New Paladins champion Tiberius first look and ability analysis

At Hi-Rez Expo this year, Paladins unveiled its next upcoming champion: Tiberius, the Weapons Master. Tiberius is a damage champion with built-in mobility and a very unusual ranged weapon. Here’s our first-look overview of his abilities and play style from everything we know!

Cat-like agility

Tiberius is a Tigron, and those of you familiar with Maeve will know what this means: mobility and sassiness. Hi-Rez explained they wanted his feline features to come through in his play style and interactions. To that end, he has at least one leap ability in his kit, which players can use to close gaps or get out of danger.

Unlike Maeve, Tiberius doesn’t just rely on quick escapes and trash talk to keep him alive. From his reveal trailer we can infer he also has a defensive ability that covers him in a golden aura for a moment. It’s unclear whether this is a conventional shield or temporary invulnerability like Moji’s Magic Barrier.

Weapons mastery

Tiberius’ primary weapons are his glaives. These projectile weapons can bounce off surfaces multiple times, and players can angle them to hit targets around corners. If Tiberius shares more design traits with Maeve, it’s possible the glaives will not need to reload, making them the optimal weapon for corner-peeking. The Tigron also wields a “heavy blade” – a sword he can throw and stick into surfaces. The sword can later be recalled, presumably dealing damage on the return as well. It’s unclear whether this is a damage ability or a Koga-esque weapon mode he can switch to.

To summarize, Paladins‘ Tiberius is a mobile damage champion with projectile weapons and a few tricks up his sleeve. He plays well with cover and can protect himself when things start heating up. His ultimate ability is still shrouded in mystery, however. During the Hi-Rez Expo stream, Paladins designer Kevin Meier said he didn’t want to spoil it, and he really didn’t — as his footage was then abruptly cut off.

Tiberius launches officially in January 2020, and he will be available in the PTS shortly before launch.