It was only a matter of time until some of the most popular competitive first-person shooters (FPS) started making their own battle royale modes with the growing popularity of "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" (PUBG).
This time around, the spotlight falls onto "Paladins" from the developer and publisher Hi-Rez Studios. The developers of the said FPS have announced the new battle royale-style game mode called "Paladins: Battlegrounds" on Thursday, Jan 4. The mode will be similar to "PUBG" where 100 players will drop onto a massive map and fend for themselves or kill others to be the last one standing.
It will also have a team or squad mode like "PUBG" where teams of either two or four players can compete against other teams to eliminate them. The developers were even proud to claim that "Paladins: Battlegrounds" to be the first hero shooter battle royale ever. Initially, the gaming community sentiment for "Paladins" is that is was inspired by another big hero FPS "Overwatch." This time around, it seems it will be taking inspiration from "PUBG," another big FPS title today.
Still, Hi-Rez explains that "Paladins: Battlegrounds" will be heavily focused on team battle royale, which is quite in contrast with the solo mode focus of "PUBG" where the rewards for going in solo are bigger. One advantage it does have on "PUBG" is that it will be completely free-to-play, whereas "PUBG" actually costs an initial $30 depending on the area.
Meanwhile, Hi-Rez's CEO Erez Goren also defended their decision to include a battle royale mode for "Paladins." Goren explained that "Paladins: Battlegrounds" actually stemmed from the dormant game mode of "Paladins" called "Survival," contrary to the assumptions of a lot of people. The said mode was not so popular since defeat would require a 30-second waiting time before being able to join the fray again, a problem which was circumvented by the battle royale mode according to Goren.
Loot drops are also planned to be more meaningful in "Paladins: Battlegrounds" compared to "PUBG" where Goren mentioned the existence of some "legendary items." As such, they are hoping to add something new or innovative to the genre. Players will be able to see how the game handles battle royale once "Paladins: Battlegrounds" gets released before the end of March.
