Dota 2 7.23 Pull and Stack timings - Map changes

The Pull and Stack timings updated to the Dota 2 7.23 map! A summary of the main changes: outposts’ impact, map size, river conformation, Dire side.

Pull and Stack timings 7.23

Note: for some creep pulls (for example, on the Dire safe lane) you need Quelling Blade to open a path among the trees.

Credit to Reddit user MaxOfS2D who shared the gif comparing the 7.20 and 7.23 maps, and the high-quality render of the latter.

A summary of the map changes

The 7.23 map looks larger than in the previous patches, but the comparison gif above proves that the size is exactly the same. 

Our mind is probably confused because the map is more open: there is less space occupied by trees and cliffs, thus the total walkable area increased, so we feel like the heroes are slower and that more time is needed to move from one lane to another.

The river has more entry points as the number of ramps increased, which opens to more routes and tactics, and therefore we require also more wards to cover all accesses and be safe. Certainly, supports will enjoy the multitude of new warding spots available thanks to the new open map.

I believe the changes helped the Dire side the most. Historically, this faction always scored the worst win rate (particularly in pubs), so maybe IceFrog is trying to balance them. The Dire mid lane is now safer with more jukes available for escapes, and it finally gained a better access to the jungle; the Dire safe lane also became a lot easier to pull.

I warmly recommend to head into the game and create a private lobby to explore the map properly. 

Dota 2 7.23 map in high quality - u/MaxOfS2D

Outposts are an extra objective on the map

The outposts might have a remarkable impact on the gameplay once the teams learn how to exploit them.

More free experience available

Bounty Runes have been the only extra source of experience for a long time, and they are always highly contested. 

However, outposts have an even greater impact on the gameplay because they do not grant experience only to the player who captures them, but to the whole team.

All the heroes will level up faster, and the supports will benefit from them the most. Overall, this might lead to shorter matches.

Teamplay

Undoubtedly, outposts provide more advantages than Bounty Runes, and they also require more teamplay to be contested as you need several heroes to conquer them at a quicker speed.

Split-pushing will be easier for the team that controls an outpost, and this will discourage enemy heroes from going solo as much as before. 

Snowballing and indirect benefits

The outposts also give many indirect benefits because the team controlling them also gains the authority over that area, which includes runes, nearby jungle creeps, and lane farm.

Farming next to an enemy-controlled outpost is extremely dangerous because the opponents could teleport there at any time and block your retreat. The squad without outpost basically loses about 1/3 of their lane.

Honestly, I am a bit concerned about the game balance because outposts can give a noticeable advantage to the team that is already snowballing, so comebacks become harder, especially if the winning team has luck with the new neutral items.