Every major Dota 2 patch redefines the priorities of the game, and Patch 7.38 has made its intentions clear: control the map or lose the game. The key change driving this strategic shift is the significant enhancement of the rewards granted by Outposts. These structures, positioned near the offlanes, have transitioned from useful objectives into critical economic checkpoints that dictate the pace of the mid-game.

The passive style of Dota is officially dead. Winning requires proactive movement and coordination, making the roles of the Roamers and Mid Laners exponentially more important.

The Outpost Economy: Too Valuable to Ignore

Riot Games significantly increased the gold and experience payout for capturing and controlling Outposts. The effect is twofold:

  • Compounding Advantage: Securing an Outpost at the 10-minute mark and holding it consistently grants a measurable and compounding experience lead over the opposing team. This allows cores to hit crucial Level 12 or Level 18 talent spikes much faster.
  • Economic Penalization: Crucially, the penalty for not controlling the Outposts has become too severe. Teams that fall behind on Outpost capture effectively give away free gold and experience every five minutes, forcing them into a desperate, reactive stance.

This means securing both Outposts after the initial laning stage is no longer optional; it is the required foundation for any successful mid-game transition.

The Role Shift: Roaming is Mandatory

The Outpost buffs have disproportionately affected two key positions:

  1. Mid Lane Responsibility (Core): Mid Laners are now expected to be the primary initiators of the Outpost fights. Heroes who can quickly clear a wave and rotate to the side lanes (such as Queen of Pain, Ember Spirit, or Puck) are now highly prized. Passive farming Mid Laners are struggling, as their commitment to lane sacrifices critical map tempo.
  2. Pos 4 Priority (Support): Position 4 supports are now the highest priority roamer role. Their sole job is often to coordinate with the Mid Laner or Offlaner to ensure the capture of the Outpost, typically by placing aggressive vision or initiating the skirmish. Supports who lack mobility or early-game CC are struggling to keep up with this mandatory rotation schedule.

The entire flow of the game has been accelerated by the economic value tied to these structures. Teams must now maintain constant pressure, using vision to anticipate when the opponent will rotate for the Outpost and counter them aggressively. Patch 7.38 solidified the Outpost as the new center of early-game conflict.