Twenty-five heroes went unpicked at Dota 2’s The International 2024—21 of whom went uncontested, setting a new record in the event’s 13-year-long history. But why did these heroes not see the light of day?
With the variety in Dota 2’s hero pool, every hero has a place within a certain meta, making them viable in specific lineups. This year’s event saw the meta develop in a particular direction, with ranged carries dominating the scene in favor of melee heroes.
The rise of Gleipnir, an item that grants farming speed and a safety tool in the early game, which then transitions into an initiation item in the mid-late game, brought back several ranged cores into the meta.
This fact and nerfs in the 7.37 patch alienated many of the commonly picked melee cores, leading to them being ignored entirely during the draft phase. TI mainstays like Tidehunter were affected the most, going from being in the winning lineup at previous tournaments to not even being considered at TI 2024.
The only heroes that were contested but never got picked were heroes that worked as specific counters to certain meta heroes, such as Anti-Mage against Medusa or Axe against Dazzle.
Comparing these stats to the previous major tournament, Riyadh Masters 2024, it’s clear the previous patch had more hero viability. The meta shift towards a five-man death-ball lineup has led to picks of heroes that come online faster, ready to join fights instead of farming up and playing for the late game. Active carries like Luna, Windranger, and even Mirana have topped the charts.
A faster-paced game combined with high damage numbers has resulted in a burst-heavy meta where, if a certain hero cannot survive the initial burst, they are considered unviable. This has led to many save supports like Shadow Demon, Omniknight, and Tusk increasing in value. Damage mitigation heroes like Kunkka were also highly contested for similar reasons, letting the team survive early burst damage.
As we gear up for Crownfall Act IV and the release of Kez, a post-TI patch should arrive soon. What changes will we see in the meta going forward? What changes are you most excited to see? We will keep you notified with any updates as we learn more.
