Smite was always a fairly niche game in the MOBA world. Between DOTA 2 and League of Legends, the space created for competitors was and is brutally acute. Something the likes of Heroes of the Storm and Paragon know all too well.
Hi-Rez studios, responsible for the publishing of Smite, released the alpha build of their follow-up MOBA, “Smite 2” on the 27th of August, 2024, and you’d be forgiven for not knowing that. The game, which some have been calling a “copy and pasted” version of Smite 1 with alterations to its pacing, is receiving mixed reviews on Steam.
Some of the negative reviews are concerned with micro-transactions, with one review writing:
“I’ve got over 250,000 worth of these Legacy Gems, and they’re basically worthless unless I dump more money into the game. Imagine spending years on the first game, racking up skins and cosmetics, and now, instead of honoring that investment, they make you pay AGAIN. This system is nothing short of a blatant cash grab.”
The monetization system in Smite 2 does not allow for the cosmetics or premium currency to carry over from Smite 1, meaning long-time players of the original title cannot use their investments, cash or otherwise, to acquire certain in-game items for Smite 2.
And yes, that does mean there are currently skins, to be paid for with cash, in the alpha build of Smite 2. Wild.
In terms of gameplay, one user writes:
“A good step in the right direction for the future of the Smite franchise. There is really no reason to play the original after the release of Smite 2, it is better in basically every way.”
The developers, Titan Forge Games, have said that they needed to build everything from the ground up for the second Smite. This sort of development allows for huge overhauling of certain systems, and while change is not always welcome, this user believes it to be a strict upgrade over the original game.
What can’t be denied is the fragility of the thin line that Smite walks within the MOBA world. Its player base is very, very small compared to the market that DOTA 2 and League of Legends have taken up, and even the smallest misstep could spell doom for both Smite and Smite 2.
As it stands, it’s unclear whether or not Titan Forge Games and their publisher, Hi-Rez Studios, will be able to weather the current displeasure brewing within their community. If history is anything to go off of, Smite 2 will continue development as planned and will quietly enjoy a modicum of success in the background of the MOBA genre, despite the current unrest.