Smite 2 developer Hi-Rez Studios has confirmed its third layoff within the last year, though these cuts are different than the layoffs the studio had earlier this year in February and in October 2024. Instead of members of the development team being the ones losing their jobs, it's a few members of the studio's executive leadership, including now-former studio president, Stewart Chisam.
Spotted by Insider-Gaming, reports of these cuts first appeared from a former Hi-Rez Studios employee on X and were later confirmed by the new general manager of Hi-Rez's subsidiary Titan Forge, Alex Cantatore, on the Smite Reddit page.
"Unfortunately, there were a handful of layoffs in senior management positions only last Thursday. Stew is transitioning away from Hi-Rez as part of this. Travis [Brown] and Radar were also affected, as well as two folks in senior management on the Rally Here side of the business. I am very sad to be losing all of them."
Cantatore continued to say that the "rationale" behind the cuts came from the studio's board deciding the company had "a lot of senior management in relation to our current size." He also confirms that these cuts did not "affect our core mission, or any other people working directly on Smite 2," and that it was his decision not to release an official statement from the studio to allow those leaving, like former president Stewart Chisam, to make their own statements.
Chisam later did put out his own statement on LinkedIn, confirming that he is leaving the studio after 17 years with the team, and also claiming that his departure "has been discussed for a long time, but the timing was finally right."
"The last few years have been difficult for Hi-Rez," Chisam continued, "and for the industry. Certainly not everything has worked out as we hoped, but I think we also have left a unique footprint on the industry - and tried to carve out a space as a mid-size cross-platform games-as-a-service pioneer, relentlessly fighting against giants."
Lead producer at Hi-Rez Studios, Tony Jones, also confirmed via LinkedIn that he was part of this round of cuts, though Travis Brown, the senior staff member known as Radar, and others part of these cuts have seemingly yet to make their own statements.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
