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Case Study: Hi-Rez Studios — Turkish Game Localization for SMITE and Paladins
Four years. One translator. One million words.
About Hi-Rez Studios
Hi-Rez Studios is an American video game developer and publisher headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia. Founded in 2005, the studio is best known for SMITE — the mythology-based multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) — and Paladins, a team-based hero shooter. Both titles are live-service games with continuous content updates, active global player bases, and dedicated Turkish-speaking communities.
SMITE launched in 2014 and has accumulated over 35 million registered players worldwide. Paladins followed in 2018 and reached 25 million players within two years of release. Turkish players represent one of the studio's larger European-market audiences, making localization quality a direct factor in player retention.
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▮How It Started
Hi-Rez Studios approached Alafranga in May 2017 with a localization request for SMITE and Paladins — two concurrent titles, each requiring Turkish UI strings, ability descriptions, patch notes, and in-game dialogue on a monthly cycle.
The brief was straightforward: consistent Turkish, delivered on time, every month, without terminology drift between the two titles.
▮One Translator. One Project Manager. Four Years.
From the first delivery, the same Turkish game specialist handled every Hi-Rez project. The same project manager coordinated every cycle. This was not an accident — it was a deliberate operational decision.
Live-service game localization accumulates complexity fast. Hero names, item sets, ability mechanics, and lore references build into a dense, interconnected terminology system. A new translator joining mid-programme does not just face a learning curve — they face a consistency risk. Every new string they handle touches terminology decisions made months or years earlier.
By keeping a single translator on the account throughout, Alafranga ensured that the person delivering month 48 had the same accumulated context as the person who delivered month one. No handover notes. No re-briefing. No terminology drift between patches.
The dedicated project manager provided the same continuity on the operational side — consistent file handling, the same QA checkpoints, and a direct line of communication that meant Hi-Rez never had to re-explain their requirements.
▮Scope of Work
From May 2017 through March 2021, Alafranga delivered 48 consecutive monthly localization cycles covering:
- UI strings and ability descriptions across both titles
- Hero and champion lore
- Patch notes and in-game announcements
- Marketing and store page content
- SMITE website localization (Turkish)
- Paladins Strike (mobile) — additional scope from 2018
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