We take a closer look at the meta that emerged throughout the PGL Arlington Major.

---

The PGL Arlington Major 2022 ended as Team Spirit won the last big event before The International 2022. The final between the current TI champions and PSG.LGD was epic, so we definitely recommend you check it if you haven’t already.

Like any other Majors, this one had a lot of surprising results. Some teams performed better than others, and one of the reasons for this was the current meta. PUB players love to copy pros and use the same heroes and item builds, so let’s check which were the names that stood out.

Keep in mind that we do not know whether Valve will release a new update for TI 2012. If that doesn’t happen, pro teams will have to play on the same patch yet again.

Tiny

With 94 appearances during the PGL Arlington Major 2022, it is safe to say that Tiny is the most popular hero in the patch. Some people might be fed up with him, but there is no arguing that Tiny is special.

Interestingly, this is one of the few Dota 2 heroes that always had a crucial role in the pro meta. He used to be one of the best mid laners for years and was commonly used with IO. There was also a meta where teams used Tiny in position 4. 

Nowadays, the hero is extremely versatile and can fit in numerous positions. However, most teams put him in the mid/safe lane because he can farm faster and get the levels he needs. 

Tiny’s incredible damage allows him to be a nightmare for every support. The hero has one of the highest damage outputs in the game, which is why teams try to do everything to allow him to snowball.

Aside from his 94 appearances, tiny has a whopping 51% win rate, which is extremely impressive for a hero with that many games. Even if Valve releases a new patch, we think that Tiny will continue to play a key role for some teams. Similar to TA and Storm Spirit, this is a hero that will have a role in a given team’s tactic.

Dazzle

Dazzle is one of the most offensive supports in Dota 2, which is one of the reasons why many pro players use him. Aside from his healing and damage output, the hero also has one of the strongest abilities in the game called “Shallow Grave”. The latter can save an ally from death, which makes it incredibly strong.

One of the things that people associate Dazzle with is his combo with Huskar. However, this hero is not that popular in the meta, which begs the question  – Why did Dazzle appear in 63 games and become the hottest support in the Major? The answer is simple – his Shard for Poison Touch makes him one of the best heroes in the game.

This item allows the hero to hex a target for two seconds with his Poison Touch. Needless to say, having access to this CC can make a huge difference during teamfights. No wonder Dazzle has around a 53% win rate out of 63 matches.

Puck

There are a couple of big mid-laners in the current patch, but Puck is in a separate league. Judging by the stats, Puck was the most popular hero in this position at the PGL Arlington Major 2022. The hero had the chance to play in 78 games and has almost a 59% win rate, which is really, really impressive.

Puck has always been among the best tempo controllers in the game, but since other heroes were better in other areas, this midder never had the chance to shine. Following several updates, Puck is now one of the best damage-dealers in the game and one of the hardest mid-laners to kill. What’s more, Puck’s ultimate is capable of winning fights on its own, which is another thing that had an impact on the hero’s win rate.

Winter Wyvern

Surprisingly, WW was actually one of the top heroes in the Major. In fact, the dragon appeared in 62 games, which means it was as popular as Dazzle. However, WW”s win rate is a little over 48%, meaning that the hero is not as successful as her counterpart.

Unlike Dazzle, which was always a support, Winter Wyvern was more diverse. Some teams used her as a position five support, but others put the hero in the mid-lane. Even though WW might not be the best scaling midder in the game, her ability to harras makes her exceptionally strong in a 1v1 scenario.

Of course, we also have to remember that WW has one of the best ultimates in the game. Winter’s Curse can be more than enough to win a fight, which is why players are always nervous when they have to face this hero.

Marci

Marci became available in Captains Mode once the newest patch arrived, which is why we were not surprised that she quickly became to go-to option for many teams. Even though pub players used the hero in the mid lane, most professional teams put Marci in the support role. With that said, there were cases where she was a core.

Marci’s ability to deal a lot of burst damage and the fact that she is annoying made her an excellent pick in many situations. The hero appeared in 56 matches and has an exactly 50% win rate. This isn’t bad for a hero who was never accessible in a pro match.

Razor

Lastly, we have another popular core in the current meta that switches between the mid and safe lane. Razor is probably one of the best options to get when you want to counter someone because the hero is incredibly strong in a 1v1. What’s more, this is the perfect core to pick against high-damage dealers because he can “steal” their damage.

Razor is a hero known for his explosiveness in the mid-game, which is one of the reasons why teams that pick him to focus on this part of the game. Nevertheless, he is also strong later on because most Razor players get tanky items that allow them to survive.