Paladins Getting Its Very Own Battleground Mode And More

Hi-Rez Studios had a lot of cool Paladins-related things to announce during the HRX keynote today in Atlanta. Players have everything from a new champion to a couple of new game modes to look forward to.

Probably the biggest addition -- which of course was saved for last -- is the upcoming Paladins Battlegrounds. (Our own Jason Winter predicted this, by the way.) With roots in the old survival mode, Battlegrounds is designed from the ground up to be played in teams. You'll need to know your position and work to together to survive in a map approximately 300 times bigger than the game's largest siege map. There are nearly 400 outposts and zeppelins dropping legendary gear to the 100 players on the ground.

Of course, it is a normal battlegrounds game in that it is timed and players will be pushed closer and closer together by the ever-encroaching fog. The map will release sometime this year on PC and console, and players currently attending HRX will be able to check it out in Alpha mode on the show floor.

In addition to the Battlegrounds, Hi-Rez COO Todd Harris also announced Team Deathmatch mode. It's pretty basic -- first team to 40 kills wins. Of course, there's a new map for it, the Trade District.

Aside from new modes, a new Champion and mount type were announced -- both having a slightly "Masters of the Universe" feel. The Champion, Moji (and friends) is a flank champion that appears to be inspired by Final Fantasy's mages -- or He-Man's mage friend Orko. She summons exotic creatures, one of which she rides around on.

Speaking of riding, the new mount type (also very Masters of the Universe-y) is a Battle Cat! The first Battle Cat mount is the Primal Prowler, which will be offered to Twitch Prime members for free.

You can watch the rest of the Hi-Rez Expo, including the Paladins tournament live on Twitch. If you missed the keynote presentation and would like to watch it, you can do so below. Alternatively, get the word straight from Hi-Rez Studios on the Paladins site.