<s>
Smite	B-Application
is	O
a	O
2014	O
free-to-play	O
,	O
third-person	O
multiplayer	O
online	O
battle	O
arena	O
(	O
MOBA	O
)	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Hi-Rez	O
Studios	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Amazon	B-Operating_System
Luna	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Smite	B-Application
,	O
players	O
control	O
a	O
god	O
,	O
goddess	O
or	O
other	O
mythological	O
figure	O
and	O
take	O
part	O
in	O
team-based	O
combat	O
,	O
using	O
their	O
abilities	O
and	O
tactics	O
against	O
other	O
player-controlled	O
gods	O
and	O
non-player-controlled	O
minions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
multiple	O
player	O
versus	O
player	O
(	O
PVP	O
)	O
modes	O
,	O
many	O
playable	O
characters	O
,	O
and	O
has	O
a	O
successful	O
esports	O
scene	O
with	O
multiple	O
tournaments	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
annual	O
million-dollar	O
Smite	B-Application
World	O
Championship	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Smite	B-Application
features	O
many	O
different	O
game	O
modes	O
with	O
the	O
largest	O
being	O
Conquest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Currently	O
,	O
players	O
can	O
choose	O
between	O
a	O
large	O
variety	O
of	O
characters	O
from	O
different	O
pantheons	B-Application
including	O
,	O
but	O
not	O
limited	O
to	O
,	O
Babylonian	O
,	O
Celtic	O
,	O
Chinese	O
,	O
Egyptian	O
,	O
Greek	O
,	O
Hindu	O
,	O
Japanese	O
,	O
Norse	O
,	O
Polynesian	O
,	O
Slavic	O
and	O
Yoruba	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
characters	O
of	O
King	B-Application
Arthur	I-Application
's	O
legends	O
(	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
the	O
Arthurian	O
pantheon	B-Application
in-game	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
Cthulhu	O
Mythos	O
(	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
the	O
pantheon	B-Application
of	O
the	O
Great	O
Old	O
Ones	O
)	O
are	O
also	O
considered	O
pantheons	B-Application
in	O
this	O
video	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Conquest	O
is	O
the	O
default	O
game	O
mode	O
for	O
any	O
MOBA	O
like	O
Smite	B-Application
or	O
League	B-Application
of	I-Application
Legends	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
's	O
a	O
three-lane	O
map	O
based	O
on	O
Warcraft	B-Application
IIIs	I-Application
Defense	O
of	O
the	O
Ancients	O
map	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
matchmaking	O
system	O
uses	O
a	O
modified	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
TrueSkill	B-Device
ranking	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Smite	B-Application
was	O
made	O
available	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
on	O
May	O
31	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
with	O
its	O
closed	O
beta	O
,	O
transitioning	O
into	O
open	O
beta	O
on	O
January	O
24	O
,	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
Smite	B-Application
reached	O
3	O
million	O
players	O
and	O
later	O
4	O
million	O
players	O
in	O
June	O
that	O
same	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2015	O
,	O
more	O
than	O
10	O
million	O
players	O
have	O
played	O
Smite	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
,	O
the	O
teams	O
were	O
ranked	O
according	O
to	O
how	O
well	O
they	O
did	O
within	O
these	O
competitions	O
,	O
and	O
finally	O
,	O
the	O
top	O
teams	O
were	O
invited	O
to	O
compete	O
in	O
the	O
Smite	B-Application
World	O
Championship	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
January	O
9	O
–	O
11	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
Hi-Rez	O
Studios	O
hosted	O
the	O
first	O
Smite	B-Application
World	O
Championship	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
$2.6	O
million	O
prize	O
pool	O
for	O
the	O
tournament	O
was	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
the	O
third-highest	O
in	O
esports	O
,	O
behind	O
the	O
third	O
and	O
fourth	O
iterations	O
of	O
Dota	B-Application
2s	I-Application
The	O
International	O
and	O
just	O
slightly	O
ahead	O
of	O
the	O
League	B-Application
of	I-Application
Legends	I-Application
World	O
Championships	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2015	O
,	O
Stew	O
Chisam	O
,	O
president	O
of	O
Hi-Rez	O
Studios	O
,	O
announced	O
that	O
after	O
discussing	O
the	O
prizing	O
structure	O
of	O
Smite	B-Application
esports	O
with	O
team	O
owners	O
,	O
players	O
and	O
members	O
of	O
other	O
esports	O
communities	O
,	O
Hi-Rez	O
would	O
be	O
placing	O
a	O
cap	O
on	O
the	O
prize	O
pool	O
for	O
the	O
Smite	B-Application
World	O
Championships	O
at	O
$1	O
million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2016	O
,	O
the	O
Smite	B-Application
World	O
Championship	O
was	O
held	O
,	O
returning	O
to	O
Atlanta	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
total	O
prize	O
of	O
$1	O
million	O
awarded	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Smite	B-Application
is	O
a	O
freemium	O
game	O
that	O
is	O
free	O
to	O
play	O
but	O
has	O
in-game	O
purchases	O
for	O
player	O
skins	O
,	O
boost	O
and	O
more	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
skins	O
represent	O
brand	O
partnerships	O
including	O
Monstercat	O
,	O
RWBY	O
,	O
Teenage	B-Application
Mutant	I-Application
Ninja	I-Application
Turtles	I-Application
,	O
Bob	O
Ross	O
,	O
Stranger	O
Things	O
,	O
Avatar	B-Device
:	I-Device
the	I-Device
Last	I-Device
Airbender	I-Device
,	O
Transformers	B-Application
,	O
Slipknot	O
and	O
Nickelodeon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Smite	B-Application
received	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Leah	O
B	O
.	O
Jackson	O
of	O
IGN	O
rated	O
the	O
game	O
8/10	O
and	O
wrote	O
that	O
she	O
was	O
delighted	O
with	O
the	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
different	O
gods	O
and	O
the	O
detailed	O
models	O
,	O
indicating	O
"	O
A	O
new	O
perspective	O
on	O
familiar	O
game	O
design	O
can	O
make	O
everything	O
feel	O
fresh	O
,	O
and	O
Smite	B-Application
does	O
n't	O
stop	O
there	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wes	O
Fenlon	O
from	O
PCGamer	O
rated	O
the	O
game	O
86/100	O
,	O
criticizing	O
the	O
low	O
entry	O
barriers	O
for	O
ranked	O
games	O
and	O
emphasizes	O
Smites	B-Application
moderate	O
willingness	O
to	O
provide	O
new	O
players	O
with	O
an	O
easy	O
entry	O
into	O
the	O
MOBA	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Keith	O
Milburn	O
from	O
NZGamer	O
reports	O
some	O
IA	O
issues	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
version	O
that	O
made	O
the	O
game	O
less	O
fluid	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
praises	O
the	O
mixture	O
of	O
elements	O
in	O
Smite	B-Application
with	O
PvE	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
pleasant	O
chaos	O
,	O
which	O
scores	O
with	O
MMO-like	O
elements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paulmichael	O
Contreras	O
from	O
PlayStation	O
Life	O
Style	O
describes	O
the	O
free-to-play	O
model	O
from	O
Smite	B-Application
as	O
a	O
fair	O
system	O
without	O
falling	O
into	O
the	O
area	O
of	O
"	O
pay-to-win	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamesRadar+	O
listed	O
in	O
their	O
top	O
"	O
Free	O
PS4	B-Operating_System
games	O
:	O
The	O
best	O
titles	O
you	O
can	O
download	O
without	O
paying	O
a	O
thing	O
"	O
,	O
saying	O
"	O
With	O
a	O
current	O
line-up	O
of	O
93	O
playable	O
hero	O
deities	O
covering	O
ranged	O
and	O
melee	O
archetypes	O
(	O
with	O
separate	O
magical	O
and	O
physical	O
combat	O
types	O
)	O
,	O
spread	O
over	O
five	O
distinct	O
classes	O
,	O
there	O
's	O
a	O
huge	O
amount	O
of	O
tactical	O
team	O
play	O
to	O
get	O
stuck	O
into	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	O
Trends	O
listed	O
Smite	B-Application
in	O
their	O
top	O
"	O
The	O
best	O
free-to-play	O
games	O
for	O
2020	O
"	O
,	O
indicating	O
that	O
"	O
Smite	B-Application
has	O
been	O
a	O
mainstay	O
in	O
the	O
MOBA	O
genre	O
since	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
stands	O
out	O
for	O
its	O
third-person	O
presentation	O
,	O
differentiating	O
itself	O
from	O
League	B-Application
,	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Storm	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Dota	B-Application
2	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CulturedVultures	O
ranked	O
Smite	B-Application
fourth	O
in	O
their	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
"	O
20	O
Best	O
Free	O
Games	O
On	O
Steam	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2012	O
,	O
some	O
Hindu	O
leaders	O
became	O
upset	O
at	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
several	O
Hindu	O
gods	O
in	O
Smite	B-Application
and	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
they	O
are	O
player-controlled	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
deities	O
that	O
were	O
in	O
question	O
were	O
Kali	B-Protocol
,	O
Agni	O
and	O
Vamana	O
(	O
the	O
only	O
playable	O
Hindu	O
deities	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
)	O
and	O
there	O
was	O
particular	O
opposition	O
to	O
how	O
Kali	B-Protocol
was	O
dressed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rajan	O
Zed	B-Application
,	O
the	O
president	O
of	O
Universal	O
Society	O
of	O
Hinduism	O
,	O
released	O
a	O
statement	O
urging	O
Hi-Rez	O
to	O
remove	O
these	O
gods	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
claiming	O
their	O
presence	O
is	O
trivialized	O
and	O
in	O
other	O
words	O
,	O
offensive	O
to	O
the	O
devoted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
response	O
from	O
Hi-Rez	O
,	O
in	O
early	O
July	O
2012	O
,	O
the	O
Hindu	O
leader	O
who	O
spoke	O
out	O
against	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
not	O
given	O
up	O
on	O
his	O
quest	O
to	O
rid	O
Smite	B-Application
of	O
Hindu	O
deities	O
and	O
since	O
his	O
initial	O
statement	O
he	O
has	O
gained	O
new	O
backers	O
from	O
other	O
faiths	O
that	O
have	O
come	O
together	O
in	O
support	O
of	O
his	O
stance	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
content	O
is	O
offensive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rajin	O
Zed	B-Application
was	O
joined	O
by	O
Rabbi	O
Elizabeth	O
Beyer	O
and	O
Buddhist	O
Jikai	O
Phil	O
Bryan	O
in	O
condemning	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
content	O
as	O
offensive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
leaders	O
have	O
labelled	O
the	O
old	O
Kali	B-Protocol
model	O
as	O
being	O
depicted	O
in	O
a	O
"	O
pornographic	O
style	O
,	O
"	O
which	O
appeared	O
to	O
be	O
their	O
main	O
concern	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Kali	B-Protocol
character	O
went	O
under	O
a	O
major	O
art	O
and	O
gameplay	O
overhaul	O
in	O
December	O
2013	O
,	O
which	O
included	O
more	O
concealing	O
armour	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
protests	O
,	O
Hi-Rez	O
has	O
continued	O
to	O
expand	O
the	O
Hindu	O
Pantheon	B-Application
roster	O
,	O
with	O
its	O
most	O
recent	O
addition	O
being	O
Shiva	O
.	O
</s>
