Smite players have been waiting all day throughout the Hi-Rez Showcase show to learn more about what’s coming to the game for 2022, and the first official announcement is the newest god coming to the game. Shiva the Destroyer from the Hindu pantheon is coming in February 2022.

Shiva is the first of six gods planned to be released throughout Smite’s Season 9. Smite has stepped away from adding more to the Hindu pantheon for the past few years but is coming back to it with Shiva the Destroyer.

The team briefly spoke about that before they announced they were working on and releasing Shiva, Hi-Rez worked with consultants to ensure Shiva would be accurately and respectfully displayed to ensure they respect those who worship Shiva throughout the world.

It doesn’t look like Smite is adding another pantheon to their already full roster, but that works in their favor. In the past, adding gods to the game was a bit more hectic, but the Hi-Rez team has found a steady stride with releasing six new gods each year. This pattern seems to work in the team’s favor as they can address any balance issues or problems brought up by the community following the live release.

Players can also look forward to additional changes to relics. Relics will now be receiving two final forms that players can pick from to adapt their gameplay. In addition, glyphs are also on the way, further enhancing some of the more powerful items used in final builds that provide additional passive bonuses.

Smite’s Season 9 will release sometime in January, with Shiva arriving next month.