Version 4.5.0

Design

Matchmaking

• 4-player and 5-player queue restrictions have been lifted.
  • Groups of 4 players can queue together for matchmaking once again.
  • Groups of 5 players can now be matched against all group combinations (but will still prioritize being matched against other 5-man queues).

General

• Ranged Lane Creep aggro range reduced from 800 to 600.
  • This change finds a good compromise in the lane dynamics between suicide heroes and support heroes.
• Neutral Creep (non-player controlled) aggro range increased from 150 to 225.
  • This change allows heroes to more reasonably stack & pull camps without physically attacking them, as the previous aggro range was too small.
• Mana consumption over time and dynamic mana costs now interacts properly with  Balphagore's File:Balphagore Belly of the Beast.jpg Belly of the Beast ability (PBT) and Nome's Wisdom's healing/shielding effect (Regular Modes).
  • Examples of such sources include (but are not limited to):  Parallax's Earthshatter,  Adrenaline's active abilities,  Torturer's Torment,  Scout's Vanish,  Chi's A Thousand Cuts,  Doctor Repulsor's Ludicrous Speed.

Hero Reworks

 Engineer (Ported from PBT)

• Strength: 20 + 2 per level
• Agility: 18 + 3.0 per level (Primary)
• Intelligence: 20 + 2.1 per level
• Movement Speed: 295
• Attack Range: 500
• Starting Damage: 41-48
• Starting Armor: 1.5
• Ability 1: The Keg

  Range: 750

  Radius: 200

  Mana Cost: 90/100/110/120

  Cooldown: 12 seconds

  • Throws a keg at target location, impacting after a 1 second delay. Enemy units in radius take 80/130/180/230 Magic Damage, receive a 1.25/1.5/1.75/2 second Stun, and are pushed 250 units away from the impact point.
  • If the Engineer is in the blast radius, he too will be knocked back, but won't be Stunned.
• Ability 2: Steam Turret

  Range: 650

  Mana Cost: 100

  Cooldown: 20 seconds

  • Creates a Steam Turret at your position that does 20/40/60/80 Physical Damage per shot. The Turret has 500 Attack Range and inherits Engineer's Inventory and 50% of the Attack Speed granted by Agility from Engineer.
  • The turret is unaffected by all sources of heals, Health or Mana Regeneration.
  • The Turret dies in 3 hits from heroes, Bosses and enemy buildings (12 hits from other units) and does not aggro Lane Creeps. Its Health regenerates to full after not taking damage for 4 seconds.
  • Engineer can destroy his own turret by attacking it.
  • Sub-ability: Targeting Algorithm

    Cooldown: 0.1 seconds.

    • Hero mode: The Turret will attack whatever you attack. Otherwise, it will attack the closest visible enemy hero. If the turret's target is not a hero, it will only attack it once.
    • Normal mode: The Turret will attack whatever you attack. Otherwise, it will attack the closest visible enemy, prioritising heroes.
    • Activate to switch between Normal and Hero modes. By default, the Turret is in Hero mode.
    • Turret cannot attack allies.
• Ability 3: Overdrive

  Radius: 900

  Mana Cost: 50/60/70/80

  Cooldown: 30 seconds.

  • Activate to apply Overdrive to self for 4/6/8/10 seconds, gaining 25 bonus Attack Speed per second. Propagates to ally towers and turrets within 500 range.
• Ability 4: Energy Field

  Radius: 450

  Mana Cost: 200

  Cooldown: 120/100/80 seconds

  • Activate to create an Energy Field for 5/8/11 seconds with a turret at its center.
  • This turret deals 40/60/80 Physical damage per shot to all enemies within 450 range, has a 1.5 second base attack cooldown and dies in 4 hits from heroes, Bosses and enemy buildings (16 hits from other units). Does not regenerate health.
  • Enemies who enter or exit the field have Energy Field applied for 2 seconds.
  • Energy Field (state): 100% tapering Movement Speed Slow, Silenced.

 Fayde (Ported from PBT)

• Strength: 18 + 2.2 per level
• Agility: 18 + 2.1 per level
• Intelligence: 18 + 2.3 per level (Primary)
• Movement Speed: 290
• Attack Range: Melee
• Starting Attack Damage: 46-50
• Starting Armor: 4.0
• Ability 1: Cull

  Radius: 300

  Mana Cost: 100

  Cooldown: 10 seconds

  • Activate to deal 100/160/220/280 Magic Damage and drain 7/14/21/28% of Max Mana from nearby enemies. Restores half the total mana drained.
• Ability 2: Burning Shadows

  Range: 500

  Mana Cost: 85/100/115/130

  Cooldown: 14 seconds

  • Target a position to apply a 1.6/2/2.4/2.8 second Stun to enemies in an 800 unit line and create mirror images of affected enemy heroes. Images deal 70/140/210/280 Magic Damage to their owners.
• Ability 3: Shadow Walk

  Mana Cost: 70

  Cooldown: 25/20/15/10 seconds

  • Activate to shroud yourself with darkness, disjointing on use and granting Single Target Immunity to yourself for 2.5 seconds.
  • During this time, you leave a trail of shadows that applies a 15% Movement Speed Slow to nearby enemies.
• Ability 4: Reflection

  Mana Cost: 150/175/200

  Cooldown: 80/70/60 seconds

  • Activate to become Invisible for 40/50/60 seconds.
  • While invisible, you gain Treewalking, Unitwalking, 10% Movement Speed, and 800/1000/1200 Clearvision.
  • Your first attack out of Invisibility inflicts Magic Damage equal to 150/200/250 + 10/20/30% of target's Current Health over 2 seconds.

 King Klout

• The Goblin Toss and Parade of Power abilities have been reverted to their versions prior to Patch 4.4.6.

 Prophet (Ported from PBT)

• Strength: 22 + 2 per level
• Agility: 12 + 1.2 per level
• Intelligence: 27 + 2.5 per level (Primary)
• Movement Speed: 300
• Attack Range: 600
• Starting Attack Damage: 49-57
• Starting Armor: 2.8
• Ability 1: Debilitate

  Range: 600

  Mana Cost: 70/80/90/100

  Cooldown: 10 seconds

  • Target an enemy to deal 80/120/160/200 Magic Damage and apply Debilitate for 4 seconds.
  • Enemies under the effect of Debilitate take bonus 4/8/12/16% Damage from all sources.
• Ability 2: Decelerate

  Range: 600

  Mana Cost: 60

  Cooldown: 10 seconds

  • Target an enemy unit to deal 50/75/100/125 Magic Damage and apply a 25/30/35/40% Movement Speed Slow to them for 4 seconds.
• Ability 3: Shared Fate

  Radius: 600

  • Passively replicates Debilitate and Decelerate onto the nearest 1/2/3/4 enemies within radius of the target, prioritizing enemy heroes.
• Ability 4: Raven Form

  Mana Cost: 150

  Cooldown: 100/80/60 seconds

  • Activate to morph into a large Raven for 30/45/60 seconds, gaining Flight, 15% Movement Speed, 2000/2100/2200 Clearvision and reducing the cooldown of your other spells by 400%.
  • Attacking or casting spells in this form will lower the duration to 12 seconds if it is currently above 12 seconds.

Heroes (Regular Modes)

 Apex

• Decimate
  • Physical Damage increased from 0.5/1/1.5/2x to 1/1.5/2/2.5x of your Attack Damage.
• Fire Surge
  • Mana Cost rescaled from 70/80/90/100 to 80.
• The Burning Ember
  • Magic Damage per second increased from 8/16/24/32 to 10/20/30/40.
  • Staff of the Master effects:
    • Cooldown reduced from 60 seconds to 15 seconds.
    • Apex can move at 75% Movement Speed while channeling.
    • Healing rate increased from 4/5/6/7% to 5/6/7/8% of your Max Health per second.

 Berzerker

• Ability 3: Strength Sap

  Radius: 600

  Mana Cost: 50

  Cooldown: 20 seconds

  • When activated, steals one Strength and heal 10 Health from enemy heroes within 600 radius every 0.5 seconds for the next 2/3/4/5 seconds. Stolen Strength is retained for 6 seconds afterwards.
  • Instantly deals 100/150/200/250 Magic Damage to non-hero units within range upon activation.
• Ability 4: Carnage (Reworked)

  Cooldown: 70/55/40 seconds

  • Activate to gain 40/60/80% Stun and Debuff Reduction, 100% Slow Resistance, and bonus damage equal to 5/7/9% of your Max Health for 12 seconds.
  • Can be used while Silenced or Stunned to break Crowd Control.
  • You take 15% more damage while under this effect.

 Bombardier

• Bombardment
  • Magic Damage per wave lowered from 30/40/50/60 to 20/30/40/50.
    • Total Magic Damage lowered from 120/160/200/240 to 80/120/160/200.
  • No longer deals reduced damage to enemy structures.
  • Tapering Movement Speed slow increased from 40/50/60/70% to 70% at all levels.
• Boom Dust
  • Now deals 75% of its damage against non-hero units.

 Bubbles

• Shell Surf
  • Projectile speed decreased from 850 to 650 units per second.
  • Expiration time increased from 2.35 seconds to 3 seconds.
• Song of the Sea
  • Silence duration increased from 0.5/1/1.5/2 seconds to 0.75/1.5/2.25/3 seconds.

 Bushwack

• Crippling Dart
  • Now applies a stack of Jungle Toxin to the target.
• Jungle Toxin
  • Attack Speed steal increased from 10/15/20 to 15/20/25.
    • Maximum Attack Speed bonus increased from 200/300/400 to 300/400/500.

 Calamity

• Firebomb
  • Maximum number of pulls increased from 4 to 5.
    • This does not affect the maximum amount of damage.
• Funeral Pyre
  • Debuff duration increased from 30 to 30/60/90/120 seconds.

 Corrupted Disciple

• Electric Tide
  • Maximum distance Magic Damage increased from 80/120/160/200 to 90/140/190/240.
• Static Discharge
  • Magic Damage increased from 40/60/80/100 to 50/80/110/140.

 Dampeer

• Terrorize
  • Bonus Magic Damage per essence increased from 35 to 45.
• Vampiric Flight
  • Bonus Magic Damage per essence increased from 25 to 35.

 Dark Lady

• Strength gain per level increased from 2 to 2.2.
• Agility gain per level increased from 3.1 to 3.3.
• Cover of Darkness
  • Movement Speed Slow increased from 5/10/15% to 20/25/30%.

 Deadwood

• Willowmaker
  • Cooldown decreased from 110/90/70 seconds to 100/80/60 seconds.
  • Staff of the Master effects:
    • Strength sap duration increased from 7 seconds to 30 seconds.
    • Cooldown reduced to 70/50/30 seconds.

 Doctor Repulsor

• Armor increased from 2.6 to 3.1.
• Base Agility increased from 20 to 22.
• Magnetic Contraption
  • Magic Damage increased from 100/150/200/250 to 110/160/210/260.

 Emerald Warden

• Overgrowth
  • Cast Range increased from 500 to 900.

 Gauntlet

• Infernal Instability
  • Mana Cost decreased from 80/90/100/110 to 70/80/90/100.
  • Movement Speed bonus increased from 40/50/60/70 to 60/80/100/120.
• Grapple
  • Magic Damage increased from 100/140/180/220 to 100/160/220/280.
  • Mana Cost decreased from 125 to 90/100/110/120.
• Gauntlet Blast
  • Magic Damage increased from 300/400/500 to 300/450/600.
  • Staff of the Master change only: Magic Damage increased from 400/500/600 to 450/600/750.

 Gemini

• Elemental Force
  • Armor Penetration improved from 1 per 18/16/14/12 Strength to 1 per 18/15/12/9 Strength.
• Fire and Ice
  • Cooldown reduced from 60 seconds to 30 seconds.

 The Gladiator

• Flagellation
  • Bonus Damage increased from 15/30/45/60 to 20/40/60/80.
• Call to Arms
  • Magic Damage increased from 300/400/500 to 300/450/600.

 Goldenveil

• Perch & Plunge
  • Plunge's Magic Damage reduced from 80/140/200/260 to 60/120/180/240.
• Greedgutter
  • Base Magic Damage reduced from 150/200/250 to 120/180/240.
  • Bonus kill Gold per token for the team reduced from 20/30/40 to 10/15/20.

 Gravekeeper

• Defiling Touch
  • Bonus Physical Damage increased from 15/30/45/60 to 20/40/60/80.
• Zombie Apocalypse
  • Cooldown reduced from 100/85/70 seconds to 60/50/40 seconds.

 Gunblade

• Agility gain per level increased from 2.6 to 2.8.
• Grappling Shot
  • Grapple duration increased from 4 to 4/5/6 seconds.
  • Grappled target now deals 25% less damage to Gunblade for the duration.

 Kane

• Balance of Power
  • Missing Health and Mana Regen % rescaled from 1/2.5/4/5.5% to 1.5/2.5/3.5/4.5%.

 Keeper of the Forest

• Animate Forest
  • Mana cost increased from 100 to 100/110/120/130.

 Klanx

• Strength increased from 15 to 16.
• Strength gain per level increased from 1.5 to 2.0.
• Base Armor increased from -1.1 to -0.58.
  • Starting Armor increased from 1.98 to 2.5.
• Movement Speed increased from 290 to 295.
• H.A.W.K.
  • Mana cost lowered from 50 to 30.

 Kraken

• Splash
  • Staff of the Master effects:
    • Cooldown is reduced from 10/9/8/7 seconds to 3 seconds.
    • Cooldown is now instantly refreshed when hitting a unit affected by Release the Kraken.

 Legionnaire

• Whirling Blade
  • Physical Damage per spin increased from 100/125/150/175 to 125/150/175/200.

 Lodestone

• Headsmash
  • Mixed Damage increased from 150/240/330/420 to 150/250/350/450.
• Lodestone Plates
  • Cooldown reduced from 12/10/8/6 seconds to 10/8/6/4 seconds.
• Shatterstorm
  • Mixed Damage increased from 275/375/475 to 300/425/550.
  • Cooldown reduced from 100/80/60 seconds to 75/60/45 seconds.

 Maliken

• Possession
  • Now costs 25% of current Health (instead of lowering your current health to 75% if your health is higher).

 Moira

• Arcane Vortex
  • Staff of the Master effect:
    • Now also makes allies pop out on the edges of the ultimate and makes enemies pop out in the center.
      • Credits to Dattoking for the suggestion!

 Monarch

• Crippling Pollen
  • Immobilize duration increased from 1.3/1.7/2.1/2.5 to 1.5/2/2.5/3 seconds.
  • Magic Damage per second increased from 70 to 60/70/80/90.
• Cleansing Wind
  • Mana cost reduced from 150/200/250 to 150.

 Monkey King

• Illusive Dash
  • Physical Damage increased from [15/20/25/30 + Attack Damage] to [15/30/45/60 + Attack Damage].
  • Cooldown decreased from 13/11/9/7 to 10/9/8/7 seconds.
• Wan Jin Slam
  • Magic Damage increased from 60/90/120/150 to 90/120/150/180.

 Moon Queen

• Starting agility increased from 18 to 20.
• Agility gain per level increased from 3.2 to 3.6.

 Nitro

• Agility gain per level increased from 3 to 3.5.
• HEAT Round
  • Detonation damage increased from [80/160/240 + 20/40/60% of Attack Damage] to [80/160/240 + 30/60/90% of Attack Damage].

 Nomad

• Wanderer
  • Critical hit multiplier increased from 1.4/1.6/1.8/2.0x to 1.4/1.8/2.2/2.6x.
• Edge Counter
  • Magic Damage increased from 200/310/420 to 200/350/500.

 Nymphora

• Starting intelligence decreased from 28 to 27.
• Teleport
  • Channel time increased from 4 to 5 seconds.
  • Staff of the Master channel time increased from 3 to 3.5 seconds.

 Oogie

• Primal Surge
  • Cooldown increased from 60/50/40 seconds to 60 seconds.

 Pandamonium

• Flurry
  • Mana Cost lowered from 30 to 20.
• Flick
  • Mana Cost lowered from 65 to 40.

 Parasite

• Facehug
  • Magic Damage increased from 200/300/400 to 250/350/450.

 Prisoner 945

• Shackled
  • Physical Damage per second increased from 20 to 25/30/35/40.
  • Cooldown reduced from 20 seconds to 15 seconds.
• One Man Riot
  • Bonus Base Damage per nearby visible enemy hero within radius increased from 15% to 15/20/25/30%.
• Prison Break
  • Staff of the Master effect tweak: target of the throw now always gets the secondary Prisoner Break effect.
    • This is referring to the extra damage and slow.

 Rampage

• Stampede
  • Physical Damage increased from 80/120/160/200 to 80/140/200/260.
• Horned Strike
  • Physical Damage increased from 60/85/110/135 to 60/90/120/150.

 Revenant

• Starting Intelligence increased from 21 to 23.
• Mortification
  • Magic Armor reduction increased from 1/2/3/4 to 2/3/4/5.
• Manifestation
  • Now also grants Revenant +6/12/18 Intelligence.
    • Staff of the Master grants +12/18/24 Intelligence instead.

 Riptide

• Undertow
  • Range decreased from 1000 to 900.
• Perfect Storm
  • Bonus Attack Damage based on Agility decreased from 10/20/30% to 10/15/20%.

 Scout

• Disarm
  • Disarm duration increased from 2 seconds to 2.5 seconds.

 Silhouette

• Tree Grapple
  • Magic Damage increased from 80/120/160/200 to 80/130/180/230.
• Relentless Salvo
  • Damage per stack increased from 4/7/10/13 to 4/8/12/16.

 Soulstealer

• Soulsteal
  • Staff of the Master effect:
    • Max Souls increased from 10/20/30/40 to 35/45/55/65.
      • Damage per soul calculations from Soul Burst becomes proportionally readjusted relative to the new Max Soul count when Staff of the Master's effects are active on Soulstealer.

 Wildsoul

• Bear Form
  • Toggle-on mana cost reduced from 50 to 0.
    • Now same as toggle-off mana cost.
• Swipe
  • Physical Damage increased from 150 to 175.
  • Movement Speed Slow increased from 50% to 75%.
  • Attack Speed Slow increased from 50 to 75.
  • Slow duration increased from 1 second to 1.5 seconds.

 Zephyr

• Cyclones
  • Magic Damage per second increased from 8 to 10.

Items (Regular Modes)

New Item Dreamcatcher

• Recipe: Soultrap (700 ) + Beastheart (1100 ) + Wind Whistle (200 ) + Recipe (800 ) = Total 2800 
• Grants: +5 Strength, +5 Agility, +5 Intelligence, +250 Max Health, +25 Movement Speed.
• Gains a charge when an enemy hero dies within 1000 range. Consumes a charge on use. Carries over the number of charges from Soultrap, max of 3 charges.
• Active: Target an ally to heal them for 300 over 10 seconds and increase their healing and regeneration by 50% for the duration. Dispels upon receiving hero damage.
• Target an enemy to deal 300 Magic Damage over 10 seconds and reduce their healing by 75% for the duration.

  Range: 1000

  Cooldown: 2 seconds

Dreamcatcher is an upgrade to Soultrap, and is used as a sustain tool that also provides healing over time in combat (does not dispel upon receiving damage).

Furthermore, it increases the target's amount of Healing received and reduces an enemy's Healing received.

New Item Twin Blades

• Recipe: Arcana (1575 ) + Broadsword (1200 ) = Total 2775  (Auto-assembles)
• Grants: +30 Damage, +10 Attack Speed, +10 Intelligence, +75% Mana Regeneration.
• When off cooldown, passively causes a secondary attack which deals 100% of damage and applies a 100% Movement Speed Slow for 0.7 seconds. Only works when carried by a melee hero. 5 second cooldown.

Twin Blades is an item that is intended for melee heroes with high Attack Damage (but low or moderate Attack Speed) to maximize their upfront burst potential.

New Relic Item Wind Whistle

• Cost: 200 
• +20 Movement Speed
• Stacks with all other sources of Movement Speed.
• Movement Speed bonuses from multiple Wind Whistles do not stack.

Wind Whistle was introduced to allow for cheaper sources of Movement Speed for support/caster-oriented heroes since it has poor slot efficiency & only builds up into items that generally favour these classes of heroes.

Bloodborne Maul

• Health loss requirement for each charge increased from 12 to 15.

Bottle

• Total Health and Mana restored per sip increased from 100 to 150.

Energizer

• Recipe: Major Totem (540 ) + Scarab (325 ) + Wind Whistle (200 ) + Recipe (450 ) = Total 1515 
• Grants: +4 Strength, +4 Agility, +4 Intelligence, +20 Movement Speed, +0.75 Mana Regeneration.

  Radius: 600

  Mana Cost: 25

  Cooldown: 30 seconds

• Activate to grant 50 Movement Speed and 20 Attack Speed to allies in a 600 unit radius for 6 seconds.
• Non-hero player-controlled units gain Unitwalking.

Grave Locket (Reworked)

• New Recipe: Orb of Zamos (350 ) + Crushing Claws (150 ) + Mark of the Novice (150 ) + Guardian Ring (175 ) = Total 825 
• Grants: +5 Strength, +5 Agility, +5 Intelligence, +2 Armor.
• Allows you to gather Experience even while dead in a 1500 radius.
• Passively synchronizes with a nearby ally hero if you stay near them for 2 seconds (500 range).
• Once done, you will stay synchronized unless you move more than 3500 range away from each other for longer than 10 seconds.
• "Synchronized" effects (which both you and your ally receive): +10 Movement Speed, +10 Attack Damage, each enemy unit killed grants 10 bonus gold and 15 bonus experience to your synchronized partner.
• You cannot synchronize with a hero which has already been synchronized with someone else.
  • This includes interactions with Orb of Zamos.
• Item can be activated to turn the effect on/off.
• Visual effects of synchronization are randomly assigned 1 of 3 colors: Red, Green or Blue.
• Every pair of synchronized heroes is guaranteed to have a color unique to them.
  • This helps you tell which hero you are synchronized with.

Grave Locket was remade to prevent your support heroes from being too underleveled throughout the game, since support heroes typically have the most deaths in a game.

Grave Locket is assembled from Orb of Zamos, making it a natural upgrade path for any support hero.

Sacrificial Stone

• Removed from the game.

Sacrificial Stone's gain-experience-while-dead effects are now integrated into the new Grave Locket.

Jade Spire

• Recipe: Manatube (850 ) + Major Totem (540 ) + Recipe (450 ) = Total 1840 
• Grants: +4 Strength, +4 Agility, +4 Intelligence, +100% Mana Regen, +25% Healing Done.

Jade Spire is a cheap item that increases your Healing output, making it ideal for early game healers.

Lex Talionis (Reworked)

• Recipe: Ringmail (550 ) + Ring of the Teacher (500 ) + Recipe (225 ) = Total 1275 
• Grants: +8 Armor, +5 Attack Damage.
• Aura (900 radius): Grants 1 Mana Regeneration to nearby ally player-controlled units.
• Active: Grants target ally 6 bonus Armor; or reduces the target enemy's Armor by 6 for 8 seconds. Reduces your own Armor by 6 for the duration. Dispels debuff from self if the target dies early.
  • Single target, 1000 cast range, 8 second cooldown.

Madfred's Brass Knuckles

• Soulscream Ring in recipe is replaced with Fleetfeet.
• No longer grants +3 Strength and +3 Intelligence.

Sand Scepter (Reworked)

• Recipe: Luminous Prism (1500 ) + Recipe (700 ) = Total 2200 
• Grants: +20 Intelligence.
• Active: Shoots a projectile which dispels debuffs and grants +60% Movement Speed for 2 seconds on allies, or dispels buffs and immobilizes enemies for 2 seconds. Enemies are also Revealed and Sighted.

  Range: 700

  Mana Cost: 60

  Cooldown: 20 seconds

Sand Scepter provides an additional effect on allies to further reinforce its defensive use on an ally as a purge tool.

Soultrap (Reworked)

• Recipe: Pretender's Crown (165 ) + Minor Totem (50 ) + Recipe (485 ) = Total 700 
• Grants: +3 Strength, +3 Agility, +3 Intelligence.
• Gains a charge when an enemy hero dies within 1000 range. Consumes a charge on use. Starts with 1 charge, max of 3 charges.
• Active: Target an ally to heal them for 400 over 10 seconds (dispels on damage taken from enemy heroes). Target an enemy to deal 200 Magic Damage over 10 seconds.

  Range: 800

  Cooldown: 5 seconds

Public Beta Test (PBT)

• NAEU Client Only: PBT will no longer be available via Matchmaking until further notice. We thank you for all your feedback.
  • PBT will return in the NAEU Client when proper incentivizations and improvements have been made to the mode.
• PBT will continue to be readily available in the SEA Client.
  • New balance & design content will continue to be released periodically in PBT for the SEA Client.
  • PBT changes in future patch notes after this point will be listed after the Regular Mode balance patch notes.

Staff of the Master Additions (PBT Only)

• Staff of the Master & Master's Legacy will be returning to PBT Mode!

New Item

Staff of the Master

• • Recipe: Glowstone (1100 ) + Mighty Blade (1000 ) + Quickblade (1000 ) + Neophyte's Book (1000 ) = Total 4100 
  • Grants: +10 Strength, +10 Agility, +10 Intelligence, +200 Max Health, +150 Max Mana
  • Boosts the abilities of many heroes.

New Item

Master's Legacy

• • Recipe: Staff of the Master (4100 ) + Recipe (2000 ) = Total 6100 
  • Grants: +10 Strength, +10 Agility, +10 Intelligence, +200 Max Health, +150 Max Mana
  • Boosts the abilities of many heroes.
  • Activate and target another ally hero to permanently boost their abilities with any Staff of the Master effects they may have.
    • This can only be done once and only on heroes who aren't already boosted. Losing the item will remove the boost from the ally and put the item on a 5 minute cooldown.

 Accursed

• Flame Consumption: Increases duration to 6/7/8 seconds, healing to 30/40/50% and can be used while Silenced or Stunned.

 Andromeda

• Void Rip: Decreases cooldown time to 10 seconds.

 Blood Hunter

• Hemorrhage: Applies Hemorrhage to all enemies around the main target.

 Bubbles

• Kelp Field: Reduces cooldown to 60 seconds. Damage and Stun from moving more than 800 units from the Kelp Field is now Superior Magic, and the damage when breaking is doubled.

 The Chipper

• Sawblade Showdown: Increases Cast Range to 1500, and saws apply a 90% Movement Speed Slow that tapers off over 4 seconds.

 Corrupted Disciple

• Overload: Increases firing rate from 0.7/0.6/0.5 to 0.6/0.5/0.4 and causes bouncing to 2 other targets.

 Devourer

• Guttling Hook: Increases range by 500 and reduces the cooldown to 6 seconds.

 Empath

• As One: Decreases cooldown time to 30 seconds and grants your host Staff of the Master's effects while active.

 Glacius

• Glacial Downpour: Grants the ability 800 cast range. Enemies who are hit by three shards of ice from this ability have your current level of Ice Imprisonment applied to them.

 Hammerstorm

• Hammer Throw: Increases range to 900 and lets you activate this skill again within the next 3 seconds to teleport to the target, dealing your Attack Damage in the area.

 Jeraziah

• Sol's Blessing: Increases radius to 2500, increases reduction by 10% and globally affects ally buildings.

 Klanx

• H.A.W.K.: Flight becomes passive and permanent.
• Lackey: Increases Magic Damage by 30.

 Legionnaire

• Decapitate: Instantly refreshes all abilities when you successfully Decapitate and kill a hero.

 Lord Salforis

• File:Lord Salforis The Affliction.jpg The Affliction: Increases pause range to 600. Any hero that dies with the debuff permanently increases damage per second by 5, up to a max of 50 bonus damage.

 Magmus

• Eruption: Increases duration from 1.75/2.45/3.15 seconds to 2.45/3.15/3.85 seconds and final radius from 550/675/725 to 600/700/800. Reduces cooldown to 120/100/80 seconds.

 Pebbles

• Enlarge: Grants Enlarge the ability to Chuck up to 3 targets.

 Pestilence

• Swarm: Causes the ability to apply to all enemies in a targeted cone area, and deals 50/100/150 Physical Damage on impact.

 Pharaoh

• Wrath of the Pharaoh: Grants a subskill that can hit ally heroes (shares cooldown with main skill). Decreases cooldown to 20 seconds.

 Plague Rider

• Plague Carrier: causes Plague Carrier to bounce infinitely.

 Pollywog Priest

• Voodoo Wards: Increases Voodoo Ward damage to 100/130/160.

 Pyromancer

• Blazing Strike: Increases Magic Damage to 650/850/1050 and deals 50% of the damage to enemies within 600 range of impact.

 Salomon

• Wish for Revenge: Reduces the cooldown to 40 seconds.

 Sand Wraith

• Mirage: Upon using Manifest, fears enemies in a 400 radius for 2 seconds, then slows enemies' Movement Speed by 15% for 4 seconds.

 Solstice

• Graceful Strikes: Reduces the number of attacks required for a proc to 2. Allows you activate this ability to switch between day and night modes at will.

 Succubus

• Cursed Grip: Ability is no longer channeled, duration increased by 1 second, and cooldown is decreased by 15 seconds. Has a leash range of 1200 units.

 Swiftblade

• Swift Slashes: Increases teleport count to 5/9/11 and reduces cooldown to 100/80/60 seconds.

 Tempest

• Elemental Void: Damage Type is changed to True, and decreases cooldown to 120 seconds.

 Torturer

• Torment: Increases damage to 100/175/250. Silences no longer auto-toggle off this skill.

 Valkyrie

• Javelin of Light: Applies the current level of Call of the Valkyrie around any target hit by the Javelin.

 Voodoo Jester

• Spirit Ward: Increases Spirit Ward damage by 30. Changes Spirit Ward number of attack bounces from 0/0/1 to 0/1/2 additional target(s). No longer channeling (but still cancels if Stunned, Silenced or killed).

 War Beast

• Metamorphosis: All effects of this ability except for the Movement Speed bonus and Base Attack Time reduction become passive.

 Witch Slayer

• Silver Bullet: Changes damage type to Superior Magic and increases damage done.

 Wretched Hag

• Bat Blast: Increases Superior Magic Damage to 450/600/750 and reduces cooldown to 40 seconds.

Heroes (PBT Only)

 Armadon

• Spinball
  • Movement Speed Slow duration increased from 1/2/3 seconds to 3 seconds.

 The Chipper

• Rocket Barrage
  • 0.3 second cooldown removed.
  • Base Magic Damage lowered from 50 to 40.

 Corrupted Disciple

• Corrupted Conduit
  • Now also purges buffs from the target and applies a tapering 80% Movement Speed Slow for 0.5 seconds upon use.
• Static Discharge
  • Reworked. Now passively grants 3/6/9/12% Movement Speed and double that amount if there is a visible enemy hero within 600 radius.

 Gunblade

• File:Gunblade Demon Blood.jpg Demon Blood
  • Reworked. Is now Demonic Shield from the regular mode.
• Lethal Range
  • Instead of doing a 2.5/3/3.5x crit now deals bonus Physical Damage equal to 200/300/400% of your Base Damage.

 Kraken

• Release the Kraken!
  • Radius increased from 400 to 450.

 Lodestone

• Strength gain per level lowered from 3 to 2.5.

 Nomad

• Wanderer
  • Critical Strike multiplier increased from 1.4/1.6/1.8/2.0x to 1.4/1.8/2.2/2.6x.
• Edge Counter
  • Magic Damage increased from 200/310/420 to 200/350/500.

 Nymphora

• Volatile Pod
  • Radius lowered from 600 to 500.
• File:Nymphora Nature's Offense.jpg Nature's Offense
  • Cooldown increased from 60 seconds to 100/80/60 seconds.
  • Ally cooldown reduction lowered from 4/8/12 seconds to 3/6/9 seconds.

 Parallax

• Dark Mana
  • Charges lost on death lowered from 20% to 10%.

 Pearl

• Attack Range increased from 600 to 625.
• Bubble Pop
  • Range increased from 500/600/700/800 to 800.
  • Healing increased from 75/125/175/225 to 100/150/200/250 Health.

 Pebbles

• Enlarge
  • Bonus Attack Damage lowered from 40/90/140 to 40/80/120.

 Pharaoh

• Wrath of the Pharaoh
  • Staff of the Master enables this ability to also Restrain enemies it hits for 3 seconds.

 Predator

• Stone Hide
  • Bonus Armor lowered from 3/6/9/12 to 2/4/6/8.

 Rampage

• Stampede
  • Physical Damage increased from 80/120/160/200 to 80/140/200/260.
• Horned Strike
  • Physical Damage increased from 60/80/100/120 to 60/90/120/150.

 Ravenor

• Storm Blades
  • Now plays the visual effects on the main target hit as well.
• Power Overwhelming
  • Number of charges gained when dealing Magic Damage to enemy heroes increased from 8 to 10.

 Rhapsody

• File:Rhapsody Musical Blast.jpg Musical Blast
  • Magic Damage lowered from 100/160/220/280 to 80/130/180/230.
• File:Rhapsody Divine Melody.jpg Divine Melody
  • Slow Resistance lowered from 100% to 50%.

 Voodoo Jester

• Cursed Ground
  • Radius increased from 180 to 200.

Matchmaking Maps & Modes

• Champions of Newerth (CoN)
  • Map: Forests of Caldavar
  • Mode: Counter Pick
• Mid Wars
  • Hero Ban
  • All Random
• Team Deathmatch
  • Blind Ban

New Content

The Bloodwar Brood

The Bloodwar Brood are a band of disgraced Sang-La Warriors who were once the pinnacle of honor and bushido, but fell to the lure of corrupted power. Though cursed, they still carry with them the ancient traditions of the Honors of War. No matter who they face on the battlefield – even each other – they consider the act of combat a sacred undertaking, worthy of the utmost respect. This honor is unbreakable, even when the flesh and soul are completely ruined by Hellbourne corruption.

• New  Accursed Bloodwar Brood Avatar:  General Noroi

The samurai General Noroi had only lost one battle, but one was too many. He had failed his feudal lord – his daimyo – and the laws of the Sang-La warriors demanded he pay the ultimate price of seppuku. The daemons now surrounded his lord's castle high in the mountains, having carved through the general's army with horrifying ease. The Hellbourne's commander was a merciless tyrant called Lord Salforis, and his mission was to desecrate the estate's sacred burial sites, searching for something only a twisted necromancer like him could know. The daimyo knew it was simply a matter of time before the castle fell and his people were slaughtered, but he would order his soldiers to fight to the bitter end. And he would have his penance from the general who had humiliated him.
But he was wrong. As General Noroi knelt before him, preparing to reach for his tanto, the feudal lord thought the coward was praying. But the samurai was reciting the words whispered to him by Lord Salforis himself – words that would doom the general to an afterlife of undead agony, but would allow his family and the daimyo's people to leave the castle alive. As soon as he uttered the final, guttural words and plunged the tanto into his abdomen, his ever-faithful kaishakunin delivered the instant death blow, severing Noroi's head. The daimyo smiled, relishing what would likely be his last moment of true power before the wholesale slaughter began. That smile froze on his face as the samurai general's body stood, picked up his head, and bludgeoned the daimyo to death with it. So began General Noroi's service to a new master -**corruption -**and his reign of terror over the living lords.

• New  Magmus Bloodwar Brood Avatar:  Saji

Saji the bladesmith was famous across all of Sang-La for the beautifully lethal katana, wakizashi, tanto, and kodachi he created for the samurai. A master of the sacred arts of forging, folding, shaping, polishing, and sharpening, he would often disappear into his forge for weeks, needing only rice and water amid the blistering heat and cacophony of hammer blows, to emerge holding a priceless blade created for a specific set of hands down to the thickness of the thread used on the suka. When the corruption came for him, it came quietly. A man he did not know requested a blade for the legendary General Noroi, a blade that would be used to defend his daimyo's castle from the nightmarish invaders rumored to be approaching from the east. The man even brought a gift, a sack of high-grade tamahagane to use for the blade's steel. Saji put his current work aside to focus on Noroi's blade, unaware that the gifted ore he used had been mined from the caverns beneath Blackwal and carried an insidious form of corruption. The smoke, dust, and sparks he created while forging the blade all carried this corruption, and it seeped into Saji's lunges, pores, and soul.
He felt nothing at first, but when the nameless man took the blade away to present it to General Noroi, Saji felt a great emptiness. Though he was ashamed to admit it, he wanted to see the blade cut, slash, and stab. He wanted to be near it, see it perform, watch it set the blood free. He followed the peasant roads to the great daimyo's estate, arriving just in time to see his beloved blade remove General Noroi's head. The corruption within him burst free in celebration of the victory, rending his flesh and setting him afire, and Saji collapsed in shame when he realized the katana he created had wrought such carnage. Still, he could not resist the corruption in his blood, which compelled him to follow General Noroi and his cursed blade on their reign of terror. It did not take long for him to join in.

• New  Rally Bloodwar Brood Avatar:  Kyugo

Second in command to the great General Noroi, Kyugo is arguably a more skilled samurai because of the countless battles he engaged in to save his general from having to bloody his own blade. Noroi would have doubtlessly been triumphant as well, but Kyugo knew the general had much greater things to concern himself with. Kyugo's greatest pride came when Noroi never even knew how close he'd come to death, a moment that happened time and again during the epic battle against Lord Salforis' army outside the daimyo's estate. While Kyugo was successful in keeping his general alive, they failed as soldiers and were forced to retreat within the walls. And though Kyugo prayed it would not happen, Noroi made the inevitable request for his dearest samurai to serve as his kaishakunin, severing the general's head after the he disemboweled himself in seppuku. This was a great, heartbreaking honor, and Kyugo performed it perfectly.
But when General Noroi's decapitated body stood and murdered the daimyo, Kyugo instantly knew his service to the great warrior was not done. He willingly submitted to the corruption flowing from the general and his great blade, allowing it to seep into the many cuts and scrapes he wore from the battle. And though the honor within him began an endless clash with the profane corruption, his devotion to General Noroi had never been stronger.

2018 World Cup

• New  The Madman 2018 World Cup Avatar:  The Playmaker

The Playmaker may look like a bundle of chaotic cleats zipping across the pitch, but his methods have a brilliant madness to them. Just when the opposition expects him to be in one spot, he rolls into an attacking position and quickly crosses the ball to a teammate or slashes through the defense himself to put the ball in the net. His unconventional, high-risk, and incredibly creative playing style may drive opponents (and sometimes his own coach) berserk, but the golden boots, medals, and balls at the end of the games prove that while it might sometimes look messy, the Playmaker's style is pure artistry.

• New  Dampeer 2018 World Cup Avatar:  Wing-Back Dampeer

Wing-backs have a heavy emphasis on attacking, which suits Wing-back Dampeer absolutely fine, but in a pinch he's happy to swoop back on defense and terrorize an opposing striker to keep them from scoring. He isn't sure what's more rewarding -- scoring a goal himself or constantly harassing an opponent and completely draining them of energy, leaving them exhausted and desperate for a refuel at halftime, if they even make it that long.

• New  Wildsoul Skin:  Wild Sbornaya

• World Cup Soccer TP

Get behind the defense or back to protect your goal in a flash with the 2018 World Cup Soccer TP Effect!

• World Cup Announcer

Show your love for the 2018 World Cup with this Announcer Pack!

General

• New  Salomon Avatar:  Sha Wujing

Once an honored general in heaven, Sha Wujing accidentally (or so he claims) destroyed a vase that belonged to the Jade Emperor. Enraged, the emperor exiled him to The Great Waste where Sha Wujing was reborn as a hideous man-eating sand demon. There, he suffered for centuries and took his vengeance out on anyone unlucky enough to wander close enough for him to feast upon. The only moment of joy in his miserable existence occurred when nine monks who worshiped the Jade Emperor stumbled upon Sha Wujing's lair; he devoured them one-by-one and threw their skulls into the fetid river, but instead of sinking like the rest of his victims, these floated. Fascinated, Sha Wujing examined them and found that they were blessed and enchanted by the emperor himself. Perhaps this power could be harnessed...
Sha Wujing strung the skulls together and wore them as a necklace, and he laughed heartily at the irony as the combined strength of their enchantment allowed him to break free of his prison. He also laughed as he imagined the look on the Jade Emperor's face when he finally found and confronted him again, telling him his boot-licking monks had provided the key to Sha Wujing's freedom. As he began his hunt, Sha Wujing wished for a way to make the emperor's agony last as long as his own had...

Bug Fixes & Optimizations

Heroes

 Solstice

• No longer forcefully switches to Day Mode upon respawning if you have a Staff of the Master.
  • This bug only applied to some alternate avatars before this bugfix.