In perhaps one of the most unusual moves in SMITE history, if not an unprecedented change in MOBA genre in general, Hi-Rez Studios has retooled the Chinese god Sun Wukong to become a Mayan alternative. The former Monkey King is now revered as Hun Batz, the Howler Monkey God.
The new God remains close to Sun Wukong, including his typical abilities. The major change is in his ultimate, which now fears enemy players directly away from its center while damaging them every quarter second. In addition, the passive makes Hun Batz’s attack speed more important than ever before, increasing his physical capabilities.
Any player that has purchased Sun Wukong or earned any skins will have immediate access to Hun Batz and his trio of skins. Hi-Rez has retooled the original and Demon Monkey skins, yet the Shaolin Monk-ey remains the same as Wunkong’s. The studio did not explicitly state the reason for the change but a rebalance of the pantheons and diversification from the numerous other games with the Chinese legend, like League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth, may be parts of the decision.
The new patch includes additional voice packs, a Gold skin for Apollo and a variety of bug fixes. Check out the Hun Batz God Reveal trailer after the cut and check in later this week for his SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained post.