The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced that Hi-Rez Studios, Georgia’s largest developer of online games, will expand, creating 75 additional jobs at its headquarters in Alpharetta.
“Hi-Rez Studios has experienced steady growth since they set up operations in Alpharetta,” said GDEcD Commissioner Chris Carr. “They’ve benefited from a pro-business digital entertainment scene and a skilled workforce that cannot be found anywhere else. We are confident they will continue to grow and drive the worldwide esports movement from Georgia.”
Throughout the next twelve months, Hi-Rez Studios will lease an additional 9,000 square feet to expand its Alpharetta headquarters. The company currently employs 275 employees and last year added offices in the UK and China.
“Our business growth requires exceptional talent both technical and artistic”, said Todd Harris, chief operating officer of Hi-Rez Studios. "Metro Atlanta continues to be a great source for programmers and digital artists with a much more affordable cost of living compared to alternate game development hubs like California.”
The new Alpharetta jobs will include software developers, digital artists, web developers, customer service and marketing personnel.
Hi-Rez Studios’ most well-known game is SMITE, a mythology-themed, online multi-player game with over 20 million registered players. In September 2016 the company’s new game Paladins went into Open Beta and immediately became one of the most popular games on the PC platform, with over 1 million players downloading the game in the first ten days. The expansion in Alpharetta will support the growth of Paladins as well as the development of new game titles.
GDEcD Project Manager Asante Bradford represented the Global Commerce division throughout this expansion in partnership with the City of Alpharetta and the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
“Hi-Rez is a great community partner with the City of Alpharetta in addition to the innovative and creative games they produce,” said Peter Tokar III, economic development director, City of Alpharetta. “They are the perfect example of the kind of synergy you can create when you invest in the community that you do business in. Hi-Rez Studios rapid growth and success is truly amazing, and we are proud that they call Alpharetta home.”
"Metro Atlanta has secured its position as a global leader in esports and digital gaming, thanks to the incredible talent and investment that Hi-Rez and other companies have made in our region's communities, like Alpharetta,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO, Metro Atlanta Chamber. “We are proud of their continued growth and their commitment to this critical sector."
The Georgia Game Developers Association reports that Georgia is receiving national recognition as an emerging hub of video game development and estimates the 2015 statewide economic impact of the video game industry to be over $550 million.
About Hi-Rez Studios
Atlanta-based Hi-Rez Studios was established in 2005 to create exceptional online interactive entertainment, and is now one of the largest video game studios in the Southeast United States. Its games include Global Agenda, Tribes: Ascend, Jetpack Fighter, SMITE, and Paladins ww.HiRezStudios.com.