Hi-Rez CEO Erez Goren Steps Aside As Stew Chisam Takes The Role
Some big administrative changes are taking place at Hi-Rez Studios this year. In an open letter to the Hi-Rez community, the company's Vice President Stew Chisam announced that CEO Erez Goren would be stepping aside in order to have time to pursue other interests -- which not surprisingly, includes a variety of startup companies.
Chisam, who has functioned not only as VP but also the company's executive producer will be taking on the CEO role. Goren will not be stepping away completely, however, as he will remain Chairman of the Board and majority owner of the studio.
With Chisam moving up, another change is being made as well. Chris Larson, who has overseen both SMITE and Paladins during his tenure at Hi-Rez, will be stepping up to oversee all the game studios under the Hi-Rez umbrella. Currently, that includes three studios, Heroic Leap, Evil Mojo, and Titan Forge. However, since the company has "some" unannounced projects in the works, the number of studios may grow.
It's also worth noting that the Hi-Rez umbrella also includes Skillshot Media -- the esports subsidiary overseen by Todd Harris, and Alacrity Arthouse -- which offers a variety of art services.
Considering the structure of these changes and the way Hi-Rez works, I doubt players will see too many shakeups as a result of them. If you'd like to read the letter in full (It also covers all the things that happened in 2018.) you can do so on the SMITE site.
Related Articles
About the Author

QuintLyn is a long-time lover of all things video game related will happily talk about them to anyone that will listen. She began writing about games for various hobby sites a little over ten years ago and has taken on various roles in the games community.
Read Next
After 14 Years, Shot Online Finally Comes To Steam Next Week
Webzen's Shot Online is a rarity.
By Jason Winter - 4 years agoYou May Enjoy
FFXIV’s Director & Producer Naoki Yoshida Says He’s “Really Looking Forward” To The MMORPG Blue Protocol
Several experienced people from the FFXIV Team are also now working on Blue Protocol.
By Aspen Pash - 5 days agoThe Omega Protocol Arrives In Final Fantasy XIV’s Patch 6.31 Update
The testing continues.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 week agoIt’s Time For Another New World Server Merge, And Time To Talk About Why It's Hard To Implement Some Things
Two European servers and six North American servers are getting the merger treatment.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 week agoYesterday It Was A Rumor, Today It Is A Fact: Rumbleverse Is Shutting Down
Iron Galaxy says we may not have seen the final form of the Rumble though.
By Michael Byrne - 4 days agoDauntless Developer Phoenix Labs Is Independent Once Again
The company is now self-owned and going private.
By Troy Blackburn - 1 day agoMicrosoft Claims Sony Created A False Narrative To Try And Dissuade EU Regulators Concerning The Acquisition of Activision Blizzard
“It would defy business logic for us to exclude PlayStation.”
By Aspen Pash - 5 days ago
Discussion (0)