Oh, how we love a games expo. Coffee on tap, people dressed up in cosplay, and free bars at the after parties. Clearly, Hi-Rez feels the same, with the studio coupling news of its success on Steam with the unveiling of a dedicated Paladins Invitational at its own expo.
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Firstly, good news part one. Hi-Rez has revealed that when Paladins entered open beta on September 16, more than 100,000 news accounts were created within the first 24 hours, making it one of the top ten most played games on Steam.
It makes sense therefore that – and here’s good news part two – the studio should look to make the most of its success by inviting teams from North America, Europe, Brazil, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand, and China to compete at the Hi-Rez Expo, running at the Cobb Energy Center in Atlanta between January 5-8 next year.
“The Paladins Open Beta had an explosive first weekend with well over 100,000 new accounts created in the first 24 hours,” offered Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios co-founder and COO.
“We’ve also seen a very strong interest in Paladins from competitive players and esports organizations worldwide and are therefore extending the Paladins Invitational to include more regions and more teams.”
The studio claims global partners Level Up, Double Jump, and Tencent will oversee the regional tournaments in Brazil/Latin America, Australia/New Zealand, and China respectively to determine which teams from those regions will make their way to the $150,000 Paladins Invitational.
In the opening matches, eight teams will compete to make it to the finals, with the crowning moment being broadcasted live on Twitch. Tickets for those not lucky enough to compete can be purchased from the Hi-Rez Ezpo website.