Hundreds of millions of people across the world watch MOBA games every week. It, therefore, doesn’t come as a surprise that thousands visit https://vulkanvegas.com/ro and other top-rated betting sites to wager on their favorite titles. Of course, wagering on MOBA fav is a great way of getting close to the action, while following your favourite players and teams. But what if you wanted to play the game yourself? Which are some of the best MOBA games to play in 2024? This is what this article will be looking at. Continue reading to discover more about League of Legends (LoL), (DotA), Heros of Storm, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Overwatch.

What Is a MOBA?

MOBA is an acronym for Massive Online Battle Arena. As the name suggests, it is a format of playing video games that pits a team of five players against each other. Mostly played on PC, the objective is to destroy the enemy’s base. Teammates must work in sync to purchase items and territory through unique characters. Each of these characters has its weaknesses and strengths that you must exploit to increase your edge.

Throughout the gameplay, the players will level up the characters by defeating minions (who are usually controlled by AI) and their opponents. You can also purchase gold, which you can use to later use to buy items during gameplay.

The first MOBA game was released in 2003, in the format of a fan-made mod (short for modification) for the popular game – Warcraft III. This modification gave birth to Defense of the Ancients (DotA), a game that quickly grew to become one of the most sought-after games. It also gave birth to the first eSports tournaments and inspired the formation of other titles too.

Popular MOBA Games Online

There are hundreds of MOBA games you can play online at any one time. However, like anything in life, some are more popular than others. As you go down the rabbit hole, trying to find the best games to play in 2024, there’s a high chance you’ll come across some of these.

League of Legends (LoL)

Abbreviated as LoL, League of Legends is one of the most played MOBA games. It was released in 2009 by a Santa Monica-based company, Riot Games. During its 10+ years of existence, League of Legends has evolved from having seventeen playable characters to a roster with more than 150 today! As per Cult of Gamer, League of Legends received more than 115 million players per month and has become the most popular game, surpassing the popularity of DoTA.

DotA 2

Released in 2013 by Valve, DotA 2 is the sequel to the most successful MOBA game – DotA. Although League of Legends is the most popular game, DotA 2 offers players a much bigger prize pool for its annual competition, referred to as The International. For example, it paid out a massive $34 million in the 2019’s competition that was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai. The prize money is usually raised by fans, who contribute directly to the pot by purchasing a battle pass referred to as “The Compendium.” This rewards players with in-game currency, which enables them to pay for their viewing and competing in special challenges.

Arena of Valor

Originally launched as Honor of Kings, Arena of Valor is a mobile-first MOBA game launched by TiMi Studio Group in 2016. The game follows a similar format as League of Legends and has a much bigger fan base in the Asian continent. It’s only gaining fans in the European and North American continents.

Arena of Valor has more than 110 characters to pick from. You can play different types of matches, ranging from the standard 3v3 and 5v5 to deathmatches like mayhem mode, which follows a 10v10 format or 2v2v2v2v2.

Heroes of the Storm

The Warcraft battle arena was the starting point for many MOBA video games. It, therefore, makes sense for Blizzard, the publisher of Warcraft, to release their own MOBA video game – Heroes of the Storm. This is a unique game in its own way and differs from what many other titles offer.

For instance, it comes with several maps to pick from, making it more interesting and entertaining to play. Secondly, it’s a much simpler game in terms of setup. It has few specialized units, which makes it quick to play the game. Compared to LoL and DotA 2, a game of Heroes of the Storm can last 20 minutes, compared to 40 minutes for the other games.

Final Thoughts

DotA 2, League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm, and Arena of Valor are without a doubt, the best MOBA games to play in 2024. This goes by the number of fans they have worldwide, the prize money some of the tournaments offer, not forgetting the number of streamers following any match whenever it is being played. But they are not the only ones you can play. Rocket League, Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO), and Overwatch are other games you should try if you are searching for variety!