SMITE 2 Announces Hel’s New Model and Stance-Based Kit

Hel's Aspect of Divergence will lock players into a single stance after they deal damage or heal allies, with enhanced abilities and a new ultimate arriving September 25.

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Hel appears divided between warm light and purple shadow in SMITE 2 artwork for the Race to Radiant event.

SMITE 2 is bringing Hel back as a Classic God with a new model, voice, card art, and a kit built around switching between Dark and Light Stances. The Steam announcement also outlines her Aspect of Divergence, an Ares Aspect rework, new cosmetics, movement-system testing, and a wide balance pass.

Hel’s passive rewards players for staying in one stance. Dark Stance increases her damage, while Light Stance weakens the Strength and Intelligence of nearby enemy gods. Her abilities then split between offense and support, with Decay and Hinder available in Dark Stance and Restoration and Cleanse available in Light Stance.

The Aspect of Divergence will release on September 25. By dealing damage or healing allies, Hel can fully attune to Dark or Light Stance, locking her into that form for the rest of the match. Each attuned form receives enhanced abilities and a new ultimate, turning the stance choice into a long-term match decision rather than a temporary switch.

The Hel Race to Radiant runs from Sept. 22 through Sept. 29, followed by Charon Race to Exalted from Sept. 29 through Oct. 6. The update also brings two Dark Tapestry Travelers, a free Ne Zha Blue Lotus Twitch Drop, an Ares Aspect rework, and a set of changes to gods, items, Conquest, movement, and Smart Ping.

SMITE 2 Hel patch notes

Hel is the main addition, but the update reaches across combat balance, item stats, matchmaking tools, movement technology, cosmetics, and bug fixes. The official note items are reproduced below in their original order.

New Classic God: Hel

Hel
- Passive: Stance Attunement
  - Remain in a stance to become attuned. In Dark Stance, gain increased Damage. In Light Stance, nearby enemy gods lose Strength and Intelligence
- Decay (A01 Dark)
  - Fire an orb that deals Magical Damage. The orb explodes when it hits an enemy God or reaches maximum range.
- Restoration (A01 Light)
  - Fire an orb that deals Magical Damage. Hitting an ally god Heals them and restores Mana. You Heal and restore Mana whenever you hit an enemy or an Ally God.
- Hinder (A02 Dark)
  - Debuff all enemies in the targeted area, reducing their Protections by 5% and Slowing 20% for 3s.
- Cleanse (A02 Light)
  - Remove all Crowd Control effects from Allied Gods in the target area and briefly make them CC Immune.
- Repulse (A03 Dark)
  - Conjure a burst around you that deals Magical Damage to nearby enemies.
- Inspire (A03 Light)
  - You and nearby allies become buffed. Heal yourself instantly and nearby allies over time. You both gain Movement Speed and Attack Speed.
- Switch Stances (A04)
  - Switch between Dark and Light Stances. You gain Mana Regen in both stances.
  - Dark Stance: Nearby Allied Gods gain Intelligence and Strength
  - Light Stance: Nearby Allied Gods gain Protections

Aspect: Aspect of Divergence releases Sept. 25

Deal damage or heal allies to fully attune to your Dark or Light stance, locking yourself to that form for the remainder of the match, While attuned, gain enhanced abilities and a new ultimate.
- Light Stance Attuned
  - Restoration (A01) Roots and has increased Healing for Allied Gods
  - Cleanse (A02) Shields Allied Gods
  - Inspire (A03) The nearest Ally God or You gain increased Attack Speed
  - Switch Stances (AO4) Summon an area that prevents Allied Gods from dying
- Dark Stance Attuned
  - Hinder (A02) Root enemies who stand within the area
  - Repulse (A03) Enemies hit are Knocked Back
  - Switch Stances (A04) Summon an area that deals Magic Damage continuously and Executes low Health enemies.

Races

Hel Race to Radiant
- Sept 22 to Sept 29
Charon Race to Exalted
- Sept 29 to Oct 6

Ares Aspect Rework

Blessed Armaments (PSV): No longer an Aura; now only affects Ares.
Call to Arms (A02): Now grants 20% movement speed for 3s on activation
Searing Flesh (A03):
- Has increased Int scaling and increased Max Health damage scaling against jungle monsters
- Has 30% reduced cooldown
No Escape (A04): No longer pulls, but deals damage and roots targets at their location when the chains break in addition to the landing damage.

Cosmetics

New Travelers

Charon Soulshroud
- Included in the Dark Tapestry Event
  - Soul Sailing Ward Skin
  - Phantom Tide Prism
  - Toxic Passage Prism
  - Troll Toll Prism
  - 1 Infernal Threads Free with Purchase
Amaterasu Cyberblade
- Included in the Dark Tapestry Event
  - Cyberblade Badge
  - Violet Surge Prism
  - Lucky Cat Prism
  - Jade Circuit Prism
  - 1 Infernal Threads Free with Purchase

Featured Bundle

Undead Blight (Found In Store > Special)
- Blight Hound Anubis
- The Undead Fenrir
- Corgi Badge
- Chompi Chibi Ward
- Puppy Power Title

Free Twitch Drop Skin

Ne Zha Blue Lotus
- Available free via Twitch Drop rewards.
- Watch @SMITEgame socials for exact timing on when this drop will go live.

Core Systems Improvements

Movement System Rework – Dash System Part 1
- We have reworked the underlying network tech behind dashes to improve feel and performance, reducing major corrections
- This will be tested in live at various points during OB44, but it will not be live for the entire update. Our goal is that it just “feels better” and that players do not notice any major changes.
Smart Ping (Middle click or VGS Menu Open -> Confirm))
- Can now ping dropped buffs to say “Take this jungle buff”

Gameplay

Conquest
- Reduced Setup time 90s -> 80s

God Balance

Agni
- Path of Flames
  - Range Reduced from 11.2m to 9.6m
Aphrodite
- Kiss
  - No Longer Shares protections.
  - Aphrodite now gives her soulmate 0.5 Strength and 1 Intelligence per 1 mana regeneration from items.
Ah Puch
- Corpse Explosion
  - Intelligence Scaling per corpse increased from 30% to 35%.
- Fleeting Breath
  - Base Additional Damage from Healing increased from 50/100/150/200/250 to 65/120/175/230/285
  - Additional Damage from Healing Intelligence Scaling increased from 40% to 50%
Artemis
- Vengeful Assault
  - Attack Speed reduced from 25/35/45/55/65 to 20/30/40/50/60
Cerberus
- Stygian Torment
  - Cooldown increased from 90s to 105s
Chaac
- Rain Dance
  - Attack Speed Slow increased from 10/12.5/15/17.5/20% to 15/17.5/20/22.5/25%
- Storm Call
  - Cooldown reduced from 90s to 75s
Cupid
- Aspect of Love
  - Heartbomb
    - Now applies half the heal on the ally you hit immediately
Fenrir
- Abilities that can Crit now deal item damage at 100% effectiveness (up from 50%)
Ganesha
- Good Fortune
  - Bonus Gold increased from 50 to 65
- Turn of Fate
  - Mark Base Damage increased from 15 to 25
- Remove Obstacles
  - Cooldown reduced from 14/13.5/13/12.5/12 to 13/12.5/12/11.5/11
Guan Yu
- Battle Fervor (Base)
  - Base Attack Speed at max stacks increased from 15% to 20% (this resolves an issue where at lower levels you could have less Attack Speed at max stacks)
- Conviction
  - (Base) Cooldown Reduction reduced to 1s and now only affects Guan Yu
  - (Aspect) Cooldown Reduction reduced to 1s and now only affects other allies and not Guan Yu
Hachiman
- Eagle Eye
  - Bonus Damage increased from 10/20/30/40/50 to 10/25/40/55/70
  - (Aspect)Sweep Damage increased from 60/110/160/210/260 to 70/120/170/220/270
  - (Aspect) Sweep Scaling increased from 60% to 75%
- Heavenly Banner
  - Strength Scaling increased from 60% to 70%
- Mounted Archery
  - Post Fire Time reduced from 0.4s to 0.15s
Hades
- Pillar of Agony
  - Cooldown increased from 90s to 110s
  - Flat Protection Buff decreased from 30/50/70/90/110 to 20/35/50/65/80
Horus
- Resolute
  - Protections Per Stack reduced from 2.5 to 2
  - Heal Per Stack reduced from 4 to 3
- Fracture
  - Protection Reduction reduced from 4/8/12/16/20 to 3/6/9/12/15
  - Cleave Damage reduced from 50/85/120/155/190 to 45/80/115/150/185
- Protector’s Surge (Aspect)
  - Damage Scaling increased from 60% to 75%
- To The Skies!
  - Movement Speed reduced from 170% to 135%
Ix Chel
- Great End
  - Damage Per Tick reduced from 26/38/50/62/74 to 23/35/47/59/71
Izanami
- Sickle Storm
  - Attack Speed reduced from 30/35/40/45/50 to 25/30/35/40/45
- Dark Portal
  - Silence Duration reduced from 2s to 1.75s
Mercury
- Abilities that can Crit now deal item damage at 100% effectiveness (up from 50%)
Morgan Le Fay (Aspect)
- Empowered Blade
  - Wrath is no longer gained from item damage
Ne Zha
- Abilities that can Crit now deal item damage at 100% effectiveness (up from 50%)
Nu Wa
- Updated Clay Soldiers enemy targeting priority list. (Targets closest enemy within each of the following groupings):
  - Gods marked by Nu Wa
  - Pets, Gods that damaged Nu Wa
  - Minions, Pets, Gods, Jungle Monsters, Towers, and Titans
Princess Bari
- Mystic Surge
  - Attack Speed increased from 10/14/18/22/26/30 to 12/16/20/24/28/32
- Reverent Steps
  - Cooldown Reduced from 17/16.5/16/15.5/15 to 16/15.5/15/14.5/14
  - Attack Speed increased from 15/17.5/20/22.5/25% to 20/22.5/25/27.5/30%
- Spirit’s Cadence
  - Final Hit Damage Scaling increased from 70% Intelligence + 40% Strength to 80% Intelligence + 50% Strength
Ratatoskr
- Abilities that can Crit now deal item damage at 100% effectiveness (up from 50%)
- Through The Cosmos
  - Cooldown reduced from 110/105/100/95/90 to 90 at all ranks
- Flurry
  - Base Damage increased from 25/40/55/70/85 to 35/50/65/80/95
  - Ashwhorl Acorn Base Damage increased from 20/25/30/35/40 to 25/30/35/40/45
Sobek
- Lurking In The Waters
  - Now only executes after being submerged for the full duration
Sun Wukong
- Undefeated Body
  - Protections Per Level increased from 1.5 to 2
  - Strength and Intelligence Per Level increased from 1 to 1.5
Susano
- Storm’s Edge
  - Increased Damage Taken reduced from 10% to 5%
- Storm Kata
  - First and Second Strike Damage Reduced from 50/75/100/125/150 to 45/70/95/120/145
  - First and Second Strike Scaling Reduced from 55% to 50%
  - Third Strike Damage Scaling Reduced from 25% to 20%
  - Cooldown Increased from 12/11.5/11/10.5/10 to 14/13.5/13/12.5/12
Xing Tian
- Furious Roar
  - DoT damage reduced from 1/1.5/2/2.5/3% max health to 1/1.2/1.4/1.6/1.8% Max Health
- Whirlwind of Rage and Steel
  - Targets that immuned the initial hit or escaped with CC immunity are no longer able to be re-grabbed.

Item Balance

Alchemist Coat
- Intelligence increased from 30 to 40
Arondight
- Cost reduced from 2650 to 2550
Blood-Bound Book
- Now also grants 10% Penetration while the Shield holds
Bloodforge
- Strength increased from 45 to 55
Brawler’s Beat Stick
- Strength increased from 30 to 35
- Intelligence increased from 45 to 50
- Cost reduced from 2550 to 2500
Daybreak Gavel
- Adaptive Stat Strength reduced from 60 to 40
- Adaptive Stat Intelligence reduced from 80 to 60
- Strength Per Stack reduced from 13 to 10
- Intelligence Per Stack reduced from 16 to 15
Devourer’s Gauntlet
- Now also grants +10 Penetration at 75 stacks
Ethereal Staff
- Max Health and Mana stolen reduced from 6% to 5%
Eye of the Storm
- Stacks Required to spawn the storm reduced from 20 to 10
Freya’s Tears
- Magical Protection reduced from 35 to 30
Gem of Isolation
- Added 15 Tenacity
- Cost reduced from 2500 2450
Gluttonous Grimoire
- Lifesteal healing stored increased from 25% to 50%
- Full Health healing stored increased from 40% to 65%
- Stored Damage Cap increased from 33% Max Health to 40% Max Health
Hastened Fatalis
- Now grants -6.25% Attack Movement Penalty per stack
- Max stacks increased to 8
- Melee stacks per hit increased from 2 to 4
Helm of Darkness
- Intelligence increased from 40 to 45
- Physical Protection increased from 20 to 25
- Stealth duration increased from 6s to 7s
Hooked Sword
- Cost reduced from 1000 to 900
Leviathan’s Hide
- Cost reduced from 2500 to 2400
Midgardian Mail
- Attack Speed Slow increased from 8% to 10%
Oath-Sworn Spear
- Protection Reduction Cap increased from 15 to 20
Obsidian Shard
- Cost reduced from 3050 to 2900
Phoenix Feather
- Magical Protection increased from 35 to 40
- Cost Reduced from 2400 to 2350
Polynomicon
- Cost reduced from 2550 to 2450
Regrowth Striders
- Physical Protection increased from 35 to 45
Riptalon
- Attack Damage reduced from 20 to 15
Shield Splitter
- Strength increased from 40 to 45
Spear of the Magus
- Intelligence increased from 75 to 90
Stone of Binding
- Protection Reduction increased from 7 to 10
Stygian Anchor
- Stygian Sludge Debuff duration increased from 1.25s to 3s
Tekko-Kagi
- Strength increased from 35 to 40
- Cost reduced from 2700 2650
The World Stone
- Ultimate Cooldown Reduction reduced from 30% to 25%
Titan’s Bane
- Cost reduced from 3100 to 2850
Wyrmskin Hide
- Magical Protection increased from 15 to 25
Xibalban Effigy
- Damage Reduction duration increased from 4s to 6s

Bug Fixes

Added Sfx to Thor’s character select intro
Added Sfx to Amaterasu’s character select intro
Added several missing Sfx for Amaterasu
Thor’s A01 hit and basic attack volume increase
Added Sfx for Thor’s A01 hammer return
Ravana A03 heal sound now respects your audio settings
Fixed an issue with Neith’s weave explosion playing the incorrect sound
Fixed an issue with an ability line not playing and increased VO trigger chance for Chronos
Custom lobby search text box now only searches upon Text Commit
Auto Item Store Open would prevent the user from purchasing items until they leave and join the fountain for the first time
When using quick cast, Ability confirm (Auto attack) would not fire the ability while the targeter is up

Hel’s stance choice gives the update a clear strategic hook, while the Aspect of Divergence turns that choice into a commitment for the whole match. Are you more interested in the Light Stance support tools or the Dark Stance damage and execution options? Share your pick in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.

Become a god and wage war in SMITE 2, the Unreal Engine 5-powered sequel to the legendary third-person action MOBA. If you love challenging competition, intense action, ability-driven combat, rewarding teamwork, or godly mythology, you’ll see why 40+ million players love SMITE.