Even if you aren’t interested in esports, it is likely that you have at least tried a MOBA before, and there are remarkably few gamers who don’t fall in love with the combination of action and strategy. Of course, we can all burn out on games eventually, even when it comes to our favorites, like LoL. It’s always a good strategy to have an alternative if you get sick playing the same game over and over again.
This is why we have assembled this comparison guide between some of the most popular games in the MOBA genre. We’ll be taking a look at Dota 2, Smite, and Heroes of the Storm, and we’ll describe exactly what sets them apart from LoL and whether or not they can hope to replace it as king of the MOBAs.
If you’re getting tired of League and you still want the same hero-based gameplay and the freedom to make your own builds, then you will love some of the other options on this list. On the other hand, you can always buy lol smurf accounts to freshen up the playing experience, but we digress.
Dota 2
What used to be the largest competitor to League now seems like a shade of its former self with many of the new games on the market. Dota stands for Dawn of the Ancients, and it is the direct successor to the original mod for Warcraft III that created the MOBA genre in the first place.
Of course, the added complexity doesn’t stop there, and many of the heroes have some complicated abilities and passives. Keep in mind that Dota 2 is seen as a top-tier competitive MOBA, at least in the west, and the skill ceiling for this game is about as high as you can imagine.
The benefit of Dota 2’s design philosophy is that it maintains a much more serious core community. The downside to this game’s steep learning curve is that it has fewer players than many other MOBAs.
Smite
One of the more exciting competitors to League is Smite, as it takes a more action-based approach when compared to other games in the genre. Since the camera is positioned in a 3rd person perspective and you have direct control over your character’s movements and aim, you are more involved when you play Smite.
There are various game modes in smite, ranging from a massive arena brawl all the way up to your typical full-sized MOBA map, and everything in between. While Smite may not be as widely recognized as some of the other games, it is a worthy competitor that is certainly on the rise.
Another innovation for Smite is that it is available on consoles, unlike many other MOBAs. This may be disappointing for those looking to buy League of Legends accounts, however, as Xbox Live and PlayStation Plus both require a subscription, so you may want to stick to PC.
Heroes of the Storm
Last but not least, we come to Blizzard’s offering which combines all of the characters from their biggest IPs: Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft, and Overwatch are all mixed into this MOBA. One of the main advantages of this game is that it is one of the more recent MOBAs and it is highly refined.
Surprisingly enough, there are no items in Heroes of the Storm, as they are replaced with ability trees, like a more refined version of Smite’s ability leveling. One of the more promising signs from this game is the rate at which it is growing, as it already features a cast of nearly 80 characters.
One of the more notable parts of Heroes of the Storm is that the games don’t last as long as you would expect. Some intense League matches can go on for an eternity; Blizzard figured that their game would be more accessible, so the average match length is typically around half an hour.
Even though there are so many excellent MOBAs out there to choose from, you may be wondering why everyone seems to come back to League time and time again. There are a few reasons for this, but it is mainly due to the massive community that makes much more possible in LoL.
There is also the amount of polish and effort that goes into making League one of the most well-balanced games on the market. You won’t come across any MOBAs that have a balance which is as fine-tuned as in LoL, no matter how much the community likes to complain about it.
Of course, the esports scene also immensely contributes to the success of League of Legends, particularly in the eastern market. In the end, LoL is so well-established that it is going to be an immense challenge for another game to take its place.
Conclusion on Other MOBA’s
As you can see, choosing the right MOBA is simply a matter of taste, as they all have the same core gameplay but each one has a unique twist. Before we finish up, let’s compare the numbers of these MOBAs:
Game | Player Count |
League of Legends | 67 million |
Dota 2 | 13 million |
Smite | 20 million |
Heroes of the Storm | 4 million |
Thanks for taking the time to look over our comparison between League and some of the other MOBAs on the market. If you’re looking for cheap LoL accounts, feel free to check out the rest of our site.