Long-running MOBA Smite is getting an Unreal Engine 5 sequel

By Tomas Franzese January 12, 2024

A lineup of gods in Smite 2. — Hi-Rez Studios

Since it first entered open beta in 2013, Hi-Rez Studios’ multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game Smite has been a genre mainstay. Smite 2, a full-on sequel to that game, was announced today ahead of 2024’s Smite World Championship.

Like its predecessor, Smite 2 will be a MOBA centered around mythology, where teams of five gods work together to take down the opposing team’s titan. Some new gods will be introduced to the Smite universe with this sequel, with ranged magic user Hecate being the first one of these revealed. Hi-Rez Studios wants Smite 2 to be a very approachable MOBA, so it’ll launch with auto-build and auto-leveling features for new players in matches and be available across PC, consoles, and Steam Deck.

Gameplay from Smite 2. — Hi-Rez Studios

While the original Smite still ran on Unreal Engine 3, Smite 2 makes the leap to Unreal Engine 5. “Smite is an amazing game, loved by millions, that is built on a technical foundation that is now well over a decade old,” Hi-Rez Studios explains in an FAQ on Smite 2’s website. “This technical debt holds back what Smite can be, from graphics to UI to audio to god creation and so much more. Smite Unreal Engine 3 is not directly compatible with Unreal Engine 5, and there was no path to upgrade what we had without completely rebuilding. Smite 2 starts from scratch and rebuilds Smite to bring it into the modern age.”

For those who played the original, the official store descriptions for Smite 2 promise that it will give legacy players “cross-gen skins, badges, and Legacy Gems after you link your Smite account.”

Smite 2 is in development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with Hi-Rez Studios promising crossplay and cross-progression support between platforms. No specific release window for the final game has been shared yet, but interested players can register for the alpha on Smite 2’s website and expect monthly testing to begin this spring.

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Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

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