Patch 7.41f arrived in the window right after The International 2026, and it reads like a direct response to the tournament meta: the heroes that dominated the Shanghai event took the hardest hits, while several underused picks got quiet buffs that are already reshaping pub and pro drafts alike. Here is how the hero pool shakes out under the new patch.
S-Tier: The New Top Picks
Anti-Mage heads the S-tier after Mana Break’s damage conversion jumped from 60% to 65%, giving him an even harder scaling curve into the late game — and with Octarine Core and Heart of Tarrasque both getting recipe cost increases, opponents have a harder time keeping pace defensively. Ursa also rises into S-tier thanks to Maul’s Health-as-Damage scaling going from 1.25% to 1.75%, which makes his burst against high-HP targets noticeably scarier without changing his already-strong early game. Round out the tier with Huskar, whose strength gain climbed to 3.4 per level, keeping his trademark low-HP aggression viable even after a base strength trim.
A-Tier: Reliable After the Item Changes
Warlock moves up as a support after his base attack speed rose from 90 to 95, letting him last-hit and farm Golem fights more comfortably. Mars gets a small but meaningful +1 base armor buff that improves his laning survivability, while Chen‘s improved strength gain (now 2.2) makes him tankier through the midgame team-fight window. Battle Fury‘s Chop Tree cooldown drop from 4 seconds to 3 also quietly helps every farming core that builds it, from Anti-Mage to Naga Siren.
B-Tier and Fallen Favorites
Largo sits at B-tier after a mixed rework to Island Elixir that trades early strength for a stronger Level 3 heal. The real story in B-tier (and below) is who fell: Treant Protector was hit from multiple angles — three less base Intelligence, Leech Seed now costing 35 mana, Living Armor’s minimum block halved, and his Leech Seed conversion smoothed into a scaling curve instead of a strong flat 20%. Earth Spirit, Bounty Hunter, and Centaur Warrunner all took similarly pointed nerfs aimed squarely at their TI 2026 performances, and Invoker, Lina, Shadow Fiend, and Winter Wyvern all lost some of the scaling power that made them menaces at the top level.
Item Changes Shaping the Patch
Beyond the heroes themselves, 7.41f quietly reshapes the economy that late-game cores depend on. Daedalus now costs 5200 total gold (its recipe rose from 900 to 1000), Dragon Lance rose to a 2000 total (making Hurricane Pike 4550 gold), and Heart of Tarrasque climbed to 5300 total. Mana sustain also took a hit: Infused Raindrops dropped from 0.8 to 0.6 mana regen and Essence Distiller from 1.75 to 1.5, which punishes mana-hungry mid-laners who lean on early sustain items. Defensive and utility items were not spared either — Manta Style’s ranged illusion damage fell from 28% to 25%, Shiva’s Guard’s Arctic Blast damage dropped from 260 to 225, and both Mask of Madness and Satanic had their lifesteal trimmed, with creep lifesteal hit especially hard. Silver Edge also lost some of its mobility, with a longer Shadow Walk cooldown and reduced bonus movement speed.
What This Means for Your Games
With Daedalus, Dragon Lance, Heart of Tarrasque, and Octarine Core all getting more expensive, late-game power spikes are arriving later across the board — which is exactly why early-scaling heroes like Anti-Mage and Ursa jumped in value. If you are still forcing a Treant Protector pocket pick or leaning on Invoker’s old numbers, it is worth adjusting your draft priorities until the meta settles; the first tier-one event on this patch, PGL Wallachia Season 9, is already underway and should offer a clearer read on where the pro meta lands.
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