Hi-Rez Layoffs Target Senior Staff, Keep Smite 2 Devs Safe

When's the last time you heard about gaming layoffs that actually got players excited? That's exactly what's happening at Hi-Rez Studios right now, and honestly, it's got me scratching my head in the best possible way.

The studio behind Smite and Paladins just pulled off something almost unheard of in today's gaming industry. Instead of gutting their development team like we've seen happen countless times this year, they've chosen to trim senior management while keeping their core Smite 2 developers intact.

Here's where things get interesting – and a bit unusual for the gaming world. Former CEO Stew Chisam, Executive Producer Travis Brown, and another senior staffer known as Radar have all been let go. Alex Cantatore (going by Killgoon), who's now leading the Smite 2 team at Titan Forge, confirmed these departures himself.

But here's the kicker: the community's reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. You don't see that every day when layoffs hit the headlines.

"NO MORE STEW HOLY SH*T LETS F**KING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," one Reddit user posted, capturing the raw enthusiasm many long-time players are feeling right now.

Another player chimed in with, "Not even kidding if stew is gone (and I mean really gone) im turning smite 2 back on and slamming qs just to pump the numbers."

Cantatore didn't leave fans guessing about the reasoning. He explained that the board determined the company had too much senior management relative to their current size. Smart move, really – when you're pivoting from a multi-game operation to focusing primarily on one title, your structure needs to match that reality.

"This does not affect our core mission, or any other people working directly on SMITE 2," he assured the community. "We will continue to focus our efforts on improving the core game and new player experience, while adding more Gods at our current one-per-two-weeks pace."

That consistent content schedule? That's exactly what live-service games need to thrive. I've watched too many promising titles stumble because they couldn't maintain regular updates.

What makes this situation stand out isn't just the executive focus – it's the strategic thinking behind it. Hi-Rez has been going through a transition period, putting older titles like the original Smite and Paladins into maintenance mode while concentrating resources on Smite 2.

This isn't your typical "cut costs at all costs" approach we've seen devastate studios across the industry. Instead, it looks like a calculated restructuring designed to match their new reality as a focused, single-game developer.

Cantatore's confidence in the project comes through clearly: "The current pace of development should continue. I personally still believe in SMITE 2. We get better every day and we believe we have a lot more growth potential."

Here's something that struck me about the fan reaction – it's not just relief, it's genuine excitement. Long-time players have been vocal about their frustrations with previous leadership decisions, particularly around game balance and overall direction.

The overwhelming positive response suggests the community sees this as Hi-Rez finally listening to their concerns and making the tough calls needed to improve their flagship title.

Sure, Smite 2 isn't topping Steam charts with its current 6,000 daily peak players, but that's only telling part of the story. The majority of Smite's player base has always been on console platforms, which means the actual numbers are likely much healthier than Steam stats suggest.

With the studio now laser-focused on one title and a development team that's apparently hitting their stride, there's real potential for growth here.

Former CEO Stew Chisam's LinkedIn farewell struck a respectful tone: "The team that remains is absolutely incredible and I know they will enjoy success." That's the kind of graceful exit you rarely see in today's gaming landscape.

What we're witnessing at Hi-Rez Studios might just be a masterclass in strategic downsizing done right. Instead of the usual story of promising games getting gutted by shortsighted cuts, we're seeing a company make the hard choice to restructure leadership while protecting their development pipeline.

For Smite 2 players and fans of the franchise, this could mark the beginning of a much more focused and responsive development era. And honestly? That's the kind of gaming industry news we could use more of right now.

The real test will come in the months ahead as we see whether this leaner, more focused Hi-Rez can deliver on the community's renewed faith in their vision.