What's up gamers! Do you guys remember Paragon? Yeah, that brutal MOBA from Epic Games that had everything going for it—incredible graphics, third-person action, and gameplay that just felt different from everything else out there. But then the Battle Royale boom hit, Fortnite exploded into the stratosphere, and Epic basically said "sorry Paragon, we're focusing all our energy on this other thing now." The rest, as they say, is history. The servers shut down in 2018, and millions of fans were left heartbroken.
But here's where things get interesting. When Epic shut down Paragon, they did something pretty incredible—they released all the game's assets for free to anyone using Unreal Engine. Enter Robbie Singh, a Paragon content creator who refused to let his favorite game die. He founded Omeda Studios, assembled a passionate team of developers (many of them former Paragon players themselves), and created Predecessor. This isn't just some random spiritual successor—it's a love letter to what Paragon was and what it could have become.
What Makes Predecessor Different
Now, I've been playing Predecessor for a while, and let me tell you—it's not bad, but it definitely needs some optimization work. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5, and while it looks absolutely stunning, there are moments where performance can get a bit choppy, especially during those intense team fights where abilities are flying everywhere and the screen is just chaos. Don't get me wrong, when it runs smoothly, it's phenomenal, but those frame drops can really mess with your flow when you're trying to land that perfect skill shot.
The good news is that Omeda Studios has been incredibly transparent about development and actually listens to the community. According to their team, they've been polling major decisions and letting feedback dictate the direction of the game. That's something you don't see very often in today's gaming landscape, and it's honestly refreshing. The game currently boasts over 2 million players across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, with full crossplay support—something Paragon itself was trying to pioneer back in the day.
New Characters, Same Abilities?
Here's where things get a bit tricky. Predecessor now includes every original Paragon hero—that's right, all of them. Characters like Gideon, Rampage, Steel, and Murdock are back with their familiar kits. But Omeda has also been introducing original heroes like Yurei, Boris, Bayle, Maco, and others that weren't in Paragon. The problem is, some of these new characters feel like they're just recycling abilities from the old roster with a fresh coat of paint.
I get it—there are only so many ways you can design a third-person MOBA character before abilities start overlapping. But when you're playing a "new" hero and their kit feels almost identical to someone from the original Paragon roster, it can be a bit disappointing. That said, Omeda has been working on making these characters feel distinct through visual design, lore, and slight mechanical tweaks. Characters like Aurora with her ice wall ramps and mobility buffs bring some genuinely creative gameplay moments that weren't possible in Paragon.
The roster currently sits at over 45 heroes, which is substantial. Each hero has their own passive ability, basic attack, three normal abilities, and an ultimate. The depth is there if you're willing to invest the time to master these characters. And trust me, there's a huge difference between someone who's just picked up Kallari for the first time and someone who's been maining her for months—the skill ceiling is incredibly high.
New Features That Paragon Never Saw
This is where Predecessor really starts to shine and separate itself from just being "Paragon 2.0." The game has introduced several features that the original never got to implement, and some of them are genuinely game-changing.
First up: verticality and movement. While Paragon had some vertical elements, Predecessor takes it to another level. You can vault over enemies and terrain, take to the skies to rain destruction from above, and use the environment in ways that would make an Apex Legends player jealous. Every wall, every structure, every angle is yours to exploit. If you can picture the play, you can probably pull it off. This opens up insane outplay potential that simply didn't exist in Paragon.
The game also introduced Predecessor Labs, an experimental game mode system. The first mode, Nitro, is basically Predecessor on fast-forward—spawn times, XP gains, and death timers all accelerated for rapid-fire action. It's perfect for testing new heroes, practicing builds, or just getting in quick matches when you don't have time for a full 30-40 minute standard game. Before Labs, there was Brawl mode, a single-lane team deathmatch style experience that helped ease new players into the game.
Hero Augments are another fresh addition. This system lets you customize your hero's playstyle even further, adding another layer of strategic depth to the already complex MOBA formula. Combined with the item system (which Omeda has reworked from Paragon's controversial card system), you have tons of ways to build your character for different situations.
The Agora map—Paragon's original launch map that many considered the peak of the Paragon experience—was recently added back in a massive update. For veterans, this is pure nostalgia. For new players, it's a chance to experience what made Paragon special in the first place. The map features multiple lanes, jungle areas with neutral objectives, and defensive towers that actually feel impactful.
Room For Improvement
Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat this—Predecessor has issues. The optimization problems I mentioned earlier are real and need addressing. During peak action moments, when you've got ten players unleashing abilities, minion waves pushing, and jungle monsters getting involved, the game can struggle. This is especially noticeable on console, where the performance dips can be more pronounced than on a beefy gaming PC.
The learning curve is also brutal if you're new to MOBAs. While features like Brawl and Nitro help ease players in, the transition to Standard or Ranked matches can feel like getting thrown into the deep end. The game needs better tutorials and onboarding for players who've never touched a MOBA before. Right now, it kind of assumes you know what terms like "ganking," "rotating," and "last hitting" mean.
Matchmaking can also be hit or miss. Sometimes you'll get balanced teams where everyone knows their role and the match is incredibly competitive. Other times, you'll get matched with players who seem like they've never seen a MOBA before, and the game becomes a stomp one way or the other. This is a problem most MOBAs struggle with, but it's especially noticeable in Predecessor's smaller player pool compared to giants like League of Legends or Dota 2.
The monetization system, while fair compared to some free-to-play games, does require grinding to unlock heroes if you didn't buy one of the early access bundles. New heroes require completing unlock stages by earning XP through matches, or you can purchase them with Platinum (the premium currency). It's not predatory, but it can feel slow if you're eager to try out specific characters.
The Verdict So Far
Predecessor is ambitious, and you can feel the passion the Omeda team has poured into it. They're not just trying to resurrect Paragon—they're trying to evolve it into something that can compete in 2025's MOBA landscape. The third-person perspective, the emphasis on aiming and positioning, and the vertical gameplay create a unique experience that neither League of Legends nor Dota 2 can replicate.
But the game isn't there yet. The optimization needs work. Some of the new character designs feel derivative. The player base, while growing, still needs to expand for matchmaking to consistently deliver quality games. Predecessor has the foundation of something truly special, but it needs polish and refinement to reach its full potential.
What keeps me coming back is that core gameplay loop—that feeling of landing a perfect ultimate that turns a team fight, of outplaying an opponent using terrain they didn't expect you to leverage, of coordinating with your team to take down objectives and push toward victory. When everything clicks, Predecessor delivers moments that remind me why I fell in love with Paragon in the first place.
The game is free-to-play across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox with full crossplay, so there's no barrier to entry. If you were a Paragon fan, you owe it to yourself to check this out. If you're a MOBA enthusiast looking for something different from the standard isometric experience, Predecessor offers a refreshing alternative. Just go in knowing that it's still a work in progress, with all the rough edges that implies.
Omeda Studios has already proven they can deliver on their vision—they took Epic's abandoned assets and turned them into a game with over 2 million players. Now they need to take that momentum and push Predecessor to the next level. With continued development, optimization improvements, and fresh content, this game could genuinely carve out its own space in the MOBA genre.
So hey gamers, if you remember the glory days of Paragon and you've been missing that third-person MOBA action, give Predecessor a shot. It's not perfect, but it's got heart, and sometimes that's exactly what a game needs to succeed. The community is passionate, the developers are dedicated, and the potential is absolutely there. Let's see if Omeda can stick the landing.
What about you? Have you played Predecessor yet? Are you a Paragon veteran eager to relive those memories, or a MOBA newcomer curious about what all the fuss is about? Drop your thoughts and let me know what you think. See you on the battlefield!