SMITE
MOBAs are, without a doubt, some of the most complicated games mechanically, especially from an esports perspective. This makes viewing them incredibly difficult and harder to get into due to the overwhelming amount of information to learn. However, SMITE defies a lot of this trend by simplifying its gameplay and creating something that translates to a wider audience. SMITE plays from a third-person perspective and when spectated, the camera view is much closer to the field than traditional MOBAs, allowing observers a clearer vision of the field and combat, which makes everything easier to follow. There’s even a documentary called Versus created by Vice, which covers the nuances of competitive SMITE and the professional players surrounding it, releasing later this month. Plus like Hearthstone, SMITE is available for free, so there isn’t a cost-related gate of entry to get in and start learning the game.
The esports base for SMITE is smaller compared to larger MOBAs like League of Legends or DOTA 2, however it does have a full pro league made up of weekly tournaments full of the best players. And a smaller community isn’t exactly a knock against it, as it’s more tightly knit and willing to help newcomers acclimate to the competitive environment. With resources like Smite Pros and the Smite eSportspedia, keeping up with competitive teams and matches couldn’t be simpler. SMITE is a fantastic game to start spectator MOBA esports with or even just esports in general. Tournament officials and commentators are excellent at mechanical explanations for events and the community tends to create a welcoming environment with its positive disposition, which can be very rare in esports communities these days.
