It’s not often that we get the urge to pick Lone Druid, but when we do, it’s disabled. As of the latest update, Valve has disabled Sylla Bear from all game modes due to a recent bug exploit using the hero.
Lone Druid disabled from picking. Image Credit: Valve
Why is Lone Druid disabled in Dota 2 Update 7.37?
Since the Dota 2 update 7.37, Lone Druid shipped with a new bug that has become exploitable. It is so severe that Valve has to disable it from picking while they attempt to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
The bug exploit, when performed accordingly, can cause the game Lone Druid is in to crash the server, resulting in a forfeited match. This can come in handy for players, who are eager to use this exploit to prevent MMR loss when they find themselves losing the game.
How the Lone Druid crash bug works?
While it’s not possible to perform the exploit anymore, here’s how the bug would work:
The pre-requisite to this exploit is to own an active neutral item that has a cooldown, such as Arcane Ring.
Transfer the item to your Spirit Bear, then back to Lone Druid again, and use it.
While the neutral item is on cooldown, there are several methods to crash the Dota 2 server. For instance, using items on an ally (not the bear), buy or sell an item, teleport, or summon the bear using skill Q. Of course, the easiest method is to buy and sell an item since this can be done at the fountain.
Other Lone Druid bugs in Dota 2
This isn’t the first time Lone Druid has gotten disabled for major exploits. Another recent bug that was infamous was the Philosopher’s Stone bug, which lets Lone Druid’s Spirit Bear clone as many Philosopher’s Stone as possible.
It’s essentially the Dota 2 version of a money glitch, and given its advantages, it was heavily exploited when it was not patched.
The frequency of bugs and exploits surrounding Lone Druid may be due to its unique mechanics of having another unit that also has the same number of slots as the main hero. As such, combine this with the mechanics of neutral items and backpack, things can get pretty complicated.
Lone Druid Dota 2 Hero. Image Credit: Valve
On the brightside, many players are glad that Lone Druid is disabled at the meantime. This is because Lone Druid is often seen as a cheesy last pick that can snowball out of control without a proper hero counter. As such, it’s not fun playing against a proficient Lone Druid spammer who tryhards for MMR.