Omeda Studios rebuilt Epic's cancelled Paragon into this free to play third person MOBA, leaving Early Access on 30 November 2022 and hitting 1.0 on 20 August 2024. Over 45 heroes fill five roles across three lanes and a jungle, and every ability is aimed over the shoulder rather than clicked, so terrain and vaulting actually change fights. Matches revolve around two timed objectives, Fangtooth at five minutes and Orb Prime later.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Crest starter items and upgrades
You pick one of eight crests at the start of a match and complete a small quest, usually killing minions and damaging enemies, to advance it through three tiers. Warrior becomes Warden Crest then Judgement, Magician becomes Warlock Crest then Epoch, and Marksman becomes Sharpshooter Crest then Iceskorn Talons.
Fangtooth and Orb Prime timers
Fangtooth first spawns at the five minute mark and grants permanent team wide buffs that stack: the first kill extends buff durations by 50 percent, the second gives 8 percent out of combat movement speed, the third gives 8 percent power and armour. After the third kill it becomes Primal Fangtooth.
Jungle buff camps
Black, Gray, White and Brown camps pay gold and experience on a two minute respawn, while Red, Blue, Cyan, Gold and river camps grant timed buffs. Buffs run 45 seconds in a standard Sanctuary match and only 25 in Brawl, and every camp levels up every two minutes to a cap of level 15.
Third person aimed abilities
The camera sits over the shoulder, so skill shots have to be aimed manually and terrain blocks them the way it would in a shooter. Heroes can also vault over structures, which turns the map's verticality into a real escape and engage tool.
Five roles across three lanes
Offlane holds a solo lane, Midlane takes the middle, Jungle farms camps and rotates, and Carry plus Support share the duo lane. Role choice determines which crest you should take, because a Marksman Crest on a mage wastes the entire item path.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our Predecessor combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offlane | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Midlane | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Jungle | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Carry | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Support | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Predecessor builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior Crest | The frontline starter, upgrading into Warden Crest and then Judgement. | Offlane tanks and bruisers who need to survive being ganked repeatedly |
| Magician Crest | The magical damage starter, becoming Warlock Crest and then Epoch. | Midlane mages and magic damage supports |
| Marksman Crest | The ranged carry starter, upgrading into Sharpshooter Crest and then Iceskorn Talons. | Carry heroes in the duo lane who scale with basic attacks |
| Tainted Blade | A tier 3 physical item with 40 physical power, 250 health and 15 ability haste, and its Blighted Strikes passive cuts enemy healing by 40 percent for 3 seconds on physical damage. | Junglers and Offlaners fighting sustain heavy enemy frontlines |
| Sky Splitter | A tier 3 attack speed item giving 35 physical power and 30 percent attack speed. | Carries and attack speed junglers who need to break down high health frontliners |
Warrior Crest: The frontline starter, upgrading into Warden Crest and then Judgement. Its quest completes through lane trading and minion damage, which fits an Offlane hero who is farming under tower more than fighting.
Magician Crest: The magical damage starter, becoming Warlock Crest and then Epoch. It is usually paired later with Megacosm, Flux and Noxia in midlane and magical support builds.
Marksman Crest: The ranged carry starter, upgrading into Sharpshooter Crest and then Iceskorn Talons. Taking it on anything that is not an attack speed hero wastes the entire item path, since the stats it grants are attack speed and physical power.
Tainted Blade: A tier 3 physical item with 40 physical power, 250 health and 15 ability haste, and its Blighted Strikes passive cuts enemy healing by 40 percent for 3 seconds on physical damage. That healing cut is the reason it appears in almost every bruiser build.
Sky Splitter: A tier 3 attack speed item giving 35 physical power and 30 percent attack speed. Rend adds 2.5 percent of the target's current health as bonus physical damage, and Carve makes every fourth basic attack deal 5 percent of maximum health.
Full breakdowns in our Predecessor weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Offlane | Levels 1 to 6, solo | Solo experience, map pressure, and the frontline your team needs at Fangtooth |
| Midlane | Levels 1 to 6, solo | Fast levels, river vision control, and gank pressure on both side lanes |
| Duo Lane | Levels 1 to 6, two players | Carry farm, early objective control, and Support roaming windows |
| Fangtooth Pit | From 5 minutes onward | Stacking permanent team buffs and control of the early river |
| Orb Prime Pit | From 7 minutes, Orb Prime at 20 minutes | Minion buffs, out of combat regeneration, and the siege power to end the game |
Offlane: The solo lane, usually held by a tank or bruiser who expects to be outnumbered. Farming safely under tower here is worth more than winning the lane, because a dead Offlaner hands the enemy jungler free access to the river.
Midlane: The shortest lane and the fastest route to both jungles, which makes it the natural rotation point. A midlaner who shoves the wave and moves is worth more than one who out farms their opponent and never leaves.
Duo Lane: Carry and Support share this lane, and the whole early game is about keeping the Carry alive and farming. The lane sits closest to one of the objective pits, so its outcome usually decides who takes the first Fangtooth.
Fangtooth Pit: Fangtooth first spawns at five minutes and its buffs are permanent for the rest of the match. The first kill extends the duration of Red, Blue and river buffs by 50 percent, the second adds 8 percent out of combat movement speed, and the third adds 8 percent power and armour before it becomes Primal Fangtooth.
Orb Prime Pit: Mini Prime spawns at seven minutes, granting 15 to 35 physical power, 20 to 60 magical power and 10 percent bonus armour. At 20 minutes Orb Prime replaces it with far more health and damage, and its buff is what actually breaks inhibitors and the Core.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Pick the crest that matches your role before the match starts. Taking a Marksman Crest on a mage gives you attack speed you will never use and locks you out of the Epoch path that build actually needs.
- Fangtooth spawns at five minutes, so vision around the pit needs to be placed by roughly 4:30. Contesting an objective you cannot see is how a duo lane loses two players and the buff in the same fight.
- Buffs last 45 seconds in a standard Sanctuary match and only 25 seconds in Brawl. Take Red or Blue immediately before a rotation rather than at the start of a farming route, or most of the timer burns on empty camps.
- Camps level up every two minutes to a cap of level 15, so an early clear on a camp you cannot handle gives away first blood to the jungle rather than to a player. Follow a route that matches your hero's clear speed.
- Abilities are aimed, not clicked, so terrain blocks them. Standing behind a wall or a raised platform makes half of most mage kits useless, which is a defensive tool as much as a positioning problem.
- Vaulting over structures breaks chases in a way most MOBA players do not expect. Learn two or three vault routes near your lane and use them instead of burning a movement ability every time you are collapsed on.
- The first Fangtooth is often takeable solo by a strong clearing jungler if the enemy is not visible, but the safer line is to win a duo lane fight first and take it with numbers. Losing a solo attempt hands the enemy team all three stacking buffs.
- Orb Prime exists to end games, not to pad statistics. Take it when you can immediately push an inhibitor with it, because the buff running out while your team recalls has accomplished nothing.
- Support is the role with the most map influence in the first ten minutes. Once your Carry is safe on the wave, rotate to midlane, because two players arriving on a shoved lane wins the fight almost every time.
- Crest quests advance through minion damage and hitting enemies, so a lane where you never trade leaves you two tiers behind on your starter item. Poke the enemy laner even when you cannot kill them.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Choosing a crest by the stats it shows rather than by the role you queued for, and reaching 20 minutes with the wrong tier 3 item.
- Contesting the five minute Fangtooth with no vision on the pit and losing two players before the fight starts.
- Taking Red or Blue buff at the start of a long farming route so most of the 45 second timer expires on empty camps.
- Treating abilities like targeted clicks and firing skill shots into terrain that blocks them.
- Taking Orb Prime at 20 minutes and then recalling to base instead of immediately pushing an inhibitor with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Predecessor free to play?
Yes. Omeda Studios publishes it free to play on Steam with optional purchases, after an Early Access period that began on 30 November 2022 and a 1.0 release on 20 August 2024.
Is this the same game as Paragon?
It is built from Paragon's foundations after Epic Games cancelled it, and many hero names carry over, but Omeda Studios developed and balanced Predecessor separately. Treat it as a successor rather than a re-release.
How many heroes are there?
The Steam store page lists over 45 playable characters, spread across Offlane, Midlane, Jungle, Carry and Support. New heroes are added on an ongoing basis.
What do the crests do?
There are eight crest starter items, each with a small quest that upgrades it twice before it becomes one of three final items with an active ability. Warrior Crest becomes Warden Crest then Judgement, Magician becomes Warlock Crest then Epoch, and so on.
Which role should a new player start with?
Support or Offlane. Offlane teaches wave management and survival with a forgiving solo lane, and Support teaches map movement and objective timing without carrying the burden of farming a Carry.
More Predecessor Guides
- Predecessor Best Builds
- Predecessor Tier List
- Predecessor Walkthrough
- Predecessor Beginner's Guide
- Predecessor Tips & Tricks
- Predecessor Weapons Guide
- Predecessor Combat Guide
- Predecessor Boss Guide
- Predecessor Maps & Locations
- Predecessor Crafting Guide
- Predecessor Classes & Characters
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