Newest Smite god is Maui, complete with his legendary fish hook

pcgamesn.com:

Hi-Rez’s Titan Forge Games revealed its newest Smite god, Maui, the proclaimed “Hero of Hawai’i” and legendary figure in Polynesian mythology. Once added to the game, Maui will be able to use his magical fish hook to capture enemies and will also assist his allies through magical blessings. Some players are already hopeful that Maui will rise in the ranks to become one of the best Smite gods.

Though technically a demigod, folklore claims Maui was born a human but was adopted by gods when his mother sent him out to sea during a famine. He returned with powers graced to him by the god of the waters.

Mythology holds that Maui formed the Hawaiian islands while fishing. He tricked his brothers into believing he caught a large fish, but instead, had hooked his hook to the ocean floor. With his brothers’ help, they paddled as hard as possible, causing the ocean floor to rise and creating the Hawaiian Islands. Smite’s cinematic trailer shows Maui pulling up islands with his fish hook, an homage to the folklore surrounding the mythical god.

Hawaiians also credit Maui with slowing the sun’s rotation around Earth to make the days longer in the summer and shorter in the winter. Taken together, Maui represents resilience and strength, making him a welcome addition to Smite.

In the past, the team at Hi-Rez has said it has several goals with each Smite god, which range from filling gameplay balance holes, pantheons, or personality gaps within the game.

Reddit discussions dating back to 2016 have shown players pushing for Maui to appear in the game, suggesting he’s an excellent fit for its ethos. Maui is the second Polynesian god in the game. The other is Pele, the goddess of Fire, Dance and Wind, and Volcanoes and Violence.

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