Studio Hi-Rez announced the Paladins “Global Series” at DreamHack Valencia. Here, competitive amateur players will showcase their skills. There are prizes worth up to $350,000. Leya had the opportunity to speak with CEO Todd Harris about the community event at DreamHack.
Studio Hi-Rez aims to provide Paladins players with an eSports tournament series where anyone can participate. With its new “Global Series”, the MOBA shooter is hosting the largest community eSports tournament worldwide to date. Everyone is allowed to sign up with their team. This offers competitive players a platform to find an easier entry into the professional scene.
Teams from around the world compete for cash and crystal prizes amounting to up to $350,000. This is approximately 300,600 euros. Crystals are Paladins’ premium in-game currency.
With this video, Hi-Rez announced the community eSports tournament for Paladins.
Paladins Global Series – How the Community Tournament Works – Start is on August 1
Here is a list of how the community tournament is structured.
- Regional tournaments for PC players take place every month
- Players from the regions: Southeast Asia, Russia, North America, Brazil, Latin America, Europe, and Oceania can participate
- Every month, in the first 3 weeks “Open Bracket” tournaments for amateurs will be held. Everyone can sign up for the tournament. Here you can win crystal prizes. Paladins’ premium in-game currency.
- After the 3 weeks “Open Bracket” phase, there will be a monthly tournament. Winners will receive cash amounts worth several thousand dollars.
- The Global Series starts on August 1 and will be held for 10 months. Every month there are prize payouts.
- The games will receive a professional broadcast with shoutcasters from Monday to Friday.
- There is a Facebook page for the Paladins Global Series. Here you can find other players to form a team. Link to the official Facebook page.
The Global Series is designed as a taster course into the professional scene
At DreamHack in Valencia, I had the opportunity to talk to Hi-Rez CEO Todd Harris. He revealed to me that Hi-Rez wants to strongly support amateur players. If anyone has trouble finding a permanent team for the tournament, they can contact staff for help. This will primarily be done through the Global Series Facebook page. Moderators from Hi-Rez Studio will be available to answer questions and provide support.
The Global Series is designed for competitive players from the community who want to enter the professional scene. Hi-Rez wants to support this with crystal and cash prizes. Additionally, Hi-Rez will provide resources to organize a broadcast for the final games.
This way, amateur players can feel like they are at an official eSports event and get a taste of the life of a professional player. The only difference will be that you play from home in the Global Series and not in a large hall.
Once you have formed a team, you can play on any of the participating servers. Therefore, you do not have to stay within Europe, but could play on an American server, for example. For the duration of the tournament, which lasts one month, you will remain on the server you have chosen.
Paladins wants to focus more on community projects
Todd Harris mentioned in the interview that Paladins wants to focus even more on community projects in the future. Players should have an impact on events in the MOBA shooter.
Recently, the Paladins Community Skin Project took place. Fans could first vote for a champion who should receive a new skin. Afterwards, the skin design was chosen from four possible proposals. At DreamHack in Valencia, the new skin “Demonic Seris” was unveiled.
According to Harris, this skin will come to Paladins in the fall. This is associated with a special Halloween event where the community will be included again. What exactly the community Halloween event will be, Harris did not want to reveal yet.
What do you think of such a community eSports tournament? Do you like the structure of the Global Series?
Play Paladins for free on PS4, Xbox One, PC
If you play on PS4 and Xbox One and are sad that the Global Series is only for PC players, in January 2018 there will again be a Paladins Console Wars.
