From Epic PR:
Epic Games today released its free-to-play MOBA, Paragon, in free Open Beta for PC and PlayStation 4. Developed by the creators of Gears of War and Unreal Tournament, Paragon is a competitive 5v5 MOBA that combines the ferocity of third-person action with the deep strategic choice of a MOBA.
To celebrate the launch, Epic Games will also be hosting a livestream on Twitch and YouTube starting today at 10:00AM Eastern. Tune as the team discusses game and Hero design, broadcasts live gameplay, and gives a sneak peek at what’s in store for future of Paragon.
In Paragon, every match is an epic clash of Heroes, each with their own unique design and play style that can turn the tide of battle. With a new Hero every three weeks, Paragon offers endless opportunity for new players and MOBA veterans alike.
Paragon is designed so that every player can compete and win without ever spending money. All Heroes are always free-to-play. Cards can only be earned by playing the game. Those who would dare reach the highest levels of skill can tackle Master Challenges. As you increase your Hero level, you’ll unlock new card packs, unique taunts, and valuable rewards.
To learn more about Paragon and how to download the game for PC and PlayStation 4, head over to Paragon.com.
As for me, I’ve tried Paragon more than a few times. I’m not IN yet, but I find myself popping on now and again to see how it’s coming along. I’m not sure the game in its current state is streamlined enough for my taste, but I do see nuggets of promise. To find out more, Epic recently had a Q&A session about the future of the game and I got a couple of answers from Steve Superville, Paragon’s Creative Director.
BG: Steve, many of Paragon’s systems feel inaccessible and cryptic to players who aren’t already familiar with MOBAs — the card system of equipment, especially. How will the team address this unfamiliarity and learning curve in order to attract players who aren’t already MOBA fans? Are there any plans to streamline it?
SS: We’re definitely aware of the learning curve for new MOBA players, which is something you see across the board for most games in the genre. It’s important for us to make the experience accessible, but maintain depth that’ll keep players engaged in the long run.
Our first steps to doing this included creating tutorial videos for our Early Access community, and we’ve already added in-game tooltips to help players understand the basics, including how the card system works. There’s definitely still work to be done, and we’re iterating on that experience constantly by watching and listening to players to understand what works best.
BG: A typical match tends to take an extremely long time – in the matches I played, times of 45 minutes to over an hour were common. I generally felt that this took too long for what I would feel comfortable with on console, and I often quit before the end. Are there any plans to speed up matches?
SS: It’s always been our goal to get matches closer to 30-40 minutes, and we’re still working towards that. Because we’re still in development, any change we make to balance or other aspects of gameplay can impact match length, and that was to be expected. There’s also a matter of expectations and education; MOBA matches tend to run a little longer than competitive games like shooters, the action and narrative unfolds is a much different way, and that’s important for us to maintain.
Many thanks to Steve Superville for his answers, and if Paragon looks like something you’d be interested in checking out, there’s no better time than today. Download it for free on PS4 and PC, or check out the trailers and streams for more info.
Transformers fan. MOTU stan. Black Lives Matter, pro-LGBTQIA. Anti-fascist.
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