Finding The Right MOBA For You

The MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) genre can be an intimidating prospect to get into – there’s often a heavy burden of knowledge, tutorials don’t really teach gameplay aspects that you’ll need to play correctly, and random teammates and the community can be quite harsh on newcomers. That said, there are a number of games that are excellent entry points to the genre, depending on where you want to start and where you want to end up.

Picking the right game to start with and the right people to play with can make a huge difference in making MOBAs a mainstay on your genre list instead of becoming a tainted afterthought after a few frustrating matches. Depending on how you want to kick things off, here are some choices to get rolling in one of PC’s most popular genres. There are a lot of MOBAs out there, so it’s important to make your first experience a great one.

Heroes of the Storm

This hero brawler featuring favorites from the greater Blizzard universe is one of my top picks for players new to the MOBA experience. While there’s still plenty of complexity for veterans to dive into, the game tackles some of the burdens of knowledge with finesse. There’s no item system to learn, so you won’t have to worry about combining the Stick of Flame with the Golden Ball to create the Jangling Poker of Luck. All of the things that might typically be associated with items in other games are baked into the leveling system, giving a range of options to players from passives for new players and, if you want to get crazy and add a few more abilities to your hotbar, active abilities to choose from for more experienced players.

As team fights are the crux of any MOBA, Heroes of the Storm forces players into the action in a streamlined fashion by having a variety of maps, all with specific, simple objectives and events that are made clear to players on the loading screen. This makes things a good deal easier for new players that might otherwise be unsure about when to group up with allies to make pushes or sneak up on junglers. Heroes of the Storm also features shared leveling, so any one death or “feed” won’t have as much game impact – it’s much harder to focus on crushing a single hero over and over and snowball out of control.

To add one more layer to the ease of dipping in, characters begin with only a handful of selectable abilities per level, and as you play a few games, more options – generally more complex options or those tailored for certain maps – become available for selection.

Suggested experience level: Beginner and up.

Smite

Hi-Rez Studios’ third-person take on the genre features the classic 5v5 format that’s the MOBA standard, but some alternate game modes make this one of the more accessible titles. A game mode known as Arena plays out much faster than your standard match, with fast gold and experience and a single-lane style coliseum that places players in constant conflict. It’s like one giant team fight that doesn’t stop until the game is over, and while Smite features many of the core aspects of a MOBA – learning each character’s abilities and purchasing items to deck out a  build – the fast-paced, almost shooter-style gameplay and variety of game modes lends itself to pick up and play.

Smite will be coming to Xbox One, and the gameplay will likely be an excellent fit for console controls. After getting your feet wet in Arena mode or one of the game’s daily funky matches, players can try some of the more competitive game modes.

Suggested experience level: Beginner and up.

Dota 2

Dota 2 is the one to start with if you’re committed to mastering the genre and can handle an intense learning curve. It won’t be easy, as you’ll have to learn a huge amount of characters, all their abilities, tons of items, and complexities like safelane creep pulling. This is probably the toughest of all the MOBAS to hop in and play, but the payoff is excellent if you’re willing to put the time and effort in. I would absolutely say that if you do want to make Dota your MOBA of choice and have not had any prior experience in the genre, do not begin playing alone. Find some forgiving friends to take you under their wing, it’s going to be probably around 50-100 hours of gameplay before you have any idea what you’re doing, and the last thing you need during the initial learning experience is to be harangued and chastised at every turn.

Even better, start with some friends who are also new – your shared blunders will be fun all around, and you won’t be at each other’s throats because hey, you’re all feeding and spending five minutes at the shop trying to assemble a ring. I recommend Dota 2 as a first MOBA only to players with a thirst for learning and a thick skin, but as you delve into the genre you’re likely to find it one of the most compelling and best options out there.

Suggested experience level: Veteran

League of Legends

This is another one for the committed, but might be a little bit less intimidating to jump right into than say, Dota 2. While there’s often community chatter about League being an “easier” game than Dota 2, I’m of the mind that such statements are pretty far off the mark – There’s just as much complexity and skill that go into top-tier play.

League offers some options like an all-random all-middle one lane map for a more casual experience, so that’s a great way to dial up some new champions and get in and mess around while you learn. After you’ve played around with a variety of champions, you’ll have a better idea on what role you enjoy playing and how to build kits around it.

Suggested experience level: Moderate to Veteran