Smite 2 developer Titan Forge Games has revealed the first brand new god to be making their way to the upcoming MOBA sequel, and it's none other than the Greek goddess of witchcraft Hecate.
In case you're unfamiliar with Hecate, like many Greek deities, she's associated with a number of different things. She's been cited as the goddess of not only witchcraft, but also the Moon, magic, and ghosts. What a resume, eh?
Hecate is the first new god to be revealed for Smite 2, and Titan Forge says that working in Unreal Engine 5 has allowed the studio to create some impressively mind-bending abilities for her.
In the accompanying developer deep dive, Titan Forge says that Hecate is a goddess Smite players have wanted in the game for quite some time, and she's "pretty iconic", hence her inclusion in the sequel.
The video goes into some detail regarding how Titan Forge built Hecate in Unreal Engine 5, including the simulated cloth physics of her veil and the way in which designers prototyped her moves without getting programmers involved during the early stages.
Hecate's moves will correspond to her status as a goddess of witchcraft. One move alters the way the world looks, for instance, while another uses both her abilities and her enemies' abilities to power up an orb which she can refire for big damage.
If you missed out on the announcement for Smite 2, the sequel was revealed in January this year. It's been built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5 and features many existing gods from the first game, many of whom will have refined or altered movesets.
Titan Forge and publisher Hi-Rez Studios say they're aiming to support both Smite and the sequel simultaneously, so if you've put thousands of hours into Smite, don't worry; you're not being left behind with the release of Smite 2.
We still don't have a Smite 2 release date yet, but when it does arrive, you'll be able to play it on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. You can check out our preview of the game here to see how it holds up in the MOBA genre, and you can also read our very own Erren's interview with some of the game's key staffers.