SMITE 2 Wants Icons To Be Consistent, Nostalgic, Beautiful, And More Representative Of Abilities

In today's SMITE 2 Desk Dive video, we chat about something many players may never even think about when playing the MOBA, or hell, any other game for that matter. Senior UI Artist Marilyn Brackett shows off those small icons on your ability buttons, your buffs, or your items.

If you've played the original SMITE for a while now, you know the icons underwent a shift in detailed art direction over time. They ended up with something Brackett calls the "pretty painted icons." Honestly, they do look great. However, many just haven't aged nicely. That's not to say that the artwork is bad, far from it. However, due to the passage of time and game updates, some icons no longer match what their ability even does these days.

This is where SMITE 2 comes in. Not only does bringing over these icons bring a hint of nostalgia into the follow-up title, but it gives the team a chance to make the art more consistent from a style perspective and update the art, where needed, to better match the skill, item, or buff.

One additional step in the process sees the team trying to tie not only colors to each icon, but also visual effects (VFX). The latter item not only makes things pop, but it's also a way to assist color blind players in telling the difference between various buffs and various tiers.

The team is still working on these so they may not all be ready immediately, but you should see some in upcoming alpha tests. To guarantee your alpha access you'll need a Founder's Pack.