With The International 2018 in full swing, Valve is here with a new update for the game, titled 7.18. The latest update introduces in a ton of changes to both the game’s heroes and items. But that is not all, as with Update 7.18 comes a brand new Meta for the game which will completely change the way professional teams will play in The International 2018.

Dota 2 Update 7.18

Now that all eighteen teams are set for The International 2018, the community has been wondering what Valve is going to do about the current Meta of the game as previously, some heroes looked to be much stronger than the rest. However, with the hero reworks being added in with Update 7.18, we are going to see a brand new Meta which will certainly have a major impact on The International 2018.

To learn more about the changes which are coming to the game, check out the complete patch notes for Update 7.18 down below:

Item Changes

Aeon Disk: Cooldown increased from 90 to 115

Echo Sabre: Strength bonus increased from 10 to 12

Echo Sabre: Damage bonus reduced from 15 to 12

Echo Sabre: Slow duration increased from 0.7 to 0.8

Hand of Midas: Cooldown reduced from 95 to 90

Orb of Venom: Damage per second reduced from 5 to 3 on ranged heroes

Maelstrom: Chain Lightning damage reduced from 170 to 160

Hero Changes

Abaddon

Abaddon: Base movement speed increased from 305 to 310

Alchemist

Alchemist: Greevil’s Greed Gold Bonus Cap increased from 16/20/24/28 to 20/24/28/32

Alchemist: Greevil’s Greed Stack Duration increased from 30 to 40

Ancient Apparition

Ancient Apparition: Ice Blast duration increased from 8/9/10 to 9/10/11

Bane

Bane: Fiend’s Grip cooldown increased from 100 to 120/110/100

Beastmaster

Beastmaster: Wild Axes manacost increased from 80 to 80/85/90/95

Beastmaster: Primal Roar cooldown increased from 80/75/70 to 90/80/70

Beastmaster: Level 10 Talent reduced from +25 Movement Speed to +20

Beastmaster: Level 15 Talent reduced from +7 Armor to +6

Beastmaster: Level 20 Talent reduced from +100 Wild Axes Damage to +80

Bloodseeker

Bloodseeker: Level 10 Talent reduced from +8 Armor to +6

Bloodseeker: Level 15 Talent reduced from +300 Health to +275

Centaur Warrunner

Centaur Warrunner: Base strength increased by 2

Chen

Chen: Holy Persuasion cast range reduced from 900 to 600

Chen: Holy Persuasion send back delay rescaled from 6/5/4/3 to 6

Chen: Holy Persuasion cooldown increased from 10 to 32/24/18/10

Clinkz

Clinkz: Strafe cooldown reduced from 45/35/25/15 to 30/25/20/15

Clinkz: Strafe manacost reduced from 90 to 75/80/85/90

Clockwerk

Clockwerk: Power Cogs burn/damage reduced from 80/120/160/200 to 50/100/150/200

Crystal Maiden

Crystal Maiden: Crystal Nova damage increased from 100/150/200/250 to 130/170/210/260

Crystal Maiden: Arcane Aura self mana regen increased from 1.6/2.4/3.2/4 to 1.8/2.6/3.4/4.2

Dark Willow

Dark Willow: Bramble Maze total damage increased from 100/150/200/250 to 140/180/220/260

Dark Willow: Cursed Crown manacost reduced from 100/120/140/160 to 80/100/120/140

Dazzle

Dazzle: Base damage spread reduced from 41-59 to 47-53

Dazzle: Poison Touch damage rescaled from 10/24/38/52 to 16/28/40/52

Death Prophet

Death Prophet: Base armor reduced by 1

Doom

Doom: Base movement speed reduced from 285 to 280

Dragon Knight

Dragon Knight: Level 15 Talent reduced from +35 Damage to +30

Earthshaker

Earthshaker: Base HP regen increased from 2 to 2.5

Earthshaker: Base movement speed increased from 305 to 310

Earthshaker: Enchant Totem Scepter cast range increased from 900 to 1100

Earthshaker: Echo Slam Echo damage increased from 60/85/110 to 70/90/110

Earthshaker: Echo Slam waves are no longer disjointable

Earth Spirit

Earth Spirit: Strength gain increased from 3.2 to 3.5

Ember Spirit

Ember Spirit: Fire Remnant charge restore time increased from 35 to 38

Enchantress

Enchantress: Attack range increased from 550 to 575

Enchantress: Untouchable attack slow increased from -20/60/100/140 to -20/70/120/170

Enchantress: Impetus damage increased from 14/18/22% to 16/20/24%

Enigma

Enigma: Midnight Pulse damage increased from 3/3.75/4.5/5.25% to 3.75/4.25/4.75/5.25%

Enigma: Midnight Pulse duration rescaled from 11 to 9/10/11/12

Enigma: Midnight Pulse cooldown rescaled from 35 to 50/45/40/35

Enigma: Midnight Pulse manacost rescaled from 95/110/125/140 to 75/95/115/135

Enigma: Level 15 Talent increased from +120 Gold/Min to +150

Enigma: Level 20 Talent increased from +400 Health to +500 Health

Enigma: Level 25 Talent increased from +4 Malefice Instance to +5

Invoker

Invoker: Level 10 Talent increased from +0.5s Tornado Lift Time to +1.25s

Invoker: Level 15 Talent changed from +2.5s Cold Snap Duration to -12s Cold Snap Cooldown

Io

Io: Relocate now has channel time instead of a cast delay

Legion Commander

Legion Commander: Duel bonus damage increased from 10/14/18 to 10/18/26

Leshrac

Leshrac: Split Earth cast range reduced from 750 to 650

Lich

Lich: Sacrifice 25 manacost removed

Lich: Ice Armor increased from 3/5/7/9 to 4/6/8/10

Lich: Chain Frost cast point reduced from 0.4 to 0.3

Lycan

Lycan: Base armor reduced by 2

Lycan: Base damage reduced by 3

Meepo

Meepo: Base armor increased by 2

Mirana

Mirana: Level 10 Talent reduced from +20 Damage to +15

Mirana: Level 25 Talent reduced from -75s Moonlight Shadow Cooldown to -70s

Morphling

Morphling: Waveform cooldown increased from 11 to 14/13/12/11

Naga Siren

Naga Siren: Rip Tide damage reduced from 120/160/200/240 to 80/130/180/230

Naga Siren: Ensnare cooldown increased from 12 to 14

Nature’s Prophet

Nature’s Prophet: Agility gain increased from 1.9 to 2.4

Necrophos

Necrophos: Death Pulse damage increased from 80/120/160/200 to 100/140/180/220

Necrophos: Death Pulse unit kill regen duration increased from 6 to 7

Night Stalker

Night Stalker: Void now deals half damage during day

Night Stalker: Base movement speed reduced from 290 to 285

Nyx Assassin

Nyx Assassin: Vendetta manacost decreased from 160/210/260 to 140/200/260

Oracle

Oracle: Intelligence growth increased from 3.2 to 3.5

Phantom Lancer

Phantom Lancer: Base strength reduced by 3

Pudge

Pudge: Meat Hook cast range increased from 1000/1100/1200/1300 to 1300

Pudge: Flesh Heap magic resistance increased from 6/8/10/12% to 8/10/12/14%

Riki

Riki: Base damage increased by 3

Riki: Blink Strike damage rescaled from 55/70/85/100 to 100

Riki: Blink Strike cast range rescaled from 800 to 500/600/700/800

Riki: Smoke Screen AoE increased from 250/275/300/325 to 325

Riki: Smoke Screen cooldown increased from 11 to 17/15/13/11

Sand King

Sand King: Burrowstrike cooldown increased from 11 to 14/13/12/11

Shadow Shaman

Shadow Shaman: Mass Serpent Ward damage increased from 40/70/100 to 50/75/100

Skywrath Mage

Skywrath Mage: Arcane Bolt manacost increased from 70 to 90

Slark

Slark: Level 10 Talent reduced from +10 Agility to +8

Sniper

Sniper: Headshot physical damage no longer ignores Spell Immune units

Sniper: Headshot damage increased from 15/40/65/90 to 20/50/80/110

Sven

Sven: Great Cleave damage increased from 30/42/54/66 to 40/50/60/70

Templar Assassin

Templar Assassin: Psionic Traps bounty increased from 1 to 25

Terrorblade

Terrorblade: Agility gain increased from 3.7 to 4.2

Tidehunter

Tidehunter: Gush armor reduction increased from 3/4/5/6 to 4/5/6/7

Tidehunter: Ravage duration increased from 2/2.4/2.8 to 2.4/2.6/2.8

Tidehunter: Level 20 Talent increased from -4 Gush Armor to -5

Tidehunter: Level 20 Talent increased from +24 Kraken Shell Damage Block to +30

Timbersaw

Timbersaw: Whirling Death stat loss percentage increased from 13% to 15%

Tiny

Tiny: Strength growth increased from 3.3 to 3.6

Tiny: Tree Grab unit attack damage bonus increased from 10/20/30/40% to 25/30/35/40%

Tiny: Tree Grab building attack damage rescaled from 90/120/150/180% to 80/120/160/200%

Tiny: Toss damage increased from 75/150/225/300 to 90/160/230/300

Ursa

Ursa: Overpower attack count increased from 3/4/5/6 to 4/5/6/7

Ursa: Level 20 Talent increased from +12 Fury Swipes Damage to +16

Vengeful Spirit

Vengeful Spirit: Wave of Terror damage rescaled from 45/70/95/120 to 60/80/100/120

Vengeful Spirit: Magic Missile stun duration rescaled from 1.2/1.4/1.6/1.8 to 1.5/1.6/1.7/1.8

Warlock

Warlock: Shadow Word manacost increased from 90/110/130/150 to 120/130/140/150

Warlock: Shadow Word cast range reduced from 525/600/675/750 to 450/550/650/750

Weaver

Weaver: Agility gain increased from 2.8 to 3.1

Weaver: Shukuchi damage increased from 80/110/140/170 to 100/125/150/175

Windranger

Windranger: Intelligence reduced by 2

Windranger: Powershot reduced from 180/270/360/450 to 150/250/350/450

Witch Doctor

Witch Doctor: Voodoo Restoration activation cost increased from 20/30/40/50 to 35/40/45/50

Wraith King

Wraith King: Mortal Strike skeletons magic resistance increased from 30% to 50%

Wraith King: Vampiric Aura increased from 15/20/25/30% to 18/22/26/30%

With major buffs for Earthshaker, Enigma and Tiny being introduced, the possibility of these heroes being selected have increased. While on the other hand, because of the numerous nerfs also in the update, we are going to see some heroes being picked less often. As a result, you can see just how much of an impact this has on the International 2018 and its upcoming matches.