Epic throws doubt on the future of its free-to-play MOBA Paragon
"Over the next few weeks, we'll be figuring out if and how we can evolve".
Epic Games has thrown doubt on the future of Paragon, its free-to-play MOBA, in a surprisingly frank Reddit post from community coordinator Edgar Diaz.
The post, titled "An Open Discussion On Where We're At", sought to give some background (if not any reassurances) on the increasingly slow development updates that Paragon has received in recent times. "We know you have a lot of questions about the future of Paragon," said Diaz, "We care deeply about this community and we know this is important to you, so here's a summary of where we are."
Every update that Epic has released since Paragon's Early Access launch last March, explained Diaz, has been focussed on growing the game. However, while many of the changes have been well-received by the existing community, "none has been large enough to achieve mainstream success".
The problem Epic faces is that "of new players who try Paragon, only a small number continue to play regularly after a month. Though Paragon has evolved, no iteration has yet achieved that magical combination of ingredients that make for a sustainable game."
It seems that Paragon's failure to capture the public's imagination has become more of a concern at Epic in light of Fortnite's dramatic success. "This," says Diaz, "has caused us to question if we have a good path to grow Paragon and make it thrive."
Ultimately, Epic will need to decide where its limited time and resources are best spent. And by Diaz's own admission, a number of Paragon team members are already now working on Fortnite "to help sustain the game as it has grown far larger than anything in Epic's past."
Judging by Diaz's words, Paragon's fate will likely be decided sooner rather than later. "Over the next few weeks, we'll be figuring out if and how we can evolve Paragon to achieve growth and success", he said, "and trying some things internally". In the meantime, Paragon will continue to see updates, albeit more slowly than previously.
"We welcome your thoughts on what we should do", concluded Diaz, "Like you, the team is deeply passionate about Paragon. Like you, we would love to find a path that works [...] We will always be transparent with the community, and this is where we are right now. As we have more information, we will share it with you."