Smite is a third-person Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game in which two teams of three to five players battle to destroy enemies and a central figure called the Titan.

Each team's respective side of the map is protected two defensive towers and an enemy Phoenix. All Phoenixes must be destroyed, along with the Titan, in order to win the game.

The most common game mode, Conquest, is played on a three-lane map with a large jungle between each lane.

Teams are made up of three to five Gods (also called immortals), each controlled by a human player, who possess individual statistics and abilities that develop throughout the course of the game.

Gods upgrade their abilities by gaining levels and purchasing items. Gods gain experience to level up and gold to acquire new items by defeating enemy Gods, Phoenixes and computer-controlled minions that roam the map attacking allies and ally structures.

There is also an array of monsters located throughout the jungles that provide Gods with temporary boosts should they defeat them.

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GODS

The Gods in Smite are based around mythological figures from Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Hindu, Japanese, Mayan, Norse and Roman pantheons. They are divided up into five main character classes.

Hunters: These Gods deal the majority of their damage with basic attacks and are often ranged characters. They need plenty of help from items though to develop their abilities.

Guardians: Truly living up to their name, these Gods can take more damage than other Gods and are used to protect their teammates with enhanced crowd-control abilities. They don't do much damage, but they make up for it in other ways.

Mages: More susceptible to damage than other classes, these Gods use superior magic abilities to do the bulk of their damage. They are often ranged characters.

Warriors: These Gods, often melee characters, like to be in the thick of the action with abilities to deal and withstand a fair amount of damage.

Assassins: A lethal combination of skill and speed, these Gods can burst in and take out an enemy before they know what's happening. Often melee characters, these Gods are also talented junglers as well.

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IMPORTANT FACTS

• Smite was developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios and released in March 2014.

• Hi-Rez Studios runs the Smite Pro League, a professional eSports league featuring teams from North America and Europe. There are two seasons in a calendar year, a spring split and a summer split. The 2016 Spring Split begins on March 24.

• The first Smite World Championship was held from January 9-11, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. Teams from four regions - North American, South America, Europe and China - competed for a piece of the $2.6 million prize pool. North American team COGnitive Prime captured the title and just over $1.3 million.

• The 2016 Smite World Championship was held from January 7-10, 2015 in back in Atlanta, with European team Epsilon eSports taking home the title. Hi-Rez Studios decided to put a $1 million cap on the prize pool of the tournament moving forward in order award players more money throughout the course of the season.