The first of the two big Dota 2 tournaments of the year has come to an end. Riyadh Masters 2024 brought us a flavour of last season as Gaimin Gladiators defeated Team Liquid 3-0 in the grand final to win the whole thing and take home $1.5 million.
The tournament, which started with the play-in stage, went to the group stage and ended with the playoffs, saw a total of 223 games played. This was not the first tournament to be played on Dota 2 patch 7.36, but it was the biggest one till now where we witnessed the best teams in the world play around facets and innate abilities. Here, we take a look at the meta that has evolved around Dota 2 patch 7.36 through the lens of the Riyadh Masters games.
Most Picked Heroes at Riyadh Masters 2024
The list below shows the 15 most picked heroes and is comprised of relatively new heroes, as in the ones that gained popularity after the release of Dota 2 patch 7.36. The only two exceptions to that are Pangolier and Rubick. Rubick is understandable, as his Spell Steal allows him to stay relevant in any meta. But Pangolier really needs to be nerfed to the ground for a few months.
The only role that is underrepresented in this is the carry role. Even though Sven is present in the most picked heroes, the Rogue Knight was mostly picked as a support. But not having predictable position 1 picks is not necessarily a bad thing, as it brings a bit of diversity to the games.
However, 9 of the 15 heroes are either strength heroes or universal heroes who were formerly strength heroes (who typically have a higher strength gain as compared to their other attributes). Tanky heroes right now are dominating the meta, and those will be the type of heroes that will have to see a nerf as we continue to travel on the road to The International 2024.
Highest Win Rate Heroes at Riyadh Masters 2024 (picked in at least 20 games)
The highest win rate heroes often don’t make it to the most picked list, because they either get banned or picked in very specific situations. This list has some interesting names, with Doom sticking out at the top with a lot of games to his name and a very high win rate. In case of Doom, players realized how good the Devil’s Bargain facet was and started buying Hand of Midas, using it a few times, selling it to get a critical item like Black King Bar, and then buying Midas again! Lucifer, after a few months in the seven hells, is back dominating the Dota 2 meta.
Ember Spirit, Beastmaster, Weaver, Spirit Breaker and Sand King are some of the other heroes with high win rates along with a significant number of picks against their names. Sand King seemed to be dead and buried after a few nerfs, but he has burrowed himself out of the ground, finding a new home in the mid lane. His new ability, Stinger paired with his innate ability, Caustic Finale, makes him a terror in the mid lane, especially when a melee hero is facing him.
