Smite Character Update: A Change in Female Representation?

Smite is a fast-paced, multiplayer online battle arena game (MOBA) like no other that combines traditional MOBA themes, objectives, and gameplay with a third person perspective twist. Smite, released in 2014, is still growing in popularity and still adding new characters to the list of gods and goddesses one can choose to play as. However, these characters, specifically the female characters, have been criticized by many for being unnecessarily sexualized. Here are just a few examples of female Smite characters with ample cleavage and strategically placed clothing.

Neith: Egyptian goddess (image source: http://smite.gamepedia.com/Neith)

Freya: Norse goddess (image source: http://smite.gamepedia.com/Freya)

Nu Wa: Chinese goddess
Nu Wa Fan Art by Sarah Doran is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://www.smitegame.com/gods/nu-wa/.

While the male gods of the game are more varied in terms of body type and sexualization level, there is less variety when it comes to the female characters.The large breasts and revealing (and impractical) clothing of almost all the female goddesses have people saying these characters are simply designed to pander to the game's perceived male audience. I say perceived because the gaming industry has expanded drastically. In 2015, The Entertainment Software Association reported that 44% of gamers are females. While this is a broad category including players of any type of video game, one cannot deny that more women are now part of the community.

Looking at the newest character added to Smite two weeks ago on January 14th of this year, perhaps the developers are realizing that their audience is changing. Amaterasu, a character based on the Japanese sun goddess of the same name, is a fully clothed warrior who looks no less attractive, or powerful, than any of the more sexualized goddesses.

Amaterasu: Japanese goddess (image source: http://smite.gamepedia.com/Amaterasu)

With a full armor and sword, she looks prepared for battle. Could it be that game developers are finally hearing their audience's request for better variety when it comes to female characters? We will have to wait and see, but this seems like a good step in that direction. After all, most critics of female representation in games are not looking for complete censorship. I recognize that a sexy character can be just as competent and strong as any other; I just ask for more variety so that sexuality does not become the dominant characteristic of female characters. These goddesses have lethal abilities, and it would be a shame if their bodies overshadow the creative work that went into designing thier skills and powers. But whether I'm in the mood to play as the sexy goddess Nu Wa (a personal favorite) or the tough deity Amaterasu, I will enjoy the game. I just appreciate that I am given a choice between the two.