Titan Talks and Hotfix Roundup March 1st

Technical Updates & Hotfixes

Hotfixes That Went Live

• Double Worshippers Event: Talked about an issue affecting the event but this has been resolved.
• Recent Bug Fixes
  • Assault Bench Issue: Resolved a problem where initial picks were getting incorrectly added to the bench.
  • Auto Build Upgrades: Starter item upgrades now functioning as intended.
  • Spirit of Desolation / Jotun’s Revenge: Will no longer proc on clones.

• 
  Prophetic Cloak Reactivation: Prophetic Cloak was turned back on after the devs ironed out some unexpected behaviors.
  
• 
  Typhon’s Fang Disabled: Temporarily removed because buying and selling it retained its passive permanently. A fix is on the way.
  

God Release Roadmap

Overview

• The SMITE 2 team is moving toward a new God release schedule: one God every two weeks rather than every week. This begins with the next new God, Princess Bari, on March 10.
• Additional Weekly Content: Though God releases switch to bi-weekly, there will still be new aspects, items, and other exciting gameplay content every week.
• The new schedule: five classic Gods followed by an all-new God, ensuring a steady stream of beloved favorites and fresh faces.

Upcoming God Dates (Subject to Change)

1. Princess Bari – March 10 (OB 5)
2. Merlin – March 24 (OB 6)
3. Cerberus – April 7
4. Kali – April 21
5. Guan Yu – May 5
6. Apollo – May 19
7. New God (H) – June 2

Why the Change?

• Quality & Pace: The dev team wants to ensure each God has the level of polish and testing required for a stellar release.
• Production Realities: After recent team restructuring, it’s important to maintain a sustainable production cadence.
• Community Feedback: Many players requested more time to adapt to each new God, so this schedule supports that.

Art Deep Dive: Upcoming Gods

Art Director Ben walked through the unique challenges of bringing each God into SMITE 2’s upgraded engine:

1. Princess Bari

• Pantheon: The first Korean deity in SMITE 2, inspired by Korean shamanistic tradition.
• Design Elements:
  • Traditional garb (including a culturally-accurate tall hat) and bright pops of color.
  • Elaborate bells that tie into her in-game abilities.

• 
  Ben’s Notes:
  • The team did in-depth cultural research and collaborated with Korean staff to ensure authenticity.
  • Vibrant materials show off SMITE 2’s new rendering capabilities.

2. Merlin

• Release Date: March 24
• Famous for: Multi-stance magic (Arcane, Fire, Ice).
• Art Challenges:
  • Essentially three separate effects sets for each stance, making it a more complex project.
  • Cloth materials and magical accents are enhanced with next-gen PBR (Physically Based Rendering) materials.

• 
  Ben’s Notes:
  • The original Merlin design was well-received in SMITE 1, so the focus is on polishing visuals and materials.
  • Effects teams are creating stand-out animations for each elemental stance.

3. Cerberus

• Release Date: April 7
• Key Feature: Three-headed design requires specialized rigging.
• Art Upgrades:
  • Adjusted the snout/head ratio to feel more dog-like and balanced.
  • Upgraded materials for more realistic and menacing texture details.

• 
  Ben’s Notes:
  • Each head moves independently, which increases animation complexity.
  • Cerberus has unique rigging to handle multi-head behaviors.

4. Kali

• Release Date: April 21
• Notable Update: Received a bigger visual overhaul compared to her SMITE 1 design.
• Art Changes:
  • No more high-heeled armor; a more culturally resonant mid-ground between classic and modern styles.
  • Added a skull garland to highlight her lore roots.

• 
  Ben’s Notes:
  • The team aims to respect the spirit of Kali’s mythology while balancing modernization.
  • Extra arms, new cloth physics, and potential future touches (like a signature tongue cameo) are under consideration.

5. Guan Yu

• Release Date: May 5
• Core Theme: Legendary Chinese general vibe intact, with signature armor and horse.
• Visual Tweaks:
  • Updates to his horse’s proportions (less “buff,” more realistic form).
  • Polished materials to capture the PBR advantages.

• 
  Ben’s Notes:
  • No major design overhaul; Guan Yu’s stylized look is iconic.
  • Might subtly adjust proportions (hand size, etc.) if tech allows.

6. Apollo

• Release Date: May 19
• Rework Approach: Largely retains his known SMITE 1 revamp, upgraded with SMITE 2’s advanced materials.
• Ben’s Notes:
  • Key goal is to emphasize his golden details and skin rendering.
  • Adding subtle finishing touches to ensure cloth, gold, and hair all shine.

7. Mystery “H” God

• Release Date: June 2
• All-New God: Expect fresh lore, visuals, and kit design. More details soon!

Q&A Highlights

During the show, Kilgoon and Ben fielded community questions on art, design philosophies, and future content:

1. Why Bi-Weekly God Releases?
   • Quality control is the main focus. The SMITE 2 team wants every God to feel polished and well-tested.
2. Collaboration Skins:
   • Potential crossover skins are still on the table for the future, but the team is balancing new productions with community priorities.
3. Revamping Older Designs:
   • The devs aim to maintain each God’s iconic identity while applying a next-gen art pass to materials, lighting, and proportions.
4. Community Concept Submissions:
   • The team loves seeing fan-made concepts. If the community responds well, there’s a chance those ideas can become official.
5. Art & Lore Balance:
   • While the team respects the pantheons and their lore, practical gameplay needs can shift certain design elements.
   • Ultimately, the goal is fun, with a nod to authenticity whenever possible.

Closing Thoughts

• SMITE 2 continues to evolve and refine its gods, giving both veterans and newcomers something to be excited about.
• Community Feedback: The devs are actively reading and incorporating suggestions, so keep sharing your thoughts.
• Upcoming Streams: Look out for more Titan Talks and dev shows where they’ll dive deeper into Princess Bari’s kit, new feature reveals, and eSports updates.

Stay tuned for more Titan Talk episodes as SMITE 2 marches forward with a new content schedule, improved visuals, and community-driven improvements!

Thank you for reading, and we’ll see you on the Battleground of the Gods! Remember to follow our official channels for the latest news and patch updates:

Hotfix March 1st

• A few bugfixes that the team wanted to push out this morning include: Fixed a specific type of crash involving game modes
• Potential fix to an issue in the draft lobby where the UI would not show teams
• Fixed an issue where the HUD would not operate as expected during announcements like "Player X got a double kill"