Shockwaves in Gaming: Hi-Rez Studios Faces Major Layoffs Amid Smite 2 Focus!

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Summary

  • Hi-Rez Studios confirms layoffs in 3 subsidiaries, choosing to focus on Smite 2 development.
  • Layoffs follow market challenges, affecting the future of Smite, Paladins, & Rogue Company.
  • Reported number of layoffs may be close to 70, causing the CEO to deactivate their Twitter account.

Hi-Rez Studios, known for its successful MOBA game Smite, has announced it’s letting go of an unspecified number of employees across various studios. As the umbrella company for five separate subsidiaries, Hi-Rez is responsible for a variety of teams that develop games like Smite, Smite 2, Paladins, and Rogue Company.

Just like in recent years, layoffs have persisted, claiming victims even in 2025. Following major companies such as Ubisoft reducing their workforce in January, Hi-Rez Studios has now joined the trend. This decision by Hi-Rez affects three separate studios within its portfolio and may influence the future of numerous online games it hosts. Worryingly, this is not the first time Hi-Rez has reduced its staff, having done so previously in October 2024, only four months prior to this latest announcement.

In a recent announcement on Discord and later tweeted by Hocky2001, Game Developer shared that Hi-Rez Studios has let go of an unspecified number of employees from Evil Mojo Games, Rally Here, and Titan Forge Games. The decision was made due to the tough market conditions and with the aim of ensuring the longevity of these studios. This statement mirrors a previous one issued by the publisher of Rogue Company during its October layoffs. Hi-Rez also announced that their leaner structure will concentrate on creating new content for Smite 2, while Smite, Paladins, and Rogue Company won’t receive any significant updates moving forward. However, they assured continued server support for these games in the near future, with a commitment to keep them playable for as long as feasible.

Reported Number of Layoffs Soar After Smite Creator’s Announcement

It’s been reported that the number of Hi-Rez employees laid off has increased significantly over the past week. According to InsiderGaming, the current estimate is close to 70 employees, as per their sources. Interestingly, since facing criticism after the layoff announcement, the CEO of the Smite 2 publisher, Stewart Chisam, has deactivated his Twitter account.

Since the official release of Smite 2 on January 14, 2025, following its exit from early access, it’s clear why Hi-Rez Studios is focusing so heavily on this free-to-play game at the moment. However, it’ll be intriguing to observe how long they can sustain this focus while continuing to support their other online games. It’s worth noting that just a few weeks after their layoffs in late 2024, Hi-Rez Studios announced the shutdown of Realm Royale Reforged’s servers for the following year. Given this history, it’s not implausible to anticipate potential announcements affecting games like Paladins, Rogue Company, or Smite in the coming months.

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2025-02-10 16:44