‘Paladins’ Welcomes Ying, Another Payload Mode, And New Cosmetics With Open Beta Update


After about a week of availability on Steam, Hi-Rez Studios’ Paladins is updating with another hero, a new mode, and more cosmetic choices. As the first update since the open beta began, patch 34 includes a few balancing changes in addition to the new features it will introduce. The latest update also addresses a few issues like the size of the payload, region options, and map details.

Paladins already boasts a diverse roster of 16 champions with number 17 being reintroduced to the game on September 28 when patch 34 goes live. The hero shooter divides its champions into four types based on gameplay including Front Line, Damage, Flank, and Support. Players will find Ying the Illusionist, a Support character, on the roster after the update. Ying returns after being disabled in a patch right before the game debuted on Steam; however, players that started playing Paladins when it entered open beta have yet to try out this hero.

Kinessa keeps here distance in most battles [Image by Hi-Rez Studios]

Ying is the Illusionist in Paladins. As a Support character, she can aid her allies with powerful heals right alongside damaging her foes. Using her Illusory Mirror, Ying shoots beams at her enemies as her weapon attack. Her two abilities include Illusion and Dimensional Link which let her summon Illusions that will heal friends and switch places with an Illusion respectively. Ying’s secondary fire is used to send an Illusion toward enemy, shattering it for extra damage. Finally, her ultimate ability, Illusory Rift, creates a prism on all her teammates, healing them over time rapidly. Be sure to check out the official notes for patch 34 for details on all her abilities and her card options.

The upcoming update to Paladins also includes a new game mode and several cosmetic additions. The new mode still centers around a payload with a slight variation on how to be victorious. In this mode, a team will spawn a payload at their base with the objective to move the payload as far as they can to the enemy base. Fighting against their adversaries and the time limit, the team will go as far as they can before the round is over. Then the competing team will need to move their payload from their base. Whichever team gets the farthest wins, and if both teams reach their opponents’ base, the quicker team is crowned winner.

Grover excels at healing allies and throwing axes [Image via Hi-Rez Studios]

In addition to Ying, the new payload mode, and a wealth of balancing changes, patch 34 also introduces several new skins. Barik, Drogoz, Evie, Fernando, Grohk, and Kinessa all have multiple new looks available in the game store. Moreover, the hit box of the payload has been adjusted to match its actual size, players will now be able to choose their region for all modes, and each map now has its own individual name that appears before a match starts. Again, the patch notes on the official forums contain all of these changes and the balance alterations in detail.

The free-to-play hero shooter entered open beta on September 16 when the game officially launched on Steam. Of course, players can download and play the title right now by visiting the Paladins Steam page. Until September 30, players can pick up the Paladins Founder’s Pack at a 33 percent discount. The bundle, which is normally $20 and discounted to less than $14, unlocks all current and future heroes. A special Infernal Warhorse mount and 20 Radiant Chests are also included in the Founder’s Pack.

Since its release on Steam, the title regularly reaches the top 10 games based on current player population and peak player population numbers. As announced on the game’s official website, over 100,000 players signed up in the first 24 hours. Over the past several days, Paladins is regularly reaching around 40,000 peak players each day just on Steam.

[Featured Image by Hi-Rez Studios]

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