Why is update 9.4 the Nerf Update in Smite?

For Smite’s update 9.4, a lot is happening in the game. Not only will there be a new god for the update, the Jade Emperor, but multiple items and gods will see reductions in power and their abilities. These changes will potentially balance the competitive game across the board better. How many changes will there be, and why is update 9.4 called the Nerf Update in Smite?

There are a mountain of changes in this update. To give you an idea of it, developer Hi-Rez listed out the multiple changes coming in update 9.4 to give it the Nerf Update nickname.

• 29 Gods Nerfed (including bonus)
• 37 Items Nerfed
• 8 Relics Nerfed (2 Relics, 4 Upgrade States Each) 
• 2 Reworks

The primary goal for many of the item nerfs is to decrease the overall damage players will be doing to each other during the games. This gives a chance for players to potentially survive previously deadly situations, along with extending the overall game to make it last longer and provide a more competitive edge for players.

For the gods, the Hi-Rez time prioritized the ones who were primarily picked across the board, such as Achilles, Gilgamesh, Tiamat, Persephone, Agni, Zeus, and Chaac, to name a few. These gods would receive multiple decreases in their power and abilities, such as Chaac’s self healing for his Rain Dance ability. These changes have been because the Smite Community has been vocal about the large damage ceiling in the game, making it difficult for some players to endure hectic battles.

This is the first nerf update for Smite Season 9, and it won’t be the last. These will go live with update 9.4 on April 19, and we can expect to see additional changes and power buffs as the community has a chance to test these changes themselves. The development team calls this the Nerf Update as they went out of their way to ensure no buffs were given to any of the items or gods.