Smite 2 developer Hi-Rez has held more layoffs just months after its last round of employee cut backs.
The news began to come out mid-day Thursday on social media from a number of people (h/t to Reddit user Hayzer4 for compiling the list) who announced they were being let go. In total, at least 30 people were let go across multiple departments including esports and development. Sources indicate that it could be more than that, though an official number wasn’t provided.
With these layoffs, neither the original Smite nor Paladins will receive any sort of update from the studio moving forward. Servers for the game will remain active for the time being.
As of writing, Hi-Rez has yet to publicly comment on the layoffs. In addition, studio CEO Stewart Chisam deactivated his social media, and has not responded to multiple attempts by Insider Gaming to reach out for comment.
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Back in October, Hi-Rez announced that it was letting go of staff after a “failure” in leadership by Chisam. At the time, he said that the moves were being done to “ensure Hi-Rez’s long-term success, with a specific focus on positioning SMITE 2 for a long and sustainable future.”
“Each impacted individual is a talented and dedicated professional who has poured their heart and soul into our games,” Chisam said in October. “Letting them go is a heartbreaking decision, reflects a failure in my leadership, and one for which I take personal accountability.”
Again, no reason has been announced for these latest layoffs at the company.
Through the first six weeks of 2025, over 800 people have lost their jobs across at least 26 companies due to layoffs. Last year saw nearly 16,000 people let go.
For more Insider Gaming, read about the changes atop the studio behind Project Ethos and read about the current plans for Apex Legends from EA. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter.
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