<s>
Paladins	B-Application
:	I-Application
Champions	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Realm	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2018	O
free-to-play	O
online	B-Application
hero	O
shooter	O
video	O
game	O
by	O
Hi-Rez	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Evil	O
Mojo	O
,	O
an	O
internal	O
studio	O
of	O
Hi-Rez	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
May	O
8	O
,	O
2018	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
version	O
released	O
on	O
June	O
12	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paladins	B-Application
was	O
initially	O
announced	O
in	O
2012	O
as	O
Global	B-Application
Agenda	I-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
was	O
scheduled	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
mid-2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
as	O
Paladins	B-Application
in	O
early	O
August	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Paladins	B-Application
closed	O
beta	O
started	O
on	O
November	O
17	O
,	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
Open	O
Beta	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
appeared	O
on	O
September	O
16	O
,	O
2016	O
in	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Early	O
Access	O
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paladins	B-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
fantasy	O
world	O
called	O
the	O
Realm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paladins	B-Application
is	O
a	O
team-based	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
that	O
focuses	O
on	O
two	O
groups	O
of	O
five	O
players	O
each	O
,	O
who	O
compete	O
for	O
combat-based	O
goals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
different	O
gameplay	O
modes	O
for	O
Paladins	B-Application
:	O
</s>
<s>
Siege	O
:	O
The	O
'	O
main	O
 '	O
Paladins	B-Application
game	O
mode	O
,	O
two	O
teams	O
of	O
5	O
race	O
against	O
each	O
other	O
to	O
capture	O
the	O
map	O
's	O
central	O
capture	O
point	O
and	O
,	O
if	O
successful	O
,	O
push	O
a	O
payload	O
that	O
spawns	O
from	O
it	O
to	O
the	O
enemy	O
base	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paladins	B-Application
arose	O
from	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
making	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
Global	B-Application
Agenda	I-Application
,	O
which	O
focused	O
on	O
improving	O
PvP	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
initially	O
announced	O
in	O
2012	O
and	O
scheduled	O
for	O
release	O
in	O
mid-2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
despite	O
the	O
initial	O
goal	O
of	O
a	O
fantasy	O
setting	O
,	O
everything	O
about	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
constantly	O
changing	O
,	O
with	O
what	O
was	O
essentially	O
a	O
new	O
game	O
being	O
created	O
every	O
single	O
day	O
;	O
with	O
the	O
sci-fi	O
theme	O
of	O
Hi-Rez	O
'	O
s	O
previous	O
title	O
,	O
Global	B-Application
Agenda	I-Application
,	O
additionally	O
being	O
experimented	O
with	O
,	O
potentially	O
almost	O
even	O
outright	O
becoming	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
developers	O
,	O
before	O
they	O
could	O
show	O
off	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
highly	O
anticipated	O
new	O
game	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
was	O
shown	O
off	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
claim	O
they	O
were	O
worried	O
about	O
being	O
compared	O
to	O
Overwatch	B-Application
and	O
initially	O
planned	O
to	O
implement	O
some	O
changes	O
to	O
make	O
Paladins	B-Application
different	O
to	O
avoid	O
this	O
,	O
but	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
developers	O
,	O
internal	O
testing	O
indicated	O
players	O
enjoyed	O
the	O
current	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
causing	O
them	O
to	O
stick	O
with	O
their	O
original	O
plan.	O
,	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
as	O
Paladins	B-Application
in	O
early	O
August	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Paladins	B-Application
closed	O
beta	O
started	O
on	O
November	O
17	O
,	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
Open	O
Beta	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
appeared	O
on	O
September	O
16	O
,	O
2016	O
in	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
Early	O
Access	O
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
a	O
week	O
of	O
the	O
Open	O
Beta	O
launch	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
reached	O
800,000	O
downloads	O
and	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
ten	O
most	O
played	O
games	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2020	O
,	O
Hi-Rez	O
reported	O
that	O
Paladins	B-Application
exceeded	O
40	O
million	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2020	O
,	O
Paladins	B-Application
had	O
seen	O
over	O
45	O
million	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paladins	B-Application
Strike	O
is	O
the	O
mobile	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
launched	O
in	O
May	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Paladins	B-Application
Strike	O
,	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
are	O
present	O
,	O
with	O
all	O
their	O
abilities	O
adapted	O
to	O
suit	O
the	O
canons	O
of	O
the	O
MOBA	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paladins	B-Application
Strike	O
is	O
free-to-play	O
:	O
the	O
game	O
relies	O
on	O
micro-transactions	O
and	O
in-app	O
purchases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Realm	B-Application
Royale	I-Application
is	O
the	O
third-person	O
shooter	O
battle	O
royale	O
game	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
launched	O
in	O
June	O
2018	O
via	O
Steam	B-Application
's	O
early	O
access	O
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2018	O
,	O
Hi-Rez	O
decided	O
to	O
give	O
Paladins	B-Application
a	O
corresponding	O
mode	O
named	O
Paladins	B-Application
:	I-Application
Battlegrounds	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
,	O
the	O
mode	O
became	O
its	O
own	O
game	O
,	O
called	O
Realm	B-Application
Royale	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paladins	B-Application
is	O
a	O
title	O
that	O
was	O
played	O
as	O
an	O
esport	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Paladins	B-Application
Premier	O
League	O
(	O
PPL	O
)	O
was	O
founded	O
in	O
cooperation	O
between	O
the	O
developer	O
studio	O
and	O
the	O
WESA	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
1	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
Paladins	B-Application
Global	O
Series	O
started	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
community	O
tournament	O
with	O
prizes	O
worth	O
350,000	O
US	O
dollars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
events	O
are	O
then	O
also	O
broadcast	O
on	O
live	O
stream	O
services	O
such	O
as	O
Twitch	O
or	O
Facebook	B-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Paladins	B-Application
now	O
has	O
an	O
active	O
esports	O
scene	O
with	O
several	O
major	O
tournaments	O
per	O
year	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
World	O
Championships	O
and	O
DreamHack	O
competitions	O
(	O
as	O
of	O
December	O
2019	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
2020	O
,	O
Paladins	B-Application
hosts	O
an	O
annual	O
event	O
called	O
the	O
“	O
Crystal	O
Awards	O
”	O
,	O
a	O
user-voted	O
awards	O
ceremony	O
designed	O
to	O
highlight	O
the	O
Paladins	B-Application
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
this	O
,	O
Hi-Rez	O
Studios	O
announces	O
the	O
winners	O
during	O
the	O
Paladins	B-Application
World	O
Championship	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
version	O
of	O
Paladins	B-Application
received	O
"	O
Generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
while	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
version	O
received	O
"	O
Mixed	O
or	O
average	O
reviews	O
"	O
according	O
to	O
review	O
aggregator	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
rated	O
Paladins	B-Application
8.4/10	O
,	O
stating	O
"	O
Working	O
on	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
strong	O
and	O
fairly	O
balanced	O
foundation	O
of	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
hero	O
shooter	O
,	O
Paladins’	O
capacity	O
for	O
experimentation	O
is	O
its	O
greatest	O
strength	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Whether	O
it	O
’s	O
the	O
main	O
mode	O
that	O
encapsulates	O
the	O
teamwork	O
aspect	O
or	O
the	O
character	O
designs	O
that	O
immediately	O
flow	O
with	O
creativity	O
,	O
Paladins	B-Application
:	I-Application
Champions	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Realm	I-Application
clearly	O
stands	O
out	O
in	O
the	O
midst	O
of	O
competition	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gamereactor	O
rated	O
the	O
game	O
7/10	O
,	O
praising	O
the	O
various	O
characters	O
,	O
customization	O
and	O
maps	O
,	O
stating	O
"	O
Paladins	B-Application
might	O
just	O
win	O
you	O
over	O
if	O
you	O
give	O
it	O
a	O
try	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
'd	O
definitely	O
recommend	O
you	O
to	O
do	O
so	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Canard	O
PC	O
gave	O
Paladins	B-Application
7/10	O
,	O
depicting	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
competitive	O
FPS	O
"	O
and	O
complimenting	O
the	O
game	O
despite	O
the	O
similarities	O
between	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ric	O
Cowley	O
of	O
Pocket	O
Gamer	O
gave	O
3.5/5	O
stars	O
,	O
explaining	O
"	O
Paladins	B-Application
is	O
actually	O
a	O
pretty	O
fun	O
shooter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamesRadar+	O
complimented	O
and	O
defended	O
Paladins	B-Application
about	O
the	O
similarities	O
with	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
declaring	O
"	O
Fast	O
forward	O
two	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
though	O
,	O
and	O
Paladins	B-Application
is	O
looking	O
healthier	O
than	O
ever	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eurogamer	O
praised	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
version	O
,	O
saying	O
"	O
Paladins	B-Application
has	O
a	O
great	O
chance	O
to	O
shine	O
here	O
,	O
and	O
shine	O
it	O
does	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
"	O
Overall	O
,	O
there	O
's	O
a	O
lot	O
to	O
respect	O
in	O
how	O
Paladins	B-Application
is	O
represented	O
on	O
Switch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hi-Rez	O
has	O
accomplished	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
closest	O
matches	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
versions	O
available	O
,	O
crafting	O
a	O
60fps	O
title	O
where	O
online	B-Application
competition	O
with	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
players	O
feels	O
balanced	O
and	O
fair	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pat	O
Kerley	O
of	O
The	O
Republic	O
of	O
Players	O
gave	O
a	O
positive	O
review	O
,	O
depicting	O
the	O
gameplay	O
as	O
"	O
fluid	O
and	O
responsive	O
"	O
,	O
calling	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
very	O
consumer	O
friendly	O
"	O
about	O
the	O
micro-transactions	O
and	O
stating	O
"	O
Paladins	B-Application
Champions	O
of	O
the	O
Realm	O
is	O
a	O
must	O
buy	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Zone	O
listed	O
Paladins	B-Application
2nd	O
in	O
their	O
top	O
"	O
5	O
Best	O
Free-to-Play	O
Games	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
in	O
2020	O
"	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
appealing	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PlayStation	O
LifeStyle	O
listed	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
their	O
top	O
"	O
7	O
Best	O
PS4	B-Operating_System
Free-to-Play	O
Games	O
You	O
Wo	O
n’t	O
Be	O
Able	O
to	O
Stop	O
Playing	O
"	O
,	O
indicating	O
"	O
This	O
game	O
gets	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
flak	O
for	O
being	O
called	O
an	O
Overwatch	B-Application
rip-off	O
,	O
but	O
Paladins	B-Application
is	O
better	O
than	O
that	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CulturedVultures	O
ranked	O
Paladins	B-Application
3rd	O
in	O
their	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
"	O
20	O
Best	O
Free	O
Games	O
On	O
Steam	B-Application
"	O
,	O
declaring	O
"	O
Paladins	B-Application
:	I-Application
Champions	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Realm	I-Application
offers	O
what	O
Overwatch	B-Application
does	O
without	O
any	O
fees	O
:	O
glorious	O
and	O
fun	O
team	O
battles	O
with	O
gun-toting	O
and	O
magic-wielding	O
characters	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
a	O
background	O
story	O
,	O
in	O
well-designed	O
maps	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
accusations	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
an	O
Overwatch	B-Application
clone	O
,	O
Hi-Rez	O
COO	O
Todd	O
Harris	O
said	O
that	O
“	O
While	O
Overwatch	B-Application
is	O
a	O
fine	O
game	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
the	O
inspiration	O
for	O
Paladins	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
hero	O
shooter	O
genre	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
that	O
deserves	O
the	O
most	O
credit	O
is	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
We	O
released	O
a	O
TF2	O
inspired	O
class-based	O
shooter	O
called	O
Global	B-Application
Agenda	I-Application
way	O
back	O
in	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paladins	B-Application
was	O
conceived	O
as	O
a	O
fantasy	O
version	O
of	O
Global	B-Application
Agenda	I-Application
and	O
of	O
the	O
approximately	O
85	O
combat	O
abilities	O
currently	O
in	O
Paladins	B-Application
,	O
the	O
vast	O
majority	O
are	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
Global	B-Application
Agenda	I-Application
we	O
made	O
10	O
years	O
ago	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2018	O
,	O
Hi-Rez	O
Studios	O
CEO	O
Stew	O
Chisam	O
pointed	O
out	O
the	O
similarities	O
between	O
Ash	O
and	O
Overwatch	B-Application
's	O
last	O
fighter	O
Brigitte	O
Lindholm	O
,	O
stating	O
"	O
If	O
I	O
happened	O
to	O
notice	O
and	O
point	O
out	O
any	O
similarities	O
between	O
these	O
two	O
characters	O
,	O
would	O
that	O
make	O
me	O
the	O
Pot	O
calling	O
the	O
Kettle	O
black	O
,	O
or	O
the	O
Kettle	O
calling	O
the	O
Pot	O
black	O
?	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
advertisement	O
released	O
in	O
2018	O
,	O
Paladins	B-Application
Strike	O
used	O
an	O
artwork	O
from	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hi-Rez	O
Studios	O
 '	O
art	O
director	O
responded	O
by	O
stating	O
"	O
This	O
art	O
was	O
created	O
by	O
a	O
overseas	O
partner	O
studio	O
for	O
paladins	B-Application
strike	O
and	O
had	O
not	O
much	O
in	O
the	O
way	O
of	O
oversight	O
in	O
its	O
content	O
creation	O
by	O
anyone	O
internally	O
at	O
Hi-Rez	O
.	O
</s>
