Smite

[This entry is a WIP. Feel free to help out with some of the details.]

Smite is a 3rd-person MOBA launched in 2014 by Hi-Rez Studios. The game distinguishes itself from other MOBAs with its reliance on skillshots and its characters, who are drawn from various mythologies and religions from around the world. Currently, the game's lore encompasses Greek, Roman (which is considered the same as Greek in the game's canon), Norse, Egyptian, Chinese, Hindu, Mayan, Japanese, and Celtic mythology.

Beta

Hi-Rez launched the original beta for Smite in 2012. The game originally toted under 20 gods from the Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Norse, Chinese, and Hindu pantheons. Since then, it has widely expanded its god roster, generally receiving a new god every other patch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gsQkVbLU8o

Reception and Fandom

Smite has been widely received in a positive light, and currently boasts over 20 million players. In August 2015, the game held its 10 million player celebration, and distributed a limited Hercules skin voiced by Kevin Sorbo to players who accumulated 10 wins during the event. The game is nonetheless criticized for Hi-Rez's generally unpopular balancing decisions, which tend to include leaving certain characters in a strong state without nerfing them for months on end.

Impact

Smite's popularity resulted in the creation of other 3rd-person MOBAs by other developers. One of the more popular games of this variety is Paragon by Epic Games, which features verticality and high-end graphics.

Memes

667

During a pro game, Odin's Lunge-Raven Shout combo (often called the "bird bomb") was observed dealing 667 damage to a target. The apparent lowness of this number combined with its closeness to 666, the devil's number in Christian lore, resulted in its subsequent memehood.

Swagni

On June 3, 2014, YouTuber Schileru uploaded a montage parody featuring gameplay of Agni, the Hindu god of fire. This contributed to the popularity of the fan-given nickname "Swagni" for the god. Hi-Rez later implemented a skin of the same name as a homage to the meme after they re-designed Agni's model, which resulted in yet another Schileru montage.

Hindu pantheon controversy

Since the start of the alpha, members of the Hindu community have protested the inclusion of Hindu deities in the game, including avatars of Vishnu. Following the release of Kali, the outrage largely shifted to her inclusion; particularly in regard to her sexual design, despite the fact that traditional depictions of the character strongly resemble her original model and the godess's associations with sexuality.

On December 11th, 2013, Kali received a visual and balance overhaul.

Above: Kali's original model compared to her traditional representation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=111pZHjVwxA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBvee3HPHJU