Dota 2 patch 7.41f nerfs popular heroes following TI15

Valve dropped Dota 2 patch 7.41f on September 15, 2026, and if you were a Treant Protector main who enjoyed an uncontested reign at The International 15, the party’s over. The update takes aim at several heroes that dominated the recent tournament, raises costs on popular items, and dials back late-game power curves in ways that should meaningfully reshape competitive play heading into TI 2026.

The patch is the first significant balance pass since TI15 concluded, and it reads like a targeted response to everything that went right (or wrong, depending on your bracket) at the tournament.

The biggest nerfs and what they mean

Treant Protector was contested in 100% of TI15 matches. Every single one. The tree got hit with a base intelligence reduction and tweaks to his abilities, making his laning phase slightly less forgiving and his scaling a touch less oppressive.

Bounty Hunter caught a meaningful nerf to his economic engine. Track’s self bonus gold dropped from 130/225/320 to 80/160/240 across its three levels. At max rank, that’s a 25% reduction in the gold you pocket for successfully tracking and killing an enemy.

Invoker’s Cold Snap cooldown went from 18 seconds to 19 seconds. Ghost Walk also lost its Aghanim’s Shard interaction with non-hero units, removing a farming tool that gave Invoker an awkward amount of jungle efficiency.

Items got more expensive

Several popular items saw their gold costs tick upward. Daedalus rose from 5,100 gold to 5,200 gold. Dragon Lance moved from 1,900 gold to 2,000 gold.

Support items took a different kind of hit. Essence Distiller and Infused Raindrops both saw their mana regeneration bonuses reduced.

Not everyone suffered

Anti-Mage’s Mana Break conversion percentage increased from 60% to 65%, giving the carry slightly more damage output per hit against mana-dependent targets.

Ursa also received buffs, positioning the melee carry as a potential beneficiary of the patch’s broader philosophy.

The competitive landscape shifts

This patch lands during a period of significant roster changes across the professional scene. Teams are reshuffling players and rebuilding strategies for the road to TI 2026, and a major balance update amplifies that instability.

Teams that built their TI15 success around Treant Protector and Bounty Hunter face the most immediate pressure. The support item nerfs could have the most subtle but far-reaching impact on competitive play. Reduced mana regeneration on budget items changes how supports approach the first 15 minutes of a game, which cascades into mid-game tempo.

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