The year 2023 is coming to a close, and we are taking a look back at the top 5 highest win rate heroes in every bracket of Dota 2
Dota 2 is a game of ups and downs. While some heroes can dominate the meta in the early part, as the year comes to an end, we see a lot of them becoming all but obsolete. Keeping track of all the strong carries and supports in the patch can be pretty difficult because of that.
For what it’s worth, 2023 was a pretty nice year for Dota 2 fans, with three major patches changing up the meta drastically. With Patch 7.33, we even got a massive map change, adding new mechanics and gameplay elements to the game.
As if that wasn’t enough, we also got the new patch 7.35, and 7.35b balance update, which brought many new items and hero changes to keep everything fresh.
So, as the end of the year approaches, let’s take a look at all the heroes who are currently dominating the different skill brackets in Dota 2.
Top 5 Highest Win Rate Heroes in the Lower Brackets (Herald, Guardian, and Crusader)
In the lower bracket (0 – 2309 MMR), everything goes. People are less worried about the meta and want to try out their favorite heroes, whether they’re relevant or not.
Here are the 5 highest win-rate heroes in Herald, Guardian, and Crusader ranks:
With a 56.81% win rate, Abaddon is easily one of the strongest heroes in the lower brackets. His ultimate ability, “Borrowed Time,” is hard to play around for newer players. Furthermore, the hero can play different roles and can work as a flex pick for any game.
Sand King isn’t really a popular hero in the lower brackets, seeing how it takes a bit of skill to utilize fully. But despite that, this hero managed to have a whopping 56.38 win rate here. His “Sandstorm” ability, giving him free invisibility and AOE damage, and the powerful Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade make him a formidable hero at this rank.
For a support hero to have a high win rate in Herald, Crusader, or Guardian rank is quite surprising. But as it turns out, Witch Doctor is not only doing amazing as a game-winner, but it’s also extremely popular among the players. The change to his Ultimate ability, turning it into Pure damage, made this hero a massive damage-dealing/pseudo-healing support.
Leshrac might not be the most picked hero in the bottom ladder of Dota 2, but his win rate shows how powerful he is. Newcomers and those who play the game very casually don’t know how to handle the massive nukes that Leshrac dishes out. Dealing with this hero requires teamwork, which frankly isn’t that common at these ranks.
Wraith King is another hero who’s quite popular in the lower brackets, and it’s obvious why! Who wouldn’t love to get a free second life with his ultimate ability, “Reincarnation”? Besides, Wraith King can be played both as a carry and an offlaner, so that also helps boost his pick rate quite a bit.
Top 5 Highest Win Rate Heroes in Archon
The Climb up from Crusader to Archon(2310 – 3079 MMR) is not easy, but when you finally reach here, you’ll see a couple of key differences in picks. It’s still a casual rank, but some games can get pretty intense.
In fact, most of the heroes who were performing well in the previous ranks are still doing well here. The only two new heroes that have made a significant impact in the Archon bracket are Arc Warden and Slardar.
Arc Warden is a tough hero to play, requiring a good bit of micro. With his ultimate ability, “Tempest Double,” this hero splits into two separate heroes with their own spells and cooldowns.
Because of the sheer complexity of Arc Warden, it’s understandable why he has a low pick rate of only 6.8%. However, people who know how to use him can climb MMR pretty quickly because of his high-damage nukes and team fight potential.
In 7.35, Slardar is seeing a bit of a comeback, especially in the archon bracket. He has a solid win rate of 55% and a pick rate of 18.31%, showing that people are not only winning with this hero but also picking him quite often.
Considering how the meta is shifting towards tanky heroes, Slardar’s ultimate ability, “Corrosive Haze,” strips their armor, making them much easier to deal with.
Top 5 Highest Win Rate Heroes in Legend
The legend is where the game starts getting really serious. Players in this bracket (3080 – 3849 MMR) are grinding the game, trying to get to the next rank, Ancient, and eventually, to Divine.
You’ll see mostly meta picks here, with a few cheese picks like Arc Warden and Meepo. Slardar and Abaddon are still doing well here, with Leshrac making a reappearance with a good win percentage.
Despite Meepo’s impressive 56% win rate, this hero has a horrible pick rate of only 2.88%. That’s because it’s not as popular as it used to be ever since Valve changed the design of the hero in 7.34.
Besides, Meepo is arguably the most difficult hero to master in this game. With four heroes to control when you get the ultimate ability, “Divided We Stand,” it’s easy to lose track of your hero and die randomly.
But Meepo is one of the few heroes who can carry the game single-handedly if he gets the space to farm what he needs.
Top 5 Highest Win Rate Heroes in Ancient
Ancient, like the Legend bracket, is really intense. The hero picks are roughly the same with Oracle making an appearance on the top 5 list.
As a saving support, Oracle is definitely one of the strongest ones. He can turn the tides of the battle with a well-timed “False Promise,” and his ability, “Purifying Flames,” can work both as a heal and a high-damage nuke. So it makes sense why people are picking it in this rank.
Top 5 Highest Win Rate Heroes in the Upper Brackets (Divine, and Immortal)
At the top of the ladder, the games are fast and definitive. People mostly pick cheese or meta heroes since they are the reliable choice to win the game. For cheese picks, you’ll occasionally see Meepo and Arc Warden, which explains their high win rate.
Support Oracle is still strong here with a decent win percentage, and so is core Leshrac. Dark Seer is the only new addition to this list.
Now, Dark Seer is a highly team-oriented hero who focuses on building aura items, providing control over the fight, and keeping his teammates alive. Besides, when needed, he can also dish out enough damage to kill the enemy carry single-handedly.
Though the pick rate of this hero took a dip since all the Nerfs, Dark Seer still has a pretty impressive 54.32% win rate in Divine and Immortal ranks.
Here’s to the future!
Dota heroes always rotate in and out of the meta, that’s what keeps the game interesting. While these heroes are the ones that performed the best in 2023, there’s no telling what 2024 holds in store for the game.
Hopefully, you’re looking forward to more Dota just as much as we are. Cheers!