You can play Paragon early - if you spend $20
Although the game will be free-to-play at launch.
You can play Epic's upcoming MOBA, Paragon, from the 18th March - if you buy the Founder's Pack.
For $19.99 (UK price TBA), you can play the game ahead of its official launch, as well as receive a number of character skins, boosts, and other cosmetic items. However, Paragon is still set to launch as a free-to-play title in the summer.
I went hands-on with Paragon last month and came away impressed by what a MOBA can look like when it's running on Unreal Engine 4. It's well worth having a look at the game in motion, in our video below.
But, I did find myself with a couple of worries regarding crossplay between the PC and PlayStation 4 versions, and of course, the business model. Paragon has replaced the more typical MOBA item store with a system that relies upon card packs. I was worried Epic might have sold these packs and in doing so, damaged the competitive nature of the game.
Creative director Steve Superville (great name), has, thankfully, made Epic's position much clearer since we published our preview.
"Paragon is designed so that all players can compete and win without ever having to spend money," promised Superville.
"All Heroes are free, and cards can only be earned by playing the game. The game will never be pay-to-win, meaning we will never sell gameplay-affecting items. We will sell cosmetic items (skins, emotes), boosts and other convenience items, along with Paid Early Access. We're taking this approach because we believe that competitive games need to be fair for all players."
Good on you, Steve.
