SMITE 2 officially announced; closed alpha testing for the MOBA sequel begins later in 2024

In 2014, developer and publisher Hi-Rez Studios launched SMITE for the PC. The mythology-themed third-person fantasy MOBA game expanded its reach in 2015 to the Xbox One, in 2016 to the PlayStation 4, and in 2019 to the Nintendo Switch. In 2020, Hi-Rez announced SMITE had over 40 million players.

Today, Hi-Rez announced it is working on a full stand-alone sequel, SMITE 2. This new game will keep the main elements of the original SMITE but add new features and will run on Unreal Engine 5.

Here's a very quick look at the game's features:

Fight as a God: Choose your God from across mythology and wield unique godly abilities. Hurl bolts of lightning as Zeus, master the arcane powers of death as Anubis, or backstab your foes as Loki.

The Third-Person Action MOBA: No other game offers combat that feels like your favorite hero shooter, crossed with the deep strategy you can only find in a 5v5 MOBA. Feel the impact of every shot, sneak up on enemies, and combo abilities with teammates to take down the enemy Titan.

Plays Great Everywhere: SMITE 2 is the only MOBA designed from the start to play amazingly on keyboard and mouse, or controller. SMITE 2 features full cross-play and cross-progression, so you can play with friends regardless of platform and take your unlocks with you from PC to console.

SMITE 2 will be released for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, along with the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 consoles and even Valve's Steam Deck. The original SMITE game will continue to exist and will receive new content and updates alongside SMITE 2.

If play the original SMITE, the bad news is that you won't be able to transfer your in-game content and progression to SMITE 2. The good news is, according to SMITE 2's FAQ page, any in-game Gem you got in SMITE, either free or via money, will translate into Legacy Gems in SMITE 2. They can be used to purchase most of that game's in-game content for 50 percent of their prices. You will also get unlocks in SMITE 2 based on your progression in the first game.

There's no final release date yet for SMITE 2. However, players can sign up on the game's website to be picked for closed alpha testing that is set to begin in the spring of 2024.