The Dota 2 world was once again caught blindsided by Valve as the developer rolled out another tiny patch after promising larger content releases. However, Dota 2 patch 7.34e has brought back some old habits as Zoo meta-heroes gained popularity again in the first two days.
STRATZ’s analysis focusing on the first two days of ranked matches following Dota 2 patch 7.34e’s release showcased Lycan, Chen, and Beastmaster bouncing back.
These three heroes were the main culprits of the Zoo meta that took over The International 2022—combined with items like Wraith Pact. With the 2023 competitive year starting, Valve removed Wraith Pact and also nerfed the most popular Zoo meta heroes.
While Zoo meta specialists getting some tracking following 7.34e might be a sore sight for fans who were fed up with the meta, they might need more buffs to claim a permanent place on the win-rate leaderboards. The Zoo meta tends to briefly come back after each patch since most players revert back to these heroes until the meta stabilizes again.
Even if you see more Lycan, Chen, and Beastmaster players in your ranked matches in the upcoming week, they can suddenly fall out of relevancy again when professional players figure out the meta and pick the most powerful heroes in tournament matches. With pros breaking down a meta, hero popularities might change swiftly.
Despite gaining impressive win rates, the Zoo heroes are barely reaching a 50 percent win rate, meaning they still might not be strong enough to bring back the glory days of Zoo meta. Though the minuscule 7.34e update could still impact the meta, it caused Dota 2 players to get stuck in an endless void of bashing Valve for every patch. As the patch went live, Valve also announced a delay for the Arcana event, offering Frostivus celebrations instead.
