The new Smite patch is here, and it's adding fresh UI, rebalancing a bunch of gods, completely replacing another god and giving Freya a snarky new classic gaming tribute skin.
Kukulkan Slithers Into Smite, Bacchus Does His Best Elvis Impersonation
Earlier this week, players were introduced to Kukulkan, the flying serpent of Mayan mythology. In this patch, Kukulkan is completely replacing Ao Kuang, the Chinese Dragon King of the East Sea. Kukulkan's moves are identical to those of Ao Kuang, so the change is likely just a way to add a mage to the game's lighter Mayan pantheon. Considering that more than half of the remaining Chinese pantheon still consists of mages, they probably won't miss the change too much.
Old users of Ao Kuang shouldn't worry. Players who owned Ao Kuang will automatically get Kukulkan, and all stats and levels carry over as well. Ao Kuang's retro voice pack will also still be available through Kukulkan's Sacred Dragon skin. Other purchased Ao Kuang skins will be refunded through in-game currency. According to the patch notes, though, Ao Kuang isn't gone for good.
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The new patch also gives Freya access to a brand-new skin and voice pack: the Pixel Buster. Clearly meant as a tribute to classic games, Pixel Buster Freya wields an 8-bit sword, and her attacks all come with 8-bit sound effects. Her new voice pack includes mocking lines from Super Mario Bros., Mortal Kombat and Castlevania. She even throws in an "All your base" for good measure. The new get-up is listed as an Odyssey item, meaning profits from purchases of the skin go into the prize pool for the upcoming Smite tournament in January.
The new patch adds a couple of balancing measures to a handful of gods, though most are minor. Cabrakan, one of the newer gods, received a couple of new buffs to make him more competitive. The gods receiving the most attention are Arachne, who has been completely retooled, and Odin, who received a few new abilities in the name of balance. The developers talk more about the new changes to Arachne and Odin on their YouTube page.
Finally, the patch is adding a couple of new elements to the new UI, including a new HUD with increased preference options. A full list of patch notes can be found here to check out the nitty-gritty of the update.
Smite is free-to-play for Windows. An Xbox One port is expected for next year.