DreamLeague Season 28 is nearing its end, with only two days left in the competition. As the tournament wraps up, you can clearly see how the metagame has taken shape across two weeks of high-level play.
Patch 7.40c has defined the current competitive landscape, and unless a new update brings major balance changes, you should expect this hero pool to remain central for much of the season. That makes it the right moment to examine which heroes teams prioritize and contest most at the top level.
Tiny — 27 wins out of 50 picks
You see Tiny return to relevance in almost every major patch, and DreamLeague Season 28 reinforces that trend. With 27 wins in 50 games, he holds a 54% win rate across the two group stages of this $1,000,000 Tier 1 event, a stable return for a hero picked this often.
You draft Tiny because he covers multiple needs at once:
- High burst damage that threatens cores early
- Toss for reliable single-target control and repositioning
- Flexible roles, commonly mid (position 2) or soft support (position 4)
That flexibility lets you adjust lanes without revealing too much in the draft. You can pair Toss with heavy follow-up damage, and combinations like Toss into Shadow Fiend’s Requiem of Souls remain a consistent setup at this event.
Tundra Esports demonstrate how effective this pick can be. They secured 9 wins in 10 games with Tiny, showing how clean execution around his initiation and burst can decide fights before they fully develop.
Shadow Fiend — 31 Wins Out of 48 Picks
You see teams lock in Shadow Fiend early because he fits multiple core roles. He can take mid or safe lane farm, and that flexibility forces you to guess how the draft will unfold. Opponents cannot easily counter him without revealing their own lanes.
His 31 victories in 48 games reflect how well he converts farm into pressure. Once he secures early souls, you must respect his lane control and burst potential. Few heroes trade efficiently against his consistent damage output.
Why he performs so well right now:
- Flexible role: Mid or carry, depending on your lineup needs
- High tempo farming: Kaya and Yasha boosts spell damage and movement while accelerating farm
- Reliable teamfight impact: Faster Requiem cast lets you respond when enemies jump you
- Mixed damage profile: Magical burst from spells plus strong physical scaling
You benefit from both magical and physical sources of damage, which makes itemizing against him difficult. Armor alone does not solve the problem, and early magic resistance rarely feels sufficient.
When fights start, you can release Requiem quickly and punish overcommitment. The fear effect creates space for follow-up attacks, letting you reposition and continue dealing damage.
With strong scaling and immediate impact, you can draft Shadow Fiend confidently and expect consistent returns.
Warlock — 38 Wins from 69 Selections
Warlock delivered 38 victories in 69 drafts, confirming his place as a stable support option. You gain a dependable lane presence every time you lock him in, largely because recent improvements to Shadow Word make trading and sustain straightforward. This strength allows you to secure farm for your core without taking unnecessary risks.
In coordinated matches, you can rely on Warlock to scale into high-impact engagements. His toolkit excels once teams group.
- Fatal Bonds amplifies shared damage across multiple targets.
- Chaotic Offering forces fights on your terms with a reliable stun and summon.
You often see him near the top of damage charts in full five‑on‑five clashes. When you combine lane control with strong teamfight control, you draft a support that fits almost any structured lineup.
Kez — 22 Wins Out of 50 Picks
You might question why Kez appears in this discussion with a 44% win rate. Pick rate matters as much as raw results, and his 50 selections show how strongly teams value him in the current meta.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Picks | 50 |
| Wins | 22 |
| Win Rate | 44% |
You see teams draft Kez because his toolkit offers extreme carry potential. He can take over fights, scale hard, and threaten multiple opponents at once when farmed and positioned correctly.
That same depth makes him difficult to execute.
You need precise mechanics, strong map awareness, and disciplined positioning to unlock his ceiling. Many elite players struggle to extract consistent value, which explains the gap between perceived strength and actual results.
A few specialists demonstrate what the hero can truly do. Players like Musthofa “Jikroy” Pamungkas consistently maximize Kez’s limits, while others often follow the trend without matching that level of mastery. Even accomplished carries have produced mixed outcomes.
Kez also depends heavily on tempo.
If you die once or twice in the early or mid game, your impact drops sharply. Like other momentum-based cores, he punishes mistakes more than most heroes in the pool.
At this level of competition, you rarely recover from small setbacks when you rely on such a demanding pick. That risk keeps his win rate modest, even as teams continue to prioritize him in drafts.
Jakiro — 35 wins out of 76 picks
You see Jakiro appear in drafts almost every series, even if he does not top the win charts. With 76 picks and 35 victories, he holds a steady presence while drawing nearly as many bans as selections. Teams clearly respect what he brings.
His toolkit forces you to respond. Ice Path gives you a reliable area stun, while Dual Breath and Liquid Fire let you control lanes and remove creep waves without heavy resource use. When fights stretch out, Macropyre punishes grouped heroes and locks down tight areas.
Why teams prioritize him:
- Strong teamfight control
- Safe wave clear from range
- Reliable tower pressure
- Flexible support positioning
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Picks | 76 |
| Wins | 35 |
| Bans | 75 |
You often draft him to secure lane stability and late-game control in one slot. Even when you do not pick him, you must account for him in the ban phase, which shapes the entire draft strategy.
Largo — 32 wins out of 53 picks
You saw this coming. Largo has delivered 32 victories in 53 drafts, making him one of the most reliable cores in the current DreamLeague pool.
Early skepticism came from public match data, where many players forced him into a support role. That approach missed the mark. Teams at DreamLeague Season 28 instead prioritized him in the offlane, and the results changed quickly.
As an offlaner, you park Largo in lane and accelerate toward Aghanim’s Scepter. The goal is simple: hit the item timing around the 15-minute mark.
Once equipped, Amphibian Rhapsody (R) can run two songs at the same time instead of one. That shift multiplies his teamfight impact and adds meaningful magic damage on top of his aura utility.
Why the strategy works:
- Stable lane presence with steady farm
- Fast Scepter timing
- Dual-song amplification in midgame fights
- High durability once core items come online
When fully built, you gain layered buffs that strengthen your entire lineup. Removing him from fights becomes difficult due to his durability and sustained impact.
Players such as Marcus “Ace” Christensen demonstrated how effective this approach can be. If you leave Largo unbanned, you must prepare to handle a heavily empowered enemy lineup.
Razor — 19 wins out of 51 picks
You see Razor drafted often because offlane aura builders fit the current patch. Teams value Guardian Greaves, which now costs less than before, and they frequently follow it with Pipe of Insight or Crimson Guard. That item path lets you anchor early fights and strengthen your lineup’s durability.
On paper, that approach makes sense. In practice, the results have not followed.
Across 51 picks, Razor secured only 19 wins. That return stands out for a hero considered a priority choice in many drafts.
Several popular cores limit what you can accomplish. Heroes such as Windranger, Clinkz, and Huskar can eliminate you quickly, often before Static Link drains meaningful damage. When that happens, you contribute little beyond your aura effects, and your team loses frontline presence.
High pick priority also works against you. Opponents expect Razor and prepare specific counters, lane plans, and item timings. You rarely gain a draft advantage through surprise.
Key issues affecting impact:
- Vulnerable to burst before linking damage
- Struggles into common meta carries
- Predictable first-phase selection
- Relies heavily on team-oriented items for value
You can still justify the pick for its utility and teamfight sustain. However, the numbers show that popularity alone does not guarantee success.
