HiRez is seizing the opportunity to really play with Smite's item system now that the sequel is out, changing nearly every aspect of the core mechanic⁠—and that includes stats, with numerous buffs and nerfs in the alpha.

One of the biggest changes in Smite 2 is that items now use a component-based system; gone are the days of Smite where these combat upgrades were built around a tree-based layout, according to HiRez's mile-long blog post on the topic. Some items will also be marked as “Unique”⁠—they can only be purchased once.

There are also a bunch of new Actives added to items, reminiscent of other MOBAs like League of Legends and especially Dota 2. These special items have "active effects that activate with a button press."

Finally, all players will start each match with Purification Beads and a Sentry Ward. These items will now be marked as "Standard" in all lists.