Paladins Game Overview

Fans often compare Paladins to Overwatch as they are hero-based shooters with almost the same mechanics, the difference being the pool of heroes each game has. Developed by Hi-Rez Studios, the famous developer who created Smite and Rogue Company, Paladins still receives constant updates, patches, and even additional champions from time to time.

Let’s take an entire overview of Paladins, its current state today, and insight on how it might be able to overpower the almighty Overwatch.

Lore

Discovery of the Crystals

The Paladins were once magical warriors who battled the Goblin Scourges to defend the realm. They created the Stagalla — a group of rock people to help defeat the Goblins. After successfully defending the realm from the Goblins, there was no need for such warriors, hence the Paladins disbanded and left the Realm in the hands of the Magistrate.

Centuries later, the discovery of a crystal led to a new type of magic that has the ability to rival the power of the Magistrate — a group in the Realm that Grand Magister Karne established after the war with the Goblin Scourges. From robotic mining suits to crystal-powered rings, the crystal provided a limitless possibility for the people in the Realm.

Having this limitless power in their hands came at a cost of horrible misusage of the crystals. From accidents to crimes that destroyed buildings and killed innocent civilians, the situation is getting out of hand. These events alerted Grand Magister Karne who then considered these crystals dangerous and a threat to the Golden Age, which led him to prohibit the use of crystals.

Conflict and War

With the conflict increasing due to the difference in belief, Valera, Karne’s former partner and leader of the Paladins, led a group that believed the crystals should be accessible as they improve everyone’s lives. Valera made preparations by creating a weapon out of the crystals to oppose the Magistrate.

Valera also made actions to reawaken Stagalla. A battle erupted once the Magistrate tried to collect the crystals as the Resistance blindsided them.

The Stagalla named Terminus was dominating every Magistrate Soldier, however, when Ash, a Magistrate Warrior, came in and seemingly killed Terminus with ease. This event officially declared the start of the Crystal War. The Resistance gained new members such as Cassie and Tyra, while Valera urged them to take up the name of the old Paladins. To counteract this, the Magistrate called upon House Aico to aid them in battle with the Resistance.

Multiple factions responded in different ways. Vulpins from Brightmarsh served as medics for both sides. Moji, a Leipori or rabbit-like creature, called upon the great nature spirits to help defend the world. Other individuals joined the war for their own gains such as Kinessa, Maeve, and the Thousand Hands guild who sided wherever there was money involved.

With war ensuing throughout the Realm, there were countless deaths. With the support of Io and Jenos, the Resistance grew strong. Corvus, a leader of the Magistrate, grew desperate due to the growing power of the Resistance. Seris, a being from beyond the void, appeared before Corvus, manipulating Corvus’ desperation for help into summoning a beast named Raum.

The Magistrate decided to exile Corvus due to his actions. With the summoning of Raum, the Abyssal Lord, and the Yagorath, the Resistance and the Magistrate combined forces to fight off the Abyss. However, a battle against the Abyss is too much for them to handle. The Eternal, Azaan, appeared during this time and successfully defeated Yagorath, and fought off against the Abyss.

The Aftermath of the War

Grand Magister Karne deemed himself and his beliefs failures, which led him to pass on the leadership of the Magistrate to House Aico. Most people in the Realm received this news with cheers and praises, hoping to bring peace to the entire Realm once again.

During the time of the House Aico as the leader of the Magistrate, the race called Ska’drin was highly discriminated against due to them refusing to help the Paladins’ war against the Goblin Scourge centuries ago. The Ska’drins formed a new resistance to end the discrimination.

On the other hand, Corvus found shelter among a group of people; however, Vii, the Grim Reaper, attacked Corvus’ group leading to the death of all of Corvus’ men and gravely injuring Corvus. Lian took Corvus in and called upon the aid of Lillith, who saved Corvus’ life.

Mechanics

Champion Roles

• Damage – These champions are the primary source of damage and specialize in whittling down the enemy’s health and tearing down their defenses.
• Frontline – These champions are the tanks of the game, and their purpose is to protect their team and stand toe to toe against the enemy’s frontline. They can hold capture points and can turn the tide of battle with their skillset.
• Flank – The flankers usually route towards the enemy backlines and take out either damage or support champions. They have high mobility and escaping potential to weave in and out of battle.
• Support – Supports are the heart and soul of your team as they keep their allies alive by healing them or providing them with a buff. Most supports have the ability to buff allies or debuff enemies, AoE skills, and a form of mobility to escape enemies.

Card and Deck Building

Paladins set itself apart from other hero-shooter games by offering this unique mechanic. You can build a set of five cards that empower champions’ ability.

The cards can vary from increasing the ammo count to increasing the effectiveness of their abilities. Champions can equip five cards simultaneously, in which players can increase the ranks of each card; the cards have a shared max rank of 15—upgrading a card’s ranks increases the card’s potency effect.

Burn Cards/Items

These are a special set of cards you can buy while in a match. These cards offer various effects that improve Q.O.L. (Quality of life) and buff your character during a match. You can buy these cards and upgrade them up to three times, increasing their potency throughout the match.

You gain credits if you get kills, take objectives, over time, or fulfilling your role — Front Lines gain credits by standing near an objective, supports for healing allies, flank for delivering killing blows, and damage for damaging enemies.

Defense

• Illuminate – Allows you to detect invisible champions.
• Resilience – Allows you to reduce the duration of Crowd Control abilities.
• Guardian – Allows you to increase the effectiveness of shields.
• Haven- Provides damage reduction of either direct damage or AoE attacks.

Utility

• Nimble- Increases your champion’s movement speed.
• Master Riding – Increases your mount’s movement speed.
• Morale Boost – Increases the rate of your ultimate charge.
• Chronos – Allows you to use abilities more frequently by reducing its cooldown.

Healing

• Kill to Heal – Killing an enemy or getting an elimination heals you.
• Life Rip – Dealing damage to an enemy grants you a life steal.
• Rejuvenate – Allows you to receive more healing from other party members.
• Veteran – Increases your maximum health by a percentage.

Offense

• Bulldozer – Increases your damage to deployable, pets, and illusions.
• Deft Hands – Increases your reload speed by a certain percentage.
• Provision – Gives back a percentage of your maximum ammo after an elimination.
• Wrecker – Increases your shield damage.

Mounts

You can use mounts at the beginning of each round until you get to the battlefield. You will automatically dismount it once you use any of your abilities or attack. Once you die on the battlefield, you’ll spawn right back at base with your mount summoned.

Damage Types

• Area or Direct Damage
• Burst Damage
• Damage Over Time
• Executes
• Poke Damage
• Sustained Damage
• True Damage

Effects

• Cleanses
• Damage Reduction
• Deployables
• Healing
• Immunity
• Shields
• Status Effects
• Stealth

Talents

Hero Talent is a unique kind of card that you can allocate before the match begins. Usually, this card adds additional effects/buffs to their existing abilities. Some talents require leveling your champion masteries to unlock them.

Game Modes

Siege

Two teams battle each other to earn objective points. The first team to get to four objective points win the match. To earn these points:

• a team can capture the point (+1) — capturing a point will spawn a payload; a cart that you need to push towards your enemy’s base or stop by staying within its proximity.
• Escort the payload to the enemy team’s base (+1),
• Stop the enemy team from pushing the payload until the timer reaches 0 (+1).

In a round, you can gain a maximum of two points if you successfully capture the point and push the payload to the enemy’s base.

One capture point is at the center of every map, and players will need to take control of the point until the progress bar is complete. To fill up the progress bar, you can either eliminate every player in the enemy team or prevent them from getting near the capture point.

Once you’ve captured the points, a payload will spawn, and you would need to escort that payload to the enemy base.

If you lost the point, you would need to halt the payload it gets to your base; same as capturing the point, you can stop the enemy’s progression by either eliminating them or by preventing them from “touching” the payload and the other way around if you’re pushing the payload. Overtime will trigger once an enemy or one of your allies steps near the payload.

Onslaught

Onslaught is a king-of-the-hill type of gameplay. For you to win this game mode, your team must earn tickets by either eliminating enemy players or controlling a capture point that changes throughout the match. If you get 400 tickets, your team will win; if the timer runs out, the team with the higher ticket count will win.

Team Deathmatch

Team Deathmatch is a classic in the genre, you have infinite spawns, and in Paladins, the first team to get 40 eliminations will win. Similar to Onslaught, once the time is up, the team with the higher eliminations will win.

Champions

Damage

Betty La Bomba

Skills

• Grenade Launcher (Area Damage)
• Cluster Grenade (Area Damage)
• Hail of Bombs (Area Damage)
• Explosive Personality (Area Damage)
• Long Live The Queen (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Fiery Disposition
• Controlled Fury
• Gotta Bounce

Bomb King

Skills

• Sticky Bomb (Area Damage)
• Detonate
• Grumpy Bomb (Area Damage)
• Poppy Bomb (Area Damage)
• King Bomb (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Chain Reaction
• Royal Subject
• Accelerant

Cassie

Skills

• Crossbow (Direct Damage)
• Disengage (Direct Damage)
• Blast Shot (Area Damage)
• Dodge Roll
• Scout (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Exaction
• Impulse
• Big Game

Dredge

Skills

• Curse Howitzer (Area Damage)
• Broadside (Area Damage)
• Harpoon (Area Damage)
• Shortcut
• Kraken (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Scuttle
• Hurl
• Abyss Spike

Drogoz

Skills

• Rocket Launcher (Area Damage)
• Fire Spit (Area Damage)
• Salvo (Area Damage)
• Thrust
• Dragon Punch (Ultimate: True Damage)

Talents

• Combustible
• Fusillade
• W.Y.R.M. Jets

Imani

Skills

• Frost Bolt/Pyre Ball (Direct Damage)
• Frost Bomb/Inferno Cannon (Area Damage)
• Elemental Shift
• FrostFire Glide
• Dragon’s Call (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Splitting Ice
• Pyromania
• Mana Rift

Kinessa

Skills

• Sniper Rifle (Direct Damage)
• Sniper Mode (Direct Damage)
• Oppressor Mine (Direct Damage)
• Transporter
• Headhunter (Ultimate: Direct Damage)

Talents

• Steady Aim
• Reposition
• Oppression

Lian

Skills

• Heirloom Rifle (Direct Damage)
• Valor (Area Damage)
• Presence (Area Damage)
• Grace (Direct Damage)
• Enlightenment (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Alacrity
• Eminence
• Precision

Octavia

Skills

• Marksman Rifle (Direct Damage)
• Designated Sights
• Distortion Field
• Commanding Leap
• Creeping Barrage (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Hell or High Water
• Display of Force
• Asymmetric Warfare

Saati

Skills

• Hand Cannon (Direct Damage)
• Ricochet (Direct Damage)
• Dead Ringer (Direct Damage)
• Blast Back (Area Damage)
• Wallbang (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Improvised
• Widow of Opportunity
• Heads or Tails

Sha Lin

Skills

• Long Bow (Direct Damage)
• Crippling Arrow (Direct Damage)
• Rapid Shot (Direct Damage)
• Withdraw
• Heat Haze (Ultimate)

Talents

• Desert Silence
• Recurve
• Sand Trap

Strix

Skills

• Talon Rifle/Pistol (Direct Damage)
• Scope/Flare (Direct Damage)
• Quick Switch
• Stealth
• Flashbang (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Nocturnal
• Unauthorized Use
• Crack Shot

Tiberius

Skills

• Blade Chakrams (Direct Damage)
• Heavy Blade (Direct Damage)
• Combat Trance
• Crouching Tigron
• Blade Dance (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Predatory Instincts
• Tigron’s Fury
• Vicious Assault

Tyra

Skills

• Auto Rifle (Direct Damage)
• Nade Launcher (Area Damage)
• Fire Bomb (Area Damage)
• Hunter’s Mark
• Crossfire (Ultimate: Direct Damage)

Talents

• Mercy Kill
• Hunting Party
• Burn, Monster

Viktor

Skills

• Assault Rifle (Direct Damage)
• Iron Sights
• Frag Grenade (Area Damage)
• Hustle
• Barrage (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Cardio
• Burst Mode
• Shrapnel

Vivian

Skills

• Light Machine Gun (Direct Damage)
• Precision Sights
• Deflector Shield
• Sensor Drone
• Sentinels (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Suspect Everyone
• Booby Trap
• Opportunity in Chaos

Willo

Skills

• Wand of Overgrowth (Area Damage)
• Dead Zone (Area Damage)
• Seedling (Area Damage)
• Flutter
• Fae Flight (Ultimate)

Talents

• Nightshade
• Blastflower
• Scorn

Front Line

Ash

Skills

• Burner Cannon (Area Damage)
• Kinetic Burst (Area Damage)
• Siege Shield
• Shoulder Bash (Direct Damage)
• Assert Dominance (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Battering Ram
• Slug Shot
• Fortress Breaker

Atlas

Skills

• Chrono-Cannon (Direct Damage)
• Setback
• Stasis Field
• Second Chance
• Exile (Ultimate)

Talents

• Unstable Fissure
• Temporal Divide
• Deja Vu

Azaan

Skills

• Judgement (Direct Damage)
• Reckoning (Area Damage)
• Sanctuary
• Conviction (Direct Damage)
• Deliverance (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Persistence
• Tempering
• Eternal

Barik

Skills

• Blunderbuss (Direct Damage)
• Barricade
• Turret (Direct Damage)
• Rocket Boots
• Long Live The Queen (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Forgefire
• Tinikerin
• Fortify

Fernando

Skills

• Flame Lance (Area Damage)
• Shield
• Fireball (Area Damage)
• Charge (Area Damage)
• Immortal (Ultimate)

Talents

• Aegis
• Scorch
• Formidable

Inara

Skills

• Stone Spear (Direct Damage)
• Earthen Guard
• Impasse
• Warder’s Field (Area Damage)
• Seismic Crash (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Mother’s Grace
• Tremors
• Treacherous Ground

Khan

Skills

• Heavy Repeater (Direct Damage)
• Bulwark
• Battle Shout
• Commander’s Grab (Direct Damage)
• Overpower (Ultimate: Direct Damage)

Talents

• Lian’s Shield
• Storm of Bullets
• Vortex Grip

Makoa

Skills

• Cannon (Direct Damage)
• Dredge Anchor (Direct Damage)
• Shell Shield
• Shell Spin (Area Damage)
• Ancient Rage (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Pluck
• Half Shell
• Leviathan

Raum

Skills

• Hellfire Gatling (Direct Damage)
• Ignition
• Soul Harvest
• Juggernaut (Direct Damage)
• Cataclysm (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Enforcer
• Earthsplitter
• Subservience

Ruckus

Skills

• Miniguns (Direct Damage)
• Missile Launcher (Area Damage)
• Emitter
• Advance
• Hexa Fire (Ultimate: Direct Damage)

Talents

• Flux Generator
• Rocket Barrage
• Aerial Assault

Terminus

Skills

• Massacre Axe (Area Damage)
• Calamity Blast (Direct Damage)
• Power Siphon
• Shatterfall (Area Damage)
• Reanimate (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Undying
• Crush
• Decimation

Torvald

Skills

• Gauntlet (Direct Damage)
• Nullify (Direct Damage)
• Protection
• Recharge
• Hyper Beam (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Thanks, Grandpa
• Direct Current
• Field Study

Yagorath

Skills

• Caustic Spray/Trail of Acid (Area Damage)
• Piercing Quills/Acceleration (Area Damage)
• Hardening/Primal Vision (Area Damage)
• Form Swap
• Devour (Ultimate: Execute Damage)

Talents

• Corrosive Acid
• Sight Begets Strength
• Unnatural Persistence

Flanker

Androxus

Skills

• Revolver (Direct Damage)
• Defiance (Area Damage)
• Reversal (Direct Damage)
• Nether Step
• Accursed Arm (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Cursed Revolver
• Godslayer
• Defiant Fist

Buck

Skills

• Shotgun (Direct Damage)
• Net Shot (Direct Damage)
• Recovery
• Heroic Leap (Area Damage)
• Buck Wild (Ultimate: Direct Damage)

Talents

• Ensnare
• Bulk Up
• Bounce House

Evie

Skills

• Ice Staff (Area Damage)
• Ice Block
• Blink
• Soar
• Ice Storm (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Over The Moon
• Snow Globe
• Wormhole

Koga

Skills

• Submachine Guns/Hellkite Claws (Direct Damage)
• Shadow Step/Skewer (Area Damage)
• Dragon Stance
• Agility
• Cyclone Strike (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Adrenaline Junkie
• Blood Reaper
• Dragon Fangs

Lex

Skills

• Magnums (Direct Damage)
• In Pursuit (Area Damage)
• Retribution
• Combat Slide
• The Law (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Discovery
• Heroism
• Death Hastens

Maeve

Skills

• Daggers (Direct Damage)
• Pounce (Direct Damage)
• Nine Lives
• Prowl
• Midnight (Ultimate)

Talents

• Cat Burglar
• Street Justice
• Rogue’s Gambit

Moji

Skills

• Familiar Spit (Direct Damage)
• Familiar Spray (Area Damage)
• Magic Barrier
• Scamper
• Bon Appetit (Ultimate: Execute Damage)

Talents

• Snack Attack
• Boom Boom
• Toot

Skye

Skills

• Wrist Crossbow (Direct Damage)
• Poison Bolts (Direct Damage)
• Smoke Screen
• Hidden
• Time Bomb (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Debilitate
• Smoke and Dagger
• Preparation

Talus

Skills

• Veracgarger (Direct Damage)
• Blitz Upper (Direct Damage)
• Overcharge
• Rune of Travel
• True Power (Ultimate: Direct Damage)

Talents

• Inner Strength
• Faustian Bargain
• Nothing Personal

Vatu

Skills

• Kunai (Direct Damage)
• Shadow Bombs (Area Damage)
• Ambush (Direct Damage)
• Dash
• Nightfall (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Omnipresence
• Unerring
• Enveloping Shadows

Vii

Skills

• Heavy SMG (Direct Damage)
• Trigger Discipline
• Explosive Dodge (Area Damage)
• Grappling Hook (Direct Damage)
• Decree 77 (Ultimate: Direct Damage)

Talents

• Tribunal Upgrades
• Overcharged
• Gotta Bounce

Vora

Skills

• Deadly Scythe (Direct Damage)
• Obliteration (Area Damage)
• Dark Siphon (Direct Damage)
• Tendril
• Harbinger’s Wrath (Ultimate: Direct Damage)

Talents

• Unyielding Pressure
• Relentless Presence
• Deafening Silence

Zhin

Skills

• Inferno Blade (Direct and Area Damage)
• Counter (Direct Damage)
• Billow
• Whirl (Area Damage)
• Spite (Ultimate: Direct Damage)

Talents

• Guillotine
• Yomi
• Smolder

Support

Corvus

Skills

• Officer’s Pistol (Direct Damage)
• Abyssal Reconstruction
• Mark of Fate
• Projection (Area Damage)
• Entropic Breach (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Dark Gifts
• Stunning Visage
• Spreading Influence

Furia

Skills

• Pyre Blade (Direct Damage)
• Kindle Soul
• Pyre Strike (Area Damage)
• Wings of Wrath (Direct Damage)
• Inflame (Ultimate)

Talents

• Cherish
• Exterminate
• Solar Blessing

Grohk

Skills

• Lightning Staff (Direct Damage)
• Shock Pulse (Area Damage)
• Healing Totem
• Ghost Walk
• Tempest (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Totemic Ward
• Spirit’s Domain
• Maelstrom

Grover

Skills

• Throwing Axe (Direct Damage)
• Crippling Throw (Direct Damage)
• Blossom
• Vine
• Whirlwind (Ultimate)

Talents

• Rampant Blooming
• Ferocity
• Deep Roots

Io

Skills

• Light Bow (Direct Damage)
• Moonlight
• Guardian Spirit (Direct Damage)
• Lunar Leap
• Begone (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Life Link
• Goddess’ Blessing
• Sacrifice

Jenos

Skills

• Star Splitter (Direct Damage)
• Astral Mark
• Void Grip (Direct Damage)
• Stellar Wind
• Through Time and Space (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Luminary
• Binary Star
• The Power Cosmeum

Lillith

Skills

• Heart of Crimson (Direct Damage)
• Blood Hex (Direct Damage)
• Swarm (Area Damage)
• Death Wings (Area Damage)
• Blood Moon (Ultimate)

Talents

• Cursed Accord
• Maelstrom of Carnage
• Murderous Intent

Mal’Damba

Skills

• Spitting Cobra (Direct Damage)
• Mending Spirits
• Gourd (Area Damage)
• Slither
• Dread Serpent (Ultimate)

Talents

• Spirit’s Chosen
• Ripened Gourd
• Wekono’s Wrath

Pip

Skills

• Potion Launcher (Area Damage)
• Explosive Flask (Area Damage)
• Healing Potion
• Weightless
• Evil Mojo (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Mega Potion
• Catalyst
• Combat Medic

Rei

Skills

• Sigil (Direct Damage)
• Chain Heal
• Spirit Link (Direct Damage)
• Envelop
• Vivify (Ultimate)

Talents

• Extension
• Restraint
• Focus

Seris

Skills

• Soul Orb (Area Damage)
• Restore Soul
• Rend Soul (Area Damage)
• Shadow Travel
• Convergence (Ultimate: Area Damage)

Talents

• Soul Collector
• Mortal Reach
• Agony

Ying

Skills

• Illusory Mirror (Direct Damage)
• Shatter (Area Damage)
• Illusion
• Dimensional Link
• Illusory Rift (Ultimate)

Talents

• Focusing Lens
• Life Exchange
• Resonance

Five Beginner Tips When Starting in Paladins

Know Your Champion

At the beginning of the game, you only have a few champions: Ruckus, Cassie, Viktor, Jenos, Series, and Lex. You can unlock more champions by purchasing them using gold or crystals. You can earn gold by grinding through the game, and for crystals, you have to buy them with real money.

I would highly recommend trying out each of the champions and going for a “main” champion for each role — the main champion is the one you specialize in. Make sure you fully understand each mechanic by playing the game constantly. Experience is your friend here; keep playing until you’re comfortable with the champion you want to consider your main.

Know the ins and outs of the map

Explore the map as much as you can. This practice lets you know where you can peek safely, explore flank routes, and set up crossfires for your team — crossfire is a multiple-firing setup that can overwhelm the enemy team. Another thing to remember is to take the high ground.

Taking the high ground allows your D.P.S. to have a wider L.O.S. (Line of sight), which will help them increase their efficiency.

Understand and study the Card System

This mechanic allows you to fully customize your experience with your champion. As mentioned above, you can utilize the Card System to cover up some of the weaknesses you have with your champion. You can go to this website to find the most popular builds and loadouts for your champion.

Learn about team compositions and learn to adjust your hero selection based on the picks of your teammates

This aspect is essential; hence we recommend getting at least one main champion for each role so you can fill in any gaps or lapses in your team’s composition. Being flexible in hero-type shooter games is a must, and it would help you in ranked games as you can win games even if you’re using a one-trick hero in each role.

Keep your deaths low by strategically positioning yourself on the map, focusing on your improvement rather than blaming your teammates, and rewatching your replays

These three rules will net you the highest improvement stat in Paladins. It all focuses on self-improvement and is likely the combination of these tips. Map knowledge will help you get better vantage points and flank routes, and you’ll become more innate with the usage of natural cover.

This tactic will, in turn, lead to lower deaths, which will then convert into higher efficiency per spawn, which is crucial in this game. The more things that you can do for your team per spawn, the higher your value will be and the more likely you’ll win the team fight.

Rewatching your replays will help you see through your mistakes, and it will make you realize what you could have done in this instance, etc.

How Is Paladins Different from Overwatch?

Compared to Overwatch, you won’t get the same game in Paladins every time

This statement is highly opinionated, as you can say the same thing for Overwatch. Having to play both games (Paladins prior to Overwatch), there are instances wherein I feel like I’m playing the same game over and over again in Overwatch, just different compositions and different players.

However, in Paladins, the Card System provides you multiple options to play the game, not to mention the added Talent system and the in-game items. Every decision in Paladins is situational, and you can tailor your champion to however you want to play them.

Paladins has a much less stable server and a lower player base than Overwatch

The sad thing about this is that even though both are few games, people are staying away from hero-shooter genres today. Both games are slowly dying, similar to how Unreal Tournament, Quake, and Team Fortress perished in the abyss before them.

There is still a good player base for both games; however, the only ones left are those genuinely dedicated to these types of games. Paladins got the worst end as it is a lesser-known game than Overwatch.

Paladins is less polished than Overwatch

This comparison is not a knock on Paladins by any means. The game started with only a few developers, and they weren’t even sure of what they would do with the game.

Transitioning from genre to genre until they settled with the hero-shooter genre, these changes were still in the spaghetti code within the game. Unfortunately, there are still a few annoying bugs in the game that the developers have not bothered fixing until this day.

Paladins has a more steady push of new content compared to Overwatch

Although the player base is not that high anymore, Hi-Rez keeps spewing out content for Paladins and comparing this to Overwatch (prior to Overwatch 2), which only has 32 playable characters. In contrast, Paladins has over 55 champions to choose from.

Even when we factor in Overwatch 2, Overwatch added a few maps, a few balance changes to existing heroes, and transitioned into a 5v5 mode which still isn’t a lot. It’s more like a significant rework of the current patch in Overwatch rather than being a sequel.

FAQs

Conclusion

Paladins is still a fun game to play to this day. Even though its fire is already fading, I would still go back to it from time to time because of its ingenious implementation of customization in a hero-shooter genre without being pay-to-win.

Not to mention that the game is free; however, you can skip the hassle of unlocking every champion by purchasing the bundle that unlocks them for you. If you’re into the hero-shooter genre, I highly recommend you check this game as an alternative to Overwatch.