Smite… Again — A TV Adaptation of a Mythological Melting Pot

The other two did it, so why not this one?

Well… this is interesting. I haven’t written about the same subject a second time yet. That’s only because usually, there isn’t anything to write about a second time. But this time is different, as I want to address the franchise as a whole, rather than just the game itself. You’ve already guessed it, but I’m going to talk about Smite again.

Now, Smite is a game I really like, which is odd for me to say because I rarely play it nowadays. Regardless, I still very much like it since it has all the qualities of a good game. Of course, since it’s a MOBA, League of Legends often dwarfs Smite when it comes to popularity, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing because Smite is popular enough by itself. I often jump back into the game to see what’s new, and there’s always something new.

So yes, Smite is popular in its own right, and weirdly enough, it even has its lore. I’m saying “weirdly enough” because it’s characters from actual mythologies, which means that the stories already exist, so how does the game have its lore when none of these mythologies ever interacted with each other in real life? The setting of Smite takes place in some kind of pantheistic solipsism, where all the existing mythologies intertwine. So how much do the fans of Smite care about its lore when they already know who Zeus is? For someone who likes Smite, I don’t pay too much attention to its lore beyond “which mythology does this character come from?” or the like. So… can you make the fans care?

The Solution: a TV adaptation

It’s been something like 10 years since the MOBA Craze, and only 4 are noteworthy today. It hasn’t been 10 years yet since Smite launched, but it’s getting there, and I’m only asking: is there room for an animated TV show just like Arcane and Dragon’s Blood?

I’m just saying that… if there are 3 MOBAs recognised as “The Big Three” (with the 4th one being on life support… of sorts), why shouldn’t Smite have a TV adaptation of its own? Sure, one could argue that the setting of Smite isn’t suitable for an expanded universe like how they do with LoL and Dota because Smite borrows its lore from existing stories. But the game, we’ve already established, is a world in itself where all possible mythologies coexist. That alone is a solid basis for an animated display of awesomeness.

So just because it’s “semi-fictional” or whatever doesn’t mean that Hi-Rez Studios shouldn’t expand on their IP. After all, they got a thing going with this game, so they should exploit every bit of it instead of keeping it at game-level.

16 pantheons and counting

So how do you make this work? I have neither a say nor the influence necessary to make a TV adaptation of Smite, so I’m not the go-to person. But I’ll give my say anyway because my paycheck depends on it.

The story would be interesting since they would have to write a story revolving around 16 different mythologies (what’s, even more, is that more pantheons are constantly being added to the game). On condition that they won’t go with all the mythologies initially, they would have to start with just a few, but which ones? Greeks and Norse stand out the most to the detriment of other mythologies that may be equally deserving and in need of the spotlight. So, which characters would appear regardless of the mythologies represented in the show? Characters that already exist in the game, or brand-new characters that are just mythological figures that haven’t appeared yet.

Of course, this potential TV adaptation of Smite begs the same questions as Arcane and Dragon’s Blood. One way or another, someone will be disappointed that their favourite character didn’t appear in the very first TV show of “my favourite video game” that has been around for 10 years. Unfortunately, you can’t satisfy them all, so whoever will be responsible for this show, if there will be one, better know what they’re doing… because I’ll expect it to be a banger.

Do you want to see a TV adaptation of Smite?

Because I do, although I’m not sure that there will be one because I can’t tell if the developers want it or they’re just like, “we’re just here to make a game and that it’s”. In any case, say what you think about Smite, a possible TV show or anything related.

In Conclusion…

So this is the first time I wrote about a subject I addressed before, which means the second time I wrote about it. I don’t know if there’ll be a third time, but whatever happens, happens. But if you haven’t played Smite yet, you should because I recommend it, especially if you’re looking for an alternative to League of Legends or Dota.

A TV adaptation would be exciting but complicated due to the circumstances, and COVID probably makes it a bit more complicated, but not as much as to stop it from happening. If it will/won’t happen, then it’s probably due to internal matters rather than a pandemic. Either way, I don’t know what to expect, but I’ll gladly watch an animation if there is an animation.

Until then, I’m off to play as Cthulhu. Have a good one, everyone!