New Jungle Camps and Reworked Farming Patterns Reshape the Economy

The most immediate change players will notice in Patch 7.38 is the addition of several new jungle camps on both the Radiant and Dire sides of the map. Previously, the safe lane's nearby large camp and the offlane's pull camp dictated most early movement, but now the jungle is significantly denser. Two new medium camps have been placed near the river entrances, while a new ancient camp has been added deep in the main jungle, close to the bounty rune spawns. This redistribution means that the total available gold and experience in the jungle has risen by roughly 15%, directly impacting how cores and supports must approach their early game. Farmers can no longer rely on a fixed three-camp rotation; instead, they must adapt to altered spawn boxes and new pulling paths. The increased farm density also buffs heroes with fast clear speeds like Battle Fury carries, while weakening the dominance of lane-dominant heroes who previously forced enemies out of the jungle entirely. Supports now have more viable pulling options, but they also need to be more careful when venturing into the expanded map, as the extra camps create more ganking corridors and smoke escape routes. Overall, the economic landscape of the game has shifted from a lane-focused laning phase to a hybrid where jungle efficiency is just as important as lane superiority.

Roshan's New Home in the River Creates High-Risk Contests

Perhaps the most visually striking alteration in Patch 7.38 is the relocation of Roshan's pit. Instead of sitting in the corner of the river near the offlane, Roshan now resides directly in the middle of the river, roughly equidistant between the two mid towers. His new lair is a sunken arena with two entrances—one on each side—and a small elevated ramp leading to a backward escape route. This central positioning fundamentally changes how teams contest the Aegis. Previously, a team that controlled one side of the river could easily protect the pit with minimal vision. Now, the open center means that both teams have equal access, but also equal vulnerability. The high-ground advantage around the pit has been removed, forcing teams to rely on sentry wards and smoke coordination rather than terrain. Additionally, Roshan's attack patterns have been adjusted; he now applies a stacking armor reduction debuff to enemies who stay in the pit for too long, punishing prolonged sieges and encouraging fast, decisive attempts. The timing of the first Roshan becomes a massive gamble—going in early can secure a huge lead, but a single missed stun can flip the fight. The new river location also means that mid laners can rotate to Roshan within seconds, making the middle lane more strategically important than ever before in the mid-game.

Twin Gates and Advanced Outposts Redefine Map Control and Rotation

Patch 7.38 introduces a completely new movement mechanic: the Twin Gates. These are two magical portals located at the outer edges of the map—one in the top corner near the Radiant ancient camp, and the other in the bottom corner near the Dire ancient camp. Using a gate requires a one-second channel that can be interrupted, but once activated, a hero is instantly transported from one gate to the other. This effectively creates a teleport lane along the diagonal of the map, allowing offlaners to rotate between top and bottom in a matter of seconds. However, the gates only activate every two minutes and remain active for thirty seconds, creating a rhythm of "gate windows" that teams must track carefully. The existence of Twin Gates dramatically reduces the viability of split-pushing, because a defending team can quickly send a strong laner through the gate to intercept. At the same time, it enables new aggressive strategies: a support can use the gate to unexpectedly gank the enemy safe lane, then return via the same mechanic if the timing lines up. Beyond the gates, outposts have been enhanced—they now provide a minor experience gain every five minutes and have a larger control radius that blocks enemy teleport scrolls within the area. Combined with the gates, the map now feels more connected and less predictable, forcing teams to maintain constant awareness of who is where and when those crucial portal timings come off cooldown.

Warding and Vision Overhaul Forces Teams to Adapt Their Intel Game

The massive map changes in 7.38 are accompanied by a significant overhaul of the vision and warding system. The most notable change is that observers wards now have a reduced vision radius but an increased lifetime, making permanent vision coverage of the entire map impossible. Additionally, the high-ground vantage points that previously offered surveillance over the entire river have been flattened or moved, meaning classic cliff wards no longer function as they once did. New ward spots have been introduced along the elevated edges of the expanded jungle, but these spots are also more exposed to sentry clearing. The relocation of Roshan and the presence of Twin Gates create entirely new vision priorities—teams need to maintain sightlines on the central pit while also tracking the gate activation timers. To address the complexity, the game now displays a small white icon on the minimap whenever an enemy uses a gate, giving teams a directional hint but not full vision of the destination. This encourages reactive rotating but punishes blind map-wide movement. Furthermore, the new "Fog Mirror" item provides a limited window into an area after a ward expires, but it is expensive and situational. The vision overhaul is widely considered the most skill-testing aspect of this patch; professional supports will need to relearn optimal ward placements, and even casual players will notice that the classic defensive warding patterns no longer offer the same safety. As a result, games are more dynamic, with more information unknowns and a greater premium on coordinated team movement rather than static ward coverage.