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SMITE 2 Announced: Alpha Playtests Planned for 2024; What Players Need to Know

SMITE 2’s January 2024 announcement promised an Unreal Engine 5 sequel and alpha tests later that year. Here are the actual alpha milestones, announced gameplay changes and how the game is presented today.
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SMITE 2 was announced on January 12, 2024, as an Unreal Engine 5 sequel to SMITE, with alpha playtests planned for later that year. The first Alpha Weekend was later listed as May 2, 2024, by a community-maintained wiki; Hi-Rez’s official notes say the closed alpha became playable around the clock on August 27, 2024. SMITE 2 is now presented on its official site as free to play and in Open Beta.

What SMITE 2 is—and what the announcement promised

In a PlayStation Blog post dated January 12, 2024, Alex Cantatore, Executive Producer at Titan Forge Games, called SMITE 2 “the Unreal Engine 5-powered true sequel to the original hit, Smite.” The game retains SMITE’s third-person action combat within a 5v5 MOBA structure.

The announcement described the familiar Conquest-style match: five-player teams advance through three lanes, fighting minions, jungle monsters and towers on the way to the opposing team’s Titan. Players earn match XP and gold to unlock abilities and items. Hi-Rez said at the time that more than 40 million people had played SMITE and that PlayStation players alone had accumulated more than 45,000 person-years of play; those are company-reported figures in the announcement, not independent measurements.

What changed in the announced gameplay

More flexible item builds

In January 2024, Titan Forge said gods would no longer be confined to the original game’s physical-versus-magical item identity. Items with Strength or Intelligence could shape a build, giving players more flexibility in how they developed a god.

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Active abilities moved to items

Active abilities formerly known as Relics were moving onto items, and the announcement said any item could carry an active ability. An auto-builder was also planned for players who preferred a simpler route to a usable build.

Conquest additions and presentation

The announcement listed an interact button for objectives, stealth grass, siege minion waves and an evolving jungle as additions to Conquest. For PS5, it also described updated camera and ability-animation feedback, rebuilt visual effects, a modernized user interface, revised character animations and DualSense haptic feedback. These were design details announced at the time, not independent assessments of performance or confirmation that every detail remains unchanged in the current build.

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When the alpha started

The January 12, 2024 post invited players to register for alpha testing and said: “Alpha playtests, which will start later this year.” It did not specify a spring start date.

  • May 2, 2024: The community-maintained SMITE 2 Wiki lists this as the date of Alpha Weekend 1. This specific date comes from that secondary reference, not the January announcement.
  • August 27, 2024: Hi-Rez’s official Closed Alpha 1 notes, dated August 22, said the closed alpha would become playable 24/7 starting on this date. The notes also said alpha changes drew on community feedback.

The official SMITE 2 homepage now says “Play Free Now,” and the official FAQ describes the game as being in an Open Beta development state. An official Open Beta 27 patch page dated January 27, 2026 confirms updates continued by then. Those sources establish the broad current status, but not the latest live patch or a current player count as of October 8, 2026.

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Where and how you can play

The official homepage lists keyboard-and-mouse and controller input, Steam Deck support, cross-play and cross-progression. The official FAQ identifies PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X and Steam Deck. Check the official site for current platform access details, since availability can change.

Option What the cited official information says
PC Steam and Epic Games Store are identified in the FAQ; the homepage lists keyboard and mouse and controller input.
PlayStation 5 Announced for PS5 in January 2024; the announcement highlighted DualSense haptics.
Xbox Series S|X Identified as a platform in the official FAQ.
Steam Deck Listed on the homepage and identified in the FAQ.

The January 2024 announcement said SMITE 2 was coming to PS5; its separate note that the original SMITE would remain playable on PS4 does not mean SMITE 2 was announced for PS4. Cross-play and cross-progression are listed by the current official homepage.

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Is a controller required?

No. Keyboard and mouse are supported, and controller input is another option. A DualSense controller is relevant only if you play on PS5 and want the haptic feedback highlighted in the announcement; it is not presented as a requirement for PC, Steam Deck, or other supported platforms.

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Free access, Founder’s Edition and legacy rewards

The official homepage presents SMITE 2 as free to play, and the FAQ calls it Open Beta. The Founder’s Edition page lists game access, god access, Legacy Gems, and tier-specific digital cosmetics and Ascension Passes. Treat it as an optional package, not a requirement for trying the current game; package contents and offers can change.

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Hi-Rez’s January 2024 announcement described a plan to return every SMITE gem spent—including free gems—as Legacy Gems. It said Legacy Gems could cover up to 50% of most new purchases, such as skins, battle passes and events. That percentage describes the policy announced at that time, not a promise that every purchase or current offer qualifies.

The same announcement described Divine Legacy as an achievement-based reward system, including Unreal Engine 5 versions of classic skins. These are the legacy plans presented in January 2024; consult the current official pages for applicable details.

Official sources

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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