As the clock ticks closer to the SMITE World Championships, Hi-Rez has revealed lots of new information about what sorts of changes and additions we can expect to see in SMITE for Season 3.
In addition to an aesthetically revamped map and some pretty big changes to gameplay and Ranked mode, The Battleground of the Gods will be getting a brand new pantheon. And the first new god from this pantheon is entering the arena on January 12th.
Amaterasu heads up new Japanese Pantheon
This new pantheon is inspired by Japanese mythology. Of all the pantheons that Hi-Rez was considering, Japanese was the most highly requested by fans.
The first playable character from this new pantheon is Amaterasu — a sun goddess and the source of all imperial leadership in Japan. Executive Producer Chris Larson was incredibly excited about Amaterasu’s model and animations, going so far as to say that she’s the best character they have produced thus far. Extra special attention was paid to her costume, her equipment, and even the manner in which she sheathes her samurai sword. Check out her reveal trailer below:
We don’t know everything about her abilities just yet, but we do know that her passive will be a debuff aura that affects one enemy, and then spreads to other enemies who come near.
“Her character model and animations are the best thing we’ve produced.”
–Chris Larson, Executive Producer
Though Amaterasu is hitting the scene on January 12th — right after the World Championship comes to an end — it will be about 3-4 weeks before we see the rest of this pantheon released.
When it does release, Hi-Rez will host a welcoming event called Rising Dawn. This event will include some brand new Japanese skins for existing gods. Check out the dev talk below to get a peek at the inspiration behind Amaterasu and see some of the skins that will be available soon:
What do you think of this new goddess? Are you as stoked about this new pantheon as we are? Sound off in the comments below!
