Smite update 9.8 patch notes – Ishtar release and The Soaring Isles event

For Smites 9.8 update, Ishtar will be gracing the battlefield. She is the Babylonian goddess of Love and War and will be a physical Hunter for you to use. You’ll have plenty of chances to try out her abilities throughout the season and test her against the other gods. The Soaring Isles event will begin alongside Ishtar’s release in patch 9.8. These are some of the bigger chances coming to Smite, alongside a handful of minor bug fixes and quality of life changes. This guide covers all Smite update 9.8 patch notes.

Related: Invader Zim, Danny Phantom, and more Nickelodeon characters coming to Smite

Smite Update 9.8 – Patch Notes

Ishtar abilities

Mark of Vengeance

• When Ishtar drops below 75% Health, she marks the Enemy God that most recently damaged her for 10s. Each time Ishtar deals damage to the marked god with a Basic Attack, she gains a stacking Attack Speed buff. In addition, if Ishtar receives a kill or assist on the marked god, she gains a Movement Speed buff. This passive has a 20-second cooldown.
  • Attack Speed Buff: 5% for 4s
  • Max Stacks: 4
  • Movement Speed Buff: 20% for 5s

Imbue Arrows

• Ishtar imbues her arrows with heavenly light, enhancing her Basic Attacks in one of three ways for 5s. The three varieties include Strike Shot, a lobbed explosive arrow, Spread Shot, a volley of five arrows, and Storm Shot, a fast-paced long-range snipe. Ishtar cannot hit Structures during the duration.
  • Duration: 5s
  • Cost: 60/65/70/75/80
  • Cooldown: 9s

Strike Shot

• Ishtar lobs bolts that explode in an area, dealing bonus damage. These shots may also be fired over walls.
  • Bonus Damage: 8/12/18/24/30
  • Crit Damage Reduction: 40%

Spread Shot

• Ishtar notches additional light arrows and fires five shots in a cone. Only the center arrow triggers Basic Attack item effects.
  • Center Damage: 100% of your Basic Attack Damage
  • Side Damage: 5/6.25/7.5/8.75/10% of your Basic Attack Damage

Storm Shot

• Ishtar enhances her Attack Speed and fires quick, long-range shots that deal reduced damage.
  • Attack Speed: 20/25/30/35/40%
  • Projectile Speed: 120%
  • Damage Reduction: 20%

Rolling Thunder

• Ishtar calls down four lightning strikes in a line, damaging Enemies within their area. Ishtar may aim which direction the strikes travel. If an Enemy is hit by more than one strike, they are mesmerized.
  • Strike Damage: 40/60/80/100/120 + 40% of your Physical Power
  • Mesmerize: 0.75s
  • Cost: 55/60/65/70/75
  • Cooldown: 15s

Jolt

• Ishtar draws her blades and charges forward, striking all Enemies in her path. If she hits an Enemy God, she stops and roots them for 1s as she backflips off of them. Then, as Ishtar is in the air, she fires her bow, damaging an area around the affected god. This shot may Crit and trigger Basic Attack item effects.
  • Charge Damage: 80/120/160/200/240 + 60% of your Physical Power
  • Arrow Damage: 20/30/40/50/60 + 110% of your Physical Basic Attack Power
  • Root: 1s
  • Cost: 60
  • Cooldown: 15s

Blades of Retribution

• Ishtar becomes CC-immune and summons five swords of light, firing them out in a cone in front of her. Each sword damages and cripples enemies for 1.25s. When the swords reach their destination, Ishtar may recall them to her location within 3s. If an Enemy is hit by both the initial fire and the recall, they are stunned for 1s. Each sword hit after the first deals reduced damage, resetting before recalling.
  • Sword Damage: 80/100/120/140/160 + 45% of your Physical Power
  • Damage Reduction: 30% per sword, up to a max of 80%
  • Cripple: 1.25s
  • Stun: 1s
  • Cost: 100
  • Cooldown: 90s

UPDATE RELEASE SCHEDULE

August 23 – Love and War Update

• New Goddess: Ishtar
• Odyssey: The Soaring Isles Event
• New T5 Hades Skin: Crow of Torment Hades
• Community Celebration Calendar Event
• & Much More!

September 6 – Love and War Bonus Update

• More Odyssey Content
• Lifeform Chest & Frostbite Chest
• & More to come!

ODYSSEY: THE SOARING ISLES EVENT

In this year’s Odyssey, we are taking it to the skies! Join us as we embark on new voyages on floating islands! There is also a NEW territory called Chibiland, where you can quest for hilarious cosmetic items! Make sure you find the three Floofs scattered across the Soaring Isles to unlock Chibiland! Let the adventure begin!

• Week 1
  • Crow of Torment Hades
  • Bun Hatz Hun Batz
  • CthUwU Cthulhu
  • Searing Seductress Sol
  • Fairy Dust Nu Wa
  • Shadow Dancer Shiva
  • Crow of Torment Jump Stamp
  • Crow of Torment Recall Skin
  • Sugarplum Butterfly Recall Skin
  • Floofs Loading Frame
  • Bun Hatz Avatar
  • Return to Base Death Mark
  • Aphro Kisses! Global Emote
  • Touch Grass Jump Stamp
  • Fast Food Loading Frame
  • Floofs Loading Screen
  • Recall Bait Recall Skin
  • Cutesy Player Title
  • Winter’s Mark Avatar
  • Gone to Valhalla Death Mark
  • Slavic Symbols Fountain Skin
  • Goddess Ishtar Global Emote
  • Lurking Sobek Jump Stamp
  • Haunting Horrors Level Up Skin
  • Olympus Loading Screen
  • Fishy Aquarium Recall Skin
• Week 3
  • Cryptid Death Anubis
  • Cryonic Demon Ymir
  • Cryptid Death Loading Screen
  • Cryonic Demon Avatar

COMMUNITY CELEBRATION CALENDAR EVENT

The Community Calendar Event is back! To celebrate our amazing SMITE Community, you can earn rewards just for playing SMITE!

• For two weeks, log in and play one game of SMITE each day to earn your reward!
• Earn at least 6 of these rewards, and you will unlock the Dapper Baron Samedi Skin!
• There are a variety of rewards. Loading screens, boosters, and even 200 Gems! But that isn’t all… We also have some fantastic Community Art that you can earn as well!

9.8 SMITE NIGHT

• SMITE Night
  • Week 1 – Siege 4v4 
  • Week 2 – Classic Conquest
  • Week 3 – Egyptian Clash
  • Week 4 – 5v5 Conquest
  • Rewards:
    • Week 1:
      • SMITE NIGHT Avatar
      • Odyssey: Soaring Isles BONUS Chest
    • Week 2:
      • SMITE NIGHT Avatar Chest
      • Pick Your Own God Chest
    • Week 3:
      • SMITE NIGHT Emote Chest
      • SMITE NIGHT Cosmetic Chest
    • Week 4:
      • SMITE NIGHT Voice Pack Chest
      • Three-day Account Booster
    • Milestone:
      • Crying Cupid Death Mark
      • SMITE NIGHT Skins Chest

QUALITY OF LIFE

• God AvatarsIn this update, we are beginning the process of releasing a vast selection of Avatars for each god’s default art. Starting right where we left off in Season 3, we will add these back in batches across the next few updates. Unlock these Avatars by playing as the god, allied with the god, or against the god a total of 3 times
• Avatars available this update: Default Susano
• Default Fafnir
• Default Erlang Shen
• Default Terra
• Default Izanami
• Default Thoth
• Default Nike
• Default Camazotz
• Favor Prices for two ChestsWith Update 9.8, the following two chests will be purchasable for Favor: Voice Pack Chest
• Odyssey: Soaring Isles Cosmetic Chest
• More Direct Purchase SkinsThere will be over 100 more Exclusive Skins available for Direct Purchase

BUG FIXES

• UI
  • Fixed an issue where Persephone appeared as “Ranged” in the Gods page filter
  • Fixed an issue where some God emotes were missing in the Battle Emote and Smite Night Emote chests
  • Fixed an issue where the Yulefest Loading Frame was displaying as The Trickster Loading Frame
  • Fixed an issue where the Infinite Assault Custom Game template was using Random Pick instead of All Pick
  • Fixed an issue where text could be entered into the New tags on the Gods page
  • Fixed an issue where Non-Conquest Balance System message text would appear when loading into Jungle Practice
  • Fixed an issue where Stone of Binding wasn’t showing under the correct filters in the Item Store
  • Fixed an issue where the Keyboard and Mouse setting on Console had unnamed labels on the chat box
  • Fixed an issue where switching between Gods in the Gods page wasn’t defaulting to the About tab
  • Localization
    • Fixed an issue where The Ferocious Executioner’s Glyph passive wasn’t displaying in the item tooltip in Spanish
    • Updated shop filters to provide clearer explanations for Cooldown and Crowd Control Reduction in Spanish
    • Updated item stat text for Crowd Control and Cooldown Reduction in Spanish

• General Gameplay
  • Ranked
    • Fixed an issue where after promoting to Masters, players couldn’t duo queue with the same partner that was within MMR range until they played one game in Masters
  • Conquest
    • Fixed an issue where the Obelisk Mana Chalices were providing unintended Mana regeneration to teammates
  • Fixed an issue where Sphinx’s Bauble was allowing unintended Cooldown in cooldown-based MOTDs (Grab Bag, Omnipotence, All Out Assault, and Cooldowns Runneth Over)

• Gods
  • Lancelot
    • Fixed an issue where he could be grabbed by Fenrir’s ultimate ability while mounted
    • Added clarification to the description of his Mount Up ability stating it is not immune to Time Dilation
  • Geb
    • Fixed an issue where his model could turn invisible after using his VXG Special emote 
    • Added clarification to the description of his ultimate ability stating that he becomes immune to Crowd Control
  • Danzaburou
    • Fixed an issue where he could sometimes break Jungle Camps causing them not to spawn the rest of the match
  • Xing Tian
    • Fixed an issue where certain gods like Terra and Zhong Kui could be thrown by Xing Tian’s Ult even if they had Knockup Immunity 
  • Serqet
    • Fixed an issue where her ultimate ability was applying two stacks of Diminishing Returns to herself after casting the ability
  • Loki
    • Fixed an issue where his ultimate ability was applying two stacks of Diminishing Returns to himself after casting the ability
  • Scylla
    • Fixed an issue with her Eleven skin causing FPS drops after getting hit by her ultimate ability
  • Merlin
    • Fixed an issue where Dragonfire at Rank 3 didn’t deal damage in specific areas of the ability
  • Atlas
    • Fixed an issue where he could pull enemies into Phoenixes 
    • Fixed an issue with his ultimate ability where it could sometimes not be visible towards the end of the ability beam
  • King Arthur
    • Fixed the tooltip description of his Hamstring ability 
  • Heimdallr
    • Decreased the size of his passive meter
  • Ne Zha
    • Fixed an issue with his Fire Lord skin where the ring toss FX would become invisible after multiple bounces
  • Shiva
    • Fixed an issue where he could be displaced outside of the map by Ganesha pillars during his dash

• Items
  • Malicious Deathbringer
    • This item’s passive effect will now only trigger once per ability or basic attack fire 
  • Magi’s Revenge
    • Fixed an issue where the passive movement speed wasn’t being appropriately removed when more than one Revenge passive was activated at the same time
  • Jotun’s Cunning
    • Fixed an issue where this items text did not describe its internal Cooldown

BALANCE LIVE WITH THE 9.8 UPDATE – AUGUST 23

Game Modes

Duel

• Duel will now use the Jade Corruption Map (Joust will continue to use Season 3 Chinese Joust)
• All starter items and all starter item upgrades will now be banned in duel 
• This game mode will no longer use Non-Conquest balance adjustments

Joust

• All starter items will be re-enabled on Joust and Ranked Joust

Items

The level 15 Support starter items have returned! These items now have the proper restrictions to prevent them from being abused by other roles. Players will now need to be the lowest gold on their team to get the bonus gold. The lower upgrade level will give Supports an extra edge in the late game.

• All Support Starter Items can be upgraded at level 15
  • Sentinel’s Embrace
  • Sentinel’s Boon
  • Compassion
  • Animosity
  • War Banner
  • Spartan Flag
  • Lono’s Mask

The new Earring Items set some high expectations but were ultimately underpowered in practice. For this update, we implemented a new round of testing that included influencers, Olympians, and pro players getting their hands on the content early, but we still learned so much more once these items went to live servers. As a result, we will be making pretty heavy stat adjustments to all of these items with the primary goals of buffing them and better fitting them to the class/roles that want them.

SPHINX’S BAUBLE

• Decreased Physical Power from 55 to 45
• Decreased Magical Power from 80 to 70
• This Item no longer has any damage output debuff (still has healing decrease)
• This item now Decreases your Magical and Physical Protections by 15% (This applies to all protections, including base, items, auras, player buffs, and jungle buffs)

GRIFFONWING EARRINGS

• Increased Magical Power from 60 to 70
• This Item no longer has any damage output debuff

ROSE SPIKE EARRINGS

• Increased Health from 200 to 250
• Removed 15 HP5
• Added 25 Magical Protections

FAE BLESSED HOOPS

• Increased Health from 300 to 350
• Removed 20 HP5
• Added 10% CDR
• Added 60 Magical Protections

MANTICORES SPIKE

• Removed 30 HP5
• Removed 20% CCR
• Added 40 Physical Protections
• Added 40 Magical Protections 
• Increased the duration of the self-buff after pickup from 5s to 15s
• Increased the damage dealt from 3% to 4% of their max HP
• Increased the damage dealt by the item owner from 6% to 8% of their maximum HP

DIVINE RUIN

• Decreased Cost from 2300 to 2200

SPEAR OF THE MAGUS

• Reduced Cost from 2550 to 2450

SPEAR OF DESOLATION

• Reduced Cost from 2600 to 2500

ROD OF TAHUTI

• Increased Magical Power from 120 to 135

CALAMITOUS ROD OF TAHUTI

• Increased Magical Power from 120 to 135

PERFECTED ROD OF TAHUTI

• Increased Magical Power from 120 to 135
• This item’s passive effect can now affect Ultimate Ability Cooldown
• Decreased passive internal Cooldown from 10s to 8s

POLYNOMICON

• Reduced passive internal Cooldown from 3s to 2s

(UPGRADE) BUMBA’S HAMMER

• This item’s passive effect can now affect Ultimate Ability Cooldowns again

JOTUNN’S WRATH

• Increased Physical Power from 40 to 45

JOTUNN’S CUNNING

• Increased Physical Power from 40 to 45

JOTUNN’S VIGOR

• Increased Physical Power from 40 to 45

BRAWLER’S BEAT STICK

• Increased Physical Power from 50 to 55

THE CRUSHER

• Increased Physical Power from 40 to 45

TITAN’S BANE

• Decreased Cost from 2550 to 2450
• Decreased Passive Internal Cooldown from 8s to 6s

SHADOWSTEEL SHURIKEN

• Increased Attack Speed from 20% to 25%
• Decreased Healing Debuff Duration from 10s to 5s

(STARTER) TAINTED STEEL

• Reduced Cost from 650 to 600 
• Decreased Healing Debuff Duration from 6s to 5s

(UPGRADE) TAINTED BREASTPLATE

• Increased Physical Protection from 70 to 80
• Decreased Healing Debuff Duration from 8s to 5s

(UPGRADE) TAINTED AMULET

• Increased Magical Protection from 80 to 90
• Decreased Healing Debuff Duration from 6s to 5s

RANGDA’S MASK

• Decreased Physical Power Requirement from 325 to 275 (from 65 to 55 per stack)
• This item now correctly checks stacking items and item passives for power gained from them
• This item no longer checks god abilities for power gained

LONO’S MASK

• Now provides 6 Gp5, only if you’re the lowest gold on the team
• Decreased Protection Requirement from 300 to 275 (from 60 to 55 per stack)
• This item now properly checks stacking items and item passives for power gained from them
• This item no longer fit god abilities for power gained

(UPGRADE) COMPASSION

• Gp5 Now only applies if you have the lowest total gold on your team
• This item’s passive aura no longer stacks with other players using the same item

(UPGRADE) SENTINEL’S EMBRACE

• Gp5 Now only applies if you have the lowest total gold on your team

(UPGRADE) SENTINEL’S BOON

• 15 Bonus gold per assist now only applies if you have the lowest total gold on your team

Gods

NOX

SHADOW LOCK

• Increased Base Damage to Minions from 70/110/150/190/230 to 80/125/170/215/260
• Increased Minion Damage Magical Power Scaling from 50% to 60%

NON-CONQUEST

• +10% longer non-Ultimate cooldowns
• +10% longer Ultimate Cooldown

JANUS

GENERAL

• Increased Base Physical Protections from 11.2 to 14
• Increased Physical Protections from 2.8 per level to 3 per level

UNSTABLE VORTEX

• Increased Base Damage from 100/165/230/295/360 to 110/175/240/305/370

RAIJIN

PERCUSSIVE STORM

• Increased Base Damage from 30/45/60/75/90 to 35/50/65/80/95 per shot
• (from 120/180/240/300/360 to 140/200/260/320/380 for all four hits)

THOTH

DEAD RECKONING

• Decreased the number of kills per stack from 30 to 20

FINAL JUDGEMENT

• Increased Damage 360/430/500/570/640 from 400/460/520/580/640

SKADI

PIERCING COLD

• Increased Base Damage from 90/140/190/240/290 to 90/145/200/255/310

WINTER’S GRASP

• Increased Physical Power Scaling per tick from 5% per tick to 7.5% per tick on both Kaldr and Skadi’s snowstorms
  • Increased from 40% to 60% scaling per snowstorm total

NEITH

SPIRIT ARROW

• Decreased Cooldown from 15/14.5/14/13.5/13s to 13s at all ranks
• Decreased Mana Cost from 60/65/70/75/80 mana to 40/45/50/55/60

GUAN YU

CONVICTION

• Decreased Cooldown from 14s to 13s

WARRIOR’S WILL

• Decreased Cooldown from 14s to 13s

SET

SANDSTORM

• This ability now reduces damage from all sources instead of just Physical Damage by 10%
• Decreased Cooldown from 16s to 15

ARES

SHACKLES (REVERT)

• Increased God damage from 20/40/60/80/100 to 25/45/65/85/105 per tick

NO ESCAPE

• Decreased Cooldown from 100s to 90s

NON-CONQUEST

• Increased Ultimate Cooldown from 15% to 30%
• (from 115s to 117s)

CERBERUS

SPIRIT OF DEATH

• Increased Passive Healing Reduction Aura from 25% to 30%

SOUL EXPULSION

• Increased Base Damage from 60/100/140/180/220 to 80/120/160/200/240

STYGIAN TORMENT

• Decreased Cooldown from 100s to 90s

KUMBHAKARNA

SLEEPY

• Increased Health and Mana he awakens with from 25% to 35%
• Decreased Cooldown from 240s to 180s

THROWBACK

• Decreased Cooldown from 13 to 13/12.5/12/11.5/11s

EPIC UPPERCUT

• Increased Landing Damage from 200/290/380/470/560 to 240/330/420/510/600

TERRA

FORCE OF NATURE

• Decreased Cooldown from 13s to 11s

MONOLITH (REVERT)

• Increased amount of hits it takes to destroy Monolith from 3 to 5
• Increased Shatter Damage from 70/100/130/160/190 to 90/120/150/180/210

SYLVANUS

VERDANT GROWTH

• Increased Root Duration from 1.25s to 1.5s

NATURE’S GRASP

• Decreased Cooldown from 18/17/16/15/14s to 17/16/15/14/13s

BACCHUS

BELLY FLOP

• Decreased Mana Cost from 70/75/80/85/90 mana to 60/65/70/75/80

BELCH OF THE GODS

• Added Damage to Lane Minions 3/4/5/6/7 per tick (12/16/20/24/28 total)
• Increased Stun Duration from 1s to 1.1/1.2/1.3/1.4/1.5s
• Decreased Mana Cost from 70/75/80/85/90 mana to 60/65/70/75/80
• Increased Healing Reduction Debuff Duration from 4s to 5s

SOBEK

SICKENING STRIKE

• Increased Healing Reduction Debuff Duration from 4s to 5s

CHANG’E

MOONFLOWER DANCE

• Increased Healing Reduction Debuff Duration from 4s to 5s

CU CHULAINN

BARBED SPEAR

• Increased Healing Reduction Debuff Duration from 4s to 5s

MEDUSA

ACID SPRAY

• Increased Healing Reduction Debuff Duration from 4s to 5s

NEW SKIN VOICE ACTORS

• Ishtar: Dalia Ramahi
• Crow of Torment Hades: Matt Curtis
• Bun Hatz Hun Batz: Sean Chiplock
• Fairy Dust Nu Wa: Lauren Mayfield
• Shadow Dancer Shiva: Edward Bosco
• Kuku Puffs Kukulkan: Frank Todaro
• Bad Apple Discordia: Cristina Vee
• Cryptid Death Anubis: Jacob Craner
• Cryonic Demon Ymir: Jon Allen
• Cthuwu Cthulhu: Daman Mills
• Searing Seductress Sol: Melissa Medina
• Xeno Thrasher Fenrir: Kit Harrison
• Winter’s Mark Hou Yi: Jordan Haro