video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
publisher
Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...
. The company was established in 2005 by Erez Goren and Todd Harris. Hi-Rez Studios' games include the squad-based shooter ''
Global Agenda
''Global Agenda'' is a class-based shooter online team-based game by Hi-Rez Studios developed using Unreal Engine 3. ''Global Agenda'' was started in 2005 as the studio's first project. The game went live on February 1, 2010.Tribes: Ascend'', the third-person
MOBA
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is a subgenre of strategy video games in which two teams of players compete on a structured battlefield, each controlling a single character with distinctive abilities that grow stronger as the match progr ...
''
Smite
''Smite'' is a 2014 free-to-play third-person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna.hero shooter
A hero shooter is a subgenre of shooter games which emphasize "hero" characters that have distinctive abilities and/or weapons that are specific to them. This type of gameplay encourages players to choose heroes based on their strengths and the r ...
''
Paladins
The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers (), are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, wh ...
'', and the third-person shooter ''
Rogue Company
''Rogue Company'' is a free-to-play multiplayer tactical third-person hero shooter video game developed by First Watch Games and published by Hi-Rez Studios. The game was released in open beta on October 1, 2020 for Microsoft Windows via the Ep ...
''. In 2012, Hi-Rez Studios was recognized as a Top 30 Video-Game Developer by Game Developer Magazine and Gamasutra. Hi-Rez are the current owners of the ''Metaltech'' license, including ''
Battledrome
Metaltech: Battledrome is a mecha-style simulation video game in the ''Metaltech (disambiguation), Metaltech'' series developed by Dynamix and released in 1994. It was published alongside its companion game ''Metaltech: Earthsiege, Earthsiege'' a ...
Starsiege
''Starsiege'' is a mecha-style vehicle simulation game developed by Dynamix and released in 1999. ''Starsiege'' is set in the Metaltech: Earthsiege, Metaltech/Metaltech: Earthsiege, Earthsiege universe, which contains its predecessors ''Metalte ...
'', the ''
CyberStorm
''MissionForce: CyberStorm'' (commonly referred to as ''CyberStorm'') is a turn-based strategy game developed by Dynamix and published in 1996 by Sierra On-Line. The game is set in the Metaltech universe created by Dynamix, and the player contro ...
'' series, and the ''
Tribes
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
'' series. With the exception of ''Battledrome'' and ''CyberStorm'', the games were released as freeware by Hi-Rez on October 30, 2015.
History
Erez Goren founded Hi-Rez Studios with Todd Harris in 2005. They hired experienced game developers from other successful titles, including ''
City of Heroes
''City of Heroes'' (''CoH'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game originally created by Cryptic Studios prior to the IP’s acquisition by NCSoft. Previously developed by the now-defunct Paragon Studios, it is currently developed ...
Call of Duty
''Call of Duty'' is a first-person shooter military video game series and media franchise published by Activision, starting in 2003. The games were first developed by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Several spin-of ...
''. Hi-Rez Studios employs more than 450 people at its development facility in the northern Atlanta suburb of
Alpharetta
Alpharetta is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Alpharetta's population was 65,818; in 2010, the population had been 57,551. ...
,
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, and
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
in the UK. In August 2018, the company split into four separate studios: Titan Forge (responsible for SMITE development), Evil Mojo (responsible for Paladins development), Heroic Leap (responsible for Realm Royale development. This studio later merged with Evil Mojo), and Alacrity Arthouse (responsible for Centralized Art Services).
In 2019, Hi-Rez Studios announced the creation of a new studio, Red Beard Games, based in the Brighton office.
Games developed
''Global Agenda''
''
Global Agenda
''Global Agenda'' is a class-based shooter online team-based game by Hi-Rez Studios developed using Unreal Engine 3. ''Global Agenda'' was started in 2005 as the studio's first project. The game went live on February 1, 2010.online team-based game. The game went live on February 1, 2010. In April 2011, ''Global Agenda'' became the first
free-to-play
"Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...
game released on the
Steam
Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
platform, introducing Elite and Free Agents and an in-game cash shop featuring Agenda Points.
''Tribes Universe''
''
Tribes Universe
''Tribes'' is a series of five science fiction first-person shooter video games released between 1998 and 2024. The game plot is set in the far future (2471 – 3940). The series includes '' Starsiege: Tribes'', '' Tribes 2'', '' Tribes: Aerial A ...
'' was a
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
arena shooter
An arena shooter is a video game genre, subgenre of shooter games and multiplayer games that cover both the first-person shooter and third-person shooter genres. These games emphasize fast-paced movement in enclosed map designs that foster enga ...
developed by Hi-Rez Studios based on the ''Tribes'' series. The game, along with Hi-Rez Studios' ''Tribes'' intellectual property acquisition from InstantAction, was first announced on October 23, 2010. While alpha testing was said to begin at the start of 2011, development on ''Tribes Universe'' was canceled when Hi-Rez Studios decided to start working on ''Tribes: Ascend''.
free-to-play
"Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...
multiplayer-only
first-person shooter
A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...
and part of the ''
Tribes
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
'' franchise. It was announced by Hi-Rez Studios on March 11, 2011, at the
PAX East
PAX (originally known as Penny Arcade Expo) is a series of gaming culture festivals involving tabletop, arcade, and video gaming. PAX is held annually in Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, and Melbourne. Previously, it was also held in San Anton ...
, and released on April 12, 2012. ''Tribes: Ascend'' earned a metascore of 86, and PC Gamer ranked it at #8 in an article on the Best Shooters of All Time. Aspects from previous ''Tribes'' games such as jetpacks and skiing are featured in the game.
Hi-Rez Studios representative Todd Harris announced the company's abandonment of the game on July 12, 2013.
''Smite''
''
Smite
''Smite'' is a 2014 free-to-play third-person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna.free-to-play
"Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...
third-person
MOBA
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is a subgenre of strategy video games in which two teams of players compete on a structured battlefield, each controlling a single character with distinctive abilities that grow stronger as the match progr ...
for
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
,
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
,
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
,
Nintendo Switch
The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
, and
OS X
macOS, previously OS X and originally Mac OS X, is a Unix, Unix-based operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. With ...
. Players take on the visage of mythological deities from different pantheons and take part in arena combat, using powers and team tactics against other player-controlled deities and non-player controlled minions. Hi-Rez Studios announced ''Smite'' on April 21, 2011, at PAX East, and began its closed beta period on May 31, 2012, for PC. An open beta followed on January 24, 2013. The beta process produced more than 74 million hours of playtime and a large competitive community. Throughout the beta, Hi-Rez Studios also hosted a series of LAN and online events with cash prize pools. ''Smite'' was officially released in North America and Western Europe on March 25, 2014, for the PC. On August 19, 2015, Hi-Rez Studios released the Xbox One version, and on May 31, 2016, the PlayStation 4 version was released. On February 19, 2019, the Nintendo Switch version was released.
''Paladins''
''
Paladins
The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers (), are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, wh ...
'' is a
free-to-play
"Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...
online
In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity, and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed as "on lin ...
team-based game. The player has to pick a champion each with unique abilities to fight. There are four types of groups: Damage, Support, Flank and Front Line. The current version of the card system permits pre-designed loadouts that provide augments to various abilities and stats, as well as “items" that can be purchased by credits. To get credits the player has to play and fight others. Items can be upgraded mid-match to provide additional performance bonuses.The game was announced on August 5, 2015. ''
Paladins
The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers (), are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, wh ...
'' went into open beta on September 16, 2016, and released on Steam as an early access title the same day.
''Rogue Company''
''
Rogue Company
''Rogue Company'' is a free-to-play multiplayer tactical third-person hero shooter video game developed by First Watch Games and published by Hi-Rez Studios. The game was released in open beta on October 1, 2020 for Microsoft Windows via the Ep ...
'' is a
free-to-play
"Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
third-person shooter
Third-person shooter (TPS) is a subgenre of 3D shooter games in which the gameplay consists primarily of shooting. It is closely related to first-person shooters, but with the player character visible on-screen during play. While 2D shoot 'em ...
video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
developed by First Watch Games. Rogue Company entered closed beta in June 2020 on
Nintendo Switch
The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
,
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
,
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
, and on
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
via the
Epic Games Store
The Epic Games Store is a video game digital distribution service and storefront operated by Epic Games. It launched in December 2018 as a software client, for Microsoft Windows and macOS, and online storefront. Android and iOS versions of t ...
, and included full support for
cross-platform play
In video games with online gaming functionality, also called cross-compatible play, cross-platform play, crossplay, or cross-play describes the ability of Gamer, players using different video game hardware to play with each other simultaneously. ...
and cross-progression.
''Jetpack Fighter''
''Jetpack Fighter'' is a
free-to-play
"Free-to-play" ("F2P" or "FtP") video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content for free. The term "free-to-play business model" or simply, "free-to-play model", refers collectively to business models tha ...
high speed platformer for mobile. The game was released first for iOS on January 7, 2016, and Apple editors featured it as a Best New Game. As of July 27, 2016, the game has been released on Android. The game has earned a metascore of 83.
''Divine Knockout''
''Divine Knockout'' (DKO, for short) was a third-person platform fighter developed by Red Beard Games, in
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
. DKO started its closed Alpha in early 2022 and on November 22, 2022, announced that the game release date is going to be December 6 where the game is going to be available for PC (through Steam and Epic), Xbox One and Series X, S, PlayStation 4 and 5. On November 30, 2022, Hi-Rez announced a partnership with
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
, where Divine Knockout's Founders Edition is included with PlayStation Plus during the month of December, 2022. The game was released on
Steam
Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
,
Epic Games Store
The Epic Games Store is a video game digital distribution service and storefront operated by Epic Games. It launched in December 2018 as a software client, for Microsoft Windows and macOS, and online storefront. Android and iOS versions of t ...
,
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
, and
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as application software, applications (games), the streaming media, streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox networ ...
on December 6, 2022. Currently there is no dev working on the game. The developers announced game servers will be shut down on February 17, 2025.