MOBAs or multiplayer online battle arenas have been all the rage recently, all thanks to their immersive nature and rather straightforward gameplay. In fact, MOBAs have become so popular that they have their own eSports phenomenon, with tournaments and competitions worldwide having players win thousands to even millions of dollars in prize pools.
Given the popularity of MOBAs, it’s no question developers and publishers have eyed the mobile phone market for new MOBA releases. After all, if PC players love the idea of MOBAs, why not have the same experience when they leave the PC and use their phones?
Interestingly enough, we do have mobile MOBAs. And a lot of teams have begun releasing more MOBAs in the mobile app store market. If you’re the kind of gamer who loves MOBAs in the PC, you might be wondering what mobile MOBAs might be there in the market. We have a list of things you might want to check out:
Bang Bang with fun, streamlined gameplay. If there’s any game that took first dibs in the mobile MOBA scene, it’s Mobile Legends. The game capitalized on the appeal of 3D anime-esque graphics with basic smartphone action game mechanics to create a condensed version of other popular MOBAs in the market.
Mobile Legends is the place to go if you’re looking for a mobile MOBA with an established fanbase, market, and freedom with your account. And with MLBB’s steadily growing character roster and player base, the game without a doubt dominates app store charts. Plus, since it has an entire community, a platoon of streamers, and various competitions for it to retain fan interest.
Mobile Legends, or ML as fans affectionately call it, plays like your standard MOBA. Two teams of five heroes face off in a three-lane map. However, unlike other mobile MOBAs, it’s ML that has years of experience synergizing its 30+ heroes (and counting – there’s even a transforming car hero that’s like straight out of car games!) with its many map elements.
The huge diversity of heroes and constant arrival of skins make ML quite the attractive game to play, quit on… and then play again. After all, with new heroes every few months and revamps to existing heroes every so often, who could resist?
Aside from the appeal of Mobile Legends as a game, the title itself is a phenomenon in a lot of regions it caters to. Official fan groups actively post content, and the game allows groups to host competitions and tournaments on the game. Plus, it’s one of the hotly-streamed titles for mobile streamers. If you’re looking for a game that’s also a cultural phenomenon, ML is for you.
Arena of Valor tapped into the realistic fantasy approach. If MLBB “jumpstarted” the mobile MOBA , it was Arena of Valor that proved fantasy still had a place in this game genre. Unlike the rather artistic Mobile Legends, Arena of Valor takes on a more consistent and realistic medieval approach to its graphics.
And while the game does play like a standard MOBA, the game’s realistic flavor makes you feel as though you’re fighting opponents across different cultures and mythologies. Its skin themes remain consistent with its art style, making its identity unique. If you want to play a fantasy-themed mobile MOBA, this is for you.
Arena of Valor has the standard fare of mechanics from usual mobile MOBAs. However, the fact that Arena of Valor also had a Switch iteration meant its creators are serious in making AoV an active competitor in the mobile MOBA scene. AoV offers almost the same level of technical difficulty in PC-based MOBAs, but this time made much simpler to access via a mobile format.
While Arena of Valor plays like a standard MOBA, it did win a lot of accolades for its impressive musical score. It also has a fairly active eSports scene, having become a part of different tournaments worldwide.
In fact, Arena of Valor has become popular that some of its heroes were actually based on DC Comics’ heroes. Yeah, sure, Mobile Legends has skins based on some franchises (such as King of Fighters), but Arena of Valor has The Flash and The Joker as actual playable characters.
Extraordinary Ones fulfills that school-based anime aesthetic. Sure, ML and AoV let you play as mythological heroes in a huge fighting arena. But what if you’re playing in an actual school? Extraordinary Ones takes an otaku’s love for anime aesthetic and adds a flashy graphical motif to make quite the exciting and engaging MOBA. With heroes ranging from principals, teachers, and even students with different powers and abilities, you’ll likely have a ton of fun playing this mobile MOBA title.
Extraordinary Ones has a huge cast of heroes with a diverse set of appearances and skills. You want a handsome archer? Sure. Do you want a horned principal with a ton of guns? Got it! Extraordinary Ones takes on anime tropes and transforms them into workable concepts for the MOBA. The result is a flexible and huge ensemble of heroes that makes them very fun to play. Not to mention, the diverse sets of skills make hero synergy something to look for to, as well!
Extraordinary Ones has everything you’re looking for in a mobile MOBA, with the added thrill of playing with flashy graphics and a very intuitive and newbie-friendly atmosphere. If you’re new to the MOBA scene, Extraordinary Ones is a great way to get into mobile MOBAs.
Marvel Super War brings you hero on hero action in a comics-inspired environment. When you think mobile MOBAs can’t get any more fun, you have Marvel Super War to prove you otherwise. This new mobile MOBA has been rocking the scene lately, as it’s perhaps the first of its kind of actually feature heroes from some of the most recognizable IPs in the world.
Why, if you want to fight as your favorite Marvel characters (yes, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the MCU), this is the game to play! Get you and your friends a team and play as the Avengers, or play as other popular Marvel characters like Magneto and Wolverine and fight for supremacy.
Marvel Super War perhaps takes its hugely popular Marvel mythos and applies mobile MOBA mechanics to them. As a result, we get more or less familiar settings to play with. This is a huge deal for fans of Marvel looking for a MOBA to play, and this can spell great days ahead for Marvel as the game can also attract newbies in the MOBA market but love their heroes and villains.
The game plays like a typical MOBA, with players in two teams of five and battling it out in familiar settings. Heroes and villains were arranged according to “classes.” As a game in its early period of release, fans can expect more heroes and more skins, as well as a ton of freebies to enjoy.
What’s perhaps the biggest selling of Marvel Super War is its huge slate of popular Marvel characters. Aside from heroes made popular by the MCU, there are also heroes and villains popular across the entirety of Marvel comics. And this game can be a huge treat for fans, as skins for these heroes also tend to be popular costumes across their time in the comics! Tired of Scarlet Witch wearing her red trench coat? Why, go for her classic suit with the headdress!
With the above games in mind, it’s easy to assume that most if not all MOBAs generally follow the same gameplay mechanics. This makes sense, especially considering that it’s actually the first DoTA (Defense of the Ancients) mod for Warcraft 3 that sprung the entire genre to life in the first place.
However, while these games do seem uncannily alike, they all differ in the kind of gimmicks and offerings they have. All of them feature fun characters, quirky visuals, and awesome soundtracks – this means it’s really up to their respective “hooks” that can grab a gamer’s attention and get them to have fun.
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Altar of Gaming
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