Unfortunately, Hi-Rez Studios has been dealt a significant blow with recent layoffs affecting around 50 to 60 employees. Consequently, the company is discontinuing the development and maintenance of certain profitable games, such as Paladins, a game resembling Overwatch in the shooter genre, and Smite 1, which falls under Hi-Rez’s MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) category.
Ironically, no higher-ups appear to have been affected by this sudden restructuring.
The reductions in workforce affected different groups unevenly, leading to job losses in diverse areas such as the esports sector, social media management, and production divisions.
Hi-Rez has carried out its third round of layoffs, leading many fans to criticize CEO Stewart Chisam and the company’s board for a string of questionable decisions. In response to criticism from fans wanting explanations, Chisam has temporarily disabled his social media profiles.
Six months back, another wave of job cuts hit Hi-Rez, impacting employees from their esports department, design team, and marketing unit.
Recently, additional workers at the recent wave of job cuts on X (previously known as Twitter) have spoken up, disclosing that they too have been affected by these layoffs – this group encompasses personnel from quality assurance, marketing, social media management, and design departments.
Among those impacted is QuelFabulous, a seasoned UI artist known for creating Smite’s item and ability icons. Similarly, LermyWermy (Lermster), another Smite designer, was taken aback by the news. The layoffs have added to the mounting discontent among fans, who are now urging Hi-Rez management for a clarification on the matter.
For enthusiasts of Smite, the news that support for the game will cease feels surprising and disappointing. The team behind its development have invested numerous years, passionately shaping one of the rare MOBAs that left an impact in a competitive market saturated with similar games. This decision about ending support for Smite stirs worries regarding the fate of Smite 2, which is still in its early stages of release.
Although there’s some ambiguity, it’s clear that Smite 2 is still undergoing active development, and it seems to be the primary concern for Hi-Rez Studios after they stopped updating Smite, Paladins, and Rogue Company. Even though these games won’t receive further updates, their servers are expected to stay operational for a while yet.
At present, gamers are crossing their fingers that Smite 2 can establish a strong foundation with its existing development team. Simultaneously, supporters of Hi-Rez Studios’ games express unity with the impacted workers, wishing them luck in securing roles at studios that appreciate and value their skills.
To find out more details, there’s an extensive discussion thread on Reddit that covers the evolving matter and highlights numerous skilled individuals who have been affected.
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2025-02-07 17:42