The Official SMITE Magazine Issue 1 | Page 56

Community the audience with his impressive talent for creating hype trains and bringing a sense of lightheartedness if a player makes a mistake for any reason. However, it was clear that more than anything, Drybear found many ways to increase the already colossal hype surrounding the tournaments with many supportive fans coming out and showing their pride for their favorite professional teams. There was also an announcement shortly before the tournament that HiRezTodd, COO of Hi-Rez Studios, revealed on Reddit’s /r/Smite that Drybear was to join the Hi-Rez family as a full time employee assisting with the moderation of the official Smite forums and continuing his incredible work for the community that has helped develop such a fantastic MOBA. This decision came at almost no surprise as Drybear constantly works hard to promote a fun and entertaining environment Issue 1 • May 2014 during his streaming hours and while he is casting tournaments. A few examples include some of the more unfortunate events when harassment appears either in-game of in the form of the built-in Twitch chat; it’s noted that Drybear works diligently to bring any sort of negative behavior to a stop as soon as it appears. Another example would be during games where not all is going according to plan, Drybear never blames other teammates or surrenders himself to defeat; instead he constantly encourages both himself and his team as well as invigorates the audience, making the best of each situation. News of this recent Hi-Rez acquirement was met with highly positive reactions from Reddit users, several congratulating him via the comments which included several warm welcomes from some current Hi-Rez employees. Alongside the plethora of praises several users took it upon themselves to come up with a new nickname considering Drybear’s employment including DryRez, HiRezRory, and DryRezBear (his current Reddit handle), which goes to show just how supportive the community is in return to a well-earned position at HiRez Studios and the love that community has for one of the most adored streamers around. Of course, with the very recent launch of SMITE and DryRezBear’s newly acquired position, many details concerning the future of SMITE’s driest bear are very hazy, but one thing is for sure: Drybear will continue to help support the community and in return the community is more than happy to reciprocate all the love that we have to offer. That being said, if you happen to see Drybear in your game, whether you’re playing with him or against him, make sure you show your support for him and all the great work he does; don’t forget to drop by his stream slots and show your love there as well! 56 • GameOn Smite Community Magazine