Kuku Credits New Patch for Standout ESL DreamLeague Season 26 Performance

Carlo “Kuku” Palad, the in-game leader for Talon Esports’ Dota 2, has recently grabbed attention for his standout performances during the ongoing ESL DreamLeague Season 26.

Known for his unique, borderline meme playstyle, the popular Filipino player initially greeted with mockery when he first joined Talon. However, his recent gameplay has turned heads, earning praise from fellow Dota 2 esports professionals.

During the second group stage of ESL DreamLeague Season 26, Talon delivered disciplined performances to defeat fan-favorites Gaimin Gladiators (May 24) and Nigma Galaxy (May 25), securing a provisional 3rd/4th place in the current standings. Key highlights from these matches came from Kuku’s plays on Magnus and Nature’s Prophet, which stood out as decisive factors.

The victories came as a surprise to commentators and viewers, given GG and Nigma’s stronger recent track records compared to Talon. Many later questioned the secret behind Kuku’s rock-solid support gameplay during the series.

In a post-match interview, the 28-year-old player credited the current 7.39 patch, which rebalanced carry heroes and strengthened supports, while introducing new mechanics that allowed him to play more effectively.

“Actually, I’m happy because of the change. Because the position 5 can’t always teleport and then the Nature Prophet right now have, like, free teleport. so I’m very happy with that.

I think it’s nerfed the carry now (the current patch), we can still see Morphling or TB, but I don’t think they are the best at the moment. So, we are trying to adopt, like, new heroes like Kunkka and other then.”

As Kuku noted, the latest patch has injected fresh excitement into the game, potentially shaking up a previously stagnant meta. It’ll be intriguing to see how teams like Talon leverage these changes with creative strategies to maximize their competitive edge.