Smite begins China beta, just in case there weren't enough MOBA competitors there

I have already suggested that perhaps China has enough MOBA games, but clearly developers don’t agree with me because Smite has just launched in beta in China. Smite, you may be aware, is the first MOBA offering from Hi-Rez Studios, the US-based company that developed Tribes Ascend and Global Agenda. It has been available in beta form outside China since last year, but the game (which is being published by Tencent in China) is now coming to the Middle Kingdom for the first time.

In Smite‘s game world, players play as gods (Smite‘s equivalent of the heroes in DOTA), which has ruffled a few feathers in Asia thanks to its portrayal of Hindu gods, especially its portrayal of the goddess Kali in a very revealing outfit. The game also includes numerous Chinese “gods”, but most of them are pulled from ancient literature rather than any religion that’s still widely practiced. Chinese “gods” currently in the game include:

• Ao Kuang
• Chang’e
• Guan Yu
• He Bo
• Nezha
• Sun Wukong
• Zhong Kui

No one in China is likely to be offended by any of that, but of course whether or not they play it is a different story. As MOBA games begin to crowd into China’s gaming scene, I think there’s going to be a dearth of players to support them all, but I could be wrong. Either way, it remains to be seen whether Chinese gamers will embrace Smite, but the inclusion of a few Chinese “gods” is probably a good start.

(via Sina Games)