Hi-Rez Studios have confirmed Shiva the Destroyer as one of the next gods to be joining Smite. The character will be added to the roster as part of the Season 9 update, dubbed ‘Dharmic Era,’ and is set to launch on January 25, 2022. The Smite team has not revealed any details on Shiva’s moveset or powers, but he is expected to join the game sometime in February - a while after the update goes live. However, judging by the trailer and leaked gameplay footage, it seems like the Hindu deity will serve the Warrior role. There also seems to be a support mechanic attached to him, whereupon dancing (Tandav), he heals every other god within his closed radius. Hi-Rez has also assured fans, that they have been working with consultants to ensure that the Hindu god is depicted both accurately and respectfully in the game. This is important because a lot of religious folks tend to be offended by “wrongful” representation of their deities in media. A good example would be the popular anime, Dragon Ball Super, which received a ton of backlash for featuring a version of Lord Ganesha. Even the Netflix anime, Record of Ragnarok, which featured an interpretation of Lord Shiva was not released in India, as the creators were afraid of retaliation. Other Hindu figures in Smite include Ganesha, Agni, Kali, Ravana, Bakasura, Kumbhakarna, Vamana, and Rama. Season 9 is also set to introduce 5 other gods from other pieces of mythology, though there is no word on which ones. Smite will also be introducing a new game mode, Slash, a merged result of the Clash and Siege modes. The map features the traditional tower, phoenix, and titan objectives, which upon completion grant boons/slash offerings to the players. Much like every other MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena), players will take part in 5v5 battles, while constantly switching champions to adjust to the enemy tactics. The new game map will add a wide-open space in the middle, and allow for teleportation as well. Other changes include balance updates, fixes for matchmaking errors, and some new skins to apply to your preferred choice of character. Lord Shiva and other soon to be announced gods will be added to Smite via the Season Pass, costing $40 (about Rs 2,990). The package comes with 1000 Gems to be spent on in-game cosmetics, a battle pass for unlocking skins and items, and new Gods.
