Amidst the issue of the Hands of Midas, Valve has released a new patch that has changed a lot of the game’s dynamic heading into the biggest stage of the competitive Dota 2 scene, the International. However, there are a few select items and heroes who will be nerfed before the big tournament begins.

The International is the biggest tournament in all of Dota 2’s competitive esports scene, and it cannot be denied that there are many players who are seeking to make their name on the big stage. However, the latest Dota 2 patch is set to make some changes in the game as it brings a balance to the bugs and hero disadvantages that will be crucial heading into the tournament.

Heroes such as Ringmaster, Nature’s Prophet, and Tinker are all affected by the latest update as the developers have made some changes in the game that would seemingly play a huge role as these heroes are commonly used on the competitive scene. This is why there are a lot of players who are a bit worried as to how the nerfs will affect team selection in the coming tournament.

Hero Nerfs

Ringmaster, who is just a new hero in the game, has received a couple of nerfs in the latest patch. Movement speed has been reduced, and his Strongman Tonic souvenir has been reduced well after each of the hero’s levels was reduced to just 1 strength instead of the original 1.5 per level. Gleipnir, on the other hand, has a deducted health bonus of 350 to 300, and the item’s active ability has dropped from 180 to 165

On the other hand, Nature’s Prophet has also received a certain downgrade after the Ironwood Treant has been nerfed – with an increase of base attack time at 14%, meaning that it would take at least 1.6 seconds per attack. It is also worth noting that the hero’s ultimate has been weakened having its base damage decreased from 120/155/190 to 100/140/180.

Lastly, Tinker’s Defence Matrix has also been nerfed – for the many times it has been changed. It now gives less status resistance on higher levels, rendering it quite less beneficial in the long run, which makes it hard to use, especially in big-game clashes as well. The full list of changes can be visited on the official Dota 2 site.

The International Brewing Hot

The latest patch will be effective in the coming The International, which is slated to begin next week, September 4th. TI13 brings all of the best players in the world to represent their teams and lead them to bigger glory. With a prize pool of $2,278,937, teams will definitely bring their best to bring home the lion’s share of the prize while fans at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen will be given a promising treat of intense battles and fiery showdowns for all to see.

A total of 16 teams will take on the challenge with the hopes of reaching the big stage. The Group Stages will take place from September 4 to 5, and it will be followed by the Seeding Decider for two more days. The main event begins on September 9th and will go all the way to September 15th for the Grand Final – which will be a best-of-five series as opposed to the prior parts of the tournament.