I was inspired by a post about understanding our community and wanted to share my story. It’s long but well worth the read. Smite has saved my life and that’s not a joke. 

I have been on smite console since 2015, and always enjoyed it. Helped me the same way games help everyone, but in 2016 I got a mysterious illness that completely changed my life. 

There were times where I had a 12% chance to live. My resting heart rate was 165 BPM. I was told I would never be able to hold a camera again and be stuck in a wheelchair. Months where all I could do was drink chicken broth. The only thing I COULD do was play smite and wait for the next treatment. Many times I could not mechanically do much/frustrated players but my decision making and shot-calling improved. 

Ironically, the gaming kept me using my hands and eventually I was able to work from there to other parts of my body. I learned how to walk again, I kept pushing. I got treatment of course, but ranking up gave me the hope and tangible progress I needed to keep going. 

8 years later, Now I’m getting ready to make my thesis film, get my MFA. I still have conditions, but I’m proud to say I can hold a camera just fine, even done lighting for a few sets recently. All that time shot calling and looking at the map and planning translated very well to managing sets/directing. I’ve won awards, produced internationally screened films, and am getting ready to launch my directing career next year. (No self promotion so you’ll have to find another way to see my stuff)

I’ve been able to make it to masters more than once, played with some of the people I grew up watching. If it wasn’t for the place to keep pushing and improving that a competitive game like smite provided, I think I would have just given up entirely and wouldn’t be here today. For those of you grinding ranked, if I could do it, you can too!

In closing, this is my community debut, and I just wanted to say thanks for everything. If it wasn’t for smite, I wouldn’t be around to direct my thesis this month. I’ll work on being more vocal/visible from now on(sooo many clips). I’ll still be on to play, and thanks for all the GGs for the last 10 years :) 

Forever grateful to the Devs and all of you. The clip attached is an example of how much joy you all have given me. 

Smite saved my life