SOCIAL & PROFILE TAGS UX
ADVANCED / LEAD UX DESIGNER | SMITE 2
PROBLEM STATEMENT
In SMITE 1 the social features were fairly limited to a small subset of features. Over the course of the title’s timeline, changes were made, and due to constraints, weren’t as deep as they could, or even should, have been. As such, the title lagged behind evolving industry standards which may not have necessarily shrunk the player count, but it did create avoidable friction for the community.
While researching, and working on the concept design, I identified a handful features and ideas that are meant to intersect with the Social system to properly elevate it’s overall experience. The goal here, is to update our social features so that it’s inline with the rest of the industry’s standards, and potentially set new standards in the process.
SOLUTION
Create an all-new social system that gives players more control, more relevant data, and access points to other features, and ways to connect with other players. We do this by creating a new way of being social within the game. It needs to go beyond queuing with friends, and focus on making friends.
STAKEHOLDER NOTES
None. This was an early, exploratory concept of what the Social interaction, and potential adjacent features, could look like during pre-production.
There only request was that the wireframes were high fidelity as a compromise from not working in mocks as normally done.
UX GOALS
Create a new Lobby Finder hub that offers more control in locating or creating their own lobby. With improved navigation so players aren’t fiddling around with a confusingly structured menu.
Update the blade/sidebar menu to house more, and better organized, information for the player experience. With better organization, and meaningful data, we can offer more options, and present them with relevant information.
Integrate a Clan panel to the Social menu, so players feel more connected to their clan then before. In SMITE 1, this was a button in their player profile, but in SMITE 2, we want your inclusion in a clan to feel valuable to the community.
Introduce new tags to help our community surround themselves with players they can connect with. Additionally, we can introduce an all-new ‘Earned Tags’ system where receiving an amount of specific commendations will unlock special tags that highlight you as a beacon of the community.
SOCIAL BLADE (NEW)
The new Social Blade gives players a cleaner, more familiar view of social features. Seen in titles like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Valorant, as well as across mobile apps. It surfaces the most common interactions so players spend less time digging through menus and more time playing. Below is a breakdown of each of the available tabs.
Feature Intent:
SMITE 2 News: Dedicated to creating a central location to get SMITE 2 updates. In SMITE 1, that exists with occasional JSON images, Reddit posts, Twitter posts, and maybe a YouTube video. This addition gives us the ability to be direct with our community to remove any barriers between us, and our players.
Profile “Snapshot”: A quick-look profile that highlights recent stats, and showcasing the all-new Tags system (more below) that reflects your playstyle.
Profile Settings: Profile options are surfaced here for quick access anywhere in-game. There’s no longer a need to dig through settings when a simpler path is available.
Party: An update to the current system RallyHere has to improve usability and making connections more accessible.
Clan: Clans were a hidden feature in SMITE 1, often overlooked by players. By surfacing them here, we highlight their existence and help players understand the benefits of joining one.
NOTIFICATION ICONS (NEW)
A minor proposal for an animated icon to help attract the attention of our players. SMITE can be a complicated game, and often times, we may not be capable of reducing the cognitive dissonance when players are interacting features and systems. That can help lead to missing out on things that could benefit from their attention.
Badge notifications are helpful, but if we add animation, and SFX (primarily for accessibility) we can help grab the player’s focus when needed. We can start small with the Social feature, and barring validation, we can always roll this out to other areas.
PROFILE TAGS (NEW)
Profile tags aren’t a new concept. I first encountered them back in 2014 on a site called the100.io, a third-party platform designed to help players find groups for multiplayer games. I used it for Destiny 1, and it’s how I met friends I still game with today.
These tags allowed players to identify others with similar playstyles or mindsets. Which made it easier to form a connection. It’s a fantastic feature, and bringing something like this into SMITE 2 could be a powerful tool for community-building.
But I’d like to take the idea further with a system called Earned Tags (not final). Unlike average tags, these would be locked until players meet specific criteria. During the post-match commendation stage, teammates could vote for one another in various categories. Generally, this is meant to encourage positive behavior in the game. For example, if a player consistently leads strategy and guides the team, they could be commended as a Team Player. After earning enough these specific commendations, they’d unlock the Team Player tag for their profile. This could publicly signal that they’ve been recognized by the community for their supportive playstyle.
It’s a subtle way to reward teamwork, encourage good behavior, and help players discover others they might genuinely enjoy queuing with.
Below are a series of potential tags that could be earned. These aren’t final names, though, these were just concepts I put together to start the conversation.
EARNED TAGS
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GOOD TEACHER
Earned by receiving 5 commendations for helpfulness or guidance in matches. "Recognized for patiently teaching others and offering useful tips during gameplay."
SHERPA
Earned by receiving 25 mentorship commendations, or helping new players complete tutorials/objectives. "A trusted guide for newcomers, often leading teams through challenges with clarity."
PATHFINDER
Earned by maintaining Sherpa status for 30 days and receiving 50+ total mentorship commendations. "A revered mentor who has consistently helped shape the journeys of countless new players."
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TEAM PLAYER
Earned by receiving 5 commendations for teamwork, assists, or communication.
"Known for supporting allies and working towards the group's success."FIELD LEADER
Earned by receiving 25 teamwork commendations or maintaining high squad synergy over multiple matches. "Trusted to lead by example, organizing strategies and keeping teams focused."TACTICIAN
Earned by maintaining Field Leader status and achieving 10+ 'match MVP' votes from teammates.
"A tactical force, respected for elevating team performance with strategy and coordination."
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FRIENDLY FACE
Earned by receiving 5 commendations for being friendly, respectful, or uplifting.
"Always ready with a GG or a helpful comment; makes games better just by being there."UPLIFTER
Earned by receiving 20+ positive social commendations.
"Actively encourages good vibes and creates a welcoming environment for all players."BEACON
Earned by maintaining Uplifter status and having no reports or penalties over 60 days.
"A shining example of positivity, inspiring better behavior in every lobby they join."
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CLUTCH PLAYER
Earned by receiving 5 commendations for clutch plays or last-minute saves.
"Comes through when it matters most, trusted in the heat of battle."MVP REGULAR
Earned by receiving 20+ MVP votes from teammates across matches.
"Frequently recognized as the match’s standout player by those who played alongside them."LEGENDARY
Earned by maintaining MVP Regular status and receiving 50+ commendations across all categories.
"A living legend, equal parts skill, respect, and impact."
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ALLY (Tier 1)
Earned after receiving 15+ commendations for defending or supporting others against toxicity, or through verified positive behavior across varied groups.
“Known for standing up against negativity and making others feel safe and respected.”Safe Space(Tier 2)
Earned by maintaining Ally status for 30 days, with 40+ inclusivity commendations and no reports for harassment, griefing, or toxicity.
“Creates and protects an inclusive environment where all players, regardless of background, can feel welcome, safe, and valued.”Havenkeeper (Tier 3)
Earned by sustaining Safe Space status for 60+ days and receiving 75+ inclusivity commendations.
“A pillar of the community, actively nurtures and protects inclusive play, helping set the standard for kindness, empathy, and belonging.”
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COMEDIAN
Earned for unpredictable but fun and engaging play that gets recognized at least 10 times.
"The player who always keeps things interesting in the best way possible."Entertainer
Earned by being commended multiple times for humor, creativity, or keeping team morale high.
"Whether it’s banter, jokes, or fun plays, they’re the heart of the party."WILDCARD
Earned by receiving 100+ commendations across any fun/social category.
"An unforgettable presence—loved by the community for making the game memorable."
LOBBY FINDER HUB (NEW)
To better support social engagement in SMITE 2, while streamlining group formation, a reimagined Lobby Finder could be introduced as a central HUB for coordinated play. This feature would serve as a one-stop destination where players can easily create, discover, and join groups across all available game modes and special events. Whether players are looking for casual teammates, competitive squads, or specific role compositions, the Lobby Finder offers intuitive tools to help them connect.
Players would be able to search using keywords, usernames, or tags, browse open groups that match their interests, or seamlessly create their own lobby with clear descriptions and preferences. By providing a more robust and accessible group-finding experience, we not only reduce friction for solo players, but actively encourage meaningful, cooperative play.
DAILY FEATURED MATCHES (NEW)
To encourage group play, we can introduce Daily Featured Matches. A curated experiences players can join through the Lobby Finder and complete for rewards. The first match of the day would offer the highest payout, with diminishing or no rewards for subsequent completions. This keeps the system rewarding without compromising economic balance.
Importantly, we don't need to limit this to a single mode. Players could choose from multiple featured match types each day—offering variety and agency. Completing one would fulfill the daily quest, while ambitious players could complete all options for a broader sense of progression. This system could also scale into a Weekly Featured Quest, rewarding players who engage consistently.
To support player choice, we could even explore a reroll option, allowing players to swap out a featured match type once per day. This could help ensure accessibility while preserving the design’s intent.
FIND (NEW)
The new FIND feature draws inspiration from systems seen in Destiny 2, The Division 2, the100.io, and other community-driven tools. It streamlines the process of finding a team by offering more precise search filters, helping players connect with groups they’re more likely to enjoy playing with.
Many of our game modes, competitive or otherwise, tend to attract a broad mix of laid-back players, hardcore veterans, and high-intensity “try-hards.” That range can often create tension, or toxicity in matches, something we’d love to reduce. While this isn’t a silver bullet, the FIND system can help casual players avoid mismatched lobbies by offering better visibility into who they’re joining. After all, our matches can easily take 30 minutes or more to complete, which leads to a poor experience that players may directly associate with SMITE 2. Let’s help our community find their fun.
Give players the right tools, and they can shape the kind of experience they want to have.
After selecting a game mode, players can fine-tune their search with filters for lobby and profile tags, available roles, minimum rank, comms preferences, and more. There’s no need to back out to change modes either! Players can update their search directly from the results screen for a smoother, more responsive experience.
One of the most exciting additions is a Recommend system that compares available lobbies against the player’s own preferences. For example, if a player has tagged themselves with “Laid-Back,” “Support-Focused,” and “No Comms,” the system will prioritize lobbies that match those values. This could dramatically increases the chance of finding a group that feels like a natural fit, helping players get into a game faster, and ideally, with fewer mismatches.
CREATE LOBBY (UPDATED)
The new Create Lobby feature is every bit as robust and refined as the new Find Lobby system. Players will have full control over how they build their group; from the tone of the match to who’s allowed to join. Whether they’re looking for like-minded players, setting a clear intent for the match, or establishing specific goals, this feature puts the control in their hands. From the number of slots and join conditions, to minimum requirements and communication preferences, players can shape their ideal session and choose exactly who they want to spend the next 30 minutes (or more) with.
And it doesn’t stop there.
We recognize that setting up a detailed lobby can sometimes feel tedious, especially for players who know exactly what they want. That’s why this system includes a new Save & Pin feature. If players like the lobby they've created, they can pin it for future use, skipping the hassle next time. While we may want to cap the number of saved pins for technical reasons, even allowing five pinned lobbies per player offers a quality-of-life improvement that many users didn’t know they needed.
OTHER FEATURES TO EXPLORE (NEW)
As we remain early in production, there are a number of blue-sky ideas worth exploring—concepts that haven’t yet been fully scoped or implemented, but that could offer meaningful long-term value to a growing player base. These systems are focused on rewarding cooperative play, strengthening social ties, and creating repeatable incentives that support the LFG (Looking for Group) experience.
Communities - players can join customizable, interest-based social groups focused on identity, shared goals, or playstyles.
Players can join multiple communities at a time, which provides them another way of making in-game friends.
Genuinely improves and support social longevity by giving them a place to belong.
Each Community has a name, visual identity (badge/banner), and selectable tags to define its focus.
We can even tie Titan Forge-exclusive achievements, or Milestones, to encourage Community play.
This can help reduce friction for Solo-Players who don’t want to, or feel uncomfortable joining and committing to a clan.
Regional Friend Suggestions - Using general IP-based location data, we can provide players with regional friend suggestions
With IP addresses, we can suggest players based in the same city/state/region level to the player.
To respect player privacy, I suggest setting this up so it’s an opt-in feature. Both in receiving suggestions, or being included in them. They can also choose at what level the suggestions would be provided, i.e. city, state or region.
Ideally, this provides players with genuine local community growth for SMITE 2 players.
Social Account Linking - Allows players to link their SMITE 2 account to major social platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube Gaming, Twitch, and Kick (maybe)
Unlocks a powerful new method for identifying potential in-game friends
This could surface real-life friends, mutual friends, followers, or community figures—turning passive social relationships into active in-game connections.
When accounts are linked, they gain access to a new Social Tags to add to their account.
Streamers can increase their growth both on their respective platforms, and in-game.
Local Lobby Visibility - If a nearby colleague forms a public lobby, it could appear as a suggested match under “Nearby Public Lobbies”
This needs to be completely opt-in feature, but it could allow for more social connectivity.
Allows players to join up with nearby, active players who are looking to connect.
Optional push notifications or pop-ups could highlight these spontaneous opportunities.
Event-Based Opt-In Discovery - This allows events, recognized by Titan Forge, to function as a nexus for real-life connections.
Players who opt-in to the event’s discovery system, will sync with other opted-in players and automatically be added to a ‘[Event Name] Players’ list.
If players meet at the event, and want to become in-game friends, they simply locate the player in the list, and ‘Add Friend’ to complete their connection.
LFG Streaks - Encourage ongoing group play by rewarding players who avoid solo queueing.
Playing two LFG matches in a row grants a 1% XP boost,
Three matches grants 2%, and so on, up to a 5% cap.
The bonus resets if the player joins a premade party or queues solo. This system passively incentivizes consistency in social play without creating an imbalance against other queue types.
Clan Streaks - Clan matches would offer a flat 3.5% XP boost, with no ramp-up required.
Unlike LFG Streaks, this is a static benefit and reinforces the value of Clan participation.
This bonus is intentionally capped lower than LFG’s max potential, to prevent excessive reward stacking beyond existing Clan Quests or Clan-level bonuses.
LFG Mystery Quests - Introduce an element of surprise and progression to group play.
Hidden LFG-exclusive chests have a low base drop rate of <1%, but the chance increases with each consecutive LFG match played.
After a chest is earned, the rate resets.
Max 3 LFG chests per day to control economy balance and discourage burnout farming. This adds an RNG-driven layer of excitement and replayability to LFG matches.
LFG Achievements - Track and reward long-term participation in group matches. This encourages players to return regularly, while rewarding them for building positive social habits.
Win thresholds: 1 / 5 / 10 / 20 / 40 / 100 LFG Wins
Unlocks could include:
Unique skins
Profile borders or banners
Titles, emotes, stamps, etc focused on celebrating group play
Social XP Booster - Tied directly to commendations and positive player behavior.
Players who earn 3 commendations in a match (e.g. Friendly, Helpful, Team Player) receive a 1-game XP boost applied automatically.
This bonus reinforces positive interaction in a tangible way, without requiring players to actively manage it. It also aligns well with any long-term plans for a commendation or reputation system.
QR Code Merch - Unorthodox, but every shirt can have an opt-in paid feature to print their ‘Add Friend’ QR code to a sleeve.
Great for streamers, and players who love SMITE, and want to connect with as many players as possible.
There’s still so much more worth exploring; countless opportunities to reward players for choosing to play together. With the right systems in place, we can do more than just encourage group play; we can help foster lasting, meaningful connections that turn casual teammates into long-term friends.