In the Free2Play title Paladins (PC, PS4, Xbox One), the new champion Tiberius has been announced. He looks like he just came out of Kung Fu Panda 2 and is already making many players happy. The developers HI-Rez are having fun that the champ will appeal to the furry fan subculture, who are into fur.
What kind of new champion is this? The 44th champion of Paladins is “Tiberius, the Weapon Master.” He is a tiger with human-like traits. He is meant to be a “Damage” hero.
He seems a bit like a cross between Lord Shen, the evil tiger from Kung Fu Panda 2, and the Puss in Boots from Shrek.
In a trailer, you can see the epic battle between Tiberius and Raum, the last new champ from Paladins. He is a demon with a Gatling gun. Why not?
Tiberius is set to come to the Free2Play title Paladins in January 2020.
After research, we found: People like this
This is how Hi-Rez announces the tiger: In a video, the developers enjoy introducing the new champ. It says:
“After extensive analysis of in-game data, ancient inscriptions, and DeviantArt, we have realized that people are into animals with human-like traits. I really wish there was a better word for it.”
This refers to the “furry” subculture. These are people who like animals with human traits. On the fan art site DeviantArt, there are some not always age-appropriate images.
What’s next for Paladins in 2020?
How fans are reacting: The Paladins community has quickly embraced the tiger and welcomes him with some tiger memes. Especially Frosty the Tiger is used as a template.
Overall, people are amazed at the pace at which Hi-Rez is introducing new heroes.
In 2020, 4 new heroes are set to come to Paladins, fitting into each of the classes: Tiberius is the first for the “Damage” category.
Additionally, there is the 1st Battle Pass 2020 for the community featuring Dark Monarch Lian, Monkey King Talus, Soul Briar Grover, and Ska’Drin Ash.
Paladins is still doing well on Steam in 2019
How is Paladins doing? The game had a significant hype back in 2016 on Steam with up to 60,000 players at peak. It was considered a “Free2Play” alternative to Overwatch.
But like many other titles, the hype wave around Fortnite has taken some wind out of the sails of the hero shooter.
However, Paladins is still doing well on Steam. On average, over 11,000 people are online – the peak number in the last 30 days was 22,578 players. Since June 2019, the game has grown rather than shrunk in some months (via steamcharts).
On PS4 and Xbox One, the title is now available as well.
At the moment, Hi-Rez’s in-house exhibition is taking place.
