Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics open beta is live now

Smite Tactics, now known as Hand of the Gods: Smite Tactics, has hit open beta. The god vs. god CCG will be free-to-play, and you can start sending your minions into the fray right now.

Hand of the Gods is part turn-based tactics, part CCG, with gods and mythological beasties duking it out in an arena, while spells, abilities and new combatants can be summoned from a deck of divine cards that you can build up over time. You’ll unlock a bunch of card packs now, just by taking the open beta for a spin.

Like Hi-Rez’s other games, Hand of the Gods was built for eSports, and with that in mind, the developer has already announced a tournament with a $50k prize at the Hi-Rez Expo next year. An open portion of the event is also being planned, so as long as you have a ticket to the expo, you’ll be able to try your luck and maybe walk away with a big cheque.

HRX will take place in early January, but you can start playing Hand of the Gods now by downloading it for free here.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.