After more than 10 years, Titan Forge Games has announced SMITE 2. The well-known god MOBA SMITE transitions to a sequel on Unreal Engine 5. MeinMMO reveals what you can expect and how you can sign up for the alpha.
What kind of game is SMITE? It is a free-to-play MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) released by Hi-Rez Studios (Dev Team: Titan Forge Games) in 2014.
SMITE differentiates itself from other MOBA games like League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm, or Dota particularly through its third-person perspective, which gives the gameplay a unique dynamic and creates action.
Instead of the genre-typical iso perspective, where you look down on the playing field, the camera is positioned directly behind the player character. Thus, SMITE could also be the game for those who fancy a MOBA but cannot stand the iso perspective and prefer to play in third person.
In SMITE, you play mythological gods like Aphrodite, Artemis, Loki, Fenrir, Hel, Hades, and Ymir, each with individual abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.
For those who are not familiar with the term MOBA, we explain the genre in more detail in this article: Start a MOBA
The God MOBA SMITE gets a sequel – What to expect
SMITE 2 is a sequel to SMITE. The developers transition with the continuation from Unreal Engine 3 to Unreal Engine 5. As a core goal, the developers intended to design SMITE 2 like its predecessor, maintaining the core mechanics and feel of the MOBA – but overall better in every conceivable way
. The sequel will still have everything players love about SMITE.
The General Manager of Hi-Rez Studios Travis Brown
states:
SMITE 2 is our chance to return, utilizing all the insights from 10 years of SMITE development and making it one of the most successful multiplayer games of all time – and to do everything even better consistently. […]
Travis Brown
The game is supposed to have more depth and provide more creative
and strategic
options than SMITE. At the same time, it should also be less complex
. SMITE 2 will thus be a more advanced and refined version of its predecessor. The developers also repeatedly emphasize the goal that they want players to feel more like gods
.
When will SMITE 2 be released? So far, no release date is known. But you can already sign up on the SMITE 2 site for access to the early closed alpha, which is set to start in spring 2024. With player feedback, they want to ensure that they make a SMITE 2 that players love.
For which platforms will SMITE 2 be available? SMITE 2 will enable crossplay between PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), Steamdeck, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.
SMITE 2 is completely new with Unreal Engine 5
What specific changes are there from the first part? The most obvious change is the transition to Unreal Engine 5, which will give SMITE 2 overall better graphics than SMITE. There should also be an improved environment, better lighting effects, more details with the gods and their abilities. For example, new jump animations have been added, and changes have been made to the abilities. The effects are intended to enhance the immersion in the world
and the feeling of divine power
.
In the keynote, some examples were also mentioned:
- Some gods, like Loki, are supposed to remain true to the old character model but overall look much better
- Others, like the god Anubis, will receive new animations and
divine effects
- Others will gain new abilities: Ymir’s Ice Wall, for example, should now be able to throw opponents up in SMITE 2, and at the same time, the ability should also be usable in other creative ways by catapulting himself forward
- Weapon movements now leave trails, making attacks more visible
The animations of the upper and lower body should be better coordinated with each other
New Ranking System
Ranked will be completely redesigned, and matchmaking will also be revamped. The developers emphasize that there will be many changes for the leaderboard and have revealed a few highlights, including:
- Players in SMITE 2 will start with a skill rating of 0 and will no longer start with the MMR level of an average player.
This is intended to give players a sense of progression as they improve rather than often losing multiple games before they settle into their true skill bracket.
- The skill rating should no longer be limited, which will allow for a fight for the number 1 rank worldwide – something that was not possible before.
- Furthermore, there will be more additional ranks in SMITE 2, especially at the higher end.
The developers also emphasize that there will be more features to combat toxic behavior
, stress
, and system abuse
.
Getting into SMITE 2 should be easier for newcomers
What are the developers changing with the sequel to make it more beginner-friendly? They want to make numerous changes to facilitate the entry and learning process for newcomers. Specifically, the entry for beginners in SMITE 2 should be simpler.
This is planned:
- SMITE 2 will start with a smaller selection of gods because it can be
overwhelming quickly
when starting a new game and confronted with130 gods
, each with3 abilities
, anultimate
, andpassive
. - At the same time, they also want to quickly add gods from the predecessor SMITE, so that SMITE veterans can play their favorite champions.
They also emphasize:
It is important to know that SMITE 2 is a competitive, challenging game. MOBAs are somewhat like Souls-likes – there is always something new to learn, and it’s okay to die and lose while learning. But just because a game is challenging does not mean we can’t make a lot of changes to make it easier for beginners to start and learn […].
Dev Team Titan Forge
New Item System
SMITE 2 will have an improved item store because creating items in SMITE has been too challenging: You must know the exact name of the item you want to build to start building.
Instead, SMITE 2 will feature a completely new system, for example:
- If you want attack speed, you buy a bow and can creatively choose because all items with attack speed can then be built with that bow.
- The system will recommend items for your god to make it easier.
Another type of relics
Previously, there was a relic system in SMITE, which played a significant role in the game. You receive two abilities that are very strong but also have a long cooldown and must be activated additionally.
For new players, it is often difficult to use the relics at the right moment – or they are forgotten. In SMITE 2, there will no longer be relics, at least not in the form known from the predecessor.
Instead, you will have the option to give each item an ability that you must activate additionally – just like with the relic. However, in SMITE 2, the developers want to allow you to choose an additional ability that you must activate. This way, you can also decide whether to spend your gold on items that provide stronger stats and passives.
There is one exception: Purification Beads will also be present in SMITE 2, allowing you to become immune to crowd control (CC). Each god will have Purification Beads and a warding slot by default.
Better and faster UI
SMITE 2 will come with a revamped UI to better facilitate communication. This means effects like crowd control (CC) should be easier to recognize. For example, to respond better when an ally has stunned an opponent.
The UI should also better reflect how much damage you deal and take and how much you are under fire, making it easier to feel and understand the fight.
Players can interact more with the map in SMITE 2
In SMITE 1, there are basically no other ways to interact with the world, except to attack something
and stand in certain places.
In the successor, there should be more interaction opportunities and interesting goals on the map for players to fight against each other.
Including, for example:
- Totem of Ku, which should be a damage race
- New teleporters, which should teleport anyone standing on a pad across the map after standing on it for a certain period of time
A special button to interact with the world
In SMITE 2, there will be a special button to interact with the world. This button must be held down for a specific amount of time, which presents an additional challenge and aims to bring new possibilities for gameplay.
For example, in SMITE 1, you can pick up a buff by simply walking over it. This can cause some players to accidentally pick up buffs they did not want. In SMITE 2, this will be solved by pressing the interact button.
The portals will also be activated with the button, as well as when you want to open the gates to the opposing base once you have the key for it. The developers emphasize that there will be further possibilities to use the button and that the button will bring new gameplay possibilities into the game.
What players can expect who play MOBAs like LoL
In SMITE and also SMITE 2, everything revolves around the third-person perspective. So there is no classic iso perspective from MOBAs like LoL. Virtually everything is a skillshot, even the normal auto-attacks.
The developers emphasize:
[…] Many of our design decisions stem from this action combat. In the third-person perspective, it’s boring to deal with minions on the lane. It’s easier to clear waves and rotate to find more action than in other MOBAs.
If you already have experience with other MOBAs, you will understand the basic flow of the game – when to retreat, when to rotate, when to play your advantage, and when to group up. But the experience and pacing will feel completely different when you fight in third person.
Dev Team Titan Forge
The following changes were also mentioned:
- The gods are no longer magical or physical. Each god will have two different power sources in SMITE 2: strength and intelligence
- All gods will be able to build all items
- Voice packs in SMITE 2 should be automatically unlocked with each god
- Overhaul of the jungle
- Overhaul of the minion formation to make the lane
more rewarding
. - Many minor changes to Conquest, for example: Gold Fury will now become more important for the
late-game
.
What will happen to SMITE 1? SMITE 2 is a sequel, meaning it is a successor to SMITE. However, the first part will continue to receive updates and new content. The developers plan to sustain the game as long as players want to play it. However, there will be exclusive gods in SMITE 2 that will not be available in SMITE.
Your existing progress in SMITE 1 (skins, achievements, gods, etc.) will not be directly transferable to SMITE 2.
The developers emphasize that due to the transition to Unreal Engine 5, they had to completely revise the game and recreate the content to make it work. Transferring a skin from SMITE 1 to SMITE 2 would represent a workload of 2 months, for instance.
Instead, there will be rewards for SMITE players who have invested time and money in the game – also for achievements, there will be rewards.
The reward for everyone who spent gems in SMITE will come in the form of in-game currency to buy skins and battle passes in SMITE 2.
Additionally, players will receive points for each year played, which reflect their progress and time in the game. The points will be totaled to unlock further rewards (in the form of skins and a range of badges).
Exact information on the rewards can be found on the official page of SMITE 2
My personal conclusion
Overall, this looks like a big and exciting leap that SMITE makes with the sequel – especially with the transition to Unreal Engine 5. I think it’s great that they want to keep the charm of SMITE, but simultaneously modernize it and make it more accessible for newcomers – for example, starting with a smaller god pool and providing support in item building, making it less complex.
SMITE 2 sounds very cool overall. The better graphics and improvements to nearly all systems, more room for creativity, and the inclusion of the interact button and new abilities catch my attention. SMITE 2 could appeal to you if you find the third-person perspective exciting for more action, and prefer only skillshots compared to other MOBAs.
However, I also think it’s worthwhile for complete newcomers to take a look at SMITE 2. There will be a small pool of gods rather than over 100 gods that can quickly deter players. Overall, it looks very promising.
What is your first impression of SMITE 2? Feel free to share it with us in the comments.
MeinMMO demon Cortyn ventured into SMITE again in 2021 after 6 years and shared her experiences: After 6 years back to SMITE – Help, the game just overwhelms me
