Hi-Rez Studios' Paladins isn't exactly the most original free-to-play game on the market. When it launched, the hero-based shooter looked and played a lot like Overwatch. Which made sense because the Blizzard art-style has been a core part of Hi-Rez for years now. And it's a studio that is known for creating new games in established and popular genres.

And so, to kick off the new year comes word that a new mode is coming to Paladins. One inspired by the success of PUBG. Not that the press release would draw that conclusion. Instead, we're told that "Paladins: Battlegrounds is the first-ever hero-shooter battle royale. This genre mashup combines ability-driven combat with survival gameplay and a fantasy setting to create something brand new."

With a debut trailer that may as well be called PaladinsUnknown Battlegrounds.



But, with the core Paladins experience being a hero shooter along the lines of Overwatch, drops with take on the form of legendary gear. And all 100 players across the large map with have access to mounts. Which sounds like it could be pretty cool, or a complete mess. We're hoping for the former.

“Riding on a mount through this massive fantasy-themed map, looking for gear and cooperating with your team, Paladins: Battlegrounds delivers some of the feel of open-world MMO PvP but all within a 20-minute match,” said Todd Harris, Executive Producer of Paladins.

Paladins: Battlegrounds is expected to launch this year, and will be free-to-play and accessible from the existing Paladins game launcher.