The Defender of the Earth Update just hit Smite 2, bringing new surprises with the arrival of Hou Yi, a god with wall-bouncing arrows and hybrid scaling that promises a fresh combat style. But the update doesn’t stop there, it also brings a thorough healing rework and subtle Conquest map changes to push players into more active gameplay. This patch might just be the biggest one yet, so let’s unpack what’s new and what it means for your next match.
First, Hou Yi lands as a ranged physical damage god with hybrid scaling, making his presence on the battleground pretty fiery. His passive, Suntouched, triggers after he’s critically hit or takes heavy damage, slashing cooldowns and marking enemies. His abilities include Ricochet, which bounces arrows off walls and stuns marked foes; Mark of the Golden Crow, amplifying effects based on whether his Strength or Intelligence is higher; Divebomb, a leap attack that knocks away marked enemies; and his ultimate, Sunbreaker, raining down nine suns that slow enemies and create a bounce wall for Ricochet. Plus, on August 1, players will get the Aspect of the Mark, turning basic attacks into ricocheting strikes that bounce between marked enemies, lighting up the competition in a new way.
Meanwhile, the Conquest map gets a few tweaks to discourage overly passive play. Side camps now spawn later and less frequently, and Cyclops camps grant XP in addition to gold. Side teleporters unlock earlier, and some side camps have been replaced with Oracles that provide vision around teleporters. Objective damage from Gold Fury and Fire Giant has been toned down to be less punishing, but bosses now take reduced damage from very important strikes and apply debuffs that reduce player damage against them. These changes are clearly nudging players toward more dynamic objective fights instead of playing it safe.
Now, prepare for the healing overhaul, it’s a massive shift. Anti-heal is no longer tied to items, which means players won’t feel forced to pick specific gear just to counter healing. Healing and lifesteal have been normalized across the board, with reductions in lifesteal values and increases in healing on items. New utility-focused items are introduced to give sustain roles fresh tools without relying on raw healing power. For example, Brawler’s Ruin got renamed to Brawler’s Beat Stick and now offers protection and stat boosts rather than healing reduction. New items like Typhon’s Heart and Gluttonous Grimoire add interesting mechanics that blend lifesteal with offensive capabilities. Plus, five gods, including Agni, Ares, and Fenrir, now have anti-heal integrated directly into their kits, which should mix up draft strategies when facing healer-heavy teams.
Quality of life improvements also came along for the ride. The action camera now has two modes for different basic attack behaviors, the end-of-match lobby and Wandering Market screens got new layouts, and players can rotate god skins on the home screen. Settings have been overhauled for easier navigation, and you can now change individual god ability cast modes from the menu without hopping into practice. Teammate Aspect selections are now visible in the lobby, and button callouts got clearer graphics. These may sound minor, but they add up to a smoother experience overall.
For those hunting new looks, two new Wandering Market Travelers dropped: Ravenstrike Nu Wa and Trophy Hunter Kali. Each comes with premium skins, prisms, announcer packs, and more. The Ravenstrike Traveler leans into a cosmic vibe, while the Trophy Hunter Traveler brings an out-of-this-world hunt theme. If you’re into cosmetics, these will catch your eye.
Healing Balance Update Highlights
- Anti-heal removed from items, no longer mandatory in builds.
- Lifesteal on items reduced by 25-50%, healing increases removed.
- New lifesteal and healing-focused items introduced with utility effects.
- God healing reduced by 30-60%, with bigger cuts on easy-to-trigger heals.
- God anti-heal application reduced to 25% and no longer stacks.
- Five gods gain anti-heal effects in their kits (Agni, Ares, Fenrir, Izanami, Chaac).
Conquest Map Changes
- Side camps spawn later and less often; Cyclops camps grant XP.
- Side teleporters unlock earlier; one side camp replaced by Oracles granting vision.
- Gold Fury and Fire Giant deal 30% less damage from critical strikes.
- Bosses apply debuffs reducing damage players deal to them.
New God: Hou Yi
- Ranged physical damage with hybrid scaling.
- Passive Suntouched reduces cooldowns and marks enemies after taking heavy damage.
- Ricochet arrows bounce off walls, stunning marked enemies.
- Mark of the Golden Crow amplifies effects based on Strength vs Intelligence.
- Divebomb leap knocks away marked enemies.
- Ultimate Sunbreaker rains down suns that slow enemies and create a bounce wall.
- Aspect of the Mark releasing August 1, making basic attacks ricochet between enemies.
New Wandering Market Travelers
- Ravenstrike Traveler featuring Ravenstrike Nu Wa skin and themed items.
- Trophy Hunter Traveler featuring Classic Trophy Hunter Kali skin and themed items.
Quality of Life Updates
- Two Action Camera options for different basic attack targeting.
- Updated layouts for End of Match Lobby and Wandering Market screens.
- Rotate god skins on home screen.
- Settings overhaul with easier navigation and ability cast mode changes without practice.
- Teammate Aspect selections visible in lobby.
- Improved button callout graphics.
Item and General Balance
- New Agility Relic with dash active and projectile speed or lunge passive, disabled in Ranked Conquest for now.
- Underperforming tank and bruiser items buffed (Golden Blade, Shield Splitter, Erosion, Berserker’s Shield, and more).
- Leviathan’s Hide passive changed to require dealing damage for permanent health.
- Critical strike items like Musashi’s Dual Swords buffed.
- Several healing items reworked or replaced (e.g., Brawler’s Beat Stick, Typhon’s Heart, Barbed Carver).
Bug Fixes and PTS Adjustments
- Fixed issues with healing interactions, item effects, and ability bugs.
- Nu Wa skin targeters upgraded.
- Bellona’s Shield Bash no longer grants block stacks to allied minions.
- Medusa’s Viper Shot fixed to hit deployables.
- Mercury’s Sonic Boom fixed to stop infinite spinning.
Wow, that’s a lot to digest, right? But it’s clear that Smite 2 is pushing to keep gameplay fresh and competitive, with Hou Yi adding a new layer of tactical play, healing reworked to be less frustrating, and Conquest encouraging more action around objectives. Are you ready to test these changes on the battleground? Maybe Hou Yi’s ricocheting arrows will become your new favorite trick, or perhaps the healing tweaks will change how you approach team fights. Whatever happens, it’s a bold move from Hi-Rez that’s sure to stir up some lively matches.
Jump into the discussion below and let me know your thoughts on Hou Yi and the healing overhaul. Is this the kind of shakeup Smite 2 needed?
