As 2025 seems adamant to follow in the previous year’s footsteps, yet another studio has been hit with significant layoffs and downsizing. This time around it’s Hi-Rez Studios, the developer behind the popular third-person MOBA, Smite 2, who has cut dozens of jobs for the second time in six months.
According to a Feb. 6 report from Game Developer, Hi-Rez Studios seems to have downsized its SMITE 2 team, cutting “nearly 30 employees” with potentially more having lost their jobs. Hi-Rez Studios also appears to have approached the matter discretely, with the affected employees themselves using social media posts to let everyone know that they have, indeed, lost their job at Hi-Rez. Many have responded to a Feb. 6 Reddit thread compiling all of the social media posts from former Hi-Rez Studios employees, most of whom are now actively looking for new ventures.
The precise reasons for these layoffs are unknown, per the Game Developer report, and it seems to have specifically targeted those working on the company’s recently-overhauled MOBA. In October of last year, Hi-Rez Studios cut even more jobs, allegedly aiming to focus itself entirely on developing and maintaining SMITE 2 well into the following decade. The game, which is in early access at the time of writing, was supposed to be a huge leap in technology, bringing the beloved original into the new age with a new engine, graphics, features, and more. However, given its lackluster Steam reviews labeled as “Mixed,” the game doesn’t seem to be faring well, with these layoffs indicative of a broader problem brewing behind the scenes.
With this maneuver, Hi-Rez Studios has added significantly to the 2025 layoff tally, which seems eager to keep growing. At this rate, we may reach the levels of 2024’s layoffs, when nearly 10,000 developers lost their jobs in the industry.
Published: Feb 6, 2025 04:02 pm