Hi-Rez brought down the house in Valancia, Spain with a triple helping of big news items. First off, Paladins is getting its 30th Champion named, Jenos, a new support champion. Hand of the Gods: SMITE Tactics, the themed CCG set in the same universe as SMITE, is entering open beta beginning today. Lastly, SMITE is headed for big changes to core game features with Project Olympus.
Paladins will be getting Jenos, "a Support Champion with an astral flair" according to Hi-Rez. In addition, the Splitstone Quarry map will be added as part of the test map queue. This allows players to see a very basic, rough map that is then updated and improved based on player feedback. Lastly, Ruckus will be getting cosmetic surgery to make him more visually suited to the game world.
Hand of the Gods: SMITE Tactics is now in open beta. Many of the changes to streamline and polish the game have been made in direct response to CBT player feedback. To celebrate today's OBT start, Hi-Rez has a new Venus Competitor's Pack with over 70 cards including a Aphrodite skin for SMITE.
Project Olympus is coming to SMITE that is aimed at improving core game features. The next three patches will be the first iterations of the overhaul that bring a number of QoL improvements to the game. SMITE will get regular updates through January 2018.
The first features announced as part of Project Olympus include:
- Major engine and systems upgrades, including a 64-bit client and support for higher-resolution textures.
- Significant Console SMITE updates, including HUD improvements, additional controller configuration options, and match history sorted by God.
- An improved in-game knowledge bank, full of tutorial videos to help new players learn the game and existing players improve their skills.
- Prestige Levels, which allow SMITE players to level beyond the existing level 30 cap
During the balance of DreamHack Valencia, fans can check out a number of eSports events including the SMITE Pro League Summer Finals, the SMITE Console League Summer Finals, Paladins Summer Premier, Paladins Console Wars and Hand of the Gods Valencia Open. You can see the full schedule here.
