Hi-Rez Studios has finally confirmed a release date for the free-to-play open beta version of Smite 2. That free-to-play launch is coming next Tuesday, January 14.
Smite 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena game (MOBA) sequel that was first announced one year ago. Paying Founder’s Edition players have had access to its alpha on PC and consoles since September 2024. This January 14 release will be its wider free-to-play launch, although Hi-Rez Studios still considers the game to be in an open beta state. The transition to open beta also comes alongside a massive update that brings tons of new content to the sequel, from new Gods to play as to new gameplay mechanics and modes.
Currently, Smite 2 features 45 different gods to play as, but five more are coming as part of this open beta launch. That includes four updated Gods from the original Smite — Ullr, Agni, Geb, and Mulan — and a new God: Aladdin. Taking clear inspiration from the Disney movie, Aladdin fights alongside a blue genie to tag-team enemies. He can run on walls, has three single-use wishes for massive buffs he can use during a match, and traps opponents in a genie lamp to fight them with his Ultimate.
Hi-Rez is introducing Aspects to Smite 2, which players can enable to Gods to change up their gameplay abilities. Twenty Gods — including Athena, Morrigan, and Cernunnos — have Aspects right now. Hi-Rez plans to bring more Gods and Aspects to the game over time. A new 3v3, one-lane mode called Joust is also coming to the MOBA with a new map, and lots of other gameplay updates for the other modes, with UI, balancing, and more coming as well.
The Smite 2 free-to-play open beta will begin on January 14, with Aladdin and the Joust mode also launching that day. Those who buy a Smite 2 Founder’s Edition are able to play the game now and can already access a lot of the new open beta content, like the reworked classic gods, Aspects, and other gameplay updates.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.