One of the Dota 2 developers explained on Reddit the issue with input lag that emerged after the release of update 7.38. According to him, a bug was discovered in the game's code that, in some cases, caused additional delay when executing commands.

Valve fixed this bug in a patch released on February 21. However, if players continue to experience input lag issues, developers request them to provide match IDs and timestamps for a more detailed analysis of server logs.

The developer also explained that Dota 2 does not use client-side prediction, as in shooters. This means that after pressing a key or clicking the mouse, the player immediately sees visual confirmation (green arrows), but the action itself occurs only after the command reaches the server, is processed by it, and the update returns to the client. Accordingly, input lag depends on the ping to the server, unlike FPS games, where the prediction system can mask the delay.

To allow players to more accurately assess their input lag, the developer suggested using the command +dota_debug_change_cursor_during_pending_order 1. It changes the cursor display: after each click, it becomes brighter until the server confirms the action. This allows for a more precise measurement of input delay without being tied to the speed of animations and character turning mechanics.

Thus, Valve not only fixed the bug but also provided players with a useful tool for monitoring input lag.