Hi-Rez Gets Into Hot Water With Paladins Loot Changes

Hi-Rez Studios' latest changes to Paladins' currency isn't going over well with fans.

As summarized by Massively, with help from MMOBomb staffers who are more knowledgeable about the game than I, the latest patch made grinding for new heroes exceptionally ... well, grindier. It introduced a new kind of reward, Essence, which apparently puts new, free-to-play players at a significant disadvantage when it comes to earning enough currency to buy stuff.

All of this apparently has players up in arms, at least judging by a highly upvoted thread on the Paladins subreddit. In response, the game's lead designer posted a new plan on Reddit that would see the Essence cost of legendary cards reduced by 33% and more than quadrupling Essence received from duplicate common cards. A future patch will make new player progression friendlier by awarding additional Essence for various achievements.

All in all, it's quite the mess, with terms like "pay to win" and "cash grab" being tossed about liberally by players. As Star Wars: The Old Republic learned with Galactic Command, if you're going to change how people acquire stuff, make sure you get it absolutely right or there will be hell to pay. What do you guys think of the changes, and Hi-Rez's response to the complaints?