Last verified 2026-09-21 by ReviewGamers Editorial
Valve concluded The International 2026 in Shanghai in late August, and Dota 2 has now entered its post-championship season. Days later, the first post-TI gameplay patch landed with a substantial round of hero and item rebalancing — here is what is current in September 2026 and who is affected.
The International 2026: Team Spirit’s Third Championship
Team Spirit claimed their third Aegis of Champions title on August 23, 2026, defeating TEAM VISION 3–2 in the Grand Final at Shanghai’s Oriental Sports Center. This victory is historic: Team Spirit became the first organisation in International history to win the championship three times. Their carry player Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk and offlaner Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov became the first players ever to win three TI titles together, having previously claimed championships in 2021 and 2023.
Spirit claimed $1.4 million out of the $3.33 million total prize pool. Other notable achievements from the roster: mid-laner Denis “Larl” Sigitov became the 13th player in TI history to win the title twice, and support player Alexey “not me” Kosmynin won his first Aegis on his TI debut.
For Dota 2 competitive viewers, The International concluded the summer season. The regional qualifiers and group-stage meta are now historical; the esports focus has shifted to post-TI roster moves and smaller regional tournaments that bridge toward the next International circuit.
Patch 7.41f: The First Post-TI Balance Pass
Valve shipped patch 7.41f on 15 September 2026, the first gameplay update since The International concluded. Unlike a routine hotfix, 7.41f is a substantial hero and item rebalance affecting several heroes that were prominent in the pro meta.
Notable hero nerfs:
- Treant Protector lost 3 Intelligence, Nature’s Guise’s post-tree invisibility window was halved (2 seconds to 1), Leech Seed now costs 35 mana instead of being free, and its Level 10 healing talent was removed.
- Bounty Hunter’s Track gold bonuses were reduced (personal gold from 130/225/320 to 80/160/240; allied gold from 50/90/130 to 40/80/120), and its shared-vision talent moved from Level 20 to Level 25.
- Invoker’s Aghanim’s Shard no longer lets Ghost Walk damage non-hero units, and Cold Snap’s cooldown increased by one second.
- Lifestealer, Lina, Shadow Fiend, Necrophos, Keeper of the Light, Earth Spirit and Centaur Warrunner all received smaller nerfs to cooldowns, durations or base stats.
Buffs and item changes: Ursa and Anti-Mage received modest buffs. Several sustain and core items were adjusted — Satanic’s lifesteal was reduced (30% to 25%), Mask of Madness’s lifesteal was reduced (24% to 22%), and the gold costs of Dragon Lance, Hurricane Pike, Octarine Core, Heart of Tarrasque and Daedalus all increased.
If you play Dota 2 regularly on Steam, this patch is worth reading in full before your next ranked match — the nerfs target several heroes that saw heavy pick or ban rates at The International, so lane matchups and item timings that worked in August may no longer hold in September.
Who This Affects
- Competitive and esports fans: The International’s conclusion marks the end of the summer DPC season and the start of the off-season transfer window. Casual viewers may now follow regional Pro Circuit tournaments rather than International broadcasts.
- Ranked and pub players: The 7.41f nerfs target heroes that were heavily picked or banned at TI (Treant Protector, Bounty Hunter, Invoker among them), so their success rate in your own matches may already be shifting.
- Item-timing players: The gold cost increases on Dragon Lance, Hurricane Pike, Octarine Core, Heart of Tarrasque and Daedalus change when those items become affordable in a standard game, which affects build order and power spikes.
- Sustain-reliant players: Anyone building around Satanic or Mask of Madness for lifesteal will notice both items heal for less than before the patch.
Next Steps
If you are following the post-International competitive circuit, regional DPC tournaments and qualifier broadcasts continue as teams enter the off-season transfer window.
For Dota 2 gameplay and updates on Steam, explore our Dota 2 guide or Steam platform guide for ongoing coverage of patches and esports milestones.
Tell us which platform you play on and we will keep this page current for it.
FREE — follow Dota 2 for patch updates, tournament results and seasonal event guides. PAID — impact analysis on patch changes and competitive meta once verified.