Dota 2 patch 7.40 adds new hero Largo, whose ultimate has one of the coolest mechanics I've seen in ages

In a surprise to absolutely no one, my favorite Dungeons and Dragons class is Bard. As both a musician and support main, it's the perfect blend of buffs and damage, with a dash of charisma on the side. Dota 2 has always kept itself pretty close to its fantasy roots, with characters like Dragon Knight, Drow Ranger, and Enchantress, but now it's got Largo, who may as well be 'Frog Bard.' Performing (pun intended) exactly as expected, his focus is on buffing allies and bestowin' mighty fine curses on his foes, while his adorable little froglings help to deal damage. As someone who's just got back into League of Legends, I can feel Valve's MOBA calling to me.

You'll notice some similarities between this new hero and LoL's own amphibian champion, Tahm Kench, but Largo's got a few extra steps. His Q, Catchy Lick (I smirked) pulls enemies back and applies a basic dispel, granting him temporary health regeneration in return. Then, his W fires out his froglings as an AoE missile that deals damage, inflicts mini-stuns, and reduces movement speed. His E, Croak of Genius, reduces champion and item mana costs, with a small percentage of any damage they do reverberating over time (basically DoT).

But it's his ultimate that I'm obsessed with. We've seen some pretty cool mechanics make their way into Dota 2 over the years, but this one is my personal favorite. Amphibian Rhapsody (is this the real life?) sees Largo "groove." He's disarmed, and his ability bar switches to three different song effects: Bullbelly Blitz, which amplifies attacks and deals extra magic damage; Hotfeet Hustle, which increases movement speed; and Island Elixir, which heals nearby enemies. On paper, it's reminiscent of League of Legends' Sona.

There is, however, a catch. In order for spells to be effective, you need to strum to the beat and stack Groovin'. A small, lute-shaped bar appears above your health and mana indicators, and you'll need to complete quick time strums to keep the party going. Each stack grants Largo bonus armor and reduces mana costs, but missing a beat will knock you down a peg. These effects linger post-Rhapsody, and while we've seen mechanics like this before, I love how Valve has integrated it into Largo's kit.

But putting our fiesty frog bard aside for a moment, patch 7.40 is absolutely huge. First up, you'll no longer need skill points to level talents, with new talent points available at levels ten, 15, 20, 25, 27, 28, 29, and 30. Creeps have also been reworked, with Flagbearers granting a little more gold - especially if you're the one that kills them.

You won't be able to whittle away at Roshan's health bar with hero-focused lifesteal abilities anymore, plus physical lifesteal has been reduced by 40%, while spell lifesteal is down by 80%. Invulnerability has also received a massive rework, making it much stronger. Items like Nullifier no longer affect invulnerable units, and various hero abilities like Dark Seer's Vacuum, Shadow Demon's Demonic Cleanse and Purge, and Sniper's Assassinate can't break through, either. The Satyr Banisher's Purge mechanic also no longer works on invulnerable characters.

There are some brand new neutral items, too, including Weighted Dice, which effectively rolls your last hit values twice and takes the higher one, while Idol of Scree'Auk grants 50% slow resistance and 25% evasion for five seconds, and Riftshadow Prism lets you sacrifice 10% of your health to create a full health illusion that last for 20 seconds. Brigand's Blade, Gale Guard, Helm of the Undying, Magnifying Monocle, Outworld Staff, Pyrrhic Cloak, Ripper's Lash, Sister Shroud, and Spark of Courage have all been removed.

And that's before we talk about the map and hero changes. Lone Druid, Slark, and Treant Protector have all undergone significant reworks, with Lone Druid's Spirit Bear looking genuinely terrifying. Slark is faster and can drain enemies' health and movement speed, while Treant Protector is now able to be played more aggressively.

Brewmaster also has some pretty notable changes, adding the Liquid Courage passive (increased/decreased movement speed that stacks with health). Brewed Up is now being attached to Drunken Brawler instead of Cinder Brew, and the Void Brewling summon has also been removed.

The map's also seen a pretty significant switch-up to improve pathing and make things look a little prettier. You can see all of those in action, and check out the full patch notes, here.

With a new update comes a new Collector's Cache, too, with 16 sets for various heroes, including Tiny, who's got a castle-themed knight outfit with added shields and a canon, as well as a Sharknado-esque skin for Morphling. Tiny's is my personal favorite, but Broodmother's White Widow is a close second.

As someone who has spent more time on the Rift than in Dota, I'm always tempted to give it another shot. Largo has certainly intrigued me (I was a Sona main for a very long time), partly because I love his aesthetic, but also because I love the way his ultimate works. Who knew a dancing frog bard would be the reason I returned to Dota in 2025. This really is a fantasy.