Hi-Rez announced the creation of a new esports company, Skillshot Media.

Skillshot Media will take over all operations and production for SMITE and Paladins esports leagues.

The new company will be led by Todd Harris, COO of Hi-Rez.

Hi-Rez-Studios , the game studio behind SMITE and Paladins , has created a new company to manage its esports operations. Skillshot Media, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hi-Rez Studios, will take over all operations and production for SMITE and Paladins esports leagues.

Hi-Rez Studios co-founder and COO Todd Harris has been named president of Skillshot Media. He will remain COO of Hi-Rez, but the majority of his focus will be on the new company. Speaking to The Esports Observer, Harris said:

“We believe both Smite and Paladins esports will benefit from dedicated resources and leadership and growing both these leagues was the primary reason for creating a new entity. As we continue to invest in our esports capabilities, other publishers have also been reaching out to us and this structure allows us to pursue those opportunities in the future.”

No outside clients have been confirmed at this time, but Harris said that these additional productions could be announced “as soon as Q1 2019.”

Related Article: SMITE and Paladins Join the National Association of Collegiate Esports

When it comes to esports, Hi-Rez has a history of finding unique ways to supports its games’ competitive scenes. The studio partnered with the WESA to launch its professional league for Paladins, and recently announced it was moving its annual Hi-Rez Expo to DreamHack Atlanta.

This is another experimental step for Hi-Rez. Developers like Riot Games and Blizzard Entertainment prefer to keep their esports initiatives under the same roof as the team developing the game. Over the years, both companies have reduced the the number of companies involved in their esports production.

While Skillshot Media is owned by Hi-Rez, its creation means that the developer is giving its esports operations to a separate entity, adding layers to the process rather than streamlining it. It will be interesting to see how this strategy shapes SMITE and Paladins esports in the future, and what other games, if any, will be added to the Skillshot Media portfolio next year.