Paladins changes drastically how new content is implemented in the game – and what it costs.
More heroes to be unlocked
In Paladins: Champions of the Realm, a different strategy is now being pursued. Instead of focusing on a few heroes and many maps, the number of maps is reduced and several new champions are planned for release. This change is accompanied by another announcement: Just like in the MOBA Smite, only a specific subset of characters will be freely accessible, the rest must be purchased (real money or “Gold”). For this reason, a character pack will also be offered in the near future, granting access to all existing and upcoming champions automatically.
Initially, Paladins had pursued a different strategy. The goal was to keep the number of different heroes relatively low, but to offer numerous maps that allow for individual adjustments to playstyles per character. According to the developer post in the forum, however, fans wanted a different approach: They want several different heroes but fewer playstyles per character. One should always know what abilities the opponent has.
Cortyn says: The community is quite split over this announcement, especially in the forum. While one side welcomes the changes and is excited about the many new heroes to come, the other half reacts cynically with remarks like “RIP Palaturds 2015-2016” and “Boom, uninstalled.” Particularly frustrating is that HiRez had emphasized in several streams that champions would always be available for free.
I personally also find the change negative, as Paladins is moving further away from what I initially enjoyed – a fun shooter with numerous customization options. Slowly but surely, it is becoming a mix of Smite and Overwatch – but neither quite right.
For more news and articles about the hero shooter from HiRez, visit our Paladins topic page.
