Hi-Rez Studios‘ annual celebration is here, with this year’s Hi-Rez Expo taking place at DreamHack Atlanta.
The expo is not only the culmination of Paladins and SMITE’s esports seasons, it provides plenty of opportunities for its games’ communities to witness huge announcements, see what’s next for the studio, and – of course – game.
With two world championships, LAN parties, panels and presentations, community initiatives, and a cosplay contest, there’s plenty going on over November 15-17th. Let’s get into what fans can expect!
Paladins World Championship
Wrapping up the third season of Paladins’ esports season, the Paladins World Championship will see the best eight teams compete across PC and console for a total prize pool of $300,000 (£232,440).
Team Envy, Pittsburgh Knights, Natus Vincere, Spacestation Gaming, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Renegades, Virtus.pro, and Kanga Esports all qualified for the prestigious event, but only one team will emerge victorious.
The semifinals will take place on November 16th, with the finals teams facing off against each other on November 17th in a best-of-seven series.
SMITE World Championship
Another monumental event in the form of SMITE World Championship will take centre stage at Hi-Rez Expo, with over $1,000,000 (£774,600) being handed out across PC and console teams.
The finale of SMITE’s sixth esports season involves Team Rival, Splyce, Renegades, Dignitas, Pittsburgh Knights, eUnited, SK Gaming, and Sanguine Esports.
On the weekend itself, the top two teams who survive the placement round will compete against the top six squads from the SMITE Pro League in a playoff bracket.
November 15th will see the quarterfinals take place, with the semifinals happening on November 16th, and the highly-anticipated finals finishing things off on November 17th.
Hi-Rez Presents
Hi-Rez Presents is a keynote presentation from Hi-Rez Studios that gives fans an insight into what’s in the works behind-the-scenes. All development plans will be divulged, which always proves to be one of the most exciting elements of the expo.
Other presentations and panels are set to take place over the weekend too. Game-specific insights, how to make it as a professional player, and how to break into the games industry are all hot topics that will be discussed.
Panels and presentations will be hosted throughout the weekend. Check out the entire schedule!
Playable stations
It wouldn’t be a Hi-Rez Expo – or a DreamHack event, no less – without the opportunity to play some good old games. If you’re watching the Paladins and SMITE action and have the itch to test your skills, there will be playable stations for Hi-Rez Studios’ titles at the event.
Community
At the end of the day, Hi-Rez Expo exists for the community. The studio hosts the event each year – and continues to add fun features to it – to thank its community for the support it provides every single day.
There will be meet and greets with content creators and professional players, a cosplay contest that’s open to anybody and everybody, and a legion of fans that also want to celebrate their favourite game – whether that be SMITE, Paladins, or Realm Royale.
Hi-Rez Expo will be streaming live on Twitch, Mixer, YouTube, and Steam all weekend long, live from DreamHack Atlanta.
Disclaimer: This piece includes sponsored links
