B is for balance: Largo gets buffed in 7.40b patch, Tidehunter back to normal

Just one week after the 7.40 gameplay update, Valve has released a swift follow-up to balance things out.

Patch 7.40b aims at refining the new meta, as the most significant changes are focused on specific winners and losers from the previous patch.

Buffs for the struggling

After debuting with a lackluster 46% win rate in public matchmaking, Largo has received a couple of buffs. Improvements to his Frog Lick and Croak of Genius abilities, alongside a more powerful Level 20 talent, aim to make his lane presence more felt as well as his contribution to teamfights more impactful.

Several heroes who received major reworks in 7.40 also got reinforcing buffs. Lone Druid's Spirit Bear got buffs to Entangle and Savage Roar, while Clinkz—no stranger to post-rework patches—got buffs to his Infernal Shred innate, along with increased damage and attack speed bonus on Strafe and Searing Arrows.

Marci, who got her Fleeting Fury facet completely removed with no other perks last week, has been granted counterbalancing buffs across most of her abilities in patch 7.40b, suggesting Valve seeks to soften her fall from the meta. Other notable winners include Pangolier, who received substantial buffs to Swashbuckle, Shield Crash, and Rolling Thunder, and heroes like Brewmaster, Spectre, and Treant Protector, who all received some love from Valve.

Carry heroes face the nerf hammer

On the opposite side, several carry heroes that surged in popularity after 7.40 have been toned down.

Drow Ranger, who quickly resurfaced as a top meta pick, peaking at 55% win rate last week, is now less evasive. Her popular Sidestep Facet now carries a greater movement speed penalty, Glacier has a longer cooldown, and the Frost Arrows talent has been nerfed as well.

Windranger, rising as a potent carry once again, got her Tangled Facet damage reduced, along with nerfs to Powershot and Aghanim's Scepter’s buff to Windrun. Juggernaut was also hit, with reductions to Healing Ward duration, Omnislash effectiveness, and the high-level Lifesteal talent.

Kez, who became a staple in both professional matches and pubs, received heavy nerfs to his Switch Discipline innate, Falcon Rush damage, and the attack speed talent.

Addressing the elephant Tidehunter in the room

Tidehunter became the most broken hero after the big 7.40 patch. An overtuned talent made him the biggest winner of last week, with a 59% win rate in pubs. Level 20 talent says that "Blubber effect triggers Anchor Smash,” which basically means that every time Tidehunter takes damage, his passive not only soaks up the hit but also automatically does AoE damage. The result? He became a relentless, nearly unkillable monster.

Patch 7.40b is addressing exactly the Blubber effect level 20 talent, along with other nerfs on the hero.

Krill eater facet:

• Strength gain decreased from 4.1 to 3.9

Dead in the Water Aghanim's Shard upgrade:

• No longer deals 100 damage

Talents:

• Level 10 Talent Anchor Smash Damage Reduction decreased from +20% to +10%
• Level 20 Talent Blubber effect triggers Anchor Smash, now deals 50% less damage on the triggered Anchor Smash, and is now considered reflection damage

Item interaction: Urn of Shadows and Spirit Vessel

A key mechanical change addresses the interaction with Urn of Shadows and Spirit Vessel introduced in 7.40. Previously, a single hero carrying both items could gain two charges from one kill. Patch 7.40b reverts this, allowing only one charge per kill, with priority given to Spirit Vessel if both are in the same inventory.

The full list of changes is available on Valve’s patch notes page, here. With the competitive season resuming in January, these adjustments are expected to quickly reshape the pro and pub meta alike as players will have to adapt to some of the most impactful nerfs brought by the 7.40b balance patch.