SMITE 2 News

The following changes have been made to SMITE 2 this morning. PC clients will see these immediately and consoles follow a bit later today. 

• 
  Artemis trap no longer causes attacks to miss targets 
  
• 
  Reduced the volume for the default ambient background music
  
• 
  Fixed an issue where the Silent Strike chest ownership count was broken 
  
• 
  Fixed a sorting issue with chest bundles
  
• 
  Fix an issue where chest screen purchase clicks would sometimes fail
  
• 
  Awilix Nerf
  
  • 
    Summon Suku (1)
    
    • 
      Decreased Base Damage from 80/135/190/245/300 to 70/120/170/220/270
      
    • 
      Decreased Scaling from 80% Strength to 70% Strength
      
  • 
    Moonlight Charge (3)
    
    • 
      Decreased Scaling from 80% Strength to 70% Strength
      
  • 
    Gravity Surge (4)
    
    • 
      Increased Cooldown from 90/85/80/75/70 to 90s at all ranks.
      
• 
  Aphrodite Nerf
  
  • 
    Center Of Attention (P)
    
    • 
      Decreased Protections from 4 per stack to 3 per stack.
      
  • 
    Back Off! (2)
    
    • 
      Decreased Ally Damage Scaling from 70% to 50%.
      
    • 
      Bonus Damage decreased from 21.25% to 15%.
      
• 
  Thor Nerf
  
  • 
    Mjolnir’s Attunement (1)
    
    • 
      Increased Cooldown from 13s at all ranks to 14s at all ranks.
      
  • 
    Berserker’s Barrage (3)
    
    • 
      Decreased Spin Scaling from 40% Strength to 35% Strength
      
• 
  Mordred Nerf
  
  • 
    Shoulder Charge (Passive)
    
    • 
      Decreased Base Damage from 15 to 12.
      
    • 
      Decreased Per Level Damage from 4 to 3.
      
  • 
    Aspect Of Rage
    
    • 
      Shoulder Charge (Passive)
      
      • Decreased Bonus Damage for recent god hits from 10 to 7.

Did you miss Titan Talk yesterday! No worries, here is a summary!




Special Guest: Kellen

• 
  Audio Manager at Titan Forge, working on Smite for almost 11 years
  
• 
  Oversees and directs audio/music for the game
  
• 
  Collaborates with various departments to ensure seamless audio integration
  

Kellen joined the show to discuss the ongoing work on Smite’s music and audio systems, along with the team’s approach to bug fixes and upcoming improvements.
[h2]Housekeeping & Recent Bug Fixes[/h2]

• 
  Hot Fixes Deployed:
  
  1. 
     Fixed an issue where minions dealt no damage to familiars or pets.
     
  2. 
     Further potential fix for the mini map overlay bug appearing in the store.
     
  3. 
     Resolved an issue with the Health Chalice not refilling on respawn if it had zero charges upon player death.
     
  4. 
     Fixed an audio bug causing the “ally has left the game” sound to play in post-match lobbies.
     
  5. 
     Restored music packs functionality in Assault mode.
     
  6. 
     Updated Aladdin’s lamp inventory behavior to prevent despawning other active items.
     
  7. 
     Fixed Zeus’s ultimate hit sound on his T5 (and base) skin so it now plays the correct effect.
     
  8. 
     Modified Bari’s Sacred Bell projectile and warning circle visuals to be more clear.
     
• 
  Known Issues & Ongoing Work:
  
  • 
    Pele’s Pyroclast Return: Investigating a bug with Pele’s pyroclast projectiles not returning properly.
    
  • 
    Silent Wish Chest Ghost Rolls: Working on a fix for ghost roll issues—players will not lose any currency in the meantime.
    
  • 
    Several other bug fixes mentioned by the dev team, including:
    
    • 
      Ymir Wall & Yemoja 3 incorrectly breaking Magi’s.
      
    • 
      Bari’s Mystic Surge incorrectly tracking minion/jungle camp kills.
      
    • 
      Match audio persisting into the end-of-match lobby.
      

[h2]Music & Audio in Smite 2[/h2]
[h3]Music Packs Overview[/h3]
New in Smite 2: Music packs have finally been introduced in Open Beta 5. These allow players to customize their in-game music, from the fountain-lobby intro track to epic kill streak pieces.

• 
  Why Music Packs?
  
  • 
    Adds new layers of personalization and immersion.
    
  • 
    Dynamic music triggers for taking down objectives, kills, and more.
    
  • 
    A broad range of musical styles from calm lofi to heavy metal.
    

[h3]Top 10 Most-Equipped Music Packs (from Smite 1)[/h3]

1. 
   Jetpack Fighter – Surprising #1 pick with an energetic, futuristic vibe.
   
2. 
   Ruby (Licensed)
   
3. 
   Slushy (Licensed)
   
4. 
   Cyber Tokyo – Dark synthwave inspiration.
   
5. 
   From the Nether – Spooky, ominous undertones.
   
6. 
   Spirit Guide – Epic orchestral adventure feel.
   
7. 
   Senpai – Anime-inspired, lively track.
   
8. 
   Hellfire Syndicate – Metal-meets-hip-hop for a demonic/fashion vibe.
   
9. 
   Heavenly Hymns – Ethereal and classic Smite orchestral.
   
10. 
    Pirate – An adventurous pirate-themed rock mix.
    

Note: Some licensed packs cannot be carried forward into Smite 2.
[h3]Kellen’s Personal Favorites[/h3]
Kellen, who oversees much of the audio direction, listed his top picks:

1. 
   Worlds Collide – A unique fusion of lofi and metal elements.
   
2. 
   Season of Souls – Dark and intense metal reminiscent of fast-paced action games.
   
3. 
   Chibi Mech – High-energy and upbeat EDM/trance blend.
   
4. 
   Sea Shanty – Features actual Hi-Rez employees singing a jaunty pirate tune.
   
5. 
   Arcane Purity – Magical orchestral vibe ideal for a wizardly or mystical mood.
   
6. 
   Divine Uprising – Classic, epic orchestral theme.
   
7. 
   Bollywood – Vibrant, culturally-inspired track that’s a hidden gem.
   
8. 
   Lo-Fi – Perfect for chill gaming sessions.
   
9. 
   Prism of Soul – Epic, slightly tragic orchestral piece.
   

Each pack was created by partnering with a range of composers, followed by feedback and iteration rounds. Some highlight collaborations have been done with producers like Andrea Bellucci, as well as artists from the metal band Hath.
[h2]Behind the Scenes: Audio Direction[/h2][h3]How Audio Themes Are Crafted[/h3]

• 
  Collaboration with God Designers: Kellen meets with design teams to understand a character’s abilities, tone, and needs.
  
• 
  Sound Palettes: Each god or theme receives a “sound palette” to set cohesive elements and textures across all abilities.
  
• 
  Iterative Development: Feedback is crucial—multiple revisions happen before finalizing a set of sounds.
  
• 
  Challenges: Avoiding overly literal sounds (e.g., barking bunnies) and ensuring variety among thematically similar gods.
  

[h3]Dynamic Mixing & Future Audio Improvements[/h3]

• 
  Dynamic Mixing: Adjusts volume and intensity of different sounds (e.g. hits, global events) in real-time.
  
• 
  Potential Upcoming Tech: Expanding dynamic mixing for better hit feedback, better positional audio, and more.
  
• 
  Music Packs: Kellen teases an idea to create a possible “music pack playlist” system, letting players select and randomize segments from their owned packs.
  

[h3]Working on Licensed Music & Projects[/h3]

• 
  Slipknot Collaboration: A huge highlight, culminating in exclusive Slipknot crossover packs & skins. Kellen recounts meeting the band and how important authenticity is in such high-profile partnerships.
  
• 
  Monster Cat & Other Collaborations: Deeper behind-the-scenes look at how new partnerships evolve and factor into Smite’s audio identity.
  

[h2]Community Q&A Highlights[/h2]

• 
  Announcer Packs: The team is looking into bringing them to Smite 2. This includes the beloved Cthulhu and Lorelady versions, plus potential new ones.
  
• 
  Zeus T5 Audio Issue: Recently addressed so T5 Zeus’s ultimate & hit sounds now match the intended design.
  
• 
  DJ Skins Playing Music Together: Formerly a complicated system in Smite 1, but it may be easier in UE5. The team is investigating ways to bring back group-synced music.
  
• 
  Sun Wukong/Guan Yu Drums: Classic requests to restore old, iconic drum sounds and themes. It’s under consideration for the future.
  
• 
  Upcoming Gods & Audio Teaser: Next god’s name starts with an H — and yes, they have a voice.
  

[h2]Key Dates & Events[/h2]

• 
  Pele Pyroclast Fix: Ongoing investigation to ensure return projectiles function properly.
  
• 
  Silent Wish Chest Issue: Being resolved so ghost rolls no longer occur.
  
• 
  Community Tournaments: Nika and Hazer are hosting the Smite 2 Euros. Catch the drafts and matches this week.
  
• 
  St. Patrick’s Day Event (Starting Friday): Complete matches to unlock the Celtic Music Pack for free.
  

[h2]Final Takeaways[/h2]

• 
  Continuous Updates: The Smite 2 team is rapidly tackling bugs, performance improvements, and community feedback.
  
• 
  Ever-Evolving Audio: Music packs add flavor; new dynamic mixing systems are on the horizon, with Kellen constantly refining the in-game soundscape.
  
• 
  Stay Connected: More shows coming, including Monday’s “Merlin” reveal episode. Don’t miss the daily news on bug fixes, new features, and Q&A!
  

[h3]Here are the items that have been hotfixed in the last 24 hours:[/h3]

• Fixed an issue where Bari could get an extra enhanced ability
  
• Fixed an issue with Pele’s Pyroclast where return charges were not properly registering
  
• Fixed an issue with Thanatos Ultimate where he would retain his speed buff after respawn
  
• Fixed an issue where Bari’s foot was twitching in the lobby
  
• Made it easier for gamepad players to lock in gods for Assault
  
• Bari’s audio will no longer loop at start
  
• Ragnarok Force X now plays the correct music
  

A small hotfix has gone out to address a number of issues the team is working on. There are still some other high priority ones in process, but we did not want to hold these:

• Fixed an issue where minions were dealing no damage to familiars.
• Made another potential fix to Store Overlay issues reported on console
• Fixed an issue with Health Chalice where if it had 0 charges and a player dies, it won’t refill
• Fixed an audio issue at end of match (“Ally has left the game”)
• Fixed an issue where Music Packs weren’t working Assault
• Aladdin - Moving the Lamp in his inventory no longer despawns other active items
• Fixed a sound effects issue where Zeus was playing the wrong hit sound
• Made an effects change to Bari Sacred Bell projectile and animation of warning circles

[h3]Also, Titan Talks covered a number of topics around the release of Open Beta 5 on Monday but in case you missed it here are the highlights:[/h3]

• 
  Princess Bari (New God)
  
  • First deity from the Korean Pantheon.
  • Relies on bell combos and a unique spirit bar instead of traditional mana.
  • Dynamic, combo-oriented kit, with powerful synergy around her abilities.
• 
  New & Returning Skins
  
  • Silent Wish Aladdin: Exclusive to SMITE 2, available in the Silent Strike chest.
  • Classic Skins now live:
    • Steel Samurai Susano
    • Pool Party Jing Wei
  • Cross-Gen Skins:
    • Vizier Egbert Beakington Ra
    • Court Charmer Aphrodite
    • Court Archer Cupid
  • Divine Legacy: Supernova Pele
  • New Cosmetics:
    • Ninja Vanish global emote
    • Silent Strike badge
• 
  General Additions
  
  • HUD Editor(for PC & Console):
    • Customize UI layouts.
    • On console, move elements with the right stick.
  • Music Packs:
    • Over 60 returning SMITE 1 music packs in a special chest.
    • Equipped via Profile > Loadout.
    • Celtic Music Pack coming free as part of a St. Patrick’s Day event.

[h2]Conquest Map & Game Mode Updates[/h2]Conquest Changes

• 
  Slower Gold Gain
  
  • Extends mid-game so you don’t max out builds too fast.
  • Makes early and mid-game fights more meaningful before late-game items come online.
• 
  Brute Minions
  
  • Tankier minions appear after 7 minutes to help break tower defenses.
  • Resist mage clears more effectively and remove backdoor protections when they reach structures.
• 
  Minion vs. Minion TTK Adjustments
  
  • Reduces wave stacking so lanes don’t snowball into huge waves unintentionally.
• 
  Fire Minions
  
  • No longer grant bonus gold if your Phoenix is down, discouraging excessive turtling.
• 
  Towers & Phoenixes
  
  • Increased penetration damage for more defensive power.
  • New Minion Counter under each tower’s HP bar shows how many allied minions remain.
• 
  Runic Bomb Upgrades
  
  • Extended throw range with a fun “lob” effect.
  • Can now destroy the Fire Giant Pit door (great for strategic firefights).
• 
  Fountain Healing
  
  • Now ticks every 0.2s instead of every 1s (same total healing, just smoother).

[h3]Joust[/h3]

• Titan Health: Increased from 10,000 to 12,500 to prevent overly fast Titan kills.

[h2]God Balance Highlights[/h2]

• Achilles: Increased cooldown on Combat Dodge to reduce lane poke/spam.
• Bellona: Bludgeon damage & Scourge healing scaled back to reduce lane dominance.
• Chaac: Rain Dance healing increased, boosting his overall sustain.
• Khepri: Base kit buffed (shorter Solar Flare cooldown); Aspect damage scaling reduced.
• Mordred(Major Adjustments):
  • Old Shoulder Charge Aspect folded into the base kit (it was too fun to leave as an Aspect only).
  • Aspect of Rage reworked to grant cooldown resets on successful basics while Blood Rage is active.
• Rama: Better base kit damage/duration; Aspect of Precision toned down (less attack speed).
• Thanatos: Base kit healing & damage scaling improved; Aspect sees reduced damage/heal.
• Thor: Anvil of Dawn warning visuals shortened to match SMITE 1 timing, allowing for more consistent surprise ults.
• Vulcan: Passive mods (efficiency & thermal) both buffed for better payoff.
• Zeus: Chain Lightning damage scaling up for stronger poke.

[h2]Item Balance Updates[/h2]

• 
  Arondite (New Item)
  
  • Adds anti-stealth and high-utility scouting (peeking over walls).
  • Tailored for ability assassins needing more awareness and burst potential.
• 
  Elixirs (Strength & Int)
  
  • Curbed power spike in super-late game; toned down subsequent purchases.
• 
  Spectral Armor
  
  • Heavier attack-speed and crit-chance debuffs to combat high-crit comps.
• 
  Void Items (e.g., Void Stone/Shield)
  
  • Protection shred decreased from 15% to 12%.
  • Bug fixes so the shred applies consistently and fairly.
• 
  Stone of Binding
  
  • Slightly weaker debuff, but overall more reliable vs. low-protection targets.
  • Gained a bit more protective stats.
• 
  Devourer’s Gauntlet
  
  • Higher Strength per stack (+0.5) to reward fully stacked builds.
• 
  Magi’s Cloak
  
  • Cooldown up from 60s to 90s; cost increased by 100 gold.

[h2]Quality-of-Life & Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Elixir Sound: Slurps less noisy now!
• Susano: Smoothed out the pull timing on Wind Siphon for more consistent targeting.
• Floating Combat Text: Gold/XP, Heal, and Mana text fades faster and matches damage-number style.
• Item Store Improvements:
  • Clicking empty slots for Starter/Consumable/Relic auto-filters the shop to relevant items.
  • If you buy wards or potions mid-build, returning to your partially-built item no longer forgets your Tier 3 path.
  • Recommended Items tab is clearer for new players.

[h2]Looking Ahead[/h2]

• Ongoing Pacing Tweaks: Dev team will keep an eye on match lengths, tower pressure, and overall player feedback in both Conquest and non-Conquest modes.
• Aspects & Hybrid Roles: Further refinements expected to balance out bruiser vs. pure-tank vs. damage-focused builds.
• Future Patches: Continued Conquest environment art upgrades, UI enhancements (like multi-filter in the shop), and more new items/features on the way.

Welcome to the SMITE 2: Open Beta 5 update! This update introduces our newest deity, Princess Bari, hailing from the Korean Pantheon. Her unique playstyle revolves around Mystic Surge, granting her powerful burst windows where her abilities have no cooldown and gain special bonus effects. With a versatile kit blending mobility, crowd control, and hybrid scaling, Bari is sure to bring new options to the battlefield.

We’re also making changes to gameplay and player customization with this update. Conquest receives a significant overhaul to its gold pacing and minion mechanics to encourage more strategic sieging and reduce unexpected snowballing. 

Meanwhile, we’re introducing a major new feature that many have been asking about! Our HUD Editor which will now give you complete control over your in-game interface! You can now play your way, and set various elements such as scale and opacity. 

It'll be music to your ears, as we introduce Music Packs from SMITE 1 , allowing you to unlock and personalize your battle soundtrack. Finally, there are plenty of fresh skins and cosmetics up for grabs—don’t miss out on the brand-new Silent Wish Aladdin or the chance to bolster your collection with favorites from SMITE 1’s legacy lineup.

Dive into the detailed patch notes below for the full rundown on Princess Bari’s abilities, the new HUD customization options, gold pacing changes, and everything else in store for Open Beta 5. 


[h2]New God[/h2]

• Princess Bari (Live with the Update!)
  • General
    • Title: The Divine Mudang
    • New Pantheon: Korean
    • Ranged Basic Attacks
    • Damage Type: Magical
    • Scaling Type: Hybrid Scaling
  • Passive: Mystic Surge
    • Accumulate Spirit by dealing damage to enemies. Upon reaching 100 Spirit you enter Mystic Surge for 5s and can use any of your abilities with no cooldown. Abilities used this way have a bonus effect
      • Gain bonus Strength, Intelligence, and Attack Speed while in your Mystic Surge based on the rank of Spirit’s Cadence
  • Ability 1: Sacred Bell
    • Lob a bell, dealing Magical Damage to enemies where it lands. Warding Gusts or Reverent Steps push the Bell, dealing Magical Damage and Slowing enemies
      • Mystic Surge: +20% Lob Damage and now applies a Slow. +20% Rolling Damage and now applies a Stun. The Bell itself is 1.67x the size.
  • Ability 2: Warding Gust
    • Swipe your fan dealing Magical Damage to enemies and Knockback enemies who are close.
      • -30% Damage to enemies further away
      • Mystic Surge: +20% Damage and Knockback. Bells pushed are treated as Mystic Surge Bells.
  • Ability 3: Reverent Steps
    • Dance for a short burst of speed in any direction, then fire a projectile dealing Magical Damage when it ends
      • Hitting a God grants 50 Spirit and reduces this ability’s cooldown by 25%
      • Mystic Surge: +20% Damage, dealt instantly in a line. Bells pushed are treated as Mystic Surge Bells.
  • Ultimate Ability: Spirit’s Cadence
    • Conjure a spiritual dance that pulses three times. The first two pulses deal Magical Damage. The last pulse deals Magical Damage. Pulses apply a stacking Slow.
      • You and allies in the area gain Guardian Spirits for 4s. When taking lethal damage become Immune, Silenced, and Disarmed for 1.5s.
      • Casting this ability immediately places you in Mystic Surge for 10s.

[h2]New Skins and Cosmetics[/h2]

• NEW SMITE 2 Skins! (purchasable for 50% Legacy Gems)
  • Silent Wish Aladdin, available in the Silent Strike Chest

• Classic Skins (purchasable for 100% Legacy Gems)
  • Steel Samurai Susano
  • Pool Party Jing Wei
• Cross-Gen Skins (purchasable for 50% Legacy Gems)
  • Vizier Eggbert Beakington Ra
  • Court Archer Cupid
  • Court Charmer Aphrodite
• Divine Legacy Skins (unlocked in SMITE 1 via Divine Legacy)
  • Supernova Pele
• New Cosmetics
  • Ninja, Vanish! Global Emote + Silent Strike Badge Bundle, available in the Silent Strike Chest

[h2]General[/h2]

• NEW FEATURE - HUD Editor
  • Players can now access the HUD Editor in game via the Escape Menu to customize the scale, opacity, and position of various HUD Elements! This feature is available to players on all platforms.

• NEW FEATURE - Music Packs
  • Music Packs are now in SMITE 2! A variety of god-like soundtracks from SMITE 1 are available for unlock via the Classic Music Chest, purchasable for 100% Legacy Gems! Roll the Chest today and start building out your in game playlist!
  • Music Packs can be equipped on the Account Profile Loadout Screen.

[h2]Game Modes[/h2] Conquest

• Gold Pacing Changes
• "Item acquisition throughout the match has been adjusted so that players can build a Tier 3 item every 5 minutes on average. Previously, this timing would get shorter as the match went on due to the higher gold scaling."
  • Melee Minions
    • Base gold reduced by 2g
    • Gold scaling reduced from 0.5g to 0.25g
  • Ranged Minions
    • Base gold reduced by 2g
    • Gold scaling reduced from 0.5g to 0.25g
  • Minotaur
    • Gold scaling reduced from 1.5g to 1g
  • Jungle Camps
    • Alpha creature base gold reduced by 1g
    • Scorpion base gold reduced by 4g
    • Gold scaling reduced from 1.5g to 0.5g
  • Player Kills
    • Base gold reward for player kills increased from 150g to 200g
    • Inferior multiplier increased from 0.1 to 0.25
• Minion Changes
  • Brutes
  • "The goal of the brutes is to assist players with sieging into a structure in the mid and late game. Currently, a mage usually has enough power to clear a wave by themselves at a safe distance. Now, the attacking team will have the opportunity to push minions into a structure and make something happen."
    • A brute will replace a melee minion in the waves at set intervals throughout the match
      • The first replacement happens at 7 minutes, then at 15 minutes, and finally at 23 minutes
      • For example, at the 7 minute mark the wave will now be made up of 1 brute, 2 melee minions, and 3 ranged minions
    • Brutes spawn with an anti-magic shield, making them more resilient to magical damage
      • They gain 5% magical damage reduction every 3 minutes, capped at 50%
        • Magical in-hands will not be affected by this reduction, and are instead reduced by the normal amount
    • Brutes have more health and power than a normal melee minion
    • Brutes will use the Champion minion model (also known as the Warhorn minion)
      • Due to this change, minions affected by the Warhorn buff will no longer change character models
  • Minion vs. Minion TTK
  • "We noticed a problem with minions piling up and snowballing into large waves and taking down structures by themselves without any player being there to help snowball the wave. These changes are an attempt to ensure that waves move up and down lanes at a more predictable pace if left alone."
    • Minions will now do a consistent amount of damage to each other at all points throughout the match
      • Previously, minions would struggle to clear each other as the match progressed due to their increased protections
      • This should help reduce the amount of minion waves snowballing without player assistance
  • Minion vs. Minion Targeting
    • Ranged minions will now try to target minotaurs as they move forward passed their normal line formation
    • Melee and ranged minions will now attempt to prioritize ranged minions who are standing near the melee line formation
    • This change supports the reduction of minion waves snowballing without player assistance
  • Fire Minion Bonus Gold Revert
    • Fire minions no longer grant bonus gold when slain
• Structure Changes
  • Penetration Increase
    • Tier 1 tower penetration increased to 10% to 20%
    • Tier 2 tower penetration increased to 20% to 30%
    • Phoenix penetration increased from 30% to 40%
  • Minion Counter
    • A small counter under the structure’s objective health bar displays how many friendly minions are near the enemy’s tower
• Obsidian Dagger Nameplate Effect
  • The owner of the Obsidian Dagger will now have an effect applied to their nameplate
• Runic Bomb Changes
  • Can now destroy the door at the Fire Giant’s pit
  • Can now be placed further
  • Now has a throw animation
    • Has a travel time of 0.5s
• Fountain Changes
  • Fountain will now recover health and mana every 0.2s instead of every 1s
    • The amount of recovery per second still remains the same
• Conquest Art Changes
  • Tower Base Rings have been updated! They give strong and clear ring based definition of where the towers are located and detail their effective range.

Joust

• Titan
  • Increased Max Health from 10000 to 12500

[h2]God Balance[/h2]

• Achilles Nerf
  • Combat Dodge (Ability 3)
    • Increased Cooldown from 12/11.5/11/10.5/10s to 14/13.5/13/12.5/12s
• Bacchus Buff
  • Drunk-o-meter (Passive)
    • Increased Protections Buffs while Tipsy from 5% increased protections to 6%
    • Increased Protections Buffs while Smashed from 10% increased protections to 12%
• Bellona Nerf
  • Bludgeon (Ability 2)
    • Decreased Slam Damage from 80/145/210/275/340 to 70/130/190/250/310
  • Scourge Ability (3)
    • Decreased Heal Scaling from 7% Protections to 5% Protections
    • Fixed an issue where the heal amount and scaling was missing from the tooltip.
• Chaac Buff
  • Rain Dance (Ability 3)
    • Increased Base healing per tick from 8/13/18/23/28 to 10/15/20/25/30
    • Increased Heal Scaling per tick from 4% INT to 5% INT
• Fenrir Shift
  • Brutalize (Ability 3)
    • Decreased Protections while channeling from 5/10/15/20/25+2 per level to 5/8/11/14/17+2 per level
  • Aspect of Loyalty
    • Brutalize (Ability 3)
      • Increased Protections while channeling and for the additional buff duration on the aspect from 5/10/15/20/25+2 per level to 7/14/21/28/35+2.5 per level
• Hecate Nerf
  • Aspect of Ruin
    • Spell Eater (Ability 2)
      • Increased Cooldown from 9s to 12s
• Hercules Nerf
  • Mitigate Wounds (Ability 3)
    • Decreased Protections from 20/25/30/35/40 to 5/10/15/20/25 + 15% Of your Protections from Items
      • Note : The 15% is for each stat, meaning if you have 100 Physical Protection and 50 Magical Protection, you would gain 25 + 15 Physical Protection and 25 + 7.5 Magical Protection.
• Khepri Shift
  • Solar Flare (Ability 3)
    • Decreased Cooldown from 14/13.5/13/12.5/12s to 13/12.5/12/11.5/11s
  • Aspect of Laceration
    • Abduct (Ability 1)
      • Decreased Bonus Damage Scaling per tick from 30% INT to 25% INT
      • Decreased Bonus Damage Scaling per tick from 5% Max HP to 4% Max HP
• Mordred Shift
  • Shoulder Charge Rework (Passive)
    • Aspect of Rage has been integrated into the base kit
      • This ability no longer knocks up enemy gods hit but passes through them dealing damage
      • This ability cooldown is reset on damaging an enemy god with another ability
      • Damage decreased from 30 + 8 per level to 15 + 4 per level
  • Bloodrage (Ability 2)
    • Buff/Debuff Stack Count is increased from 4 to 5
    • Base Attack Speed is decreased from 40% to 30%
    • Gaining Bloodrage stacks now also provides 5% increased Attack speed per stack
      • The Attack Speed buff always ends when Bloodrage’s Movement Speed buff falls off.
    • Hitting enemy gods with the initial fire now applies 2 stacks of the Protection debuff to the enemies hit and 2 stacks of the buff to Mordred
    • Fix : This ability has always been debuffing enemy Magical Protections but was not in the ability description
    • Fix : Mordred was gaining twice the intended Physical Protection per stack instead of Magical Protection
      • Mordred now correctly gains magical protections on hitting enemies
  • Severing Slice (Ability 3)
    • Projectile Damage scaling increased from 50% INT to 70% INT
  • Pursue the Weak (Ability 4B)
    • Your character rotation is no longer locked while in the Prefire of this ability
    • This ability now provides a Heal each time an enemy god is hit
      • Heal per hit: 30/35/40/45/50 + 25% INT
  • Aspect of Rage rework
    • Basic attacks while Bloodrage is active no longer provide bonus Protections or Attack Speed but instead your non-ultimate and non-passive ability cooldowns are lowered by 1s. Additionally Shoulder Charge deals more damage if it has hit an enemy god recently.
      • 10 bonus damage per Stack. Buff stacks up to 5 times and lasts for 6s
      • Stacks decrease 1 at a time instead of all together on expiration
• Nemesis Buff
  • Swift Vengeance (Ability 1)
    • Increased Damage Scaling from 35% STR to 45% STR
• Rama Shift
  • Infinite Arrows (Ability 2)
    • Increased Buff Duration from 5s to 6s
  • Astral Barrage (Ability 4)
    • Increased STR Scaling from 55% to 65%
  • Aspect of Precision Nerf
    • Decreased Attack Speed from 0.76 to 0.7
• Sobek Buff
  • Aspect of Prey
    • Charge Prey (Ability 1)
      • Increased Intelligence scaling from 50% to 75%.
    • Sickening Strike (Ability 3)
      • This ability now heals for the full amount when the aspect is enabled, instead of for 50%
• Thanatos Shift
  • Harvester of Souls (Passive)
    • Increased Heal from killing gods from 20% of their max HP to 25%
    • Decreased Heal from killing minions from 7% of their max HP to 8.5%
  • Death Scythe (Ability 1)
    • Increased Damage Scaling from 70% STR to 80% STR
  • Aspect of Reaping Nerf
    • Soul Reap (Ability 3)
      • Decreased Bonus Damage Scaling from 3.5% of your max HP to 2.5%
      • Decreased Heal from 0.75% of your max HP to 0.5%
• Thor Buff
  • Anvil of Dawn (Ability 4)
    • Decreased the duration of the warning visuals enemies see from 1.2s to 0.5s. This should now match the duration of the effect in SMITE 1
• Vulcan Buff
  • Master Craftsman (P)
    • Efficiency Mod
      • Increased CDR from 10 to 20
    • Thermal Mod
      • Increased INT Scaling Bonus from 20% to 30%
• Zeus Buff
  • Chain Lightning (1)
    • Increased Damage Scaling from 50% INT to 60% INT

[h2]Item Balance[/h2]

• NEW - Arondight
  • Cost : 2550
  • Strength : 65
  • Cooldown Rate : 15
  • Active: Enemy Gods within 17.6m become revealed for 10s. Reveal persists through stealth. If any god is revealed, gain 25% Movement Speed for 10s. The first time you damage a revealed god you deal a bonus 30 + 50% STR Physical Damage. Cooldown: 75s.
• Elixir of Strength Nerf
  • Decreased STR from 75 to 50
• Elixir of Intelligence Nerf
  • Decreased INT from 120 to 80
• Spectral Armor Buff 
  • Increased Attack Speed Debuff Aura from 20% to 25%
  • Increased Critical Strike Chance Debuff Aura from 20% to 25%
• Void Shield Nerf 
  • Decreased Physical Protection Debuff Aura from 15% to 10%
  • Fixed an issue where this could remove the incorrect amount of protections.
• Void Stone Nerf 
  • Decreased Magical Protection Debuff Aura from 15% to 10%
  • Fixed an issue where this could remove the incorrect amount of protections.
• Stone of Binding Shift 
  • Decreased Physical and Magical Protection Debuff on the Passive trigger from 15 to 10
  • Increased Physical Protection from 40 to 45.
  • Increased Magical Protection from 30 to 35.
  • Fixed an issue where this could remove the incorrect amount of protections.
• Devourer’s Gauntlet Buff 
  • Increased STR per stack from 0.3 to 0.5 (Increases Total STR at max stacks from 45 to 55)
• Heartseeker Buff 
  • fixed an issue where Pen was listed 2x
  • Increased STR from 40 to 45
• Hydra’s Lament Buff 
  • Increased STR from 40 to 45
• Magi’s Cloak  Nerf
  • Increased Cooldown to from 60s to 90s.
  • Increased cost from 2450 to 2550.

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Quality of Life
  • Updated The Fallen Zeus Skin’s Lightning Strikes to better match his color scheme, and fixed an issue where his persistent in-hand FX  weren’t placed correctly.
  • Decreased the volume when consuming Elixirs
• Gods
  • Achilles
    • Fixed an issue where his Ultimate refire would time out while attempting to fire, cancelling the ability. 
  • Susano
    • Susano’s pull should be timed better to the ability cues.
    • Susano’s pull should now better attempt to keep targets in their relative position in the cone when they are pulled to Susano.
      • IE: When pulling a jungle camp of 3 monsters, the left monster should go to his left, the right monster should go to his right, the center monster should go directly to Susano.
• UI
  • Adjusted Gold, XP, Heal, and Mana floating combat text to be closer in style to Damage numbers.
    • XP and Gold text now fades out more quickly to clear up combat space.

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.