Hi-Rez Studios Opens New Development Studio in United Kingdom

Hi-Rez Studios, most notably the makers of SMITE, Paladins, and Realm Royale, is growing yet again. This time, the developer is expanding across the pond by opening a new studio in the United Kingdom.  

According to a press release regarding the expansion, Red Beard Games will be located in Brighton, England, where Hi-Rez built its European headquarters in 2016. It will be led by European General Manager and Global Vice President of Marketing, Veronique Lallier. 

Last year, the Atlanta-based developer restructured itself into the Hi-Rez Publishing Group, spawning a dedicated esports production company, an art studio, and three subsidiary development studios with the purpose of focusing on its core gaming experiences.

Currently, Titan Forge Games is dedicated to developing SMITE, while Evil Mojo Games and Heroic Leap Games are dedicated to Paladins and Realm Royale respectively. 

As of this writing, there is no word on what title Red Beard Games will be working on. However, it’s safe to guess it will follow the new Hi-Rez model of developing and nurturing a single gaming product at a single development studio. It will also most likely be an online, multiplayer title that takes advantage of the games-as-a-service model the company is known for. 

Of the expansion, Hi-Rez Studios’ CEO and President Stew Chisam said: 

The ambition for Red Beard Games is to mix the excitement and focus found in a little indie studio with the production capacity and features you would expect from a major developer and publisher. The details of the new studios project will soon be revealed but fans can expect that
our commitment to community collaboration and innovation are as strong as ever.

Although there are not any specific positions listed on the Red Beard Games’ careers page, the developer will be hiring for various positions “shortly”. Opportunities will be posted on the Hi-Rez Studios career page. 

For those already in the U.K., the Hi-Rez Studios’ talent team is attending the Develop:Brighton conference on Wednesday, July 10 and Thursday, July 11. Those not attending the conference will have another opportunity to meet the team at the Hi-Rez Studios student open house on July 10 from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Lallier said that Red Beard Games is “open for business and actively looking for candidates from all disciplines to build a best in class development team.” 

Hi-Rez Studios is currently is “the only developer both creating and publishing three live-service cross-platform titles.” SMITE, Paladins, and Realm Royale are playable across PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.