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Hi-Rez Studios

Develops free-to-play, competitive online games

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Overview

Hi-Rez Studios develops free-to-play multiplayer games that are updated continually through a games-as-a-service model. Players access titles like SMITE, Paladins, Rogue Company, Realm Royale, and Divine Knockout at no upfront cost, with revenue from cosmetics, battle passes, and other in-game items. The company focuses on competitive, community-driven gameplay and actively incorporates player feedback via events and councils. Its goal is to sustain long-term engagement across multiple titles while fostering a positive workplace culture and charitable initiatives.

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About Hi-Rez Studios

Simplify's Rating
Why Hi-Rez Studios is rated
C
Rated C on Competitive Edge
Rated C on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Consumer SoftwareEntertainmentGaming

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Alpharetta, GA

Founded

2005

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What believers are saying

  • SMITE 2 launched free-to-play January 14, 2025 and still draws about 5,000 Steam daily average.
  • Steam showed SMITE 2 among top sellers after Founders Packs, proving monetization willingness.
  • Regular 2026 seasonal updates, including Kuzenbo and Joust revamps, sustain engagement and spending.

What critics are saying

  • A 2025 Fulton County WARN filing cut 69 jobs, signaling repeated cost pressure.
  • The 2026 AI voice controversy damaged trust with actors and exposed content-production shortcuts.
  • SMITE 2 averages about 5,000 Steam players in 2026; franchise fatigue threatens Hi-Rez survival.

What makes Hi-Rez Studios unique

  • SMITE 2 ships cross-platform free-to-play action MOBA content on Unreal Engine 5.
  • Hi-Rez keeps live-service cadence through Titan Forge updates like OB46 and OB47 in 2026.
  • The studio still leverages legacy franchises SMITE and Paladins with shared community gravity.

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Benefits

  • Health Care - Every party needs a good healer. Hi-Rez makes sure you and your family have a great one. With lots of great, competitive options to help suit individual needs and lots of extra resources just a call away, we’ve got your back.
  • Competitive 401(k) - The tax-qualified, defined-contribution pension account defined in subsection 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code sounds scary to even think about, but Hi-Rez makes adulting easy. We’ll help you invest in future you by matching retirement fund contributions, even if it seems a ways away.
  • Free lunch and snacks - We provide the fuel you need to get the job done with regularly catered on-site meals from a wide variety of tasty restaurants. For second breakfasts, elevenses or third afternoon snacks, there are a ton of healthy choices and sinfully tasty options in our on-site Marketplace.
  • Training Reimbursement - Working towards your career goals shouldn’t conflict with your job. We offer reimbursement for qualifying education and training programs, so you can prepare yourself for greater challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities within the company. Level up your abilities while working full-time. It's essentially an AFK idle game, but IRL. Basically git gud 4 free.
  • Maternity/Paternity Leave - The guardians need support. Hi-Rez Studios helps members of our work family take care of their families, offering 12 weeks of paid maternity leave and two weeks of paternity leave.
  • Dog/Tiny Human Care - No matter the species of your beloved children, we help give you peace of mind while you’re at work with discounted child and/or dog daycare at two top-notch facilities within walking distance of our office.
  • Paid Volunteer Time - We strive to give back to our community and we encourage our staff to do the same. Employees are allowed to take time off each year to participate in qualified charity work. Plus, the company will match qualified charitable contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $1,000 USD (or £750) per employee per calendar year.
  • All the Learning - Are you an artist? Take part in our monthly life drawing sessions, or study up with a free Gnomon Workshop subscription. Programmer? Check out our GDC Vault subscription. And no matter what your specialty is, you can learn more about how different departments within Hi-Rez Studios work at our monthly lunch-and-learns.
  • Buff Bucks - Get $100 a month to level up your wellness with BUFF Bucks. Gym memberships, yoga classes, dumbbells, however you stay healthy, Buff Bucks can help you do it.
  • Swag! Discounts! - Wanna rep our games? Easy peasy -- we’ll give you free shirts and kick-butt discounts on all SMITE/Paladins merch. Oh, and about those discounts… if you like amusement parks, movies, shows, or travelling, we’ve got a bit of an employee hook-up.

Company News

GameRant
Jan 20th, 2025
Smite 2 Switches to Seasonal System Similar to Helldivers 2 and Marvel Rivals

Hi-Rez Studios has introduced a seasonal content model to Smite 2 that offers free and premium reward pages to progress through.

MMOBomb
May 1st, 2024
Paladins Welcomes New Players With Questline That Teaches The Basics Of The Free-To-Play Hero Shooter

The developers over at Hi-Rez Studios are introducing a new questline titled "Welcome to Paladins" in the upcoming May update.

Neowin
Apr 16th, 2024
SMITE 2 is currently the best selling game on Steam even though it hasn't launched yet

While the sequel, like the original, will be a free-to-play title, Hi-Rez did launch three paid Founders Packs for SMITE 2 this week.

VentureBeat
Jan 19th, 2024
Rallyhere Teams Up With Titan Forge Games On Live Service Operations

Do you want to get the latest gaming industry news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our daily and weekly newsletters here. RallyHere, a division of Hi-Rez Ventures, has partnered with Titan Forge Games to handle Smite 2 live service operations. Alpharetta, Georgia-based RallyHere started out as a division of Hi-Rez Studios. It handles the games-as-a-service tasks and backend development, helping to offload game design teams so they can concentrate on making fun games. The tech is battle-tested as Hi-Rez Studios as more than 200 million players for games like Rogue Company, Smite and Paladins. And RallyHere is handling live services for game companies beyond Hi-Rez Studios now

Youtu Chan's Blog
Jan 18th, 2024
Hi-Rez Studios and Titan Forge Games announce SMITE 2: Battle of the Gods continues on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC

Hi-Rez Studios and Titan Forge Games have excited players with the announcement of SMITE 2, the sequel to the popular online multiplayer action game, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store).

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