Paladins (PC, PS4, Xbox One) strongly focuses on eSports and has now partnered with the Esport association WESA (World Esports Association). Together, they are founding the new Paladins Premier League: a professional eSports league where players receive a guaranteed minimum salary and are supported by the organization.
Studio Hi-Rez, in collaboration with the eSports association WESA, is founding the Paladins Premier League (PPL). WESA is the “World Esports Association” and works with 13 of the most renowned eSports teams, including Fnatic, G2 Esports, and SK Gaming. ESL is also part of WESA and is the largest eSports company worldwide.
The goal of this collaboration is to provide players with a secure foundation as eSports professionals and to compensate them accordingly. All revenues generated by the Paladins Premier League will be shared with the teams. This aims to guarantee a minimum salary for the players. The global reach of the well-known WESA teams and the financial security for the players are intended to help the PPL continue to grow.
Hi-Rez has gained a lot of experience in eSports through SMITE
Hi-Rez’s god MOBA SMITE is one of the most successful titles in eSports and has offered prize pools of $1 million in its competitions. The studio wants to continue this tradition with Paladins. WESA therefore believes it has found a good partner in Hi-Rez:
„Paladins has evolved into an innovative first-person shooter (FPS), and Hi-Rez is known for supporting eSports organizations and professional players. This collaboration represents an important milestone for WESA. Paladins will be the second game for which eSports competitions will be held under the leadership of our organization.“ – Ken Hershman, Chairman of WESA.
WESA aims to further professionalize eSports through measures such as player representation, standardized rules, and revenue sharing among teams. The structure of WESA is based on that of traditional sports associations. The professional leagues for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Paladins are the first professional eSports competitions held under WESA rules.
Hi-Rez’s CEO Todd Harris is also pleased about the collaboration with WESA. He stated that the community should crave Paladins at the professional level and the PPL guarantees top-level Paladins eSports in North America and Europe. Hi-Rez also supports WESA’s efforts to professionalize eSports.
Paladins is a “Free-2-Play” first-person hero shooter and has been in open beta on Steam since September 2016. In the first few weeks after release, Paladins attracted over 5 million players. Through a deep card system, the abilities of the characters can be customized, adding depth to the MOBA elements of the game.
Since its release, Paladins has continued to grow, which is also due to the launch on consoles PS4 and Xbox One. The demand for an eSports league has also increased with the rising player count and is expected to be facilitated by the partnership between WESA and Hi-Rez Studios.
Paladins Premier League: PPL starts in Fall 2017
The Paladins Premier League will start this Fall 2017 for PC. An exact date has yet to be announced.
The following ten WESA members will send their teams to compete:
- EnVyUS
- Fnatic
- G2 Esports
- mouseports
- Natus Vincere
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- Renegades
- SK Gaming
- Splyce
- Virtus.Pro
Hi-Rez will continue to focus more on eSports and its players with Paladins. Recently, Paladins Global Series – The largest community eSports tournament worldwide kicked off.
