SMITE Announces Bob Ross Bundle

Published: May 7, 2017 10:30 AM /

By:


SMITE Bob Ross Bundle

Hi-Rez Studios's free-to-play MOBA SMITE has announced a Bob Ross Bundle for the game featuring three items thematically related to the afro-clad painter of yesteryear.

For those who haven't been fortunate enough to see his show, Bob Ross is a painter that was most famous for his television show The Joy of Painting that was distributed on PBS (Public Broadcasting Station) in America. The hallmarks of Mr. Ross are his stylish afro, his relentless positivity, and his proclivity to paint scenes of nature (largely inspired by his time stationed in Alaska while serving in the United States Air Force.)

In addition to his show, Mr. Ross was one of the figures who brought interest to the wet-on-wet painting technique, a style of painting where the artist doesn't wait for the paint on the canvas to dry before adding more. Hi-Rez Studios has released a tongue-in-cheek trailer  regarding the bundle called The Joy of Ganking (a play on the television series that Mr. Ross hosted in his heyday):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ea1LD0ffc4

The bundle includes three items overall. The first item is a Bob Ross-themed skin for Sylvanus, a spirit of nature from the Roman pantheon. The second item is a jump stamp which leaves an image of Mr. Ross on the ground for about a second after you jump. The final item is a loading frame that mixes the elements of nature and painting that the host of The Joy of Painting was well-known for.

This particular bundle is the result of a partnership between Hi-Rez Studios, the Bob Ross Estate, and Twitch. Twitch had highlighted its Creative section of the service by running a channel showcasing Mr. Ross's show, twitch.tv/bobross. If you'd like to get a peek at the items in the bundle, here are some images from the announcement:

[gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" type="slideshow" ids="148709,148708,148710,148707"]

Players who are interested in the bundle can pick it up for 700 Gems in-game or $9.99 on Twitch Commerce. The bundle will be available May 9, 2017, on PC and May 16, 2017, on consoles. As for Mr. Ross and his happy little trees, if you haven't seen his show you can experience The Joy of Painting for yourself by heading over to the show's official YouTube channel.

What do you think of the addition of the Bob Ross Bundle to SMITE? Have you had the pleasure of seeing The Joy of Painting? Do you think it's a fitting tribute to the famously-positive public television painter or do you feel that it's just pandering to Internet & Millenial culture? Will you be picking up the bundle yourself? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
| Senior Writer

One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N

More Info About This Game
Learn more about SMITE
Game Page SMITE
Developer
Hi-Rez
Publisher
Hi-Rez
Platforms
Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Release Date
March 25, 2014 (Calendar)
Genre
MOBA
Purchase (Some links may be affiliated)