all of the changes, head over to the Dota 2 website.

Patch 7.06 will debut in competitive play later today in the playoffs of the Mr. Cat Invitational, where Virtus Pro faces Team Empire in a semifinal best of three series.