April 27th, 2016 
Mark [UPDATE] Epic has responded to our request for comment, confirming the Essentials Edition will contain an Early Access version of Paragon.
“Paragon Essentials Edition will offer a great value to players who are looking to hop into the game early and get more than $160 of value (based on in-game currency) for only $59.99. The Essentials Edition will be available at retail locations in June, when Paragon is still in Early Access. We’re excited to let fans join the fight early as we evolve the game over the coming months and years.”
The original story follows:
You can play Paragon right now if you’re willing to pay $20 or more for Founder’s Packs, though the Epic-developed MOBA will be free-to-play once it leaves Early Access. However, if you want a physical edition of the game on PS4, you can pay $60 in exchange for skins, five Hero Master Challenges, and in-game currency.
Epic’s senior marketing manager, Wes Phillips, announced the Paragon Essentials Edition on the PlayStation Blog, where he detailed what players would get for the $60 version of a free-to-play game. The physical retail edition comes with five skins, including the launch-exclusive Wasteland Twinblast skin–Phillips notes that you can only get it in the Essentials Edition “for now.”
Players will also get 6,000 Paragon coins, which is valued at $60. You can spend the in-game currency on stuff like skins, boosts, Master Challenges, and other items. Additionally, players get Master Challenges for Twinblast, Sevarog, Iggy & Scorch, and two unannounced heroes. These grant a Challenger skin and permanent XP boost, in addition to unlocking rewards like taunts and the Master skin.
Lastly, players will have five Rep boosts that last for three wins each and speed up the pace at which you earn Rep–it can be spent on card packs and Master Challenges, among other things.
It’s unclear if the Essentials Edition will include a completed version of Paragon or if it will feature the game in its current Early Access state. We’ve reached out to Epic and will update this story as more information becomes available.
Paragon Essentials Edition releases for PS4 on June 7. Those who preorder get an additional 1,000 Paragon Coins.
You can currently buy into Paragon on PC and PS4 with digital Founder’s Packs that cost $20, $60, and $100. The $60 Challenger Founder’s Pack gets you 13 Master Challenges, as opposed to the Essential Edition’s five. It also gets you five weeks of three-win Rep boosts, a Hotrod Howitzer skin, and a $20 Founder’s Pack for a friend. You can see more Founder’s Pack details right here.
You can check out more of GameSpot’s Paragon coverage by visiting the links below:
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