SMITE 2 News

SMITE 2 - What's Next?

As we launch into 24/7 Closed Alpha, I thought it would be a good time to share a general roadmap of where we are taking SMITE 2 as we march towards our free-to-play launch in early 2025.

We are intending to drop a new release every 3 weeks during the 24/7 Closed Alpha period. During this time, we are committed to advancing the following pillars.

We are making the game with the community, for the community. These are the things we believe we should be prioritizing based on the feedback we have received so far. But we very likely will continue to change this list based on player feedback.

You’ll also note that we don’t have a specific order of what we’re releasing, when. That’s because we want to listen to you. If there’s something we need to prioritize, we will. If there’s something that’s less important to you, it will come later.

Keep in mind – There’s only so much we can do in three weeks. Some of these tasks will take a lot longer than that to accomplish. But we wanted to keep our update cycle short, so that we can deliver more frequent updates and improvements.

[h3]Gameplay Content [/h3]
More Gods

Our intentions are to release 2 Gods every 3 weeks. Some releases will be 2 Classic Gods, others will be 1 Classic God and 1 all-new God.

New Modes

We are working to bring Joust to SMITE 2 as the next game mode. We know there are passionate Joust – and Duel – players who are eager to play their favorite mode.
We expect Assault to follow Joust and Duel

[h3]New Player Experience[/h3]
Improving Onboarding of New Players

The game right now is very unfriendly to all-new players, and we’re well aware that’s a major issue. Our focus so far has been entirely on the core gameplay experience.
We have a lot of things we want to add over time. The following list is just a small sample of the things we have planned.
- Welcome videos, explaining Arena and Conquest
- Arena and Conquest Tutorials
- New Player Quests
- New Player Level Up Rewards
- New Player Daily Login Rewards

Improving In-Game Experience for New Players

Right now, we’re close to SMITE 1 parity on the in-game experience. But there are things that are missing that are helpful for new players, and a whole lot more we have planned. It will take a while to get through the whole list, but here are some of the things we are working towards.
- New player-focused item store improvements
- Item builder
- Notifications when an Item can be upgraded
- Better indications for what you are targeting, and if that target is last-hittable
- Improved messaging feedback about in-game events
- Indications of your initial pathing from base, into lane, based on role
- Jungle wayfinding signposts
- Tower indicator for minions still alive
- Console screen space setting
- … and a lot more

[h3]Competitive Improvements[/h3]
End of Match Stats

To begin, we want to expose the match details that players are accustomed to seeing in SMITE 1 – damage done, damage taken, wards placed, etc.
Beyond that, we are capturing more data than we had in SMITE 1 and we are working on the right way to expose it – like damage done by specific abilities.
Note that you can currently see post match stats on tracker.gg, but we want to get that in-game as well

Ranked Leaderboards

Role Priority Queuing

Spectator

[h3]More Progression Systems[/h3]

Even more ways for players to engage with the game and feel like you’re always making progress.
This is somewhat intentionally vague. But we are excited for some new systems that we just aren’t ready to share more about yet.

[h3]Toxicity[/h3]

Improvements to existing systems
- Deserter
- AFK
Empowering our customer support team with improved tools
A lot of hidden, behind-the-scenes work to address toxicity that we can’t fully talk about yet

[h3]Feedback[/h3]
As noted above, we have big plans over the next several months, but we are ready to pivot.

Entering 24/7 is an opportunity for you to tell us what you want, what you feel is missing, and what you want addressed
Please join our Discord, fill out the surveys linked from in-game, and tell us what you think. We’re reading and reacting to it all, and you really are shaping the direction of SMITE 2.

We are very excited to enter the 24/7 Closed Alpha phase with you.

We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but I couldn’t be more excited to take this journey with you, our players. Thank you for being a part of our community, and I can’t wait to see where the future takes SMITE 2.

- Travis Brown, Executive Producer

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LIVE NOW: 24/7 Closed Alpha

Welcome to SMITE 2's 24/7 Closed Alpha 1

It has been a wild ride so far! It feels like yesterday that we officially announced SMITE 2 at Worlds, and so much has happened. Alpha Weekends, Flash Tests, and more fun than we could have ever imagined. So today, we would like to officially welcome you all to SMITE 2's launch into 24/7 with Closed Alpha 1!

Community Feedback Action Items

This is a list of the specific features, fixes, and changes implemented in this update as a direct result of community feedback during the Alpha Weekends. Each of the things listed here is expanded upon in more detail further into the official Update Notes: Here!

To all players who participated and left your feedback: Thank You!

[h2]Illustrated "Card Art" Returns![/h2]

We are bringing back Card Art for the Gods in SMITE 2, enhanced with touch-ups for accuracy to SMITE 2 models, and better art practices.

[h2]Environment Overhaul for Style and Fantasy[/h2]

We have adjusted core engine settings to remove "Default Unreal Engine" visuals, leading to sharper, crisper visuals. The adjustments include:

Adjusted environments, character models, and lighting to add more vibrant colors and stylized visuals.
New lighting, engine settings, colors
Many new assets, and individual asset reworks
Reworked the Conquest floor game wide to better fit SMITE style and color goals, and improve readability, especially in Gold Fury and Fire Giant areas
Chaos side jungle now has a more unique and complete art style

[h2]Game-Wide Performance Updates[/h2]

The team has spent dedicated time working to improve game performance across several parts of the game. We have put significant efforts in order to improve FPS and Connectivity. As well, Players should notice significant improved performance compared to Alpha Weekends, and larger impacts on their performance from changing Video Settings

[h2]K Screen / Ability Screen Added[/h2]

The famous K Screen (Also known as the Ability Screen) has finally made its way into SMITE 2! It makes its first appearance with a variety of new quality of life features.

Short description updates
Level up amounts and scalings shown
you can now use shortcuts to level up skills from the new screen (On PC, Control + the skill button; on Console D-Pad Up + the skill button)
Changing cast mode per ability is now done in the Settings screen, and not on the “K Screen”

[h2]HUD Art / Layout Adjustments[/h2]

We have reorganized the HUD to be more user-friendly, and for better clarity. This includes:

Relocated allied god view for better clarity
Adjusted HUD element art for more appealing contrast with the gameplay art
Added new slots for Starter Items, Adjusted Active Item ability placements, and more!

[h2]20+ Popular SMITE 1 Items Added to SMITE 2[/h2]

We have ported the top 20 most used / popular items from SMITE 1 into SMITE 2! To name a few, we have:

Gauntlet of Thebes
Book of Thoth
Heartseeker
The Crusher

[h2]Minion Knockback, AI, Grouping Matched to SMITE 1[/h2]

We have done a major pass on minion behavior to ensure that minions are acting / reacting more like they did in SMITE 1. We have made changes to hit reactions, knockback, being pushed out of their squad, etc. All minions went to a mandatory "Minion Bootcamp" and should be much better trained.

[h2]Itemization System Changes and UI Updates[/h2]

We have changed the way that building items works, and updated many of the UI elements related to this process. Some examples are:

Short Description Mode in Store UI
Wards and Consumable slots and function like SMITE 1
Starter items return
Active item system changes and better HUD support
Revised Component Building

[h2]Revised God Damage Typing and Scaling Systems[/h2]

We have also revised God Damage Types & the Scaling Systems related to this. At a glance, that involves the following changes:

All gods will only deal one Damage Type
All gods can still buy all items
Gods will be split into three groups: 100% Strength Scaling, 100% Intelligence scaling, or Hybrid (scaling off both Strength and Intelligence)
Tank now have unique protection scalings on their abilities
Magical/Physical Penetration is removed. Replaced with “Penetration” so all gods are more easily able to access the stat combos they need.

[h2]Reworked Existing God Mechanics[/h2]

We have reworked many existing God's mechanics to address "Feels Issues" and functionality inconsistencies with SMITE 1.

[h2]Reworked Existing God Visual FX[/h2]

We have reworked many existing God's visual FX for better clarity, performance, and impact. We have also added a LOD system that throttles the FX emitters based on visual quality settings. Finally, we also took our first major pass of bounding box configuration to reduce CPU usage calculating dynamic bounds on Niagara FX emitters.

[h2]Reworked Existing God Audio SFX[/h2]

We also reworked many existing God's SFX for improved clarity, performance, impact, and to bring familiar sounds from SMITE 1 back.

[h2]And so much more![/h2]

This is only a portion of the changes made for Closed Alpha 1, but these were directly inspired by the feedback we got from the Community. As we continue forward with SMITE 2, we are hoping that we can continue working together with the people that love SMITE as much as us, to make the best version of SMITE 2 ever.

So once again; thank you all for participating, for sharing your feedback and opinions, and welcome to 24/7 SMITE 2!

SMITE 2 Founders Series Format Overview

[h2]Tickets will go on sale on September 13, 2024!
[/h2]
That’s right, SMITE fans, esports is back. Earlier this year, you saw our announcement about the first live LAN of SMITE 2 at the HyperX Arena Las Vegas on January 17-19, 2025, and now we’re here to give you the details.

This $300k prize pool tournament is split between six stages, totaling twelve weeks of competition for both North America and EMEA, and kicks off with Stage One on September 14, 2024. Here’s a quick rundown of each stage:

STAGE 1 – OPEN BRACKET QUALIFIERS

This open bracket stage will last two weeks, starting September 14 and ending September 22. Teams who compete will earn points based on their final placements, with the top sixteen point earners moving to Stage 2A. Teams that don’t make it to Stage 2A will still have a chance to compete during Stage 2B!

STAGE 2A – SWISS

In Stage 2A, the top sixteen teams from Stage 1 will compete in a five-week-long Swiss competition, starting September 28, and ending October 27. Matchups will be determined randomly based on a team’s set score, with everyone starting 0-0 in week one. Teams will only be matched up with others that have a set score matching theirs, (so, 1-0s matched with 1-0s, 2-0s with 2-0s, 0-1s with 0-1s, etc.) until a team is able to amass three set wins.

The top eight teams from this stage will move immediately to Stage 4, while the other eight will move forward to Stage 3. Teams will qualify in waves, with two teams qualifying in Week 3 and three teams qualifying in Weeks 4 and 5. The bottom eight teams will join teams from Stage 2B in Stage 3 – the Last Chance Qualifier. In addition, there will be a $5,000 prize pool for the top teams during the Swiss Stage based on their final placement.

STAGE 2B – OPEN BRACKET

Stage 2B is an open bracket, similar to Stage 1. Teams that sign up will compete in single-elimination tournaments for five weeks during the same timeframe as Stage 2A, amassing points based on their final placements each week. The top eight teams from this stage will join the bottom eight teams from the Swiss Stage in Stage 3.

STAGE 3 – LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER

Sixteen teams will be split into four GSL groups starting November 2 and ending November 10. Teams will be seeded based on their final Swiss ranking and their open bracket points and face off against each other across 5 matches in each group. In the end, the top two teams from each group will advance to the next stage – Playoffs.

STAGE 4 – PLAYOFFS

The eight teams from GSL groups will join the top eight teams from Swiss in a two-week-long, sixteen-team double-elimination tournament. Starting November 16 and ending November 24, these teams will be seeded based on a group draw where the top-seeded teams from Swiss will choose their opponents in Round 1. The top teams from each region move forward to the studio LAN in Stage 5.

STAGE 5 – KNOCKOUTS

The top teams from playoffs will come to our studio in Alpharetta, Georgia, to compete for a chance to go to Vegas. From December 12-15, these teams will play in two groups, four teams each, for both qualification and seeding, with two teams getting eliminated and the other six qualifying for the live LAN event in the HyperX Arena Las Vegas.

STAGE 6 – HYPERX ARENA LAS VEGAS

Based on their seeding from Stage 5, six teams will come to the HyperX Arena Las Vegas to compete in a double elimination, $300k prize pool tournament. From January 17 to 19, 2025, these teams will play in front of a live audience to become the first LAN winners of SMITE 2.

It’s a lot to take in and make sure to check out our posts detailing each stage to find out more information on the tournament as a whole. Make sure you stay tuned to our socials (@SmitePro) for more details about tickets and signups.

Interested in competing? Make sure to join the SMITE 2 Esports discord to stay up to date on all the most recent information: discord.gg/SmiteEsports

Also, make sure you tune in on Saturdays and Sundays while the tournament is going on to catch the games live, or, if you can’t make it, check out SmiteVod on YouTube to watch at your own convenience!

24/7 Closed Alpha Starts on Aug 27!

Join our 24/7 Closed Alpha, where we are forging a challenging, team-based, mythological Battleground. Become a Founder today to jump into the action and be a part of the development.

[h2]What to Expect in the 24/7 Closed Alpha[/h2]

Our community’s voices are core to how we create a great game experience for you, and we’re committed to responding to player feedback. We recognize the need for more Gods, more polished features, and more modes before we fully launch. Our 24/7 Alpha is the perfect time for you to experiment with everything SMITE 2 has to offer. During this time, get ready to try something new and provide meaningful feedback through surveys and our social channels.

[h2]Closed Alpha Patch Notes[/h2]

If you missed the Update Show, here's a quick overview of the highlights headed your way.
Check out the full patch notes here.

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