Hi-Rez Studios has announced further employee reductions and is halting the development of several titles.
Late in 2024, Hi-Rez Studios made the controversial decision to downsize its workforce, claiming this would help the company dedicate resources towards the development of Smite 2, ensuring its longevity into the forthcoming decade. However, recent developments suggest that these measures were insufficient, prompting the publisher and its affiliates, including Titan Forge Games, Evil Mojo Games, and First Watch Games, to initiate yet another round of layoffs.
This insight was uncovered through a Reddit discussion that aggregated social media updates from the impacted staff, indicating that approximately 30 employees have been let go.
In a communication on Discord, the company highlighted the motivations behind these decisions. They indicated that it was a tough choice designed to maintain the long-term viability of their studios. It was noted that the development of Smite 2 will remain the central focus of the restructured operations. The company intends to facilitate a consistent flow of new content and continue developing Smite 2 while ensuring that team expenses align more closely with their income.
Regarding the future of Hi-Rez's other titles, including Smite, Paladins, and Rogue Company, the servers for these games will still be operational. However, no additional content or support will be provided going forward.
Hi-Rez has expressed understanding of the disappointment this may bring to fans. They affirmed that Paladins holds a significant place in their history and they aim to keep the servers and current content accessible for as long as possible, enabling gamers to persist in their enjoyment of the game.
Additionally, this week, there have been reports of speculated layoffs occurring at PlayStation and additional cuts affecting Iron Galaxy.