Smite 2 Alpha Thoughts

I have been playing Smite 2 since the earliest closed weekend alpha. Alpha software is still in a very early stage, with decisions being made on core gameplay and features that have yet to be added. The foundation of the game exists, but content is sparse; this stage is all about ensuring that the core mechanics can support the rest of the game. Complaints about the game lacking content at this point misunderstand the nature of development. Comparing an 11-year-old game to a brand-new one being built from the ground up is unrealistic.

The developers are currently focused on porting characters over while updating effects and designs. The emphasis has been on quality-of-life improvements and reworking older designs. The current alpha roster seems to be building a library of abilities that can be used as a basis for further character porting. Although this hasn’t been explicitly stated, it appears to be the case. More complex characters, which require additional time and resources, are being skipped for now, with various features either missing or yet to be added.

While the game mechanics generally make sense, I have some concerns with certain balance choices. It seems that balance has taken a backseat to content porting at this stage. Judging certain aspects of the game is difficult when matchmaking is inconsistent. Minor changes have gradually reshaped the gameplay. For example, the removal of the class system has shifted the focus toward INT (Intelligence) and STR (Strength) as more important factors in determining roles. Characters now deal either physical or magical damage: Physical damage scales with STR, while magical damage scales with INT. However, building INT on physical characters does not convert their damage to magical. For example, Sol deals magical damage but can benefit from STR in a carry role.

Some characters are designed to play multiple roles, gaining bonuses like extra utility when building INT. This approach shows promise in creating a flexible set of role archetypes. I hope the developers are bold enough to expand on this concept with early, middle, and late-game design. One possible idea could be that building STR on magical characters increases attack speed for ranged attacks.

In addition to changes in character design, itemization has also been revamped. The game now uses a recipe-component mechanic, allowing players to switch between build paths without being overly punished. If you make a mistake, the system is far more forgiving.

The two biggest changes, however, are how relics work and the introduction of active items. Relics can now only be selected at the beginning of the game and have long cooldowns. As a result, crowd control has become much stronger and more impactful, though there has already been a reduction in crowd control duration across the board. There is also less choice in terms of relics, with older relics moving to active items. These two changes have significantly altered how the game plays.

Additionally, wards now offer less vision and have shorter timers, meaning junglers face fewer counters than before. Combined with some buggy interactions, this creates a rough experience. At this point, I’m unsure about the direction the developers want to take the game.

Currently, the game feels snowball-heavy, with a focus on bursting down opponents and chasing them. The damage feels unavoidable, and there are few options for recovery when you fall behind. The early game has a punishing focus, with no trade-offs for characters that excel in this stage. Perhaps I’m wrong, but the base strength of characters seems off, and I worry that using this as a baseline could lead to future problems.

It’s also hard to describe the art and graphics; something feels off, as if the characters don’t quite fit into the world. The Conquest map remains unchanged, making the layout feel overly familiar. It’s still very easy to move between the jungle and lanes. While various new objects have been added, they don’t significantly change how the game feels.

Overall, Smite 2 feels like a love letter to the original game—more of a remaster than something entirely new. Even ability sounds have been transferred over. It seems like the developers are playing it safe instead of experimenting with bold new ideas. Despite this being a new engine with a new team building the game from the ground up, Smite 2 still feels like it’s treading familiar ground.

I understand that finding the right balance between innovation and preserving what works is tricky, but with no competition on consoles, Smite remains the only MOBA in town.

So, should you try it? Not yet—unless you can stomach an early-access game that could disappear, like so many live-service games over the years.