Line #160 Main/MultiplayerOnlineBattleArena


1	%% Try to avoid adding complainy tropes making generalizations about MOBA players
2
3	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/map_of_moba.png]]
4	[[caption-width-right:300:Typical map of a MOBA. [[MemeticMutation Mid or I feed!]][[note]][[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_MOBA.svg Source]][[/note]]]]
5
6	-> '''Erik:''' Seventeen years of nothing, and they bring us back for a MOBA! Ha, figures.\
7	'''Baelog:''' It's not a MOBA, it's a ''hero brawler''!\
8	'''Olaf:''' Hero brawler herba heybee, you made that up!\
9	'''Erik:''' Nope, but Creator/{{Blizzard\|Entertainment}} sure did!
10	-->-- '''VideoGame/TheLostVikings''', ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm''
11
12	The Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), also known as [=ARTS=] (Action Real Time Strategy)[[note]]increasingly rarely due to the rise of FPS or Third-person [=MOBAs=][[/note]] or Hero Brawler, is a relatively new game genre popularized in the first decade of the 21st century. While the UrExample was the Platform/SegaGenesis classic ''VideoGame/HerzogZwei'', the TropeMaker was ''Aeon of Strife'', a map for ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft\|I}}''. It gained popularity and, when ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' with its powerful {{Hero Unit}}s and amazing map editor came out, [[FollowTheLeader spawned a lot of similar maps]] which were referred to as [=AoS=]-style maps. Amongst others there were D-Day, various [=AoS=] direct ports, and ''Defense of the Ancients'', developed by Eul. One of its own spinoffs, ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncientsAllstars'' developed by Guinsoo, became the TropeCodifier by virtue of its astounding popularity, with a non-negligible fraction of ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' sales driven ''solely'' by people who wanted to play ''[=DotA=] Allstars''.
13
14	The heart of the MOBA genre lies in several basic qualities. First, it is relatively easy to play, being (typically) controlled through a point-and-click RealTimeStrategy interface but giving the player control of ''only one HeroUnit'', with four or five skills, instead of a CommandAndConquerEconomy. In comparison of the other RTS games, this also makes the controllable character feel more unique and individual than just generic characters (which is quite ironic, because as far as this genre's plot goes, it's basically ExcusePlot). The player is assisted by a [[VideoGameAI computer-controlled]] base and its minions, as well as four (sometimes two) PlayerCharacter teammates, each controlling their own HeroUnit, with the opposition consisting of the same. Second, it has many characters, making it easy to learn but difficult to master; not only is each character unique in its skills and abilities, but the large number of characters results in unique team compositions, with varying levels of synergy between them. Third, the objective is not to rack up enough kills, but rather to destroy the enemy's base. Killing the enemy heroes helps you with this, but is not a necessary step. Finally, CompetitiveBalance dictates that no HeroUnit can ever become powerful enough to win the game single-handedly; each character (or player) is deliberately limited in what elements they can contribute to the victory (crowd control, damage output, tanking, healing, etc), which is especially important once the teams start aggregating for five-on-five brawls. The result is a high emphasis on skill and teamwork, where communication and intelligent gameplay inevitably win out.
15
16	For more details on how a MOBA played out in general, check [[Analysis/MultiplayerOnlineBattleArena the Analysis page.]]
17
18	----
19	!!Games in this genre:
20	[[index]]
21	!!! The Progenitors
22	The games that incidentally possessed certain game elements that would inspire the creation of the first iteration of a MOBA. Pretty much the prototypes of the genre and they were created not to make this genre in the first place.
23
24	* ''VideoGame/HerzogZwei'' - A Platform/SegaGenesis game that contains elements of team fights that would inspire the creators of the game below, particularly the 'Fight 'til you destroy enemy base', and 'Your hero always respawn after death'. This is the UrExample of MOBA.
25	* ''VideoGame/FutureCopLAPD'' - The Precinct Assault multiplayer mode is pretty much the prototype of future MOBA genre. ''Aeon of Strife'''s creator was heavily influenced by this mode.
26	* ''VideoGame/AeonOfStrife'' - VideoGame/{{Starcraft\|I}} GameMod, where the setting and concept of the genre was first defined (control single heroes, three lanes, etc.).
27
28	!!! The Grandfather
29	The game that eventually grew too popular and launched the genre. [[TropeMaker The one that started it all.]]
30
31	* ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients'' - A ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' GameMod, improving further of the concepts of ''Aeon of Strife'' and having its own dedicated patch team to ensure the game continues as a success. Has many iterations until the ''All Stars'' subseries becomes the standard map. Also known as ''DOTA'', this is the TropeMaker.
32
33	!!! The Big Three (of PC)
34	Currently considered the cream of the crop and the most played games, more likely to get a lot of streamers on the video or rated as the best [=MOBAs=] to date, and more likely to have E-Sport presence. They held the greatest popularities and standing power through TheNewTens, the era where MOBA took stride, and still continue to do so. For the most part, they held dominance in the PC (or Console) community.
35
36	* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' - A MOBA developed by several of the team who worked on ''[=DotA=] Allstars'' (including Guinsoo), it was the first to come up with matchmaking system, simplified mechanics to attract the casuals more and an actually deep lore to keep the fans attached to the characters on more personal levels. Released in 2009, it was also only the second independent (non-GameMod) MOBA behind ''VideoGame/{{Demigod}}'', listed below, giving it more room to shine. It took from ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' the title of "Most Played Game in the World" and retained it through much of TheNewTens before being dethroned by {{Battle Royale Game}}s.
37	* ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}'' - A straight port of ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients'', remade on the Source engine (and later the Source 2 engine) by both Valve Software and one of the original's team, [=IceFrog=]. Gameplay started off practically identical to ''[=DotA=]'''s aside from various quality-of-life improvements, superior graphics, and original character designs for the heroes (to avoid copyright issues with Blizzard); since support for its predecessor was dropped in 2015, it has since introduced new heroes, items, and mechanics such as the talent tree to evolve its gameplay. Though not quite as popular as ''League'', it still draws a huge e-sports scene by virtue of having the largest prize pools in the world.
38	* ''VideoGame/{{Smite}}'' - Made by Hi-Rez Studios, who made ''VideoGame/GlobalAgenda''. Notable for putting the action in over-the-shoulder 3rd person for a more action-packed experience, while still sticking faithfully to the genre formula. Based around mythologies from all over the word where you take control as gods such as Thor, Hades, Ra and many more. Also available for home consoles (Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/XboxOne, Platform/NintendoSwitch, Platform/XboxSeriesX, Platform/PlayStation5)
39
40	!!!The Mobile Kings
41
42	Mobile platforms has a vastly high adoption rate. Therefore, it was perfect ground for the wildly popular genre and several of the mobile MOBA games have gained a great deal of popularity. These are the MOBA that became the greatest juggernauts on its own within the Mobile platform ([=iOS=] and Android).
43
44	* ''VideoGame/HonorOfKings'': A mobile MOBA by Tencent, using a modified engine of ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' for mobile, featuring characters from Chinese mythology, history and folklore, because Riot Games (that they owned) wasn't sure about ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' for mobile during its time. Unlike a traditional MOBA or ''VideoGame/VainGlory'', the game play area is smaller for fast paced and quick action gameplay, there are no wards and no fog of war, also the game uses console-esque virtual analog pad and face buttons for action buttons. Being a very Chinese game, its registration requires you to register in Chinese chatting applications ([=WeChat=] and QQ) which has a tedious registration process, but it still managed to be the most played mobile game in the world. It was later ported as ''VideoGame/ArenaOfValor'', and ''years'' later after [[NoExportForYou being contained in China only]], it will finally have an international version.
45	* ''VideoGame/ArenaOfValor'': An internationalized version ''VideoGame/HonorOfKings'', with a Platform/NintendoSwitch port, making it the first 'traditional' mobile MOBA that has a console appearance. The hero design of this game caters to more international/Western audience, and for a time, utilized GuestFighter from Creator/DCComics, such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and The Joker. Aside of being an internationalized version, it's a lot more accessible than ''Honor of Kings'' by the virtue of the user not having the need to register to those aforementioned applications. Despite the international version of ''Honor of Kings'' having been announced, no plans have been announced that the two will be merged: they will instead coexist with each other.
46	* ''VideoGame/MobileLegendsBangBang'': Made by Shanghai Moonton and surprisingly taking artistic and gameplay cues from ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' (along with CaptainErsatz of other popular anime and game characters) enough that at one point Riot Games sued them for infringement and later Tencent, the new owner of Riot Games, also sued Moonton (due to very high similarities in user interface, controls, and art style to the aforementioned ''Arena of Valor'') and won a fair share of lawsuit. It managed to still stand and continued to gain popularity, especially in Southeast Asia.
47
48	!!!The Former Stars
49
50	These titles are somewhere in between the overwhelmingly huge gap between the Big Three and the other niche and/or short-lived [=MOBAs=]. At their prime, they were well-liked and popular enough to actually be considered a contender... until something happened, usually leading to a 'maintenance mode' (not having any new contents) and eventually closing down (the silver lining is that they actually lasted longer than other [=MOBA=]s that were shut down after just a short time, so they had the time to mark their name in the fandom's mind). While they no longer have the influence they used to, even past their prime, they generally enjoyed more success than others. This list will include both the PC and Mobile platforms.
51
52	* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfNewerth'': One of the earliest standalone MOBA games to be released, developed by Frostburn Studios (formerly S2 Games). Originally created as a direct SpiritualSuccessor to [=DotA=] All-Stars, it attracted players who just wanted to play [=DotA=] but not on the woefully outdated ''Warcraft 3'' engine, but has over the years grown to be different in many aspects, most notably the larger part of heroes created directly by S2 Games, but also several nuances have been changed that Creator/{{Valve\|Software}} would not dare touch for fear of [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks upsetting fans of the original mod]]. It was amongst the big titles and the only ones who could challenge ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', but the fanbase was largely superceded by ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}'' and it lost favor against ''VideoGame/{{Smite}}'' and ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm''. It entered "Maintenance Mode" in early 2019 (which means updates with new assets were no longer being made) and was shut down in June 2022, making it the dead MOBA with the longest lifespan (12 years). The tightly knit community of the game, however, manages to create a private server of the game so it can still be played at its last live version.
53	* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'' - A MOBA made with Heroes and characters from [[Creator/BlizzardEntertainment Blizzard's]] [[Videogame/{{Warcraft}} popular]] [[Videogame/{{Starcraft}} franchises]] [[Videogame/{{Diablo}} and]] [[VideoGame/{{Overwatch}} properties]] (and [[Videogame/TheLostVikings one of their older classics]]), crossing over and battling in new and original maps, each with their own objectives and twists. It features a shorter average game length and removes items entirely in favor of "Talents". Was originally called Blizzard Dota, and then Blizzard All-Stars, before settling on the current title. Unfortunately, Blizzard committed a certain mismanagement that caused them to pull the game from the e-sports scene, thereby losing a lot of attention and players. It's still played and is managed by its development team, attaining CultClassic status like ''VideoGame/HeroesOfNewerth'', but now mostly concentrates on non-e-sport scenes (such as quick plays), thus losing its spot as one of the big ones. Unofficial tournament scenes are still made by not-so-big names so it feels like making a slow recovery, but has yet to reach the stage that they would take the world by storm again... and generally still survived when ''VideoGame/HeroesOfNewerth'' closed off, though shortly after that happened, Blizzard announced they have ceased development of content for the game.
54	* ''VideoGame/VainGlory'': One of the earlier attempts at Mobile MOBA by Super Evil Megacorp. Using solely point and click controls like the PC counterparts, it took the Tablet/Android scene in a surprising pace and starts to have its own solid e-sport scene. It was notorious for only having a [=3vs3=] format at maximum, but latter updates made a [=5vs5=] mode available. In 2020, it was shut down by the publisher Rogue due to being eclipsed in popularity by its competitors. However, the community instead took over the development and, working together with Super Evil Megacorp, released ''Vainglory: Community Edition'', which is basically the same game as of the time its server shut down, but with everything already unlocked. Despite its eventual collapse, it became well known as one of the earliest progenitors of the mobile MOBA scene that Tencent (behind ''VideoGame/HonorOfKings'' and ''VideoGame/ArenaOfValor'') saw it as a main competition and measuring stick on how to approach with their titles.
55
56	!!!PC Fledging and Cult Ones
57
58	These MOBA are very much playable and have a chance to be a fan favorite, except they tend to lay kind of low, either not attracting E-Sport scenes, or they're not out of alpha/beta phase yet. But they still live.
59
60	* ''{{VideoGame/Awesomenauts}}'', a 2D Sidescrolling game following the [=DotA=] formula.
61	* ''VideoGame/{{AirMech}}'', a RealTimeStrategy in the vein of ''VideoGame/HerzogZwei''.
62	* ''VideoGame/{{Battlerite}}'', which does not follow [=DotA's=] formula at all. Rather than having creeps, lanes, and towers, Bloodline Champions focuses entirely on player vs. player combat, making it a "Multiplayer Online Battle Arena" in the most literal sense of the phrase.
63	* ''VideoGame/{{BattleTanks}}'', a less-well known ''Warcraft III'' Game Mod where the heroes are tanks.
64	* ''VideoGame/BloodlineChampions''. Has the same gameplay as ''Battlerite'', which is a SpiritualSuccessor to it.
65	* ''VideoGame/{{Bombergirl}}'', a spin-off of the ''Bomberman'' series featuring streamlined, arcade-styled MOBA gameplay and a healthy dose of fanservice à la ''Otomedius''. Despite its simpler approach to the genre, it also offers a light amount of skill customization and a large variety of maps with their own gimmicks and hazards.
66	* ''VideoGame/ChaosOnline'', dubbed as 'Korean DOTA' at first, but has more similarities to ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' (though the map is designed like southeast-northwest as opposed to the typical southwest-northeast). Gains its notice when not only they feature crossover from Japanese games, so far ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' and ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'', it is also imported to Japan (under the name ''Chaos Heroes Online''), and those crossover characters get {{Role Reprise}}s by their original actors. The English version lived under closed beta, managed by Aeria Games, and ''yes, the crossover characters get carried over'', until Aeria Games closed it down. However, it's still going on in Japan and Korea.
67	* ''Videogame/{{Clonk}}'' scenarios "Tower Attack" (focusing on the base and mook elements) and "Keepers" (with less RealTimeStrategy elements and more action combat and RPGElements; freely combinable skills depending on class instead of fixed skillsets).
68	* ''VideoGame/DungeonDefenders'' 2, a sequel to the original VideoGame/DungeonDefenders which [[WhatCouldHaveBeen was]] going to have a Dota-like mode with many heroes and a third person camera, but was scrapped in favor of sticking to the original formula
69	* ''VideoGame/EternalReturnBlackSurvival'', a BattleRoyaleGame that had a Beta/Early Access release in late 2020.
70	* ''VideoGame/FatPrincess'', a hybrid of the genre with top-down ActionGame.
71	* ''VideoGame/{{Gigantic}}'', a third-person MOBA by Motiga with a distinct cel-shaded art style. Gigantic eschews the normal jungle-based combat with various side arenas which spawn minions for the team that controls them, as well as being based around the gigantic beasts who replace the normal crystal at the end. Also notable for being a MOBA brought BackFromTheDead, as it returned post-shutdown in 2024 as ''Gigantic: Rampage Edition''.
72	* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear2Overture'', a far cry from the Fighting Games that make up the rest of the series, it involves commanding various Servants, taking control of Ghosts across the battlefield, and eventually destroying the opponent's Master Ghost. A mix between this, and a straight up Action-[=RTS=] because you have less control over your Servants than a typical [=RTS=], and the battlefield is lane-based.
73	* ''VideoGame/RealmOfTheTitans'' was supported by Creator/AeriaGames for about a year or two. Support in the US has been dropped, but continues to be played in East Asia.
74	* ''VideoGame/ResurgenceOfTheStorm'', a ''VideoGame/{{StarCraft II}}'' GameMod that (partially) recreates ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'' within the [=StarCraft II=] Arcade with new heroes and balance changes.
75	* ''VideoGame/StarWarsSquadrons'' has a multiplayer mode, "Fleet Battles," that is essentially a MOBA InSpace, from the cockpit of a starfighter: each side has five players, AI-controlled wingmen, a single cruiser that must be destroyed to win, and two frigate- or corvette-sized ships defending said cruiser. It has far fewer character classes (spaceships) than the typical MOBA, and does not allow players to level up or buy items. Lastly, it adds a "Morale" mechanic that specifically puts one side on offense, during which time its warships cannot be damaged.
76	* ''VideoGame/StarwingParadox'' is an odd example that mixes this genre with mecha combat like as seen in ''VideoGame/VirtualOn''. Defense towers and minions exist, but there are no lanes and the objective is to capture neutral points to expose the enemy base’s core.
77	* ''VideoGame/StormOfTheImperialSanctum'', a ''VideoGame/{{StarCraft II}}'' GameMod.
78	* ''VideoGame/TidesOfBlood'', another ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' GameMod.
79
80	!!!Mobile Fledging and Cult Ones
81
82	Same deal with the above, except for mobile. Note that the fast pace of mobile development allows these titles to have greater longevity.
83
84	* ''VideoGame/ExtraordinaryOnes'': An anime-influenced MOBA by [=NetEase=] Games. Has the unique honor of having "crossovers" with the likes of ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' and ''Webcomic/MobPsycho100'' where main characters from those series can be played as special skins for certain fighters.
85	* ''VideoGame/JumpAssemble'': A [=5v5=] MOBA by [=DeNa=] in which players control characters from various manga series published by Magazine/ShonenJump. In battle, players are able to use representatives of anything from 1990's to 2000's classics like ''Franchise/DragonBall'' and ''Franchise/OnePiece'' to modern favorites like ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'' and ''Manga/UndeadUnluck''.
86	* ''Kessen! Heian-kyō'' aka. ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji\|2016}} Arena'': A MOBA spin-off of the mobile RPG ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji\|2016}}'' using the same characters from the game (surprisingly ''including'' several crossover characters such as [[Manga/{{Inuyasha}} Inuyasha and Sesshomaru]]).
87	* ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperWar'': A collaboration between Creator/MarvelComics and [=NetEase=] Games, this is a mobile MOBA that featured Franchise/MarvelUniverse characters ranging from ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'', ''ComicBook/XMen'', ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' and a lot more of Marvel heroes.
88	* ''VideoGame/PokemonUnite'': Up to five players, with one Franchise/{{Pokemon}} each, team up to score points by defeating wild Pokémon and taking the collected energy to the opposing team's score zones. [[LighterAndSofter It's just Pokémon matches, not battles and wars with actual weapons where death is abound, so no Pokémon are seriously harmed or killed during matches.]]
89	* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Wild Rift'': Take ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', and then modify the game cores to fit in the mobile format, inspired with ''VideoGame/ArenaOfValor''[[note]]Tencent asked Riot Games to port ''League'' to mobile, but at that time [[ItWillNeverCatchOn Riot refused because they didn't see it as feasible.]]. Tencent then created ''Honor of Kings/Arena of Valor'' and with their success in China, they changed Riot's mind to finally make the 'mobile ''League''' game a reality.[[/note]], also shaping to be one of Riot's success in mobile department. Even Riot plans to have this version on consoles in the future.
90	* ''VideoGame/HeroesEvolved'': A mobile MOBA which takes inspiration from ''VideoGame/MobileLegendsBangBang'' and ''VideoGame/ArenaOfValor'' while also adding in features from ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}'', such as fog of war, terrain elevation (enabling high ground system) and character primary stats (Strength, Agility and Intelligence) and passives required to be leveled with skill points gained from leveling up, and in the meantime, adds a RPG-like Adventure mode with gacha rarity systems. Formerly created by [=R2Games=], it eventually faced a stagnant era with its fans fearing that it'll die. However, [=NetDragon=] took over the development and has since given out more improvements of the game and later released a variant called ''Heroes Arise'', with smoother graphics and improved engine (and ironically reusing the map layout of ''VideoGame/MobileLegendsBangBang''). The variant has closed its beta testing and becomes unplayable, but more improvements are still being implemented in the original game. It also used to have a PC version with several different heroes, but that has been shut down, and a lot of the original heroes have been ported into the now-active mobile version.
91	* ''VideoGame/LegendOfAce'': A mobile MOBA taking cues from ''VideoGame/{{Smite}}'' with a hero roster made of Gods, mythical heroes, sometimes historical figures and some original characters, given a semi futuristic feel. Eschewing the item system, the game provides a card system for hero growth, where they can pick up the cards for upgrades once they reach certain levels.
92
93	!!!Shut-down [=MOBA=]s
94
95	The genre turns out to be a very harsh competition between producers, so there are some that that have been killed and sent to the graveyard of DefunctOnlineVideoGames. Some of them managed to make themselves known before being put down though.
96	* ''VideoGame/AtlasReactor'': A TurnBasedStrategy game based around ''VideoGame/FrozenSynapse'' (or ''TabletopGame/{{Diplomacy}}'', for the tabletop enthusiasts)-style simultaneous turns planned in advance.
97	* ''VideoGame/ArenaOfFate'': A game that was developed by Crytek, before going to Sega featuring characters from mythology (Fenrir, Achilles) fairy tales (Red Riding Hood, Alice) and history (Nikola Tesla, Joan of Arc), but was quietly canceled.
98	* ''VideoGame/AdventureTimeBattleParty'': A free-to-play game featuring characters from the show ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''. Was shut down in May of 2017 due to support for Unity games being dropped, as well as server issues.
99	* ''Auto Chess MOBA'': A MOBA based on the ''Auto Chess'' mobile game, which was spun off from a mod of ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}'' that would become ''VideoGame/DotaUnderlords''. In ''Auto Chess''[='=] case, they used a more chibi-fied, cutesy original design based on the heroes of ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}''. In a full-circle development, these new designs would be put in a mobile MOBA game that tried its best to emulate ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}'' rather than ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', right down to wards, terrain elevation, primary stats and heroes more similar to the ''Dota'' heroes. Unfortunately, it failed to gain popularity, thus it closed down in February 2023.
100	* ''VideoGame/{{Crasher}}'', a VehicularCombat version.
101	* ''VideoGame/DarkNexusArena'': A ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' MOBA game. Cancelled in 2016.
102	* ''Videogame/{{Dawngate}}'': A fleeting game by a new company called Waystone Games that changes things by removing the standard middle lane in favor of a massive jungle, and adding "Resource Nodes", which are automatically mined by minions when captured and give resources to the team. While it became something of a fan favorite, EA decided to shut down Waystone Games and closed the ''Dawngate'' along with it.
103	* ''VideoGame/{{Demigod}}'': A particularly high-budget attempt at the genre, with incredible graphics and sound and a lot of creative new mechanics; sadly, it failed to get off the ground (it wasn't FreeToPlay, which most of the successful titles are, and had a ''very'' small number of Hero Characters) and died in short order.
104	* ''VideoGame/FatesForever'', a MOBA made exclusively for tablets (iOS only). It didn't get far, but its legacy lives on: as they programmed ''Fates Forever'', its developers noticed that most Voice over Internet Protocol clients (IE telephone over internet) didn't work well when run alongside gaming software. They set out to create their own solution. It's called Creator/{{Discord}}.
105	* ''VideoGame/GuardiansOfMiddleEarth'', featuring characters from Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium.
106	* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfOrderAndChaos'': Actually the very first attempt for a mobile MOBA by Gameloft, predating even ''VideoGame/{{Vainglory}}''. However, it's overshadowed by ''Vainglory'' (before it collapsed on its own) and its competitors that it stayed quiet and shut down at February 2023, meaning that it ironically lasted a bit longer than ''Vainglory''.
107	* ''VideoGame/InfiniteCrisis'': A MOBA set in the DC Universe, with the premise of numerous alternate universes colliding. [[TooGoodToLast Its creator, Turbine, announced its shutdown for August 2015, six months after its release.]] However, some of the DC heroes would make appearances in another mobile MOBA, ''Arena of Valor''.
108	* ''VideoGame/MondayNightCombat'', a hybrid of the genre with Third Person Shooter.
109	** Its sequel, ''Super Monday Night Combat'', followed the formula more closely, but still blended it with a Third Person Shooter.
110	* ''VideoGame/OrcsMustDieUnchained'' originally had a Siege mode that mixed MOBA-style action with the TowerDefense gameplay of the previous games, but was eventually removed due to unpopularity to focus more on the [=PvE=] aspect of the game.
111	* ''VideoGame/Paragon2016'', a ThirdPersonShooter-MOBA much like ''VideoGame/MondayNightCombat'', made by Creator/EpicGames of the VideoGame/UnrealTournament fame, as well as running on the Unreal 4 Engine. Though not unsuccessful, it was overshadowed by Epic's other product ''VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}'' and shut down for financial reasons.
112	* ''VideoGame/PrimeWorld'', a game that sought to integrate Facebook and the ability to play support with a Zuma-like mini-game if a player isn't that good with [=DotA=]-style games). Has its own TowerDefense SpinOff, "Prime World Defenders", on smartphones. This spin-off is still in existence, which is more than ''Prime World'' itself can say; it closed in March 2021.
113	* ''VideoGame/RiseOfImmortals'': Lasted around 2-3 years, with a short relaunch as [[FunWithAcronyms Battle for Graxia]], but the service was canceled in June 2013.
114	* ''VideoGame/SinsOfADarkAge'': By [[VideoGame/SinsofASolarEmpire Ironclad Games]], it mixed things up by introducing randomly selected quests during the match, each of which comes with a unique reward in addition to building an overall quest completion reward list. Released in March 2015, it was deemed financially unviable within a mere two months.
115	* ''VideoGame/SolsticeArena'': a trend-breaker in several ways, being published by Zynga (!) exclusively for [=iStuff=] (!!), though a Steam release came later. It was described as a "speed MOBA" and did away with lane creeps entirely.
116	* '' [[VideoGame/StrifeMOBA Strife]]'', a MOBA developed by the same people behind ''Heroes of Newerth''. While introducing player customization such as custom recipes, the game was also balanced for a more casual experience by giving shared creep bounty, revising scaling for all heroes, and even removing wards.
117	* ''VideoGame/UniversalMonstersOnline'': a MassiveMultiplayerCrossover starring Universal Horror monsters, discontinued as of 2013.
118	* ''VideoGame/{{Vorp}}'', A [[RecycledInSPACE Space MOBA]].
119	* ''Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes'': A game that ''was'' being made by Bioware, did moderately well, but failed to meet expectations, and was canceled before it left beta.
120	* ''VideoGame/TheWitcherBattleArena'': a free-to-play game based in ''Franchise/TheWitcher'' universe.
121
122	[[/index]]
123	----
124	!!List of tropes prominent in the genre:
125
126	* AdaptationDisplacement: [=DotA=]: Allstars is more popular and well-known than any of its predecessors. Very few people know about Aeon of Strife or Eul's [=DotA=]. Likewise, Guinsoo's tenure at the helm of Allstars is more historical compared to Ice Frog's tenure, due to Ice Frog maintaining CompetitiveBalance.
127	* AscendedGlitch: Some limits of the Warcraft III engine and glitches made it into metagame and are copied in other games. Notably, the concept of killing your own friendly creeps to "deny" XP and gold from the enemy.
128	* BossBattle: The heroes may be considered Bosses. In addition, some [=MOBAs=] also include a powerful Neutral enemy which is difficult to face alone, but usually yields a powerful reward ([[VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients like the]] [[VideoGame/{{Dota2}} ability to]] [[AutoRevive revive from death once]]).
129	* BribingYourWayToVictory: The most common business model for these games is a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] version of this: players get access to a small portion of the roster of playable characters, which regularly rotates. Characters can also be unlocked permanently by buying them with in-game currency, but this often takes enormous amounts of grinding (especially for the newest characters, which usually have an inflated price tag when they are first released). If you want to play as someone you don't have unlocked but don't feel like grinding for days (possibly weeks if the game is especially stingy with its currency rewards), you'll have to cough up the cash. Some games also offer a special bundle which instantly unlocks every current and future character at a reduced price. This is not as bad as it may sound, as all characters are generally meant to be roughly equal in power, so having more of them to pick from does not always grant you an advantage so long as the game's balance is good enough. ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}'' is the only one that doesn't always follow this format: The money are used for accessories or event boosters; but as far as the original game goes, all heroes are available from get-go, though it will create [[DifficultButAwesome a situation where newbies will be overwhelmed if they do not adapt quickly.]]
130	* CantCatchUp: Players intend to invoke this. In many [=MOBAs=], there are many heroes who can't do much after a certain point in the game thanks due to lower scaling abilities/stat growth. In addition, by then, heroes who succeed in getting enough gold and experience [[MagikarpPower will start to painfully maim their past predators]]
131	* CastOfSnowflakes: This is a standard feature of this genre. The characters have to be distinct and easily-identified in a chaotic teamfight.
132	* CasualCompetitiveConflict: Embodied in the rivalry between ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' and ''VideoGame/Dota2.'' ''[=LoL=]'' isn't even the simplest MOBA by a long shot, but it's the biggest, and was deliberately designed as a much more streamlined version of ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncientsAllStars,'' ''Dota 2's'' immediate predecessor.
133	* CharacterTiers: These are frequently debated by the various communities and monitored closely by the developers; due to the competitive nature of these games, heroes are frequently made more or less powerful in order to bring them into better balance with one another, with varying levels of success. Some heroes are generically strong, some can be used in multiple roles on a team, some excel at specific roles, and some may be [[CripplingOverSpecialization useful for exactly one thing]] and completely useless otherwise. The tiers change frequently in many games due to constant small adjustments to various heroes, with older heroes tending to settle out to relatively stable positions while newer heroes tend to be more varied in usefulness as they are rebalanced as players learn how to use them to deadly effect, or counter them and render them almost entirely useless.
134	* ComebackMechanic:
135	** In many games, if you kill a Hero who is in the middle of a KillStreak, you get a big Gold bonus, not to mention a huge psychological boost. However, this is all too frequently [[UnstableEquilibrium subverted]].
136	** See also the various other metrics of success. New players typically assume that leading in killscore equates to victory, and it certainly does up your chances... but "CS" (creep score), the number of {{mook}}s you've killed--and thus the ''amount of Gold'' you have--is critical too, because that results in better items. The number of demolished towers are also important, because it lowers the enemy's map control and makes it harder for them to farm safely. Finally, there's typically some sort of {{superboss}} (Roshan in the original ''[=DotA=]'') that grants some sort of [[LastDiscMagic mega-buff]] when slain. In the semi-final round of the 2013 ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' world championship, a team that was behind in kills ''2 to 1'' nonetheless managed to keep equal in Gold and items, and snatch said mega-buff. It was enough to turn the game in their favor.
137	** The biggest ComebackMechanic, though, is the way respawn timers scale with level. The higher your character's level, the longer it takes for that character to respawn. This can create very long periods of time in which your team is under-strength in comparison to the enemy team. In fact, teams who have been winning the entire game have been known to lose the match by engaging in a team fight, losing said team fight by any margin whatsoever, and being unable to stop the enemy team as they steamroll their way through the gap. (Of course, this requires your team to grab the IdiotBall with both hands ''and'' the enemy team to grab the SmartBall, neither of which are things you can count on.)
138	* CompetitiveBalance: You can have {{Physical God}}s and {{Badass Normal}}s in one setting, but they must be equal in power.
139	* {{Cooldown}}s: Your abilities will almost always have a cooldown period after being used. In some games, the most powerful ultimate abilities may have several minutes of cooldown, while more arcade-y games may have only a few seconds at most.
140	* DeathIsCheap: Downplayed. As mentioned, your hero respawns endlessly and will continue to do so for as long as the match goes on; you never have to worry about getting locked out of the match. Having said that, dying is literally the absolute worst thing you can ever do in a match (short of ThrowingTheFight by dying on purpose), because your team is 20% weaker until you come back. (And that's before we get into funky math about how much further the enemy team got ahead while you were gone.) While it is extremely difficult to play a serious match without ever dying, that is nonetheless the standard you are expected to play to.
141	* DuelingGames: The rivalry between ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' and ''VideoGame/Dota2'' is quite possibly ''THE'' most vicious and hate-fueled clash in gaming history, easily surpassing the [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]]/[[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]] rivalry of the early 90s or the more recent ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' vs ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}'' conflict in sheer vitriol. The two fanbases simply cannot tolerate the mere ''existence'' of the other, with ''Dota 2'' players treating ''[=LoL=]'' as a dumbed-down, childish rip-off played by immature, unskilled babies [[ItsHardSoItSucks too pathetic to play a real game]], while the ''[=LoL=]'' players consider ''Dota 2'' to be an obsolete, clunky, intentionally-overcomplicated dinosaur of a game played by arrogant, elitist snobs who [[ItsEasySoItSucks equate "difficulty" with "quality"]]. The fact that both games are considered to have among the most toxic and unpleasant communities in all of gaming certainly does not help matters. Other games in the genre only avoid similar bashing from these communities by virtue of being smaller targets.[[note]]Their case is an exclusive one thanks to a drama-filled conflict of how ''Dota Allstars'' ex-developer and one of the founders of Riot Games, Pendragon, turned the game's official forum as a platform to promote ''League of Legends'', which left the old ''Dota Allstars'' players extremely bitter, as they perceive this as a painful betrayal, and swore eternal hatred to ''League of Legends'', and eventually ''League'' players get sick of the constant vitriol and decided to retaliate. Other games do ''not'' have this ongoing drama against each other that made their 'duel' more severe.[[/note]]
142	** On the mobile side, ''VideoGame/ArenaOfValor'' and ''VideoGame/MobileLegendsBangBang'' form up a similar rivalry (''MLBB'' has immense advertising advantage much like ''League'', while ''AOV'' actually offers inner depths almost similar to ''Dota'', in as much as a mobile MOBA can offer), just less hate-fueled or filled with vitriols against each other.
143	* DynamicEntry: Pretty much every MOBA has at least one character that can use "stealth" or turn him/herself invisible before landing the first attack. Or a character that leaps so high in the sky and then instantly teleports to a certain far distance while generating a ShockwaveStomp on landing, usually nicknamed as the '(insert relevant thing here) Drop'
144	* EarnYourFun: Sure, it can take a long time to adjust to even the basic mechanics of the game, even longer to know what every character, item, and mechanics do and get a firm grasp on the flow of the game, but if you can get past those (and the community), [=MOBAs=] can be a very rewarding experience for some.
145	* EnemyEatsYourLunch: A constant thorn whenever you play as a jungler. You are just minding your business beating up the jungle creeps, when suddenly, an enemy pops up out of nowhere and lands the final hit, so the rewards (buff, experience and money) goes to that enemy and you just wasted your time. Can also happen on a massive scale when the 'creep' in question is actually a tough {{superboss}}. One of the strategies in the early game is to have every heroes camp near the enemy jungle and gang up on the jungler, stealing their buff (then go back to their proper lanes) and rendering them underpowered for the rest of the game unless the jungler had other ways to catch up without being inflicted with mental damage of getting ganged up ''again'' in another camp.
146	* ElementalPowers: Pick any element you can think of and listed in the page. ''Any elements''. Chances are, each MOBA has a hero/champion thematically based on that element and utilizing them in their skills.
147	* ExcusePlot: Some games just think "Pick these people, now go fight."
148	* FollowTheLeader: The standard 5-on-5 three-lane map described above is the most common setup for maps. However, this is becoming increasingly rare, as more and more games try different layouts, sometimes even having multiple different maps.
149	* ForcedLevelGrinding: Farming is the prime sources of ExperiencePoints for skills and gold for items, even with the much larger individual bounties for hero kills.
150	* FountainOfExpies: The genre's popularity in China ensured that several characters from certain Chinese literatures would be repeated a lot of times:
151	** MonkeyKingLite: Most games have a playable Monkey King in some form. If it's not a flat out playable character based on Sun Wukong (or Wukong himself being part of the roster), a character will have a skin based on the Monkey King.
152	** The spear-wielding warrior from ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'', Zhao Yun, will inevitably get a variant on mostly mobile games which is more in-line with the Chinese tastes. Zhao Yun himself is present in ''VideoGame/HonorOfKings'' where many Chinese figures gather; he's got his {{Expy}} in both ''VideoGame/MobileLegendsBangBang'' and ''VideoGame/ArenaOfValor'' (Zilong and Zanis; and heck, for Zanis, the game's Japanese and Taiwanese servers just refers to him as Zhao Yun and called it a day), and several other minor mobile games as a rule has a need to include a Zhao Yun variant. It doesn't look as obvious for PC players, because the only Zhao Yun variant available there is Xin Zhao from ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends''.
153	** Expanding beyond China, there's always going to be a hero whose playstyle is based on [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Pudge, the Butcher]]: They always come with a chain hook skill that goes very far and quickly drags the first enemy it touches right to their side, and they always have a way to make sure you stay in place for awhile. Pudge imitators thus far include [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Blitzcrank]], [[VideoGame/HeroesOfNewerth Devourer]], [[VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm Stitches]], [[VideoGame/HonorOfKings Zhong Kui]] (not from ''VideoGame/{{Smite}}''), [[VideoGame/ArenaOfValor Grakk]] and [[VideoGame/MobileLegendsBangBang Franco]].
154	* GameplayAndStorySegregation: If the game has a backstory, expect it to have little to no bearing on the actual gameplay. Characters who are mortal enemies lore-wise will happily fight side-by-side if you pick one of them and a teammate picks the other.
155	* ItemCrafting: Introduced in [=DotA=]: Allstars. Everything is sold in the shop, but high-tier items are built out of mid-tier items, which themselves might be built out of low-tier items. This is meaningful because ''Warcraft III'' only gave heroes 6 inventory slots. Forcing you to save up for the InfinityPlusOneSword would basically doom your team to failure, since anyone who went for an InfinityMinusOneSword would have it half a game earlier--and that edge, tiny though it seems, matters ''a lot''. Hence item crafting, allowing you to suck less by building two -1 Swords and combining them into the +1 later.
156	* IShallTauntYou: Some games allow you to taunt your enemies with either a taunt command or an emote. If in the game, recalling back to base is an action that don't cost a thing, a player can instead spam the recall button. Negatively, it's considered UnsportsmanlikeGloating. Pragmatically, it's counted as baiting the enemy to [[BlindedByRage get irritated, which hopefully makes them less-concentrated and more mistake-prone]], which translates to more advantage for you. Be careful of possible comebacks, though. There are also 'in-universe' Taunt skills, which mostly translate to 'inflict DrawAggro to those who get hit'.
157	* LimitBreak: the ultimate spell which is more powerful and unique than any other spells, and it is only unlocked by reaching a certain level.
158	* NeverMyFault: Given the large amount of randomness that goes into the genre, this mentality is prevalent. It may also contribute for the genre's success: in a team environment, after all, all five people have to cooperate properly to win, and if you can simply blame those other four people for not doing ''their'' job, then you start another match to prove that you totally knew what you were doing.
159	* OneManArmy:
160	** DownplayedTrope for the players. Certainly the average playable character is this compared to the average (unseen) denizen of the gameworld, but compared to other playables, a character may only become a One Man Army if they get a massive advantage over the other side in the early game.
161	** If the game has a {{superboss}}, it will usually qualify, requiring multiple characters to take down.
162	* RecurringElement: A MOBA usually is known of taking elements of an existing MOBA game and then modifying them a bit to differentiate. As such, expect a lot of similar play styles and heroes whose theme and playstyle emulate an existing character from another game. Some end up being a FountainOfExpies.
163	* PickUpGroup: matchmaking. Note also that the vast majority of players will get the vast majority of their play experience in [=PUGs=], as the playerbase's toxicity can make it difficult to find anyone who is willing to lane with you repeatedly.
164	* PlayTheGameSkipTheStory: Being a multiplayer game; whenever a game attempts to have a plot, it's ignored.
165	* SeriousBusiness: This is par for the course in ''any'' [=PvP=] game, but practically a genre trait in MOBA games.
166	* SillinessSwitch: Many [=MOBAs=] have cosmetic skins which can turn a serious character into a walking joke, such as [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Dunkmaster Darius]], [[VideoGame/{{Smite}} Such Cold Skadi]], and [[VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm Kandy King Muradin]].
167	* ThrowingTheFight: often described as "feeding," this is the act of playing to lose, often by dying on purpose to the enemy team and "feeding" them the Gold and EXP bonuses. Note that this can happen without treacherous intent, if the other player is just that much better than you. Doesn't stop you from losing, though. And, if a teammate sees you doing this on accident, they may start doing it on purpose, just to get things over with faster.
168	* TotalPartyKill: Depends on the game. There are [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends "Aced!"]], [[VideoGame/{{Smite}} "Deicide!"]] or [[VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm "Enemy Team Dominated!"]], or [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} RAMPAGE!]] These all are achieved when you and your team brutally slaughter every single player on the opposing team and leave no survivors.
169	* UnsportsmanlikeGloating: Aside of the usual all-chat abuse, there's one way to rub your victory over the defeated team if you're so ahead: 'Base/Fountain camping'. It's the act of surrounding the enemy base after you have deprived them their defensive structures and only waiting for the inevitable time that the enemy core will blow up... and yet you don't do it manually, you let your creep/minions do the job as you stand near the enemy base, killing them swiftly whenever they respawn, just to hammer down their helplessness from your savage beatdown. In certain games where teleporting to your base is a free action, another way to gloat is to constantly spam the "recall" option. However, there are some scenarios where the gloaters got too cocky they made a mistake that allowed the curb-stomped team to somehow make a comeback and snatch victory, [[WhosLaughingNow reversing the position.]]
170	* UnstableEquilibrium: [=MOBAs=] tend to have ''incredibly'' unstable equilibria. Remember that whole thing about "feeding"? If you die to the same enemy player three times or even ''twice'', you can basically condemn your team to defeat. There is ''very'' little margin for error in a [=MOBA=].
171	* UrExample: ''VideoGame/HerzogZwei''
172	* WeakTurretGun: DoubleSubverted by the towers. Early-mid game towers are very dangerous and can kill heroes in only a few hits, but they don't scale according to hero levels, so past a certain point towers stop being a formidable threat. Their main Late-Game use is as glorified stealth detectors. However, generally played entirely straight and justified gameplay-wise with some heroes who may be able to summon turret guns.
173	* WeaponSpecialization: Due to the inherent large number of characters, eventually each MOBA will have representatives for many weapons. For those of you who likes certain weapons, you will most likely be drawn to the Hero/Champion wielding it, although their usage and role vary between each games. Add up DualWielding sometimes and it provides variety. [[Analysis/MultiplayerOnlineBattleArena The Analysis page provides some common themes shared between those who wield these weapons.]] Some of the more common weapons to grace the MOBA genre include:
174	** Axes (be they used to melee or being thrown). Examples include [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Axe]], [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Darius]] for the purely melee ones, [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Troll Warlord]], [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Draven]] for the ranged ones (though Troll can switch to melee if he wants to)
175	** Bow and Arrow. Examples include [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Drow Ranger]], [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Ashe]].
176	** [[AutomaticCrossbow Crossbows]]. Examples include [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Vayne]], [[VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm Valla]]
177	** [[CarryABigStick Hammers]]. Examples include [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Poppy]], [[VideoGame/{{Smite}} Thor]]
178	** [[CarryABigStick Maces/Clubs]]. Examples include [[VideoGame/{{Smite}} Hercules]], [[VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm Leoric]]
179	** SniperRifle (Other kinds of firearms are also often found, but this is the most common form spread through the genre). Examples include [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Sniper]], [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Caitlyn]].
180	** Daggers. Examples include [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Riki]], [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Katarina]].
181	** Polearms, but most commonly spears. Examples include [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Phantom Lancer]], [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Xin Zhao]]
182	** [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe Shields, either wielded in the other hand or just wholly using shields.]] Examples include [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Dragon Knight]], [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Leona]] for those using it in one hand, [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Braum]], [[VideoGame/{{Smite}} Cabrakan]] for those only using shields.
183	** [[MartialArtsStaff Staves]]. This is commonly used for a MonkeyKingLite character, if there's one.
184	** [[CoolSword Swords.]] Of course, with so many of its variants.
185	*** [[RoyalRapier Rapiers]]. Examples include [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Pangolier]], [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Fiora]].
186	*** [[KatanasAreJustBetter Katana/Japanese Sword]]. Examples include [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Juggernaut]], [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Yasuo]].
187	*** [[{{BFS}} Giant Swords]]. Examples include [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Sven]], [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Garen]].
188	** [[ThrowDownTheBomblet Bombs/Explosives]]. Examples include [[VideoGame/{{Dota 2}} Techies]], [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Ziggs]]
189	* YouAreFat: Inverted. In this genre, "fat" is almost always a compliment: it means someone has been "feeding" you and you are now overpowered as a result. This only applies to carries, though. If it's a support who somehow gets fat, they'll probably be criticized for being fat instead of stepping back and letting the ''carry'' become fat, which is what a support is supposed to do. (Keep in mind that carry characters are typically saddled with MagikarpPower levels of scaling, so being undernourished makes it impossible for them to [[TitleDrop carry]] the team to victory as they should.) (This is also an example of why the genre [[ForumSpeak Suffers Newbies Poorly]]: if you're a healer, being a HypercompetentSidekick is good way to ''lose''.)
190	----

Context Main / MultiplayerOnlineBattleArena