In recent times, the Dota 2 patch frequency has reduced. But when one does arrive, it does so with an incredible bang. This time, that bang has been delivered by Dota 2 patch 7.36.

There is new a Crownfall act, some general changes and some item changes as well. But all of it is completely overshadowed by two new types of abilities every hero now has – Innate Abilities and Facets. What exactly are they? Let’s take a look.

Innate Abilities

Innates are abilities that are present on the hero for the entire game, from the very beginning of every match. Every hero has a unique Innate
The Innate for each hero can be viewed on the Hero page, or in-game by hovering a new icon between the hero talents and abilities
There are two types of Innates:
- Some Innates grant a hero a unique effect. For example, Faceless Void slows enemy attack projectiles within range, and Dawnbreaker reveals the whole map to allies when the sun rises
- Some Innates change a hero ability to have five levels and get a free ability point at level 1. For example, Kunkka's Tidebringer and Legion Commander's Moment of Courage now start at level 1, and can still be upgraded four more times like normal

Innate abilities are not new to us. We’ve had a few innate abilities in the games, like Alchemist’s Greevil’s Greed recently, and Monkey King’s Mischief for a long time. The only difference is, now all heroes will have an innate ability.

But the bigger deal is the concept of Facets. Innate Ability cannot be chosen, and will be the same every time you play a hero. But with a Facet, you can take one of two paths, which can completely change a hero's impact on the game.

Facets

Facets are a hero customization choice that provide the ability to better align the playstyle of a hero with a specific match or player preference. Facets are specific to heroes: Each hero has at least two Facets, and every player can choose the Facet they prefer during strategy time at the beginning of each match
Hero Facets can be viewed on their hero page, below the hero name and tags. They can also be viewed in-game by hovering a new icon between the hero talent and abilities, on the scoreboard, or on the top bar when holding Alt
Facets are set for all players after the strategy time, and cannot be changed during a match. Facet choices aren't revealed to the enemy team until after the game begins
Facets can have a variety of effects, for example:
- Viper can choose between adding an AoE damage burst to Poison Attack, or increasing defensive buffs while Viper remains in Nethertoxin
- Wraith King can choose between summoning skeletons, or dealing additional curse damage when attacking
- Leshrac can choose between his attacks restoring mana, or changing Diabolic Edict to explode faster but deal no damage to buildings
- Lone Druid can choose between an improved Spirit Link, granting lifesteal in both directions, or allowing True Form to be cast on the Spirit Bear

Facets are to be decided before the game begins, and it will totally depend on the draft and how the team plans to play the game. A great example is Io. If based on your draft, you feel your team has a lot of magic damage and the potential to snowball and knock on the enemy high ground before the 30-minute mark with a hero like Leshrac, ‘Kritzkreig’ is the way to go. But if the draft is a late game one and the other heroes are expected to buy time for the win condition hero like Spectre, ‘Medigun’ is the perfect choice. It adds an additional layer of complexity to the hero and the decision-making! And the best part is (or is it the worst part?), there’s no going back once you make a choice for a game. So better start putting those brain cells to use right at the start of the game!

There are more than a few Facets that will make your jaw drop. The ‘Fist of Death’ option for Lion tries to make him into a melee right-clicker! Who could have predicted that

With 124 heroes and each getting an Innate Ability and two Facets, it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 365 new skills in the game, taking into account seven old passive abilities like Greevil’s Greed, Mischief, and Nature’s Guise being rebranded as Innate Abilities. It is going to take players more than a few days to adapt to all the changes Dota 2 patch 7.36 has brought with it.

Luckily for the Dota 2 community, patch 7.36 has dropped just before the playoffs for DreamLeague Season 23 will be starting. So we will get to see the new patch in action right away! As the days go by and the dust settles, GosuGamers will bring to you additional details about the two new types of abilities. Till then, it is time to get into the game and experiment with something crazy, like a mid Disruptor or a carry Lion!

Dota 2 patch 7.36 brings Innate Abilities and Facets to all heroes in the game