Paladins Exits Early Access on May 8th

Hi-Rez Studios’ Paladins, which entered open beta in 2016 and has since endured a number of comparisons to Overwatch, will finally see a full release. The developer announced that the free to play shooter will be out of Steam Early Access on May 8th.

Executive producer Chris Larson stated that, “We are so excited for the official release of Paladins. We really want to thank all of our dedicated Beta players for the time and effort they have put into helping Paladins grow. This Launch Celebration is about our players—only with their feedback were we able to make Paladins the amazing game it is today, with drastically improved UI, console aiming, presentation, and gameplay.”

Those who played the game during the beta will receive 200 Crystals if they log in between May 8th to 31st. For now, all of the game’s Champions – which are usually locked behind in-game currency called Gold – are available to try out until May 7th.

Paladins has had a decent amount of success since going into open beta. Despite stiff competition from other hero shooters, it managed to attract a large number of registered players. Granted, the number of peak concurrent players isn’t in the millions but despite “pay to win” controversies and the like, Paladins still endures.

As the game’s Battle Royale hybrid, Paladins Realm Royale, that’s currently in closed alpha testing and exists as a separate game altogether. What are your thoughts on Paladins getting a full release? Let us know in the comments.