The most popular Smite game mode on Xbox One and the second most popular on PC is 3v3 Joust. Players have absolutely fallen in love with this game mode, whether it be due to packing all the action into a single lane or as a result of certain combinations of gods being stronger in a smaller setting. Whatever the reason may be for Joust’s unprecedented popularity, HiRez Studios has taken notice. As another part of the flood of announcements being released today, the Joust game mode will also be undergoing several major changes as we move into season 3.

The first thing to announce pertaining to Joust is the inclusion of a brand new Joust map. The map has experienced a complete metamorphosis, from the removal of the base wall to a reduction of buffs on the map. Gone are the 6 buffs that we’ve all grown accustomed to. In their place are now only 3 buffs (2 blue and 1 red). The blue buffs are placed in a way that each team should be able to safely secure one, but the red buff is in an isolated area in the middle of the map, so this will be hotly contested between both teams. The map itself also feels much smaller, as the majority of the jungle is now concentrated on a single side of the lane rather than both. These changes, along with the small, winding jungle corridors, were designed to generate numerous instances of action in Joust games, as players will now be encountering each other far more often. To combat turtling, there is now a “mini-boss” objective on the map that provides a new team-wide buff. This buff disables enemy structures for the duration of the buff, allowing the team that secures it to push aggressively and potentially end the game in one fell swoop.

Not only has the gameplay of Joust changed, but the art design has been drastically overhauled as well. You can see some side-by-side comparisons of the old and new Joust maps above. The very obvious Chinese flair is based upon the legends of Sun Wukong, particularly the Sky Palace. On the battlefields of Joust you can now witness floating islands, beautiful waterfalls, and the lush landscape one might expect to see in Wukong’s domain. An additional graphical touch from HiRez places Wukong’s adversary, the Jade Emperor, on the opposite side of the map. Minions actually spawn with side-specific art on the new Joust map, with Wukong’s minions appearing more monkey-like, while the Emperor’s minions seem more like soldiers. The Titans and towers have also had their models changed to reflect the more mythical Chinese atmosphere.

Finally, the big one. In the near future, 3v3 Joust will become its own Leagues mode. That’s right. 3v3 Joust will soon have a ranked version of itself. Even better, you will also be allowed to queue up as a full team of 3 with your friends to battle it out with other pre-made teams. That being said, there will not be a team rank system added. Instead, your individual rank and TP will be affected by the team’s performance. This means that although you may be queued as a team, you still have to hold your own or else your rank will suffer the consequences. However, HiRez has included a party-/team-based matchmaking system based upon each player’s MMR. The “average” (super complex mathematical shenanigans involved) MMR of all three players is taken into consideration, after which you will be placed against a group of three other players with the same or similar “average” MMR. This will hopefully alleviate elo boosting and other forms of cheating the system so that everyone can enjoy fair matchmaking in this exhilarating new Leagues mode. We hope that all of you are as excited about these changes as we are!

Update: we've uploaded a Dev Talk video discussing and showing all the footage!