One of the speaking factors popping out of the reveal of Smite 2 is developer Hello-Rez Studios’ determination not to port the unique recreation’s skins, many of which gamers have paid for, to the sequel.
Free-to-play third-person multiplayer on-line battle enviornment recreation Smite launched in 2014. The sequel is constructed utilizing Unreal Engine 5, with an alpha playtest deliberate for spring 2024 some 10 years after the unique got here out.
Smite was initially designed on Unreal Engine 3 again within the early 2010s and has stayed on that platform. “Whereas it has labored properly for us, 10 years is a very long time and our work to date in Unreal Engine 5 has proven us simply how thrilling the long run of Smite could be,” Hello-Rez stated.
In its keynote to announce Smite 2, Hello-Rez workers defined why it’s circuitously transferring over current content material from Smite 1 to Smite 2, highlighting simply how massive a change is being made for Smite 2. Calling Smite’s transfer from Unreal Engine 3 to 5 a “multi-generational leap”, Hello-Rez insisted it’s not possible to port all of the content material in Smite 1 to Smite 2 due to the time it might take.
Artwork director Ben Knapp stated: “At present, as a result of we wish to make sure that all of the content material that goes into Smite 2 is strictly higher, it takes about two months of work to get one pores and skin from Smite to Smite 2. And that is if we simply port it with results with out making different significant enhancements.”
“As of right now there are about 1,600 skins in Smite, excluding mastery skins,” artwork producer Sherri Harney added. “To only port each pores and skin to Smite 2 it might take about 246 person-years of work, and we couldn’t try this and make Smite 2 as wonderful as we knew it might be if we began recent.” This “laborious name” was made early in growth, Hello-Rez revealed. “We believed that our gamers wished a greater model of Smite greater than anything.”
As a make-good, Hello-Rez has created a Legacy Gems system that rewards Smite 1 gamers with digital forex they’ll spend on Smite 2 content material. The quantity of Legacy Gems ready for gamers in Smite 2 relies on how a lot they’ve spent in Smite 1.
For individuals who’d choose to stick to the unique, Smite 2 gained’t substitute Smite 1. The unique will proceed to run as a standalone recreation, and can obtain common updates for the foreseeable future, Hello-Rez stated.
Smite 2 launches on PC, Xbox Collection X and S, and PlayStation 5 with full crossplay.
Wesley is the UK Information Editor for IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You’ll be able to attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.