Dota 2: Why Dire has an advantage over Radiant after patch 7.24

In recent years, when it comes to being picked in the pro arena, Radiant has always been the more chosen side. Radiant has a higher win rate than Dire, so the battle between the two captains is usually the first pick or the Radiant pick. But Dota 2 is an ever-changing game and we’re at a point where Dire could be in the better side. The win ratio between Radiant and Dire in professional games has shown it since patch 7.24 came out: Dire is doing better than Radiant.

The article knows what you’re thinking – it’s not a significant difference. But looking at previous trends, specifically from 7.07 to 7.21, Dire has a much lower win rate than Radiant. To balance and surpass Radiant is considered a big turning point for the dark side of the map. The question now is why is Dire better than Radiant?

There are two big reasons for this

1. Location of Outposts
2. Location of Ancient yards

Let’s understand the details together

Location of Outposts

The new Outpost locations clearly have an advantage for Dire when approaching Roshan. Previously, when we had a Shrine in the game, both teams had a Shrine near Roshan. But patch 7.24 removed the Shrine and added Outposts to each side’s main jungle. This makes it easier to reach Roshan for the Dire side.

The first Roshan hunt usually takes place after the enemy’s tier 1 turret is gone and you also have some control over the map. In this case, the places closest to the pit are the tier 2 turrets on the Radiant side in the top and mid, the tier 2 mid turrets on the Dire and Dire Outpost side. As you can see in the map above, Dire Outpost is significantly closer than the other three locations. This allows anyone with a Dire Outpost to get to the Aegis faster, or to prevent an opponent from eating the Aegis in time. Of course, the opponent can control the Outpost, but recapturing the Outpost is also easier thanks to the location advantage. In well-balanced games, the Dire Outpost will usually be in Dire’s control most of the time.

Dire and Radiant . Ancient Fields Locations

At the end of last season, the second Ancient site was removed from the game. After that, each side’s unique Ancient yard becomes more valuable, especially since ancient creeps triple the neutral item drop rate compared to other neutral creeps. Both Ancient yards are far from Roshan, so for Radiant, it is in the main forest, and for Dire, it is in the secondary forest. The Ancient field on Dire’s side creates a triangle with two other Neutral creep yards (one large, one medium), making this the optimal location for carry farm once the hero is strong enough to eat the Ancient.

Not to mention, the secret shop on Dire’s side is next to Ancient. For comparison, the Ancient Radiant beach is nowhere near any other Neutral beach.

The only location advantage of the Radiant Neutral yards is the two camps next to the mid lane. They’re perfect for heroes like Templar Assassin, Kunkka and Sniper farming when lanes are pushed. Meanwhile, one of the Dire camps is located on the high ground while the other camp is quite far away. In the event that the team decides to snowball mid with TA – a hero that relies heavily on farming early game – Radiant is probably the better side.

The above are just the small advantages that Dire has over Radiant. But with Dota 2, a small advantage can have a big impact. We are seeing a significant change in Dire’s win rate, compared to previous patches over the last 3 years. The more games in 7.24, the more this conclusion is confirmed. Looks like it’s time for you to side with Dire!