"And just like that, after over 8 years of ups and downs, Paladins bows out as Marvel Rivals overtakes Overwatch 2 to rule the genre."
PvP Multiplayer. Paladins is struggling. It has always been the “second best” hero shooter and, for many years, the only free alternative to Overwatch.
However, with Overwatch going free-2-play and Marvel Rivals becoming the largest hero shooter on the market, Paladins has slumped to a distant third place, with roughly 1% of the number of active players enjoyed by Marvel Rivals and less than 10% that of its former rival Overwatch (2), even as the former king of the genre prepares to reinvent itself after being blindsided and dethroned by the popular marvel shooter.
While Overwatch can and most likely will recover and potentially reclaim the throne, Paladins is done for, and everyone, including No publisher available, knows it. As a result, most of the development team was laid off, and all ongoing development was halted in early 2025.
No, Paladins has lost its way and relied too heavily on sexualised female characters over making a game with wide market appeal; while some try to deny it and fight against it tooth and nail, the industry is changing for the better, and games that rely almost exclusively on making female characters sexy will continue to struggle in the months and years ahead, regardless of who is in the White House.
While some dismiss being concerned about the way female characters as portrayed as being “woke”, causing others to lust, and in fact, lusting after even fictional women is not only unhealthy but spiritually dangerous, with Jesus Christ having this to say on the matter.
In short, Paladins does not have a future, and given what it has become, I cannot say I will miss it. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. - Matthew 5:28-30
Issues with its portrayal of female characters aside, Paladins was a decent enough free alternative to Overwatch. Still, with the entire development team being laid off or reassigned, there is no reason to play Paladins in 2025 or beyond.
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