Hi-Rez Expo 2018 has been a hot-bed for both SMITE and Paladins: Champions of the Realm news, and that continues into the last day of the event. In a brand new video released earlier today, developer Hi-Rez Studios delves further into the background and characters in a way untouched in the series before.
In the video (seen below) we hear a lot more about the actual origin story that rests in the backdrop of Paladins: Champions of the Realm. The story tells one of a group of heroes that brought about a golden age after decades of strife, dragons, and village-burning. Known as the “Paladins,” the group would disband after peace took hold of the world.
However, that peace changed quickly with the uncovering of crystals that brought a new age of power to be harnassed, utilized, and abused in the wrong hands. Crystal use were banished to create stability among the kingdom… but not everyone was on board. Some of these Paladins saw this as a way for the government to keep hold of the power and urged a revolution that would bring the crystal magic to the people.
This lore is something that fans have been speculating for a while — many noticed the appearance of the blue crystals in some Paladins characters but not others. However, this establishment of a lore and backdrop to the class-based shooter’s universe was expected, with both Hi-Rez Studios COO Todd Horris and CEO Erez Goren making supporting statements to DualShockers earlier this week.
Paladins: Champions of the Realm have been the talk of Hi-Rez Expo 2018, thanks to the reveal of a new character and mode, the unveiling of Paladins: Battlegrounds, and the statements Hi-Rez’s President Stew Chisam has made about using the term “Battlegrounds.” Of course, you should also check out the best cosplay for the game found at Hi-Rez Expo 2018.
Paladins: Champions of the Realm is available as a free-to-play game on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. You can check out the lore video below: