6 MOBAS That Are Perfect For Newcomers To The Genre

Multiplayer online battle arena games, or MOBAs as abbreviated, are extremely competitive and time-consuming for players to delve into, with titles like League of Legends and Dota 2 dominating the eSports scene. MOBAs are a subgenre of MMOs that focus on player-v-player combat with real-time strategy elements as players compete in teams against their opponents and emerge victorious.

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Some MOBAs traditionally require a lot of mechanical skill, fast reaction speeds, and game experience for players to succeed and climb the ELO ladder. However, several MOBAs cater towards newcomers to the genre with their tutorials, basic combat, and easy-to-learn playable characters to not overwhelm beginner players. These are the six best MOBAs that are perfect for beginner players.

6

Paladins

• Available to play on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and macOS

Although it may look like a classic hero FPS game, Paladins does have a MOBA-type atmosphere. Paladins is based on movement skills, player positioning and reaction time. Players must conquer map objectives like moving a payload in Siege or maintaining control over the objective in Onslaught while tackling the enemy team.

Paladins, developed by Hi-Rez Studios, currently has 57 heroes in the game. They are each separated into different roles, like Support, Flanker, Damage, and Frontline, typically seen in MOBAs. Each champion has three unique talents to boost them, but only one can be chosen per game, so players must choose wisely to maintain an edge over their opponents. Paladins also has a unique feature involving deck-building, where players can purchase different cards and abilities to slightly buff them during the round. This currency is earned through kills, assists and completing objectives.

5

SMITE

• Available to play on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and macOS

Another game also developed by Hi-Rez Studios comes a more traditional MOBA, SMITE. Unlike other MOBAs, which typically are played from a top-down style, it features a unique third-person perspective, allowing for more player immersion. All the game’s playable characters are inspired by ancient mythology, ranging from the well-known to the obscure. Players will face off against familiar names like Thor, Medusa, and Zeus, as well as some famous legends like Mulan.

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SMITE’s current hero catalog is comprised of over 100 playable gods, each with different abilities and powers, so players can certainly find one to suit their playstyle. Like all other MOBAs, team synergy is crucial as they must work together to survive onslaughts from the enemy. Overall, SMITE’s colorful graphics and exciting character design make it a perfect MOBA for beginners to test out, so long as they consider who the best Gods for the arena are.

4

Pokémon Unite

• Available to play on Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android devices

Pokemon Unite is one of the newer additions to the MOBA scene, having been released in 2021 by the Pokemon Company. It offers a unique twist on the standard MOBA formula of destroying the opposing team’s base while maintaining the traditional 5v5 gameplay with multiple lanes. Instead, players must score points by defeating wild Pokemon before depositing their points on the enemy’s side of the map.

Currently, there are 36 playable Pokemon with a still-growing roster, so there is less for new players to learn and memorize. Players must consider the Pokemon they play as carefully, as Pokemon types make a difference. The playable Pokemon can grow in levels and eventually evolve if they can do so, gaining more powerful abilities as the game progresses. Pokemon Unique is a unique foray into the world of MOBAs and a welcome one.

3

Dota 2

• Available to play on PC and macOS

DOTA 2 is one of the oldest MOBA games available, yet it still has a large and active player base. It was inspired by Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and developed as a free-to-play game by Valve Corporation. There are currently 123 playable heroes in DOTA 2, less than in League of Legends. These are split into categories according to their function, as typically seen in MOBAs, like Support, Midlane Jungles/Roaming, with some heroes designed as being more beginner-friendly than others.

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Like most other MOBAs, DOTA 2 players must face off against each other in two teams of 5v5, with the priority being to destroy the enemy’s base. DOTA 2 is beautifully complex; one of those games that’s easy to learn but hard to master, requiring time to learn and skill to excel at. Once players become familiar with the mechanics, they will feel immense satisfaction after each win.

2

League Of Legends

• Available to play on PC and macOS

League of Legends is one of the most popular MOBAs, staying on top of the Esports scene. With a roster of over 150 different Champions spread across the five roles and a whole Item Shop to master, it does have quite a steep learning curve. Players can delve into the comprehensive competitive ranking system once they have reached Level 30. Despite its complexity, it still caters for beginners to the MOBA genre.

League of Legends has an in-depth tutorial system where players can learn the basics of the game. Newcomers can choose to play as either Brand, Lux, Master Yi, Darius, or Miss Fortune, with the goal to destroy the enemy Nexus. Once the tutorial is complete, players can play against AI bots of varying difficulty with other real-life ally players. This is the best way to learn the game’s mechanics and master some champions. League of Legends has consistent updates, rebalancing and new additions to the champion selection, keeping the gameplay fresh and exciting.

1

Heroes Of The Storm

• Available to play on PC and macOS

Heroes of the Storm is essentially a multiverse where iconic characters from across all Blizzard Entertainment’s franchises, like Warcraft, Starcraft and Overwatch, make an appearance. In contrast to other MOBAs, Heroes of the Storm emphasizes team fights and conquering map objectives instead of mechanical skill and purchasing items. Experience is gained by killing enemies and completing map objectives, making it a beginner-friendly MOBA.

Each character has a difficulty rating to help inexperienced players and newcomers choose characters more suited to their skill level by displaying the most complicated heroes to play as. Game matches in Heroes of the Storm are reasonably fast-paced. They rarely exceed the 30-minute mark, allowing for less stressful gameplay compared to games like Dota 2 and League of Legends. As of July 2022, Heroes of the Storm is no longer receiving any major content updates, but it is still worth new players trying out.

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