Editor’s note: This story was updated on 3/24/2021 to fix an error stating that Jace Hall, a former CEO of Echo Fox, was the one who threatened the Fox family.
Rick Fox, founder of the now-defunct esports organization, Echo Fox, has reentered the gaming landscape with HiDef Inc. The three-time NBA champion and former LCS attendee is the Chief Business Development Officer and Co-founder of HiDef.
Rick Fox and HiDef Inc.
The development company is in the midst of creating its first title as “a genre-defining metaverse that places users of all ages at the creative center of its daily programming.”
“Our mission at HiDef is to make games that have a meaningful impact on people’s lives,” said HiDef CEO, Anthony Castoro. “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. We feel that we have a responsibility to make sure that what we build is not only fun and engaging, but also has a positive impact on communities across the globe.”
Rick Fox’s history in gaming
Interestingly enough, Fox had initially ventured into esports because of his son’s passion for video games. He and his son, Kyle Fox, attended the 2015 NA LCS Summer Finals before his investment. Riot Games even created a short documentary on their father-son story.
In 2015, Fox officially emerged in esports with Echo Fox. The organization gained an LCS spot in 2015 by buying LCS team, Gravity Gaming. It expanded into other titles such as Call of Duty and Counter Strike. Additionally, the organization signed several fighting game competitors across multiple titles. At one point, the team had over 10 fighting game players signed across franchises; Street fighter, Mortal Kombat and Super Smash Bros.
In 2019, Fox alleged that his business partner, Amit Raizada, had made racist comments against him and threatened his family. Consequently, Riot Games launched an investigation into the organization and asked the Echo Fox board to remove Raizada or leave the league. Echo Fox opted to leave the LCS and, after the fallout, Fox was sued by his business partners. This led to him filing a suit against them. Ultimately, the whole ordeal ended in 2019 with the organization dissolving and releasing any signed players that remained with the team.
