Updated at: 23-02-2023 - By: Leo Hall
The best MOBA games have millions of players worldwide, but there is a lot of competition. Find the best multiplayer online battle arenas here.

Even though multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) are often overlooked, a sizable portion of gamers enjoy this subgenre. If you haven’t played a MOBA before, you’ve probably heard of League of Legends, Dota 2, or Smite, the three biggest games in the genre.

They began as add-ons to other games, but MOBAs have evolved greatly over the years. They were inspired by real-time strategy games like Blizzard’s Warcraft and StarCraft series.

These days, the market for massively multiplayer online battle arena games (MOBAs) is one of the most cutthroat in the gaming industry.

With so many games in the MOBA genre, we thought it would be helpful to highlight the best of the bunch that have found a loyal player base and succeeded where others have failed.

Keep coming back, as we’ll be adding more games to this list, and while you’re here, check out some of the other curated collections we’ve put together:

League of Legends

Author: Riot Games

PC and Mac OS X

The objective in League of Legends is to destroy the enemy team’s nexus before it destroys yours, and the game’s fast-paced nature has earned it a reputation as one of the most competitive multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs). The game’s roster of 140 Champions spans seven distinct classes, making it suitable for players of varying preferences.

Each match is self-contained and begins with all players on an equal footing, putting a premium on skill and strategy to advance and gain access to more powerful abilities and equipment.

Given that LoL has been around for over a decade, its player base has ebbed and flowed. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most streamed games on Twitch and YouTube, which is a strong indication of its enduring popularity.

League of Legends

Smite

Hi-Rez Studios, the creators

PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch

Smite is one of the most popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games right now, with an estimated 30 million registered users across all gaming platforms. This is in no small part due to Hi-Rez’s decision to port the game to traditional gaming consoles.

More than a hundred gods and goddesses from Greek mythology and other cultures are available to play as in this game.

Conquest, the game’s most popular mode, is played from a third-person perspective and features five-on-five teams exchanging resources for weapons and upgrades before each round begins.

Anyone who has played Counter-Strike will recognize this framework immediately. Smite’s customization features set it apart from similar games by giving players a wide range of visual tweaks to make their characters stand out.

Dota 2

Created by: Valve Corporation

PC-Based System

Dota 2 uses an improved version of Valve’s Source 2 engine, and it is the sequel to the original official multiplayer online battle arena. Like other multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs), this one pits two teams of five players against one another in a space divided into three lanes.

The objective is still to eliminate the opposition by killing as many of them as possible, but Valve has implemented new mechanisms to encourage careful planning and sustained offensive pressure.

There are currently over a hundred heroes available in the game, all of whom are multi-role specialists. In turn, this makes for more exciting matches where nothing ever happens twice.

This, however, comes at the expense of putting off new players, who may be overwhelmed by the variety of strategies and constructions they’ll need to learn to be successful.

Heroes of the Storm

Creator: Blizzard Entertainment

Desktop Computers (Windows and Mac)

Blizzard released Heroes of the Storm in 2015 in an attempt to cash in on the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) trend they had started. However, they decided against calling it a multiplayer online battle arena and instead called it a “hero brawler.” Considering the number of guest appearances made by heroes from other Blizzard games, this choice may have been warranted.

Several characters from Overwatch, Diablo, and World of Warcraft have made cameo appearances in the MOBA over the years, each with their own set of abilities and special moves.

The game is played exclusively through Blizzard’s Battle.net launcher, and features 5v5 battles across 15 maps. Players can use mounts to traverse the environments of the maps, which is a unique feature among multiplayer online battle arenas.

Bleeding Edge

The Ninja Theory Development Team

Consoles: Xbox One and Personal Computer

Bleeding Edge is a upcoming multiplayer game developed by Ninja Theory and supported by Xbox Game Studios. Despite arriving late to the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) and hero shooter (hero shooters) trends, the game successfully blends elements from both genres while adding its own unique spin. The varied roster of heroes in BE, each with their own design and history, is largely responsible for this.

There are currently three playable characters (Damage, Support, and Tank), each with their own unique history that informs their skills and roles. Players face off in two modes during 4v4 matches: objective control and power collection.

While Ninja Theory is still working on adding new content and improving BE’s progression systems, the game’s availability on Xbox Game Pass has helped attract new players despite the game’s rocky launch.

Battlerite

Producer: Stunlock Studios

Video Game Consoles: PC and Xbox One

Battlerite launched in the fall of 2017 as the sequel to the acclaimed but underplayed MOBA Bloodline Champions. Quicker match times with more minute-to-minute action helped the game stand out from other multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs). There are 25 different ‘Champions’ to choose from, each representing one of three play styles (attack, defense, or mobility).

Many of the hallmarks of the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre, such as destroying an enemy structure or vanquishing AI fodder for resources, are absent from this game. Instead, games focus on player versus player (PvP) combat using a 2v2 or 3v3 team structure.

Although Battlerite’s player base isn’t what it used to be, the game’s free-to-play nature makes it interesting for those who are put off by the length of games in more conventional multiplayer online battle arenas.

Paladins

Produced by: Evil Mojo Games

Available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.

Since its 2018 PC and console release, Paladins has amassed a player base of over 25 million. Although it is primarily a hero shooter, it also features a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)-inspired mode called Siege, in which two teams of five players compete to capture and hold points as the stakes increase over time.

Frontliner, Damager, Supporter, and Flank Player are the four team roles. To ensure that teams are evenly matched and well-rounded, each position must be filled before the game begins.

Paladins’ ability customization sets it apart from other hero shooters, letting players build their own playstyles for each of the game’s 40 ‘Champions.

Rise of Legions

Author: Faulty Games

Computer-Based System

The exciting strategy game experience in Rise of Legions is a fusion of the best elements of multiplayer online battle arenas, tower defense games, and deck builders. Because of this, it’s great that the game’s mechanics are simple and easy to pick up, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement and optimization.

The game allows for either single-player or two-player co-op, with players defending their own nexus while attacking the enemy’s and vying for control of an objective zone.

The best way to describe a match is a never-ending game of tug of war, with both teams using their Mana to call forth attacking units and their Essence to spawn nexus defenses.

Rise of Legions has a ‘Showdown Mode’ that automatically initiates mortar fire at the nexus of the losing team after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, keeping matches from going on for too long.

Arena of Valor

TiMi Studios & Tencent Inc.

The Switch, Android, and iOS

In 2016, Arena of Valor, a Western take on the Chinese MOBA Wangzhe Rongyao, was released and quickly became one of the most popular mobile games.

After having Riot Games as an initial target, Tencent decided to create Arena of Valor internally. There are more than a hundred playable heroes to choose from, many of whom have their roots in real-world Chinese history.

There are a number of playable modes, the most well-known of which is probably Grand Battle, also known as “Ranked.” The players must work together to take out the enemy base and towers.

While heroes begin at a low level, they can level up by killing other players, destroying structures, and defeating AI-controlled minions. There are now more than 200 million people who have signed up to play the game.

Arena Of Valor: 3 Tips To Get The Most From This Free MOBA

Strife

S2 Games, a studio based in California, developed Strife and released it for Linux and Windows in 2015. I was drawn to Strife and S2 Games because of their commitment to ending toxic behavior in the gaming community, which has the potential to become oppressive and abusive.

To attract more casual players of massively multiplayer online battle arenas, they simplified Heroes of Newerth into Strife. In Strife, two opposing groups of players compete against one another in an effort to demolish the opposing group’s base. The ‘Crux’ building is reminiscent of League of Legends’ “Nexus” structure.

A player picks a hero to focus on for the duration of the game (typically 30-40 minutes) and gains experience points to level up that hero outside of the game.

Vainglory

Vainglory, the first primarily mobile MOBA on the best MOBAs list, bills itself as the ‘no compromise cross-platform MOBA. Vainglory is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game that came out in 2014 and 2015 for iOS and Android devices and is now in Alpha on Windows and Mac.

Produced by the Super Villainous MegaCorp Publishing Company, Vainglory was first shown off at Apple’s announcement for the iPhone 6 to demonstrate the capabilities of the device’s processor, RAM, and graphics hardware. The objective of the game is for each player to block their opponent from reaching their bases.

To aid their team in victory, they can gain resources by venturing off the beaten path and avoiding or fighting AI turrets and other monsters. People using any of the three release platforms can compete against each other in the same match.

That’s why I like this game so much, and why it really ought to be a classic by now. Each player on a team of five controls an “avatar” who acts as the game’s hero. Get past the enemy turrets and smash the “Vain crystal” to win.

You can expect this to take 20-30 minutes on average, making it a quick diversion compared to multiplayer online battle arenas like Dota 2. Currently, there are 48 playable characters to choose from, and each one interacts with a stunningly rendered environment full of realistic lighting, shadows, and materials. When first introduced, there were seven different avatars.

The developers at Super Evil Megacorp deserve praise for their commitment to constantly improving the game by adding new features and incorporating feedback from players across platforms. Check out this comprehensive list of mobile and desktop games that feature massively multiplayer online battle arenas.

Arena of Valor

Arena of Valor was released in Taiwan in 2016 as an adaptation of the Chinese variant MOBA, Wangzhe Rongyao. Gradually it rolled out to mobile devices in countries around the world, with the worldwide release on the Nintendo Switch occurring in September of 2018.

Until recently, I was unaware that Tencent Games, publisher of Arena of Valor, was the largest video game publisher in the world. They’re Chinese, and they specialize in mobile versions of online games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.

Arena of Valor was originally proposed by Tencent Games, who then approached League of Legends’ creators Riot Games about adapting the game for mobile devices. League’s developers didn’t budge, maintaining that the game could not be played on mobile devices without compromising the quality of the gameplay and visuals.

The heroes are controlled by the players, who can select from one of 78 playable personalities. They range from comedic characters like Wisp, a young child who pilots a mech, to the (heavily fictionalized) real Chinese historical figure Lu Bu from the Three Kingdoms era.

Over 200 million people worldwide play this game, earning it the title “kingpin of pocket gaming.”

Defense of the Ancients

The original Dota paved the way for all the others on the list, and is widely considered to be one of the best multiplayer online battle arenas. Originating as a modification for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, the objective is to work together with your teammates to destroy the ‘Ancient,’ or the opposing team’s structure, on their side of the map. This is the kind of game that makes me appreciate it when developers give players access to world editors.

The creation of this genre and subsequent internet phenomenon can be directly attributed to Blizzard’s WarCfrat III World Editor. In 2003, Eul, Steve Feak, and IceFrog released their creation, Dota. In this battle, two opposing teams, one called the Sentinel and the other the Scourge, must work together to eliminate a powerful Ancient that has been placed in the center of the map.

In total, there are 112 heroes from which to choose, giving players an incredible amount of variety and replay value. When players kill enemies, they earn gold for use in battle and give their team an advantage in terms of supplies. As for the game being “the ultimate RTS,” I couldn’t agree more.

It’s an improvement over traditional real-time strategy games because it allows players more freedom to explore their own creative potential by providing them with more tools and more time to implement their own ideas.

Mobile Legends

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang was released in 2016 for Android devices, and as the name suggests, it is a mobile game only. As the year progressed, an iOS version was released. Moonton created Mobile Legends, and it was initially only available in China, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Even though it shares many of the same features as other popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs), such as Dota and Dota 2, it was the first MOBA to feature the now-ubiquitous Battle Royale mode.

When League of Legends’ creators, Riot Games, claimed that Moonton had stolen elements of League’s maps and used a logo too similar to League’s, things got a little sticky for Moonton. Moonton paid $2.9 million to settle the lawsuit after it lost.

Mobile gamers should still be able to enjoy a mobile MOBA if Moonton can overcome this setback and continue adding new content to their game.

Awesomenauts

Awesomenauts, created by Ronimo Games and available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Linux, OS X, and Windows, as well as a newer version for the most recent console generation, released in 2016. Being accessible on every major platform is a huge plus. Superhero team the Awesomenauts star in this side-scrolling 2D adventure.

The vast skill gap between Awesomenauts makes for exciting and tense matches, on par with the best multiplayer online battle arenas. Most matches are played with a 3v3 format, with the goal being to destroy the opposing team’s Solar Collector. The maps have been given some flavorful new life thanks to the game’s design, which is something I really appreciate.

On one map, for instance, players who are trying to eliminate the enemy will be hindered by a huge monster that has dug itself a pit. The average duration of a match is 20 minutes. As of 2017, players could access it for no cost.

Demigod

Demigod, created by Gas Powered Games and published by Stardock, was initially made available for Windows in 2009. The game’s name is derived from the names of the player characters, who are Demigods engaged in combat with one another, much like Awesomenauts and Heroes of Newerth.

Among the Demigods, there are two main factions: the Assassins and the Generals. When comparing gameplay, these two types couldn’t be more dissimilar. Assassins are ideal for players who prefer to win by overwhelming their opponent in direct confrontation, while Generals are better for those who prefer a more nuanced approach to strategy and support.

To defeat their opponents, the Generals send an army of henchmen and gods into the arena. There are a total of ten playable demigods, though your selection will be limited depending on whether you go the Assassin or General route.

This unusual pairing of types appeals to me. Like the traditional real-time strategy games from which multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) are derived, this feature enables more strategic and carefully planned attack actions.

Monday Night Combat

Monday Night Combat was originally released in 2011 for PC and Xbox 360 by Uber Entertainment and Microsoft Game Studios. Monday Night Combat is a futuristic third-person team shooter that parodies the popular ‘Monday Night Football’ series. The primary objective is to eliminate the opposing team’s Moneyball from the arena.

Teams of clone soldiers play each other in the arena. The boundaries between genres are intentionally hazy in this game. It’s a fun mashup of real-time strategy (RTS) games, tower defense games, and multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs). Crossfire is the default mode of play, and it features teams of six players. The appearance and abilities of each cloned soldier are different.

Personality-wise and visually, it reminds me quite a bit of Team Fortress 2.

Realm of the Titans

In 2010, Realm of the Titans was released on Microsoft Windows in China, and in 2011, it was released in North America. Ningbo Shengguang Tianyi, a studio in Shanghai, was responsible for its creation. The developers had traveled to Australia to further their education, where they became fervent followers of the most popular multiplayer online battle arena games.

The game features 168 playable heroes, each with access to a set of five unique abilities. The developer is constantly updating the game with new content, such as playable heroes.

This multiplayer online battle arena features four bosses that can be found in the far reaches of the various game maps. If players are able to take out these bosses, it will cause the other bosses to adopt the ‘creep’ AI strategy.

Realm of The Titans Gameplay (Its back) - HD Commentary - YouTube

Prime World

Prime World is unlike any other MMORPG or MOBA out there. Nival’s 2014 Windows release, Prime World, provides a compelling storyline around its MOBA gameplay. War has broken out between the game’s two major powers, the Keepers of Adornia and the Dokht Imperium, over control of Prime.

Players, from the safety of their castles, compete across a map for the mystical and divine substance known only as Prime. This fantasy setting is awesome in a multiplayer online battle arena and is sorely needed. It doesn’t matter how good your multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is; I won’t play it unless there’s at least a little more to it than just the gameplay.

There are 42 heroes to choose from, with the Ha’ka and Da’ka being the only truly nationalized units. This massively multiplayer online battle arena supports Facebook integration, so you can compete against your real-life friends and family. Usually, a match will last for about 30 minutes. Multiple awards were given to the game, including “IGN Best Strategy Game 2011.”

Bloodline Champions

This multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) was developed and published by Stunlock Studios and released in 2011, a full six years before the studio’s other MOBA, Battlerite. It’s clear where they learned this technique. Games are played with the standard 5v5 setup, with players on either the ‘Warm’ or ‘Cold’ teams. Arena, the standard mode for multiplayer online battle arenas, and Capture the Artifact, the game’s equivalent of Coat of Arms, are just two of the modes at your disposal.

The fog of war is an innovative addition to this game. The term “fog” refers to the visual obstructions that prevent players from seeing certain enemy locations. Currently, you can choose from one of 29 available heroes.

Dark Eclipse

Finally, by all accounts, Dark Eclipse is rapidly becoming a top-tier multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title. Veteran video game developer Sunsoft released this multiplayer online battle arena at the end of September 2018. Some of my favorite games of all time were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s by these developers, including Batman and Lemmings for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

As a result, mobile gaming has become their primary focus, which opens the door to more player-centric and potentially more competitive experiences like multiplayer online battle arenas. Dark Eclipse’s website provides a short, clever explanation of the game’s purpose:

Play virtual reality games without being limited by a flat display. Build towers and wipe out the enemy base as you command three Leader characters. Created by a group of gamers with a passion for real-time strategy and multiplayer online battle arena games. For MOBA players, by MOBA players.

Exactly what it sounds like: a massively multiplayer online battle arena played in virtual reality. I had doubts but was also intrigued. But as soon as I started learning more about it, I was hooked.

According to the site,

Characters (known as Leaders) can be grabbed and moved around by hand. Looking around, you can see the entire battlefield without resorting to a mini-map. Get a sense of the action through your fingers’ haptic feedback and the enemy’s movements through 3D audio.

It allows for more precise command of in-game avatars and a more satisfying overall experience.

If you find the VR experience too disorienting or not to your liking, you can always play with the DualShock controller.

Heroes Evolved

I’m excited to see where Dark Eclipse goes and what other multi-player online battle arenas (MOBAs) emerge from its success. Will the best multiplayer online battle arena games eventually be played in virtual reality? Time will tell, but for now, this is a promising development. I also appreciate how much time and effort is put into improving MOBA players.

This is what happened with Dota; fans of WarCraft III’s map editor banded together, and the game quickly became a phenomenon that shows no signs of abating.

FAQS:

What is the most complex MOBA game?

Dota 2

Dota 2 is the most challenging esport due to its complexity and mechanical demands, and it is also the most challenging multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA).

Should I play LoL or DOTA?

To sum up, League of Legends has heroes that shine early in the game, while Dota 2’s heroes shine later in the game. Play the game that has the most people you know actively participating.

Is ML famous game?

Accumulated number of players
The average monthly player count for Mobile Legends as of September 2021 is 80 million.