Smite 2

1. Summary

SMITE 2 splits its players almost exactly in half. Its fans come for the fighting: a MOBA played from a third-person camera with aimed abilities, which they call fun, especially with friends on voice chat. Some also like the Unreal Engine 5 visuals and the steady stream of returning and new gods, and a group of long-time players say the game came a long way from its rough alpha and now beats the original. Smite 1 comes up throughout, in both directions: reviews calling SMITE 2 the better game and reviews calling it a downgrade, with fewer gods and none of their old purchases, turn up in roughly equal numbers.

The complaints are specific. Players describe overtuned new gods and aspects, tanks that also deal top damage, and mages who build health and still burst. Smite 1 owners object to rebuying gods and skins they already had, and others to pricey skins, per-god passes and store pop-ups after matches. Bugs, crashes, lag and shaky PC performance come up about as often as balance and money. Reviewers also describe flaming, trolling and early surrenders from teammates that they say go unpunished, while players whose game crashes get queue penalties. Fans and critics often list the same problems and disagree on whether the fun outweighs them.

2. What keeps coming up

What players praise

The core action-MOBA combat is funHigh

Positive reviews call the game "fun" far more often than they praise any single feature. Players describe fast team fights, aimed skill shots and playing as mythological gods, and some prefer the modes with shorter matches. "The Unreal Engine 5 visuals look amazing, combat feels smoother, and every match is fast-paced and fun," one player wrote. Negative reviews use the word too. Some grant that the gameplay is enjoyable before turning to balance, monetization or teammates; others say the game stopped being fun.

Updated visuals and a smoother feel than Smite 1Medium

Graphics come up in about 8% of reviews. The praise says gods and maps look much better, abilities feel more responsive, and the engine move made the game feel fresh. One player wrote that it "Plays better than Smite 1 easy on the eyes unique cosmetics are easy to earn." Others describe the new look as plastic or cluttered in team fights ("They feel sharp and hurt to look at"), and some negative reviews grant the better visuals only to say nothing else improved.

Frequent updates and a game that improved after alphaLow

A smaller group, mostly long-time players, says the game turned around after a weak alpha and early beta. "Has come a really long way since it's rough beginning, the game is fun and I'd recommend giving it a try." The regular god releases get specific credit: "New and reworked gods being released every 2 weeks helps keep the game feeling fresh along with constant updates."

The third-person camera sets it apartLow

Players who bounced off top-down MOBAs say the over-the-shoulder view is the reason they stay. "I like my MOBAs to feel like an action game," one reviewer explained, and another noted that "The 3rd person view point make it easier for new players." A few find the camera awkward for aiming or basic attacks, or say the novelty wears off quickly.

Best with a group of friendsLow

Reviewers who play in a party describe the best experience, and several recommend it as the way to enjoy the game at all. "Fun game with others! Make sure to get a few buddies and jump in a voice chat!" Others give the same advice as a warning about solo queue.

Where players are split

Is SMITE 2 a better Smite?High

About 28% of reviews mention Smite 1. Those that explicitly call SMITE 2 better than the original and those that call it worse or a downgrade turn up in roughly equal numbers. The "better" side points to the engine, the visuals, aspects and new items, and to a cleaner feel in fights. The "downgrade" side says the sequel is the same game with fewer gods, fewer modes and none of their purchases, and some compare the switch to Overwatch 2. Some fans push back directly, calling the negative reviews nostalgia from players who "cannot adapt to change." Much of the anger comes from veterans with large Smite 1 libraries.

Aspects, hybrid builds and the item overhaulMedium

The new systems divide even the people who like the game. Aspects (alternate versions of a god's kit) get real praise: "Also aspects are some of the coolest things they've ever added." The same feature draws criticism: "The aspects would be cool if not most were either worthless or just straight up better then the normal kit." Hybrid strength and intelligence scaling, active items and changes such as the removal of classic anti-heal items split players the same way: some enjoy the build freedom, others say roles stopped meaning anything. Long-time players raise these topics far more often than newcomers, and the complaints feed directly into the balance frustration below.

Game modes beyond ConquestMedium

About 5% of reviews talk about modes. Some players name Arena, Joust or Assault as their favorite way to play, especially for shorter sessions. The complaints come from the same fans: missing Smite 1 modes (Slash, Siege, Clash, the rotating Match of the Day), no ranked Joust, and the feeling that only Conquest gets balance attention. "They don't give a single damn about the game modes other than Conquest," wrote one reviewer; another complained that "they took out ranked joust and now you have to play an hour long conquest."

Is it welcoming to new players?Medium

Reviews about the newcomer experience disagree. Some first-time MOBA players found it easy to pick up, citing clear roles, auto-build and the camera. Others describe a steep learning curve, a thin tutorial, and being thrown against veterans as soon as the bot phase ends: "My first match as a new player was against other players with a minimum of 80 hours in the game, I was just getting farmed." Reviewers on both sides warn newcomers about toxic teammates.

The roster still catching up to Smite 1Low

Missing gods come up mostly from Smite 1 fans waiting for their mains. Some accept the steady return schedule; others call it slow. "Until they add all the gods from Smite 1, the game is pretty meh," wrote one player who still recommended it. A smaller group sees the gradual roster as easier for new players to learn.

What frustrates players

Balance: overtuned gods, aspects and buildsHigh

Balance comes up in about 10% of reviews, most often from long-time players. The specifics repeat: new gods and aspects launch overpowered and stay that way for weeks, tank items are too strong, and hybrid builds let every role do everything. "Mages can build HP and defense, become nearly impossible to kill, and still delete people with ridiculous damage," wrote a Smite 1 player who uninstalled. Another described matches where "Tanks can do insane damage, damage dealers can build like tanks." Players also mention one-shot burst, long stun chains and weekly item swings that make builds hard to keep up with. Some positive reviews defend the churn as normal for a beta.

Monetization and lost Smite 1 purchasesHigh

Money comes up in about 9% of reviews, and Smite 1 players keep returning to carry-over: those who bought the god pack or hundreds of skins in Smite 1 have to buy them again. "my god pack i paid for? gone. gotta buy another." Reviewers who mention the legacy gems given in compensation often call them worthless without premium currency, though a few call the deal fair. Beyond that, reviewers object to skin prices, per-god Ascension Passes that put mastery skins behind a purchase, chests, and store prompts: "This game has more pop-ups and ads for its store than a mobile game." Players with few hours bring money up more than others, some right after their first look at the store. A few positive reviews counter that gameplay is never pay-to-win and that leveling unlocks gods.

Bugs, crashes, lag and PC performanceHigh

Technical problems appear in about 10% of reviews. Players describe abilities that stop firing mid-match ("There has been a game breaking bug that disables all ability use since alpha testing"), crashes during loading, desync and rubber-banding, and thin servers outside North America and Europe ("Oceanic servers are next to non existant"). PC performance gets its own complaints, including stutter while shaders load ("The first few minutes of each game are literally unplayable as the shaders load") and poor frame rates on strong hardware: "With a 4090 I'm struggling to pull 60fps on the lowest settings." Other players say it runs smoothly for them.

Toxic teammates, trolls and leavers that go unpunishedHigh

About 7% of reviews complain about teammates, and long-time players raise it most often. The complaints are flaming, intentional feeding, AFK players in spawn, surrender votes minutes into a match, and a report system players say does nothing: "Regardless of ranked or non-ranked you will almost always encounter trolls or leavers and reporting them doesn't do anything." One player who still recommends the game offered coping advice: "Mute early, queue with friends, keep expectations low."

Matchmaking and a small player poolMedium

Matchmaking complaints focus on solo players facing coordinated groups ("continuously put me with 4 randoms of lower skill against 4 and 5 stacks"), one-sided stomps, new players matched with veterans, and wide skill gaps in ranked. Reviewers often tie this to a small population, calling the game dead or pointing to long queues in less popular modes and regions.

Clunky menus and item shopLow

The menus and in-match shop draw steady criticism, most often from players in their first hours, including returning Smite 1 players: "Item shop is GOD awful UI, i played the first game alot and that games item shop was 10x better." Reviewers mention confusing stats, hard-to-find custom builds and the lack of a clear cue when it is your turn to pick a god.

Forced and hidden bot matchesLow

New accounts start against bots, and players object to two things: veterans of Smite 1 are made to grind bot games before real matches, and some PvP queues fill with bots without saying so. "The first few games are bot matches, even if you select pvp." Another newcomer summed it up: "Weird I played against bots for an hour trying to figure out how to not play against bots." Players with few hours raise this the most.

Leaver penalties that punish crashesLow

A smaller complaint, and one that grew in 2026: the low-priority queue and deserter penalties hit players whose game crashed, whose connection dropped, or who missed a queue pop. "Game will give you deserter penalties for the game crashing." Another wrote: "I lost power during a match. The match finished before I could rejoin. I received the abandonment penalty." Several resent having to type "I agree" before the penalty starts.

3. The player conversation

The tone is heated and personal. Negative reviews are often angry and short, while positive reviews tend to be brief endorsements ("its fun", "great game") or defensive replies to the critics. Some reviewers recommend the game while listing the same balance, toxicity and monetization problems the critics raise, and some negative reviewers admit they keep logging in.

Playtime shapes what people bring up. Players in their first hours talk most about the store, lost Smite 1 purchases, bot matches and the UI. Players with hundreds of hours talk most about balance, aspects, items, ranked, matchmaking and toxic teammates. Smite 1 comes up at about the same rate at every playtime level.

Week to week, sentiment swung without settling into a trend. Reviews from the 2024 alpha were about 41% positive. The free-to-play open beta in January 2025 brought a wave of reviews and a slump (37% positive in launch week, 23% two weeks later), followed by the best stretch in February and March 2025, when several weeks reached 58 to 61% positive. From mid-2025 on, half-year totals held near 49%, with weekly dips that followed contentious patches; the week starting 30 March 2026 fell to 30% positive as several reviewers complained about a new deserter penalty. Penalty complaints are more frequent in reviews written in 2026 than in earlier ones.

4. What the developers could do

1. Tighten balance on new gods, aspects and hybrid builds. Players name specific outliers (tank items, burst mages with defense, aspects that beat the base kit) that stay strong for weeks.
2. Act visibly on trolls, AFK players and leavers. Reviewers say reports do nothing and that intentional feeders and spawn-campers turn up game after game, which pushes some players out of solo queue.
3. Stop penalizing crashes and disconnects. Players describe deserter and low-priority penalties after game crashes, server kicks and power cuts, plus missed god picks with no audio cue, and want reliable rejoin and fairer rules.
4. Fix stability, servers and shader stutter. Ability-lock bugs, crashes, desync and poor performance on strong PCs come up in about one in ten reviews, and players outside North America and Europe report thin, laggy servers.
5. Give Smite 1 buyers more of what they paid for, and ease off the store prompts. Smite 1 owners resent rebuying the god pack and skins, and post-match bundle pop-ups and per-god passes add to the sense that the game is built around spending.
6. Separate solo players from premades and protect new players. Solo queue against 4 and 5 stacks and new accounts matched against veterans are repeated, specific complaints.
7. Let experienced players skip the bot phase and label bot matches. Smite 1 veterans resent mandatory bot games, and newcomers feel misled when PvP queues fill with bots without telling them.
8. Invest in modes beyond Conquest. Fans of Arena, Joust and Assault ask for ranked Joust, balance attention outside Conquest and the return of Slash, Siege and Clash.