Hi-Rez Studios Is Ending Support For Hero Shooter 'Paladins' On Switch

Another day, another live service game ending support, shame.

My switch going to offline game ,since Rogue company is going end service

This is a pretty good game and runs great on Switch. I just don't think any live service game has held me for more than the initial season or 2 when I started. Solid, but can't devote all my playtime to one game.

I've never seen any sense in spending real money on live service games. Nothing and nobody lasts forever and I accept that hardware and discs/cartridges will eventually break down like all things on this planet, but I dislike the idea of paying for something knowing that someone else can take it away from me at a time of their choosing, regardless of how much I'm using it.

Such a shame but it's ultimately due to the lack of manpower at HiRez. The Switch has Overwatch, Fortnite, and even Apex Legends but these are all from massive companies that can afford to expend resources on Switch. HR simply does not have the proper chops to keep this game updated and working on Switch, as evidenced by the constant crashes and texture problems that still aren't fixed five years later.

Shame. If you like hero shooters but only have a Switch, Overwatch is your only option but it's managed by Blizzard which isn't exactly the best company in the world. It's times like these where I wish Battleborn was still around.

Of course they would! They must've known I just downloaded and started playing it this week... fml haha

The live service bubble has already burst, while the biggest games like Fortnite are services, for every 1 game that achieves success, there's like 20 or 50 that fail and close.

And I knew that since the Switch is underpowered, eventually more services would drop support just for the Switch version.

It seems switch players just aren't into online games unless they are made by Nintendo. Smite will be next to go.

I have zero respect with f2p games added with live service updates and micro transactions then the game disappeared after the developer discontinued the server.
What the hell. 🤨
I called those games are scam.

It’s a shame. Although people who played it must have enjoyed it and got to experience.

Edit.
I feel like alot of people look at it wrong or maybe it’s me.
I see it like games you played at the arcades. I use to spend a lot on the arcades every week and never owned the arcades but was happy I got to experience it.
More recent example. I play Mario kart VR I spend money to play the game. I don’t take the game home nor do I own it but pay for that experience

I tried this on Switch back when it launched and it ran pretty well (close to locked 60FPS IIRC). I stopped playing as the game didn't hold my interest for all that long, so I guess later updates killed performance?

Sad this is happening since I did play this a lot on Switch. I often played Paladins back and fourth between Switch and PC, so my progress is safe and will most likely continue to play on PC.

Surprises me with "performance" since this game actually ran at 60FPS, which isn't common for Switch FPS games AFAIK.

@UltimateOtaku91 My guess is going to Realm Royale too, given Paladins and Rogue Company for Switch are getting cancelled.

@westman98 Glad I'm not the only one who noticed how smooth Paladins ran.

I thought it was decent when I first got my Switch but now after a couple hundred hours of Overwatch on Switch...damn Paladins ran and looked like warm ass in comparison.

@1UP_MARIO This is a good way of putting it, so bravo. Sure everyone likes to own something but some things are an experience and in our capitalist society, you need to pay for experiences for them to continue to be offered.

Apex Legends is a good example for me. I play it at least twice a week with my brother and probably put at least 5 hours in a week. Because of the good times i was having I felt the devs deserved some money towards their battle pass. As I played it enough I have not paid for a battle pass since as I get enough credits from the pass to buy the next one.

I have enjoyed many, many hours of gaming for the £8 (or so) I spent 4 years ago buying that pass. No other game has come close to hours per pound spent.

At this point Hi-Rez is on the list of devs whose games i'll never touch anymore

Shame. Have 200 hrs on this game. Really enjoyed it for a while.

I had a feeling this game was going to end its service the moment Overwatch went free-to-play. That was the whole incentive to playing Paladins originally, not to mention different balancing, but I suppose it was a matter of time before it lost to its main competitor, despite coming to the Switch much earlier.

A Friend mentioned that he had much Fun with that Game and he spend about 60€ in it.
Guess he'll be not very glad about that News

Well that was a founder's pack in the trash bin. Serves me right for paying for a live-service game.

@Itachi2099 You expect them to support all their games forever?

Bummer. Had sunk my share of hours into this one.

@westman98 Yeah, for me, it was the patch that removed the 3rd person view in quick play. Many in the community saw it as cheating since you could potentially use it to look around corners.

I just preferred that camera view.

I would had bought into this had it not a live service game was.

Shame. I really enjoyed it when it came out and really digged some of the characters. Haven’t touched it in a long while, but it’s one of the very very VERY few multiplayer games I enjoyed.

@Anti-Matter F2P games have their issues, but in general they are not a scam. You’re paying for an experience of using specific skins or heroes, which Paladins has generally one of the best F2P options since it never once forced players to pay to unlock better skills and sold strictly skins. Very rarely do people actually keep playing games after 4-5 years, which Paladins had a very good life on Switch. F2P games unfortunately represent a more literal moving on from games than traditional gaming.

@Wilforce
And that's why I keep against F2P games practice.
I hate the future get shaped with that practice.
Just kill that business practice, enough already.

@1UP_MARIO I saw the comment before the edit, so apologies for replying late. You know what, I never saw it that way. I can recall playing lots of arcade games, paying quarters to play them, but never owning it. Also, arcade games were hard enough to get you to spend your quarters. Just look at the AI for Mortal Kombat 2, it was designed to be so hard to suck quarters out of you.

For me, I like F2P multiplayer games like this one and Apex. It's easier to get into with no up front cost, and secondly, it doesn't require a subscription like NSO. In event I can't renew, it feels good knowing I can still play online.

I think many who get into these games know they're not like traditional games you buy and keep. If I buy a skin, it's because I like the game. I still don't understand how some can sink thousands into these, since I'm usually happy with one or two cosmetic items I really like.

I feel traditional games will always be around, I still like buying and playing them. I understand games like Paladins and Apex won't last forever, while bought games that are traditional experiences last. I still play my old games when I'm in the mood for them. As for Paladins, I played on both Switch and PC, so I'm good with it. I also play Apex on Switch and PC, even though that has no cross progression.

Will admit, I love what League of Legends did, the main game is a live service obviously, but they still made single player games bought and played via traditional means. I think having a multiplayer game as a live service, but making a single player game in the same series a traditional experience is a good balance.

The game always ran pretty great for me, besides the queue taking FOREVER sometimes I never had a complaint about it. It's a bummer but I also don't really have the time for games like that these days so I'm OK with it. I definitely got my moneys worth.

That's a pity. Apart from Rocket League this is the only online game I still play on Switch.

It's a fun game, but the Matchmaking wait can be rough and it can be a bit grindy, but then again if you're not at the top of the F2P food chain that's always the case. Wonder if they'll also axe Smite on Switch next.

@shoeses Chances seem pretty good at this point lol. I really liked Paladins, I even bought a few things past the Founder's Pack a while ago. Seems to be happening a lot these days, all these things that are supposed to be the "wave of the future" sure do seem to keep crapping out on us lol. Live service games might just not be the great white hope the industry thinks they are.

Oh well, will avoid this dev.

Damn shame, this is my second most played game on the switch, absolutely loved the maps, characters and new crossovers.
Ran great as well, locked 60fps over the 30 found in overwatch or Fortnite on switch.
I'm not sad though, I spent a fair bit of cash on this game for awesome skins and events and I got over 1k hours of playtime for that. There's many traditional game model titles that's I've bought for 60e and played for a handful of hours. I guess if I want to keep playing I can still login on the PlayStation or PC as my account is on those too, just much rather game on the switch.

***** them x1000

@MisanthropyAGoGo If they do cut off Smite support, I'd have to assume Switch probably has the smallest or least profitable playerbase for their games. If they do include Smite it'll lean towards that, because I'd have to assume that's their money maker with how much support it gets over any of their other products.

But if Smite stays, what I just said is the reason - every one of their games besides Smite is an afterthought and get minimal updates, content, promos, etc. by comparison. For every 1 update Paladins gets, Smite gets 2 or 3 and they're much bigger in scale.

@shoeses You're probably right. I don't know, it's like I said before- besides the queue being a little sketchy from time to time I thought the game ran damn near flawlessly on Switch and I put in a ton of time with it happily. Cash is king though, and if it wasn't bringing in the bucks I guess that's how it goes.

Really regret that Rogue Company “early whatever” pack I bought. Guess the good karma got held up somewhere lol.