Novinky
SMITE's newest god, Nut, brings her aerial supremacy to the massive MOBA
A
Aron Garst
"It has always felt like an inevitability that Nut would join SMITE’s roster as a counterpart to her husband Geb, who is an iconic character in his own right," said Hi-Rez Ventures Director of Business Development Michael Guebert.
Now, in 2024, Nut—pronounced "newt" in ancient mythology—will grace SMITE as the MOBA's 130th playable character. Obviously, it's been a long time coming. Players have been hearing about her (and from her through in-game narration) for years. "When we were initially discussing the possibility of including Nut, the first conversation we had was surrounding her visual presentation," Guebert said. "Immediately, the lightbulb clicked for us when we brainstormed a grand, beautiful cosmic woman with a larger-than-life presence—the SMITE community already has one in the iconic Lore Lady. What better time to canonize her watchful, knowledgeable presence over the battlefield for the past ten years than the start of a new age for SMITE?"
Nut—who is inspired by the goddess of the sky and heavens in Egyptian mythology—is bringing a new era to the MOBA. Coming shortly before an alpha for the much-anticipated SMITE 2, the goddess will bring 10 years of lore and in-game history to the table when she comes to the game on February 20.
The daughter of Shu, god of wind, and his wife Tefnut, goddess of rain, Nut is a motherly deity who protects her worshipers from the ever-growing chaos beyond the sky in the depths of space. She tracks down souls and catches them as they drift throughout the sky in order to prevent them from being lost in space for all time. She uses her power to protect those while they journey into the afterlife.
Her personality and character traits mirror the calm nature of the sky. According to the developers, that's where much of her visual design inspiration comes from. For example, her hair uses new technical processes to create a cosmic, flowing fog that's unlike any character currently in the game.
"Nut’s hair combines many kinds of tech that we've previously done separately into one super cool new presentation," Guebert said. "For instance, a lot of the flowy movement comes from the material controlling the hair's vertices using 'World Position Offset.' This movement is combined with animation controlling a hair bone chain, giving the overall mass a slow-moving, underwater, or low-gravity feel."
SMITE's lore and mythology isn't an exact replica of the legends that it depicts, but the developers try to weave real-world lore wherever possible. Nut has been a protective watcher within the in-game universe for years, but that now comes to an end.
"Especially as she learns that Geb, her loving husband, is in danger," Guebert said. "She doesn’t want to fight, but is more than willing to use a little tough love to return order to the battleground, especially as she finds herself in deep conflict with many members of her mythological family, including Horus, Set, Eset, Osiris, and Ra, among others."
Nut is a Hunter in the world of SMITE. Most of her abilities keep her at range from the enemy, allowing her to deal sustained damage from a distance.
"Nut has a very unique playstyle among Hunters, being that she is able to impact fights from a decent distance away, all while playing mind games with her opponents on how she will strike," Guebert said. "She truly manifests the poise of an all-knowing watcher, protecting those close to her while destroying anyone who dares threaten her peace."
Like other ranged fighters, Nut can be somewhat weak when fighting alone. She does better when paired with allies like Geb. Players who prioritize positioning when setting up for a team fight—especially those who consider her unique movement kit—will find more success than those who play more off-the-cuff.
"Her flexibility and utility are her main strengths, and of course, she brings the late game DPS one would expect of a Hunter," Guebert said. "Whether it’s by shimmering bright starlight or the total darkness of a massive black hole."
Nut's moveset is built with her Egyptian inspirations in mind. She can use the power granted to her by the stars, comets, or even the sheer power of black holes. Her ultimate gives her the ability to fly into the air, which is quite fitting for a goddess of the sky. Nut's ultimate isn't just impactful from a gameplay perspective, it also changes the sky box for every character in a match, no matter where they are on the map. See it for yourself when Nut comes to SMITE on February 20.
SMITE is available on the Epic Games Store.