Posted in: Games, Video Games | Tagged: Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics, Hi-Rez Studios, HRL, smite, Smite Tactics
Smite's Card Game 'Hand Of The Gods' Is Now In Open Beta
Hi-Rez Studios has announced that the card game spinoff of their hit MOBA Smite is in its Open Beta phase today. Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics is essentially the Smite themed lovechild of Xcom and Hearthstone. According to Hi-Rez's own words, that is. To mark the opening of the Open Beta test phase, Hi-Rez announced the Venus Competitor's Pack to "bolster the decks of new players and veterans alike," with 70 cards, a "Venus skin for Aphrodite in Smite," and other bonuses.
In addition to the open beta announcement, Hi-Rez announced Project Olympus, "a new initiative intended to improve core game features" in Smite. What exactly Project Olympus is, no one is quite sure at the moment, as Hi-Rez are being cagey about the details. We do know that the update will include a 64-bit client, improvements to the HUD and controller support, and a "knowledge bank" to help novice and veteran players alike improve their game. Accordingly, Smite Executive Producer Chris Larson said the update is "full of big changes that Smite fans have wanted for a long time." The first phase of Project Olympus is scheduled to roll out "over the next three Smite patches."
Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics was first announced in October 2016, and went into closed beta late last year. The game can be downloaded from its official website if you want to get in on the Open Beta fun. Smite is a hugely popular MOBA, especially among the players who tend to avoid the larger name games like League of Legends or DOTA 2. Giving the game a card game spinoff is pretty much an expected move, especially when you consider the success Blizzard has had with Hearthstone.