What Really Happened To Paladins...

Paladins once looked like it could become one of the biggest games in the world. It had millions of players, a thriving esports scene, and was competing head-to-head with one of gaming's biggest giants. Then... it disappeared. In this video, I sit down with my longtime friend Garrett Martini, former lead designer on Paladins and someone I spent three years working alongside at Hi-Rez Studios, to pull back the curtain on what really happened. We revisit the highs, the mistakes, the impossible decisions, and the behind-the-scenes realities that shaped Paladins' rise and fall. And before Garrett reveals the brand-new game he's building with his own studio, we take one last trip down memory lane to tell the unfiltered story of a game that meant a lot to both of us—and to millions of players around the world. This is the story of what really happened to Paladins. FOLLOW RAYNDAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA! Instagram:   / rayndaygaming   Twitch:   / raynday   Twitter:   / rayndaygaming   TikTok: https://tiktok.com/rayndaygaming CHECK OUT GARRETT'S NEW GAME! Wishlist Punch Upon a Time on Steam! https://store.steampowered.com/app/44... Learn more about Punch Upon a Time at https://supersaurus.com 0:00 Intro to Garrett Martini 4:15 paladins comparisons to Overwatch 9:00 early paladins siege game mode 12:00 early card system 13:45 taking risks as a game developer 15:25 What did HighGuard Fail and what did you learn from HighGuard as a Developer? 20:05 Forever Games and How they’ve changed player appetites 22:50 investor preferences and which games get green lit 23:35 concord: what makes a studio decide to cut their losses 26:20 Hi-Rez unique approach to paladins development 27:12 How did Paladins decide its final game direction as a Hero Shooter? 30:15 Valorant’s Success in the tac shooter market 30:21 FragPunk couldn’t break into the market 32:07 how much money riot spends on game development 33:26 2XKO layoffs and downsizing 34:20 Rising thunder 2XKO roots 35:12 fighting games vs fps markets 38:00 Paladins Battlegrounds and Realm Royale 39:52 Indie Games are the Next Big Opportunity by C 40:11 A24 model applied to Gaming and Investments 44:58 the results of chasing fads, popular genres, and Covid 46:18 Supervive and what went wrong 49:25 Paladins attempt at 17 Champions in 1 Year 52:00 Why do players feel the call to purchase skins and cosmetics in free to play games? 56:20 are games held to a different standard nowadays? 59:00 how do you develop an internal locus of control? 1:05:40 Which Paladins characters did you design 1:07:00 Frontlines 1:10:17 Damage 1:11:12 balancing snipers in first person shooters 1:17:40 Reasons to Rework characters? 1:23:07 Supports 1:23:45 Flanks 126:03 How do you start designing a character in a video game 1:32:10 Garrett’s biggest character design regret 1:37:08 Garrett blind reacts to OB64 1:41:00 paladins had a monetization issue 1:45:30 Garrett’s lowest moment at hi-Rez 1:49:0 how OB64 got removed and paladins was saved 1:51:20 paladins esports 1:55:16 Paladins 2.0? Would I come back? 1:59:05 Charles “butt thief” - encounter designer 2:01:10 Garrett’s New Game 2:22:24 How it works and what Makes It Unique? Smash Bros Meets Fall Guys 2:25:19 How to play “Punch Upon a Time” 2:33:00 Fighting Games Social Evolutuon 2:35:00 How did League of Legends come to exist? 2:37:00 when is it launching? How can you play? 2:41:00 closing thoughts Thanks for being a part of the channel ladies and gentleman, friends and families! It means a lot, and that's why I'm committed to bringing you fun and entertaining content you can enjoy anyplace, anytime. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments, or just share what is on your mind. Keep growing, keep moving forward, and may the blessings of life be with you! Never Give Up, Never Stop Gaming!