SMITE 2 News

We had a very special Titan Talks yesterday with Isiah, Kilgon, and Max 'Innocent Rabbit'. In this episode, they dove into the complexities of matchmaking and ranked systems, addressing community concerns, upcoming updates, and new competitive formats. They also discussed ranked resets, toxic queues, and the technical work behind offering a balanced gaming experience.

Here is what you missed!
[h2]1. Upcoming Update Reminders[/h2]

• OB5 Launch: Scheduled for Monday (exact date provided in-stream).
• Patch Notes:
  • Full patch notes go live soon, with a Monday patch overview stream.
  • Includes behind-the-scenes logic on balance changes and bug fixes.
• Console vs. PC Parity:
  • All platforms generally receive the same hotfixes and updates, but console patches may be delayed slightly by certification times.

[h2]2. Esports & Community Tournaments[/h2]

• Inbound’s Tournament (“The Bobby Tourney”)
  • Taking place over the current weekend (after the show date).
  • Features high-level/pro players competing for prize pools sponsored by Hi-Rez.
• EU Tournaments by Nika & Hazer
  • Scheduled to begin on March 15.
  • Sign-ups require a high-level ranked standing.
• Chris T. Dixon’s Joust Cash Cups
  • Joust-focused cash prize events.
  • Great opportunity for 3v3 enthusiasts to compete.
• Smite Lovers United Tourney
  • Crowdfunded community tournament with sign-ups open.
  • Additional details available on social media.
• Potential Additional Esports Announcement
  • Teased further reveals after the show.
  • Check @Smite2Esports Twitter for the latest updates.

[h2]3. Matchmaking & Ranked: Key Updates[/h2]
Max provided a high-level timeline of matchmaking changes from Closed Beta through Open Beta 4:

3.1 Open Beta 1

• Match Quality Metric:
  • Combined skill-based (SR) and experience-based data to evaluate potential matches.
• Level/SR Ranges:
  • The matchmaker began with a tight range and gradually widened if queues went on too long.
• Party Composition Rules:
  • Aim to prevent extreme scenarios (e.g., large premades vs. all solo players).

3.2 Open Beta 2

• Team Averages:
  • New check on average player level/SR per team to refine balance.
• Backend Skill Ratings:
  • Enhanced how hidden MMR and SR data are used for both casual and ranked matchmaking.
• Trio Queue Updates:
  • Adjusted how three-player parties are handled to avoid mismatching them.

3.3 Open Beta 3

• New Player Experience & QoL:
  • Focused on UI improvements, pick/ban sound cues to lower accidental lobby abandonments.
  • General bug fixes and improvements rather than direct changes to matchmaking rules.

3.4 Open Beta 4

• Final Lobby Rule Adherence:
  • Prevented outliers (e.g., very high-SR players waiting too long) from warping all in-progress matches.
• Soft Capping Top Players:
  • Ensures top SR players (e.g., 6000 SR) match with similar-level opponents faster, rather than waiting extreme lengths or diluting other matches.

[h2]4. Current Priorities & Future Plans[/h2]

1. Logical Team Balance
   • Seeking ways to ensure that if two big skill outliers are in the same lobby, they end up on the correct teams.
2. Top-Ranked Experience
   • Want high-level matches (e.g., top 0.1% of players) to be more consistent in quality and skill parity.
3. Exploring Alternate Matchmaking Styles
   • Potentially combining “count-up” (current style) with a “countdown” approach for top-tier players.
   • Looking back at SMITE 1’s systems for inspirations or hybrid solutions.
4. New Player Experience
   • Improve how true newcomers are introduced and avoid them being matched against far more experienced players.
5. New Competitive Formats
   • Additional modes or tournament-style features are “in the works.”
   • Could offer more serious (or alternative) competition without overly fragmenting the existing player base.

[h2]5. Q&A Highlights[/h2]

• Why Not Hard-Cap SR Differences?
  • Off-peak times and lower population hours cause severe queue times for players, especially at high SR extremes (e.g., 14+ minute waits).
• Casual vs. Ranked Matchmaking
  • Casual: Primarily level- and hidden-MMR-based; can broaden quickly to reduce wait times.
  • Ranked: Stricter SR constraints initially, then expands to ensure players find matches before leaving queue.
• Party Size & Skill Gaps
  • Technical limitations currently prevent restricting parties by SR gaps.
  • Planned future improvements to limit wide SR gaps in parties (e.g., 2500+ SR differences).
• Ranked Rewards
  • God Borders tied to ranked achievements are planned as a key reward.
  • Additional incentives in development; details coming later in the season.
• Individual Performance in Ranked
  • In-game performance metrics (KDA, gold, damage) can be misleading.
  • Risk of incentivizing “bad behaviors” (e.g., farming stats in a lost game).
  • Devs remain open to possibilities but want to avoid damaging the competitive ecosystem.
• More Leaderboards & Tracking
  • Enhanced backend support coming, which could enable worshiper leaderboards or other ranking formats.
  • Front-end UI/time is needed to display these properly.
• Console Update Delays
  • Typically minor, due to platform certification requirements.
  • Server-side fixes often arrive simultaneously on all platforms.

[h2]6. Closing Thoughts[/h2]

• OB5 Patch: Releasing Monday, featuring various updates and a patch overview show.
• Community Engagement: Encouraged to watch or participate in ongoing tournaments and keep an eye on SMITE 2 Esports social channels for more announcements.
• Future Titan Talks: More info on new competitive modes and further matchmaking improvements will be discussed in upcoming shows.

 

Welcome to another edition of Titan Talk, wherew we chat all things SMITE 2: new updates, behind-the-scenes development tidbits, upcoming events, and community questions. Below is a quick-look summary of key highlights!
[h2] [/h2][h2]1. Hotfix & Xbox Rollback[/h2]

• A recent hotfix went out addressing a few issues:
  • Poseidon’s Passive: Fixed a bug where Poseidon’s Changing Tides movement speed wasn’t applying.
  • Awilix Fixes:
    • Flip-over mechanic no longer causes you to get stuck.
    • Gravity Surge no longer drops targets into walls.
    • Adjusted certain hit/attack timings to make her feel smoother to play.
• Xbox Rollback: A build rollback occurred to fix an Xbox update download issue. While this means redownloading for some players, the team felt it was the quickest way to restore stable play for everyone.

[h2]2. HUD Editor Update[/h2]

• Coming in OB5: A new, more flexible HUD editor.
• Controller Support: Initially believed to be PC-only, the team confirmed it will work on controller as well.
• Easy Customization: Arrange in-game elements using the right stick (on console). The team aims to give players on all platforms the freedom to personalize their interface.

[h2]3. Upcoming Tournament[/h2]

• Community Event: Bobby “Inbowned” is hosting a weekend tournament featuring top players, ex-pros, and well-known streamers.
• 9,000 USD Prize Pool: Sponsored by Hi-Rez. Expect high-level SMITE 2 games with popular names like FineOkay, RatMilk, Ducky, Clumsy, and more.
• Where to Watch: Tune into Inbowned’s channel and participating players’ streams this weekend.

[h2]4. OB5 Teasers & Planned Content[/h2]

• Princess Bari: Our newest carry/mage-hybrid god introduced in OB5. Her ascended form grants her basic attacks splash damage, making her a formidable DPS option.
• Item & Aspect Adjustments:
  • Pridwen arriving in Week 2 of OB5.
  • Various existing Aspects (like Mordred, Sobek, Fenrir) are getting tweaks.
  • Mordred’s ultimate wind-up can now rotate the camera so you can keep aiming while charging it.

[h2]5. Hot Topics & Community Q&A Highlights[/h2]
Below is a quick rundown of the biggest talking points during the Q&A portion:
[h3]Matchmaking & Ranked[/h3]

• Ongoing matchmaking improvements: More back-end updates are in the works, and the team will share details on Friday with Max (Innocent Rabbit).
• The devs are continuously adjusting variables to improve match quality for both solo and party players.

[h3]Store, Gifting, & Cosmetics[/h3]

• Music Packs now available primarily via chests; more distribution methods may come as the in-game store develops.
• Cross-Gen Skins: More are becoming available each update; if you’re missing any from SMITE 1, logging into SMITE 1 first sometimes forces them to sync.
• Gifting: Not prioritized right now due to fraud concerns and dev time constraints.

[h3]Console-Specific Notes[/h3]

• HUD Editor confirmed functional on controllers in OB5.
• Aim Assist: SMITE 1’s console aim assist was off by default due to many players preferring manual aiming. The team is exploring improved tech but not committing yet.
• Store Improvements: Expect a cleaner item shop with better flow, grid views for consumables/relics, and overall smoother navigation.

General Features & Future Plans

• Wandering Market repeats every ~8 weeks: You can keep old markets active and collect coins over time.
• Text Chat on Console: Blocked by lengthy certification steps, but devs will work toward it later.
• God Builder: Actively in development. It’s surprisingly complex (covering multiple UI screens, integrations, and backend).

[h2]6. Next Steps & What’s Ahead[/h2]

• Open Beta 5 Flash Test: Happening shortly after the show. Be sure to jump in and test out Bari and the newest changes.
• Friday’s Titan Talk: Max (Innocent Rabbit) joins to discuss matchmaking updates, balance stats, and more behind-the-scenes changes.
• Keep an Eye Out: More reveals, dev notes, and patch details will drop in the coming days on official channels.

 
[h2]Hotfixes[/h2]

Here are a few fixes which have gone in SMITE 2 over the last 24 hours!

• 
  
• Fixed an issue where Poisedon's Passive (Changing Tides) would not properly provide Movement Speed
  
• Fixed an issue where Awilix could get stuck when flipping over targets
  
• Fixed an issue with Awilix's Gravity Surge where players would get dropped into walls when pulled
  
• Fixed Awilix inhand, hit, and prefire effects for some attacks to ensure they look and feel as intended
  

Below are Hotfix changes the game has done over the last 24 hours:

• Fixed a VFX skin issue with Nu Wa
• Fixed a fairly common PS5 crash
• Fixed some elements invalidating the HUD which we believe may solve another part of Store Overlay issues.
• Thor Aspect Now Reflects the Following - Heal 5% +0.1% per level to 4% + 0.075% per level and slow 40% to 30%.
• Fixed an issue where Thor Aspect was not cleansable as designed
• Fixed an issue where cancelling Anubis Ability 1 would still proc poly/hydras
• Fixed an issue with Typhon's Fang Passive. It will now be re-enabled.
• Fixed an issue where Beads weren't preventing getting pulled from Awilix's Ultimate
• Fixed an issue with Magi's Cloak where Bellona and Zeus would proc unintentionally

Also if you missed it, we had an exciting Titan Talks on March 4th talking about a brand new god, Princess Bari. 

Hosts: Killgoon and PonPon

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Welcome to another Titan Talk! We’re excited to share the latest news on SMITE 2, including the reveal of our newest Goddess and several important updates that just went live (or are coming soon). Here’s a quick breakdown:
[h2]1. New Goddess: Princess Bari[/h2]

• First Korean Pantheon God
  • Lore: Princess Bari was the unwanted seventh daughter who ultimately descended into the underworld to save her dying father. Despite being unappreciated, her selflessness and compassion led her to ascend into divinity.
  • Theme & Aesthetics: Bari blends elements of Korean shamanic tradition—her signature bell staff, ceremonial fan, and distinctive wide-brimmed hat all reflect real-world Korean shamanism motifs.
• Gameplay Role & Overview
  • Magical Carry or Mage: She deals magical damage but can flex into mid or duo.
  • Unique Resource – Spirit
    • Builds from attacking gods or minions.
    • Reaching 100 Spirit triggers a brief “Mystic Surge,” granting bonus stats and one enhanced cast of an ability.
  • Abilities:
    1. Sacred Bell – Throws a bell projectile that can later be knocked around or pulled back to Bari, dealing damage (and eventually stunning when enhanced).
    2. Warding Gust – A fan-swipe in a cone. Knocks back enemies who are too close. Can also ricochet or empower the thrown bell.
    3. Reverent Steps – A freeform dance step dash that fires a projectile at the end; hitting an enemy god grants a burst of Spirit and reduces cooldown.
    4. Ultimate: Spirit’s Cadence
       • Summons an area-of-effect dance that applies a short, “cheat-death” style protection to Bari and any allies who stand inside it.
       • Instantly fills Bari’s Spirit to 100 and extends her “Mystic Surge,” giving her bonus attack speed, AoE basic attacks, and an enhanced ability cast.
       • Protected allies who would drop to zero HP become briefly damage-immune (but silenced/disarmed). Executes still override this effect.
• Playstyle Tips
  • Combo Potential: Juggle the bells effectively for crowd control, wave clear, or burst damage.
  • Team Fight Power: The Ultimate provides a lifesaving zone and re-empowers Bari for big plays.
  • Build Paths: Lean into more “carry” style (Strength) for bigger basic attacks, or “mage” style (Intelligence) for heavy ability damage.

[h2]2. Recent & Upcoming Game Updates[/h2]

• Awilix Release
  • Awilix is now live in SMITE 2, offering a Jaguar-riding assassin playstyle. Enjoy riding Suku into battle and more new plus-one abilities.
• Frame Rate Options
  • PC players can now cap framerate at 90 or 144 FPS. More options could be added if there’s demand—give your feedback!
• Double Worshiper Event
  • A minor technical delay meant the Double Worshiper Weekend started late. To compensate, the event is extended for an extra day so everyone can level up their new gods.
• Minor Fixes & Hotfixes
  • Draft Lobby Display: An issue causing hidden team names in draft lobbies was fixed.
  • Magi’s Cloak Bug: Coming soon (or already hotfixed) to fix random procs.
  • Thor Aspect Changes: Some slow/cleanse tweaks and healing reductions are on the way.
• New Item: Erendite
  • Returning as an active item featuring a stealth-reveal ability (think a “sonar ping” effect).
  • Successful reveals grant bonus damage and movement speed for a chase.
  • Perfect for countering invisible gods like Loki or Izanami.
• HUD Editor (PC Beta)
  • A long-awaited feature is here: you can now move and resize HUD elements freely on PC.
  • Console support planned for a future update once the PC version is polished.
• Music Packs
  • 60+ classic music themes from past events, passes, and more are returning in a Music Chest.
  • Use your Legacy Gems to roll for these nostalgic themes (excluding licensed tracks).
• Conquest & Other Balance Tweaks
  • Refinements to Conquest map visuals near towers.
  • Further Aspect adjustments are in development—stay tuned for official patch notes.

[h2]3. What’s Next[/h2]

• Flash Testing: Princess Bari and these newest changes should be available in Flash Testing very soon. Jump in, try them out, and leave feedback.
• Keep the Feedback Coming: Let us know on the official forums, social channels, and in-game bug reports what you think about Bari, Erendite, HUD Editor, and more.
• Stay Tuned for More Gods: We’re continuing to refine and update existing characters, plus new additions are always in the works!

Thanks for reading this week’s Titan Talk summary! We can’t wait for everyone to try out Princess Bari, experiment with the new item Erendite, and enjoy all the quality-of-life updates.

Princess Bari

The Divine Mudang

Pantheon : Korean

Gameplay Specializations:

• Ranged
• Magical Damage
• Strength & Intelligence Hybrid
• Explosive Moments of Power
• Death Prevention

“When all others turn away, the abandoned child carries hope on her shoulders.”
[h2] Who is Princess Bari? [/h2]
Born as the seventh daughter to a king who longed only for a male heir, Princess Bari was cast aside at birth—deemed unworthy by her own family. When her father fell gravely ill, however, it was Bari who journeyed across mortal and spirit realms to obtain the divine waters needed to restore his life. 

This act of profound selflessness not only healed her father but also bestowed Bari with divine power. Now a powerful shaman, she stands as a guiding light between the living and the dead. She harnesses her gifts to protect the vulnerable and uphold the delicate balance of both realms.

In SMITE 2, Princess Bari uses her ever-growing reservoir of spiritual energy to amplify her abilities. Each strike or ability she lands builds up her Spirit, fueling a cycle of enhanced attacks and spells that demonstrate her merciful but resolute nature.

[h2] New Pantheon – Korean [/h2]

With the arrival of Princess Bari, SMITE proudly welcomes the Korean Pantheon. While there were countless figures we could have introduced, Princess Bari stands out as one of the most iconic and universally cherished characters in Korean mythology.  With her introduction we pay homage to her enduring legacy in Korean mythology and shine a light on a story of deep compassion, resilience, and divine miracles that still captures many to this day.

[h2] Core Themes [/h2]

Edge of Life and Death
As a spiritual shaman, Princess Bari treads the fine line between both realms. Her kit revolves around collecting Spirit and entering an enhanced Spiritual State, mirroring her role as a soul guide and caretaker.

[h2] Supporting Themes [/h2]

Altruistic Protector
Although she can deal formidable damage, Bari also stands as a protective figure who can spare allies from death and tip the scales of battle in her team’s favor.

Bell Magic & Ritual Dances
Iconic bells and graceful ritual dances form the heart of Princess Bari’s combat style. She conjures bells on the battlefield, then sends them forward at her foes. Her rituals bring not only strong protective capabilities but enhance her own strength, giving her clear moments of power unique to her.

[h2] Artistic Process [/h2]

For Princess Bari, we wanted to highlight her deep connection to Korean Shamanistic traditions. Her color palette draws heavily from the Sam-Taegeuk symbol, a core emblem in many shamanic practices. We emphasized key ritual items—her hat, fan, and bangul (a bell-bearing staff)—both in her visual design and her gameplay mechanics.





Animation-wise, our goal was to make her movements fluid and graceful, as though she were dancing across the battlefield. Wherever possible, we aimed to display this grace—be it in her idle animations, recalling sequences, or core combat abilities.





Princess Bari stands between the realms of life and death, and her abilities reflect this duality. In her normal state, they feel more physical and incorporate gold and blue hues. However, when she enters her Spiritual state, the palette shifts to a ghostly blend of blue, white, and negative space. We wanted this transformation to be dramatic and easily recognizable, so we built up a visual crescendo before she bursts into her Spiritual form, as shown below.



[h2] Gameplay [/h2]

Princess Bari’s gameplay centers on Spirit—she does not use Mana, but instead accumulates Spirit with each successful hit or ability cast. Upon reaching the Spirit threshold, Princess Bari surges with power, amplifying her damage, enhancing her abilities, and granting special effects to her basic attacks.

Princess Bari conjures bells, tossing them into the fray to damage and disrupt her enemies. She sweeps them forward with a graceful fan flourish, weaving each strike into a fluid combo that builds her Spirit. Drawing on protective rituals, Princess Bari protects allies from lethal harm while fueling her own surge of power. She enters a heightened state that amplifies her next attack, choosing the right one for the situation.

Unique Gameplay Features

• Princess Bari is a Hybrid god, excelling at the traditional carry role through Strength while being a more flexible caster with Intelligence.
• Combo-centric kit, with a variety of ways to approach each fight depending on her current Spirit and her goals in the fight
• Ebb and Flow of Power. Princess Bari excels at transitioning from her Physical and Spiritual forms, gaining access to extra cooldown usages and powerful bonuses.
• Teamwide Death Immunity, allies simply need to be part of her Ritual to gain this potent effect.

[h2] Closing [/h2]

Whether you’re conjuring bells to zone out enemies or safeguarding your teammates with life-saving rituals, Bari’s skill ceiling rewards ingenuity and careful Spirit management. Guide your allies from harm’s edge, and stand as Princess Bari—the guide between realms.

​Awilix, the Goddess of the Moon, joins the battleground of the gods in SMITE 2, bringing her unique combat style and lunar prowess to the fray. Accompanied by her loyal panther, Suku, Awilix offers players a dynamic and strategic gameplay experience.​

Reimagined for SMITE 2 – A Refined Awilix

​In SMITE 2, Awilix, the Goddess of the Moon, has been reimagined with a striking visual design. Her updated model features intricate details, including tattoos with jaguar spot patterns and an enhanced color scheme, reflecting her deep connection to the night and her panther companion, Suku


Passive – Initiative

If you have not taken or dealt damage in the last 5 seconds, gain 30% increased Basic Attack power and Strength for 4 seconds if you strike an enemy first.

The buff is extended by 2 seconds if triggered by the leap from Summon Suku

Ability 1 – Summon Suku

Mount your Panther Suku, gaining movement speed but decreased strafe speed. You may Leap off Suku to deal Physical Damage in the target area.

Ability 2 – Feather Step

Flip over the last enemy you hit within 1.5 seconds, Rooting, Crippling, and dealing Physical Damage. The damage increases by 50% based on the next attack in her Basic Attack progression.

If the next attack is her third, she also hits all enemies in the area around the target. ​

Ability 3 – Moonlight Charge
Suku comes to Awilix's aid, rushing forward dealing Physical Damage to aill enemites. If hit from the side or behind, enemies are also Knocked Up.

This ability can be used while riding Suku

Ultimate – Gravity Surge

Pulls the closest enemy god who is either Knocked Up or Leaping. The target god takes Physical Damage and Stunned when they land.

You are then bathed in moonlight, gaining bonus Attack Speed, Attack Power, and Strength, as well as protection against Roots, Slows, and Knockbacks for 6 seconds.

Beware the Darkness

With enhanced agility, refined precision, and the triumphant return of her signature lunar strikes, Awilix in SMITE 2 emerges as a swift and deadly huntress, ruling the night with unmatched prowess!
Mount Suku. Command the moonlight. And let your enemies fall beneath the silent fury of Awilix.