I love Smite. It's one of my all-time favorite games, I have more time put into it than any other game by miles. I really don’t see myself putting it down entirely for the foreseeable future. With that being said, I have found myself struggling recently and I am starting to lose the passion for the game I once had. There are many different reasons I could point to for this drop-off in game time. I haven’t had as much spare time to play, when I have I had found myself wanting to play other games, my normal group of friends I play with haven’t been able to play as much either, and, to be simply honest, I am not as good as I once was. I am really finding myself struggling more often no matter the game mode. Obviously when you play less and less, your skills will start to dip and the longer you go without playing the more your confidence in your skills will start to drop. As such, you may find yourself in this avalanche of frustration. It is this frustration that can be not only hurt you but your teammates as well.

In a game that is as teamwork focused as Smite, if one person isn’t carrying their weight it will drag the rest of the team down as well. This all too often leads to very toxic environments in games where teammates begin to chastise and bicker with one another. No one wants to find themselves in this kind of situation but it is only natural to try to stand up for yourself when being mocked for your performance. I try to just take the abuse in silence or just simply admit my errors when I really am playing poorly but this isn’t always the case. I have found myself spamming in chat more times than I care to admit and have even found myself playing poorly in response, which is the worst possible reaction to have. It really is just a game at the end of the day, so you shouldn't do this as it’s not worth ruining your whole night over one petty little argument in a virtual arena.

Don't get down Bacchus, we can turn this around.

Let’s return to the root of the problem though and discuss what can be done to stop a slump in your game. First things first, you are probably not going to win any games in a toxic situation like the one which was previously described, so just try your best to remove yourself from that scenario. You can report or block any user who actively tried to get under your skin and created unneeded tension in your match. Who knows, maybe they are just going through the same struggles as you and chose you as the one to vent their frustrations on or perhaps they are just very distraught at the recent Hou Yi nerf. We all wake up on the wrong side of the bed occasionally. So when you find yourself in the middle of a dry spell in Smite, you have many ways to possibly regain your mojo. The first, and maybe most obvious, is too simply log off and take a few days break from the game. This can help refresh your mind and clear your head as it is very easy to overthink every little detail in Smite, as there are so many fine details, from builds to rotations, that can overwhelm you.

However, this may also have an adverse effect. I found my skill dropping off more considerably the longer I didn't play, so be sure that break really is a short one or else you could find yourself coming back to a new mountain to climb. One of my personal favorite things that many other players also like to do is to engage in some good ole fashioned "pub stomping". Stomping might be a bit too strong of a word though, considering that I don't stomp but rather tip-toe to victory instead. Sometimes you have to just queue up in Arena, pick your favorite god, and go to work on the poor enemy team. You could even do this against the AI, but that may be a bit too easy and the AI has feelings too, you know. Or you could always do the opposite and mix things up with a new god that you have never previously touched. It's risky, but you may very well find a new favorite if you step out of your comfort zone. If that doesn't do it for you, just play with friends who you know you'll have a good time with whether you win or lose. You can also reach out to others in the Smite community who are looking to party up for a good time. There are plenty of ways to connect with your fellow Smite players. Whether it be on the Smite forums, the Smite subreddit, or even right here on Team Dignitas, there will always be people willing to party up and play.

Time to start seeing some more of this.

At the end of the day, Smite is a game meant for fun. I have had some of my fondest gaming memories in Joust and the Conquest duo lane. So be sure to keep that in mind and never try to take it all too seriously as that is the most prominent way to ruin the game for yourself. When going through a rough patch of matches, just know that it happens to everyone and that you'll regain your game by just using a few simple tips. Do this and I am sure you'll see your fortunes start to turn around.

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