Dota 2 7.22f patch: How Will It Affect The International 2019?
Published: Jul 29, 2019 - Last Updated: Aug 9, 2021
With less than a month until The International 9 kicks off in Shanghai, all Dota 2 fans will be keen to see how Valve Corporation’s latest gameplay update could influence the outcome of this epic gaming event.
Now that the Summit 10 is out of the way, Valve has unleashed the 7.22f patch and it’s highly likely that this will be the update that will feature at The International 9.
Although the patch doesn’t offer too many massive changes, it could make big differences to the way in which the heroes function. Plus with over $30 million in prize winnings to be had, it’s clear that these small changes could add up to have a huge impact on who will win The International 2019.
For last year’s The International, we saw how patch changes dramatically boosted the fortunes of the likes of Earthshaker, Silencer and Enchantress, and already there’s plenty of speculation that Tinker, Chaos Knight, Keeper of the Light and Invoker could be amongst the big winners of patch 7.22f.
Tinker is expected to be a big player as the new patch makes him a very strong hero. With an increase to damage amplification talent, there’s a good chance that this often-maligned hero will be a key player in teamfights.
Alongside item changes such as the consuming recipe cost of Aghanim’s Scepter going down from 2000 to 1800, Clinkz is a big winner of the 7.22f patch. Keep an eye on how Dota 2 stars like MidOne and qojqva use this hero in teamfights, and we can also expect Invoker to get a decent boost thanks to the gameplay upgrade.
However, the 7.22f patch isn’t good news for all of the heroes. In particular, Wraith King looks to have a tough time at The International 2019. This is because the Wraithfire Blast’s damage has been reduced, and other heroes like Ancient Apparition, Chen, Dark Willow, and Grimstroke may also feature less at the upcoming Dota 2 tournament.
The International 9 kicks off at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai from 20 to 25 August. It’s widely expected to be the esports tournament of the year, and its prize pool has grown to $30.8 million at the time of writing. This has helped The International regain its position as being the world’s most lucrative esports competition after the Fortnite World Cup recently managed to get a $30 million prize pool.
Last year saw OG shocking the Dota 2 world when they managed to defy the odds to beat PSG.LGD 3-2 in the grand final. At the moment, it’s teams like Vici Gaming, Virtus.pro and Team Secret who are the favorites to win TI9.
But with former champions like Evil Geniuses, Alliance and Team Liquid in the mix, it’s going to be too hard to predict an out-and-out winner. As a result, it seems that the introduction of the 7.22f patch could play a massive role in the outcome of this thrilling esports tournament.
