We take a look at the meta that evolved at the PGL Arlington Major.
The final DPC Major of the year is done and dusted. The PGL Arlington Major, that started in the first week of August, finalized the 12 teams that will travel to TI11, but it wasn’t without a good deal of controversy. But with the smoke cleared, we now have a path to The International 2022 (TI11) with just the regional qualifiers remaining.
The Arlington Major saw a total of 178 games played, and they were played on Dota 2 patch 7.31d. The patch is on its way out, with patch 7.32 to be released soon. The only tournament that will be played on the current patch will be ESL One Malaysia. So as we bid adieu to Dota 2 patch 7.31, let’s take a look at what heroes made a mark at the Arlington Major and which ones didn’t, to get an idea of who might be buffed and nerfed in the upcoming patch.
All data taken from datDota.
Most picked heroes at the Arlington Major
From the most picked list, the usual culprits include Tiny, Puck, Razor and Death Prophet. These heroes have been dominant meta heroes for a long time, and definitely deserve a nerf in the next patch. One hero who is bound to get nerfed is Chen – he boasts a win rate of over 68%! That’s quite high for a hero that was picked in over 40 games.
Heroes like Dazzle, Marci, Zeus and Dawnbreaker have only recently become popular and should get their time in the limelight at TI11.
Most contested heroes at the Arlington Major
There are times when the most picked list does not tell the complete story, but this is not one of those times. Pretty much all heroes in the most contested list are in the most picked list as well, except Timbersaw. Timbersaw and Viper were the most banned heroes of the Major (103 bans), showing how much teams want to avoid playing against them. Both heroes are offlaners, and have a very strong potential to disrupt the enemy carry’s laning stage.
Puck and Tiny have a contest rate of over 90%, with Razor not too far behind. If teams aren’t picking these heroes, they want them left out. It is another indicator that they need nerfing.
Heroes with the highest win rate the Arlington Major (at least 20 games)
When looking at the heroes with the highest win rates, a few new names pop up. Storm Spirit, who was a very popular pick until a few months ago, is now reserved for specific games where he is good. There is a good reason for Viper to be banned out as often as he is, because the Netherdrake has a win rate of 61.29%.
While high win rate supports and offlaners are often first phased, the most successful carries of the Arlington Major were almost always picked in the last pick phase. The two carries on the list are Bristleback and Chaos Knight. Bristle’s pick phases were 4-4-15, while CK’s were even more skewed at 2-2-20. This is a meta where saving the position 1 hero till the end pays off.
Unpicked heroes at the Arlington Major (picked in less than 10 games)
The heroes below include all that were picked in less than 10 games. A few of them might have seen action in prominent games (Naga Siren, Wraith King and Sven come to mind), but on the whole, this lot was neglected. It is a mix of heroes who were recently strong in the professional scene as well as some that haven’t been contenders for a long time. These are the heroes that need buffs in the upcoming 7.31 patch.
Primal Beast hasn’t been introduced to Captains Mode yet. It will be interesting to see if IceFrog and Valve decide to do it in patch 7.32, which will be very close to the qualifiers. If that is the case, it will add a new dimension to the TI11 qualifiers and the The International 2022 itself.
Dota 2 patch 7.31 has been the longest Dota 2 patch in the past six years. The final days are close, and as we get ready to look at it in the rearview mirror, let’s hope that Dota 2 patch 7.32 brings with it a big change in the strong meta heroes.
