Based on the latest notes for Dota 2 Patch 7.40 (which dropped around December 15–16 to coincide with Frostivus 2025), here are the major changes you need to know.
This is a massive “End of Year” update that introduces a new hero and significant map/item shakeups.
1. New Hero: Largo (The Frog Bard)
The 126th hero has finally arrived. Largo is a Melee Strength Support/Tank designed to disrupt positioning and buff allies through a rhythm mechanic.
Q (Tongue Lash): Licks a target, pulling them slightly towards Largo and applying a dispel.
W (Amphibian Army): Summons a swarm of frogs in an AoE that stuns enemies and deals damage over time.
E (Reverberation): A passive/active aura that reduces mana costs for allies and reflects a portion of spell damage.
R (Ultimate – Rhythm of the Swamp): A unique mechanic where Largo disarms himself to channel a song. You must hit buttons in time with the beat (like a rhythm game); successful hits provide massive healing, movement speed, or spell amp to your team depending on the “song” chosen.
2. General Updates
Frostivus 2025 Event: The event is live. The “Grunch” story is the theme. You can steal Hats from enemies by killing them (or using the “Spirit of Frostivus” item) and stack them visually on your hero.
Map Changes: The terrain around the Tier 1 Towers (Safelines) has been adjusted to make ganking harder.
Neutral Item Rotation:
Removed: Helm of the Undying, Sister’s Shroud, Pyrrhic Cloak.
Added: Several new Tier 4 and 5 items focused on caster survivability.
Also Read : MH Wilds TU4 Patch Notes
3. Major Hero Reworks
Lone Druid: Significant changes to how the Spirit Bear interacts with universal stats.
Slark: Pounce distance has been nerfed, but Essence Shift now provides a small amount of status resistance at max stacks.
Treant Protector: Living Armor is now a passive aura with an active component for global range (similar to how old Drow aura worked).
4. Connection Issues?
If you are unable to download the update (stuck at “Pre-allocating”):
Change Download Region: In Steam Settings > Downloads, switch to a region like “Vietnam” or “Singapore” temporarily.
Verify Integrity: Right-click Dota 2 > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files.
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