A History Of Pudge, The Butcher, Now Winning Games At An Unprecedented Rate
Pudge is by far today’s most popular Dota hero, whose origins can be traced back to more than 20 years ago to Diablo 1, an ARPG by Blizzard. Many of Dota’s heroes in Warcraft’s days also borrowed their character design and lore from other Blizzard franchise—it’s no surprise that the iconic Alleria (Windrunner) and Illidan (Anti-Mage) also migrated their popularity into the Dota franchise. Pudge’s popularity has also still persisted to this day. While fan favorites like Invoker and Sniper have taken turns at the top, Pudge is the most played hero in Dota 2 of all time. This month alone, he’s being picked at a high of 46%, almost 50% more than the next popular hero, Sniper.
He was popular even before he was a viable hero, and now with his buffs patch over patch, he’s winning at a 53% clip. More games are both won and lost with a Pudge in the game than any other hero. How did it come to this?
From “The Butcher” To Abomination
This pixelated creature was once the most terrifying experience in video gaming
The Butcher was your first quest in Diablo and your first boss encounter. In a section of the game that’s about learning the mechanics and exploring the world, Blizzard, with a bold game design move—at least in the mid 90s—designed that first encounter for you to lose. The Butcher killed you in just a few whacks of his meat cleaver.
The only recourse was to run away, go deeper into the dungeon, and come back to defeat him when you became strong enough. The arching design idea was to give players freedom by allowing them to fail at the first stages of the game. The idea sounds quaint now, but this experience was part of what made Diablo the landmark ARPG of the era.
Enter “Pudge, The Butcher” in Dota 1. His Butcher title has since been removed, for the same reasons we now have a Windranger and a Bear-like creature for Brewmaster instead of a Panda. Dota 1’s heroes borrowed designs and lore from other Blizzard franchises, and with Warcraft 3’s Abomination character model, it was natural to import The Butcher from Diablo 1. Unlike The Butcher, the Abomination’s character model was more flesh golem than humanoid, now undead and donning multiple limbs. He still had the cleaver and meat hook.
Dota 2’s version became an amalgam of the hero’s past. He lost his extra limbs but was still undead, disemboweled, and rotting. Though he was no longer The Butcher, he still had the cleaver, meat hook, and apron. Everyone could put the pieces together.
Your Favorite Player’s Favorite Hero
Dendi surprises the audience at the TI all-star event
Dendi is the most popular pro player on our website, and it’s not dependent on the success of his team. He’s one of the few veterans from Dota 1 who is still playing at a high level today. And just as how legends have their signature heroes associated to them—Burning and Anti-Mage, Ferrari_430 and Templar Assassin—Dendi has Pudge.
It’s certainly an odd pairing, as Pudge was nowhere near as strong as he is today. He had obvious weaknesses, but the few things he was good at, Dendi and Na’Vi were able to extract the most out of more than any other team.
The infamous fountain hook strategy that pulled Na’Vi to a comeback victory against Tongfu in The International 2013Because of Pudge’s weaknesses in previous metas, Dendi playing Pudge felt more like a selfless ode to Dota fans. He was willing to risk his team’s chances to win for the sake of entertaining the crowd. It could have been seen as disrespectful of opposing teams to do so, except Dendi found success with the hero. If Pudge wasn’t already a popular hero enough in pubs, Dendi was trolling teams on the big stage and winning at the same time.
A History Of Buffs
Pudge getting his Meat Hook nerfed (from 110/120/130/140 mana cost to 140 at all levels) in 7.07d was a rare occurrence. Aside from changes in 7.02 (285 to 280 movespeed) and 7.03 (Meat Hook speed nerf), he’s been getting buffs since patch 6.83, nearly 3 years ago.
Dismember was retooled over and over. 6.86 rescaled its damage and added healing, 6.88 lowered its cooldown, 6.88b increased its damage, and 7.07 nudged its duration higher and added a pull effect. Rot’s slow jumped from 20% to 30% over the same period.
Patch 7.07 also added another wrinkle to Pudge’s abilities that made him more viable in today’s meta: the ability to use Meat Hook to pull runes. Pudge players already had an advantage in the river, where Runes become attractive bait for enemy heroes. But now they also have a low-risk option to nab runes for themselves, then having the mana cost refunded as well.
Overtime, Pudge’s disadvantages have been mitigated. His weaknesses are now offset by buffs to his base health regen and Strength as a stat. Flesh Heap, now also with its own level 25 talent, became stronger when Strength gained status resistance perks. In the hero’s history, Pudge was popular even though he had clear disadvantages. He had unique mechanics and was fun to play. And now that he’s also winning more games than ever, he’s a menace to play against.
Dendi has the biggest and good-looking smile
Fountain hook.. neva foget
2 words: Status Resistance.
Kappa
149 mana for hook?
Also, Hook for ofensive and defensive purposes either with siege-ing or at high ground defense :3
@beamerboy
It is 140 xd
And 30% slow at lvl. 1 is extremly OP :D . I guess IceFrog is waiting for the pro's to pick this hero and then he will rescale it :3
@beamerboy you complain 4bout a typ0 ?
while i rather laugh at [edit]nothing[/edit].
im just glad that diffusal is a common item and that we have more HP based damage spells.
that 5k HP pudge carry was annoying.
Errors: 140 mana, not 149; and "Tongfu" not "Tongu"
@Quinkerros
Yeah, he can't really balance it based off of pub results. For the most part people don't play heroes to the best of their potential.
pudge basically means a guaranteed kill, with both hook and dismember going thru bkbs, plus he has surprisingly high base damage, get some mobility items blink necessity and force staff recommended, he's an absolute beast to play against plus one of the most fun and gratifying hero play styles, at the same time tho he melts if you survive his combo and you have some kind of status deduction, armor and strength reduction items and abilities = ded pudge
think slardar and timber
Isn't Illidan more like Terrorblade, not Anti-Mage?
Buffs over Buffs . ?!!!
Where are they ? WHy can't I see those so called buffs ?!! I only c nerf on him . Speed reduction mana cost increas on low levels etc .
they are w8ting for arcana , then they will nerf the shit out of that shit mess
Idd, just buffing the hero into oblivion so people will buy the Arcana.
Could very well be the best Arcana yet. So much lore potential.
that video remind how salty loda. that was not navi fault. even tongfu accepted their defeat. loda was a joke
@A N
damn archon how about you simply google what buff did pudge get over recent patches. smh.
@A N
48% win rate pudge, 38% win rate LC, typical cancer ffs.
@sunset Stalker Windrunner was the old Name for Windranger.
@Humility Illidan is both AM and TB
AM is Illidan as an "elf" race and TB is Illidan after his betrayal where he got infested with Fel power(which couldnt control) after killing Gul'dan
That hook is legendary
I always thought Anti-mage was modelled on Anasûrimbor Kellhus from the book "The Darkness that comes before". The antimage lore description is ripped from that series. Monks of Turstarkuri "Ascetic and pragmatic, in their remote monastic eyrie they remained aloof from mundane strife" rather than Dunyain Monks "A hidden monastic sect that has repudiated history and animal appetite in the hope of finding absolute enlightenment through the control of all desire and circumstance"
The Dead god replaces the No-God, The Sinister Mandate replaces the Sinister Consult (and the Mandate is a school of sorcery).
Eggs opinions about Pudge shouldn't be legitimate and respected here as 0% winrate Pudge player.
i thought AM's previous name was Magina
He is still called Pudge the butcher eith the title though. It's in the small lore bit, same as Lina being Lina the Slayer
I'm just glad he's no longer played 90% + as a mid hero.
This changed when his hook was no longer short range at lvl 1.
Pudge is my #1 ban in 7.07. Not because he's too powerful, but to keep people on my team who refuse to support from going "roaming Pudge" and having no game impact.
You skipped old Pudge's summoning skills, before his now iconic meat hook!
pudge is actually famous hero with best popularity/winrate stats
One of the most annoying hero to play against. I got so triggered when pudge managed to pull off a suicide
In the time it takes to read this comment, a pudge has rot denied himself and made the other team question their sanity.
its all due to dendi :p puj is love<3