Dota 2: 5 major updates in Patch 7.38

Dota 2's Patch 7.38, titled "Wandering Waters," brings a wave of new changes that drastically reshape the battlefield. From dynamic waterways that alter movement speed to reworked objectives like Roshan and Tormentors, the update adds new layers of strategy to the game. Additionally, neutral items now have craftable mechanics, and collecting key resources like XP and healing lotuses has been revamped.

Here’s a breakdown of five of the biggest updates in Dota 2 Patch 7.38.

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5 major changes in Dota 2's 7.38 patch update

1) New waterways and movement mechanics

New waterways introduced (Image via Valve)

The river no longer serves as just a visual divider between Radiant and Dire — it now actively influences movement. Streams have flooded the outer rim of the map, creating a new way to navigate the battlefield. Moving downstream grants up to 150 bonus movement speed, while moving upstream has no penalty.

• The map now features streams in both the safe lane and jungle areas.
• These streams are categorized into "strong current" zones (150 movement speed bonus) and "moderate current" zones (100 movement speed bonus).
• New amphibious neutral creeps evolve over time, adding variety to jungle farming.
• Watchers, camps, and pathways have been adjusted to accommodate the water streams.

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2) Wisdom Runes replaced by Shrines of Wisdom

New Shrines of Wisdom (Image via Valve)

Instead of picking up Wisdom Runes, players must now stand inside Shrines of Wisdom to gain experience. These shrines require uncontested control to activate.

• Located in the offlane jungle, where Ancient camps used to be.
• Shrines activate every seven minutes, filling with experience.
• To claim XP, a hero must stand within 300 units for three seconds.
• If an enemy is present, the shrine pauses its activation until the area is clear.
• The XP is granted to a random hero in range and their lowest-leveled teammate.

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3) Lotus Pools require standing to collect Healing Lotuses

The new Lotus Pools (Image via Valve)

Lotus Pools have been redesigned to prevent instant pickups, adding more strategic control over healing resources.

• Pools now have three entrances and an empty central area.
• Heroes automatically collect Lotuses when within 350 units, if inventory space allows.
• Collection time starts at 1.5 seconds, with subsequent Lotuses taking 30% less time.
• If an enemy hero enters, the collection is paused until the area is uncontested.
• Great Lotuses and Greater Lotuses now spawn after Tier 4 and Tier 5 Neutral Items are available, respectively.

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4) Roshan moves between two new river pits

New Roshan pits' locations (Image via Valve)

Roshan's lair has been moved back to the river, with two new pits near the Power Rune locations. He now migrates between them based on the day/night cycle.

• Spawns in the bottom pit at the start of the match.
• Moves to the top pit at night and back to the bottom pit during the day.
• Throws heroes out of his way when moving, dealing 200 pure damage + 0.5% of the hero’s current HP per game minute.
• Gains movement speed and throw damage with each toss.
• New Roshan minimap icon tracks his location and respawn timer.
• Roar of Retribution now applies a two-second disarm but has a reduced radius (600 from 900).

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5) Tormentor spawns in opposite map corners

Tormentor is now found in a new location (Image via Valve)

Tormentors no longer spawn near each team's base. Instead, a single Tormentor appears in one of two corner locations, rotating based on the time of day.

• The first spawn occurs at 15:00, always appearing on the Radiant side at night and the Dire side during the day.
• This placement ensures Roshan and Tormentor are always on opposite sides of the map.
• Tormentor now grants 250 gold to each teammate upon defeat.
• Abilities scale with game time instead of death count, reducing snowball potential.
• Introduces a new ability, Alleviation, which creates a 900-radius healing aura after death, restoring 2% max HP per second for 15 seconds.

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Dota 2 Patch 7.38 significantly alters how players approach movement, resource collection, and map control in the game. The introduction of waterway mechanics enhances mobility, while new objective interactions around Shrines of Wisdom, Lotus Pools, Roshan, and Tormentors add depth to strategic decision-making.

As players adapt to these sweeping changes, the Dota 2 competitive meta is set to evolve in exciting and unpredictable ways.

These updates will push teams to rethink their positioning, jungle control, and rotation strategies. Whether these changes will favor aggressive or defensive playstyles remains to be seen, but one thing is certain — Dota 2 just became a whole lot more dynamic.