Paladins is Hi-Rez Studios' free-to-play team hero shooter, out of beta since May 2018, and it is no longer being developed. Hi-Rez halted active work on Paladins and the original SMITE on 6 February 2025 during a restructuring that cut a large share of its staff, and the game has been in maintenance mode since. Servers are still up: Steam concurrents in August 2026 average roughly 900 over a rolling 30 days with 24-hour peaks near 1,500, against an all-time high of 60,712. Balance is frozen, so any tier list from 2025 onward is still accurate.
Paladins features distinct areas with increasing difficulty. This guide covers every major location in progression order: what to do, what to get, and when to move on. For the step-by-step path, see our walkthrough.
Area Progression Order
| Order | Location | Difficulty | Key Rewards | Recommended Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frog Isle | All ranks, common in casual queue | Balanced flank routes, clear high ground, short payload path | Damage: projectile burst |
| 2 | Stone Keep | All ranks | Long sightlines, strong poke angles, punishing open capture point | Damage: projectile burst |
| 3 | Jaguar Falls | All ranks | Vertical flank routes, elevated healing positions, tight payload chokes | Damage: hitscan poke |
| 4 | Timber Mill | All ranks | Close-quarters engagements, strong shield chokes, short rotation times | Damage: hitscan poke |
| 5 | Magistrate's Archives | All ranks, best for learning a new champion | Fast respawns, continuous fighting, low rotation punishment | Damage: hitscan poke |
Frog Isle: Starting Area
A Siege map with a raised central point and multiple approach lanes, one of the earliest maps in the game and still one of the most balanced. The side routes make it a strong Flank map without abandoning the Front Line.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | All ranks, common in casual queue |
| Key Rewards | Balanced flank routes, clear high ground, short payload path |
| Recommended Role | Damage: projectile burst |
| Key Weapons | Viktor's Assault Rifle |
What to Do Here
- Learn the basics of Five-card loadouts capped at 15 points. This is where you practice without heavy punishment.
- Collect starting resources and your first weapons upgrade.
- Clear all main content before moving to Stone Keep.
- If you're struggling, read our beginner's guide.
Stone Keep: Early Game
A large Siege map with a wide open central point and long sightlines into it. Hitscan Damage champions and long-range Supports gain more here than anywhere else, and diving across the open middle usually ends badly.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | All ranks |
| Key Rewards | Long sightlines, strong poke angles, punishing open capture point |
| Recommended Role | Damage: projectile burst |
| Key Weapons | Viktor's Assault Rifle |
What to Do Here
- Focus on mastering Talents chosen before the match starts. It's critical from this point on.
- Farm for Viktor's Assault Rifle if you don't have it yet.
- Complete all objectives for maximum rewards.
- Prepare for the difficulty spike in Jaguar Falls.
Jaguar Falls: Mid Game
A Siege map built around verticality, with elevated platforms flanking the point. Champions with vertical mobility get more out of it than the map's size suggests, and the payload path is one of the more contested in the rotation.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | All ranks |
| Key Rewards | Vertical flank routes, elevated healing positions, tight payload chokes |
| Recommended Role | Damage: hitscan poke |
| Key Weapons | Viktor's Assault Rifle |
What to Do Here
- This is the main skill check. Bring an optimized build.
- Cassie's Crossbow becomes accessible here. Prioritize getting it.
- Master The in-match credit shop for the boss encounters.
- Check our boss guide if you get stuck.
Timber Mill: Late Game
A Siege map with a compact point and heavy cover, which favours close-range Front Line and Flank play over poke. The choke on the payload run is narrow enough that a single well-placed shield can stall the push outright.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | All ranks |
| Key Rewards | Close-quarters engagements, strong shield chokes, short rotation times |
| Recommended Role | Damage: hitscan poke |
| Key Weapons | Cassie's Crossbow |
What to Do Here
- Full build optimization is expected by this point.
- Cassie's Crossbow should be your primary, fully upgraded.
- Siege point-and-payload rounds mastery starts mattering here.
- Farm resources for the push into Magistrate's Archives.
Magistrate's Archives: Endgame
Used for the faster modes rather than Siege, with a single contested area and short spawn distances. Onslaught here rewards sustained team fighting because respawns arrive fast enough that a partial wipe rarely ends the fight.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | All ranks, best for learning a new champion |
| Key Rewards | Fast respawns, continuous fighting, low rotation punishment |
| Recommended Role | Damage: hitscan poke |
| Key Weapons | Cassie's Crossbow |
What to Do Here
- This is endgame. Best-in-slot gear and a perfected build are mandatory.
- See our boss guide for endgame fight strategies.
- The reward loop: clear content → upgrade → push harder content.
- Experiment with Support: main healer for variety once you've mastered the meta.
Exploration Tips
- Clear areas in order: Frog Isle → Stone Keep → Jaguar Falls → Timber Mill → Magistrate's Archives. Skipping areas means missing resources you'll need later.
- Check every corner: Hidden caches and secrets are often in non-obvious locations.
- Match your weapons: Some areas favor different weapons types.
- Read the walkthrough: Our walkthrough provides exact progression milestones for each area.
- Don't rush: Clearing an area fully gives more resources than speedrunning two areas.
More Paladins Guides
- Paladins Paladins Overview
- Paladins Best Builds
- Paladins Tier List
- Paladins Walkthrough
- Paladins Beginner's Guide
- Paladins Tips & Tricks
- Paladins Weapons Guide
- Paladins Combat Guide
- Paladins Boss Guide
- Paladins Crafting Guide
- Paladins Classes & Characters
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