Paladins Patch 0.8 Adds First New Champion, Makes Major Balance Changes

Paladins' first major patch since it entered Closed Beta is here. This patch is quite the occasion as it marks the first new Champion since Closed Beta began; Evie, The Winter Witch. Evie is a Champion focused on deception and mobility. Her primary attack is a projectile that explodes on impact. She can combine this with her ability to leave an illusion of herself behind—one that deals damage for that extra convincing flair!—blink a short distance, and even fly.

Evie is accompanied by a host of changes to the game's core gameplay. A single-player practice mode with bots is now available, allowing players to play offline before taking their game online.The deserter system is now active. Starter decks now have one legendary card, one epic card, one rare card, and four common cards. Card rarity has been reworked to "better fit their purpose."

In-match leveling has seen several updates. In the past, it was rare that players would hit level 5, thus not reaching their "full build potential" and using their legendaries. It is now much easier to hit level 5 in a match and leveling past level 5 will allow players the chance to replace previous cards.

The siege engine is now automatically destroyed after it destroys a gate. Previously, a well-played siege engine spawn could result in defeating the enemy team in one fell swoop. This is no longer possible. Its base health and damage have also been reduced significantly. These changes are meant to "bring more focus to the fighting" and "allow more strategic options." It's too early to say whether they will, but they will certainly change the way the game is played.

The changes to the way sieges are meant to be played run even deeper. Gate health has been increased quite a bit. Now, it may be possible that you require multiple siege engines to take down a single gate.

Barik has become more turret-focused in this patch. His rifle's damage has been reduced from 300 to 250. His turret's cooldown time has been reduced by a full second. Its health and attack speed have now been increased. As Hi-Rez put it, his turret is what makes him unique as a Champion. Previously, players were using his rifle as a primary damage-dealer, but Hi-Rez wanted them to use the turret instead.

For more information, check out the patch notes on the official site.