Rick Fox launches gaming company HiDef Inc after Echo Fox fail

Olivia Richman Published 02/04/2021

After the financial fiasco that was Echo Fox, founder Rick Fox stated that he planned to remain in the gaming industry. And now he’s announced how he plans to do so via the launch of HiDef Inc. 

It looks like Fox’s plans have pivoted. Instead of competitive gaming, it appears that Fox and his other co-founders, Jace Hall and Dr. David Washington, are looking to make video games. The first video game is described as “a genre-defining metaverse that places users of all ages at the creative center of its daily programming.” HiDef Inc. recently received funding in a Series A round led by Wick Capital Partners, which will help them start developing this new mystery game. 

“Our mission at HiDef is to make games that have a meaningful impact on people’s lives. We know that for many, games are part of their lifestyle and culture. We create games-as-a-service that are designed to allow people to creatively express themselves and connect with one another in ways no other form of entertainment can,” CEO Anthony Castoro said . 

Not only will the game be “fun and engaging,” but Castoro noted the games will also have a “positive impact” on communities all over the world. For Fox, it’s a chance to “inspire young people to learn code and run their own game studio” in the future. 

What happened to Echo Fox? 

Echo Fox started to fall apart in 2019 when Riot Games investigated the organization and found that it didn’t have the required liquidity to be in the LCS, the highest level of competitive League of Legends play in North America. This led Echo Fox to admit to a lot of internal financial issues, with Fox pointing to investors and those investors pointing back at Fox.

The situation soon dug up other concerns within the organization, including one of the investors sending Fox racist emails due to frustration with Fox’s handling of the company’s finances. Lawsuits started cropping up, with both sides sharing various internal failings at the organization. 

In the end, Riot decided to sell Echo Fox’s slot in the LCS. Evil Geniuses was eventually announced as the new team to compete in the LCS, while Echo Fox dropped all of his players across every game it competed in and eventually released its staff as well. 

Despite Echo Fox ceasing to exist, Fox stated that he didn’t plan to leave the gaming space. Now the former NBA star is taking on video game production. There is no further information available on the new company’s flagship game yet. 

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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