Dota 2’s metagame in 2025 was a year of big experimentation and fine-tuning those changes. Early in the year, Valve pushed two numbered patches, or major updates that fundamentally changed the game. Afterwards, patches and updates were slow and primarily focused on balancing outliers.
Despite that, the community and pros were still able to innovate and shake up the meta, proving that Dota 2’s depth rewards creativity and adaptation. This is a recap of five of the major meta shifts that defined 2025, serving as a time capsule of how the players shape the game.
Wandering Waters update expanded the map
In February 2025, Valve dropped one of the biggest updates in Dota 2’s history.