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By GamGem ResearchLast updated 22 Sept 2026

Io

Ranged · Universal

Win rate
48.8%
Pick share
0.4%
Matches
200,113
Patch
7.41f
Draft coverage
BringsSupportEscapeNuker
NeedsCarryInitiatorDisablerFrontlineTower damage

Recommendation

Pick

  • The game is heading for 0–20 min — that is where this hero measures best, at 60.7% over 3,624 matches.
  • You are playing around Divine — its strongest medal, 49.7% over 24,019 picks.

Avoid

  • Puck is on their side — this hero wins 35.9% of 39 matches against it.
  • Pudge is on their side — this hero wins 35.3% of 34 matches against it.
  • Storm Spirit is on their side — this hero wins 35.3% of 34 matches against it.

What players buy

The items bought most in each of Valve’s four game stages

Public matches · each item’s own count
1stMost bought
151 buys
2ndSecond most
73 buys
3rdThird most
47 buys
4thFourth most
37 buys
5thFifth most
37 buys

Matchup map

How Io performs against every opponent with 30 or more counted games

41 opponents · public matches40%60%Io's win rate
≥ 60%Very favorable
55 – 60%Favorable
50 – 55%Even
45 – 50%Unfavorable
40 – 45%Hard
< 40%Very hard

If this happens, use this

  • They are running away

    Something that holds them still, or closes the gap yourself. Matched on “slow”.

  • I am being jumped

    A way out, a way to shrug the debuff, or something to eat the burst. Matched on “teleport”.

  • Kill them in one window

    Damage that lands now rather than over a minute. Matched on “magical”.

  • Clear or push the wave

    Creeps, summons and anything that hits a building. Matched on “creep”, “summon”.

  • Stay in lane

    Healing, regeneration or lifesteal — not having to walk back. Matched on “healing”, “restore”, “regenerat”.

  • Pressure their mana

    Burn it, drain it, or take the spell away entirely. Matched on “mana”.

By medal

  • Herald49.2%4,907
  • Guardian48.1%16,143
  • Crusader49.4%29,538
  • Archon48.4%39,398
  • Legend48.7%40,344
  • Ancient48.7%29,231
  • Divine49.7%24,019

One count per medal, not one rate split across them; a medal with no counted matches is left out.

By match length

  • 0–20 min60.7%3,624
  • 20–30 min54.6%7,056
  • 30–40 min50.9%4,295
  • 40–50 min50.0%1,667
  • 50 min +46.7%595

Bands under 120 matches are absent rather than shown small.

Learning Io

Abilities

  • Tether

    Unit Target

    Tethers Io to an allied unit, granting bonus movement speed to both. When Io restores health or mana, the tethered unit gains a portion of that amount. The tether breaks when the allied unit moves too far away, or Io cancels the tether. Tether slows enemies touching it.

  • Spirits

    No Target · Instant Cast · Magical damage

    Summon five particle spirits that dance in a circle around Io. If a particle collides with an enemy hero, it explodes, damaging all enemy units in an area around it. Creeps take minor damage from touching a particle spirit, but do not cause them to explode. When its duration ends, any remaining Spirits explode.

  • Overcharge

    No Target · Instant Cast

    Io gains attack speed, spell amplification, and health regeneration based on max health. If Io is Tethered to an ally, that unit also gains any bonuses granted by Overcharge.

  • Spirits In

    Instant Cast · Hidden

    Sends the spirits closer to you. Can be toggled on and off.

  • Spirits Out

    Instant Cast · Hidden

    Sends the spirits farther away from you. Can be toggled on and off.

  • Relocate

    Point Target

    Teleports Io and a tethered ally to any location. After the spell expires, Io and the tethered ally will return to their original location. Double-click to teleport to your team's base fountain.

  • Equilibrium

    Passive · Hidden

    Io gains outgoing damage amplification the closer it is to full health, and Health Restoration and Healing Amplification the closer it is to zero health.

Base attributes

Strength
19 +3.0
Agility
14 +1.6
Intelligence
21 +1.7
Move · range
320 · 500

Talents

  • 4Relocate Cast DelayAttack Tethered Ally's Target ( damage)
  • 3Overcharge Max HP Regen BonusRelocate Cooldown
  • 2Tether Movement SpeedSpirits Hero Damage
  • 1Overcharge Duration+8 Strength

Aghanim’s Scepter

Changes Spirits

Spirits now passively spawn around Io constantly every second up to the max. Spirits colliding with enemy Heroes slows them briefly. Can be activated to explode spirits.

Aghanim’s Shard

Changes Tether

Tether damages enemies touching it. Io is healed for 50% of the damage done.

Sources

  • Kit, talents and upgrades · mechanicalread 22 Sept 2026

    Ability names, icons, behaviour, damage type and text, plus the Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard descriptions — as the game itself ships them. Nothing here was counted over matches.

  • Win rate by medal · countedread 15 Sept 2026

    The same hero at each of Valve’s eight medals, over 4,610,063 public matches. Each medal carries its own sample, because the eight buckets are nothing like the same size.

  • Matchups and match length · counted, on a narrower windowread 16 Sept 2026

    Win rate against each opponent and across five match-length bands. This channel reports far fewer games than the medal figures above: the median hero pairing is 51 matches and the largest on the whole roster is 707. Rows under 30 games are absent rather than shown small, and the ones that remain are ORDERED by a figure shrunk toward even by its own sample — the rate you see is the real one, the ranking is the careful one.

  • What players build · countedread 15 Sept 2026

    The five most common items in each of Valve’s four game stages, with each row’s own pick count.

  • Skill order · counted, in league matchesread 3 Oct 2026

    Where skill points go, read off every player's own learning order in premium and professional league matches on patches 7.41 and 7.40. Each level shows the ability most players took there and the share that did — a column only a third agree on is printed as a third, not as the rule. Heroes under 30 counted games show no path.

  • Situation index · derived, and checkableread 22 Sept 2026

    Each situation is a phrase match against Valve’s own ability text, and every row shows the phrases that matched. No win rate is attached, because nobody counts one per situation.

Mechanics are the ones Valve publishes for patch 7.41f. GamGem is not affiliated with or endorsed by Valve Corporation.