It is not easy choosing which games would be the best MOBA games in 2020 as there are so many good games out there. However, here are the picks we made for this list:
1. League of Legends
League of Legends is still today the MOBA with the largest player base. Although declining in popularity over the last years, LoL is ever on top when it comes to attracting viewers to their tournaments. Created back in 2009 by Riot Games, the game reached official star status when it became the most played game in terms of hours played in 2012.
LoL is regularly one of the most viewed games on streaming services such as twitch, adding to its already big appeal for professional players and streamers. For new players though, LoL is basically an impenetrable wall of knowledge, demanding tons of time and dedication to overcome.
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2. Heroes of the Storm
The best game in the genre of MOBA games is establishing itself not only as one of the most popular MOBA games but also as one of the most popular games in all of eSports. HotS is a Blizzard Entertainment game that is free-to-play, albeit with in-game micro-transactions.
The popular HotS tournament, HGC, is hosted by Blizzard and has quickly attracted some of the largest teams in eSports. Balanced gameplay rewarding team play and skill makes this a game suitable both for pros and newbies.
HotS is available on both PC and Mac. HotS advantage over its biggest competitors is the streamlined leveling and the much shorter target times for matches to last. For a casual gamer, this is the definitive MOBA must play.
3. Dota 2
Defense of the Ancients 2 is still on top in terms of earnings for professional players. Created by Valve Corporation back in 2013, the game is exclusively available on Valves platform Steam for both PC, Mac, and Linux. Compared with HotS, DotA 2 is very similar in gameplay but lacking somewhat in regards to graphics and game engine.
We know that this is one of the biggest MOBA out there, making the game truly worth being on the list of the best MOBA games. But we put Dota as number 3 cause we see the potential for HotS to over-take that 2nd place.
4. Smite
Rethinking the way a MOBA should be played with the introduction of third-person view to the genre, Smite has since its release for PC in 2014, added support for Mac, but also for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, further diversifying itself from the other popular MOBAs.
The game revolves around battles between ancient gods from different mythologies such as Chinese, Norse, Egyptian, Greek and many more. Developed by Hi-Rez Studios, this game also bolsters a prosperous esports scene with hefty prize money.
5. Vainglory
The number one MOBA game for smartphones and tablets came out in 2014 for iOS and launched for Android a year later. It functions just like you would expect a MOBA would do, with somewhat simplified gameplay, stripped of ”unnecessary” complications or hassles.
It hosts four different PVP-modes with the most recognizable being the 5v5 skirmish. The game is created by Super Evil Megacorp and was unveiled at Apple’s September event in 2014 to showcase the new iPhone’s superior graphics.
6. Battlerite
The spiritual successor of Bloodline Champions is overall a good game that has received mostly good reviews. However, it has problems attracting players and is falling far behind other games in the genre.
The game is somewhat different from other MOBAs
Being a lot more focused on the action part of battling other players in combat instead of the more common strategy-focused games. This means that there are no towers to attack or defend, and no minions to kill, just pure combat 2v2 or 3v3. Battlerite is only available on Windows and soon to be released on Xbox.
7. Arena of Valor
Falling just behind its competitor Vainglory, AoV is still a valid smartphone/tablet MOBA game that is also available on Nintendo Switch. The game is a western adaptation of the Chinese game Honor of Kings.
The adaptation means that characters from Chinese folklore have been replaced by characters from European folklore and the DC universe. The international version of the game has received special praise for its in-game music.
8. Heroes of Newerth
Largely based on Defense of the Ancients, HoN was developed by S2 Games and released as a beta in 2009. It had many additional features in regards to DotA including in-game voice communication and player statistics among other things.
The game only became free to play in 2011. Unfortunately, one of the things HoN is most (in)famous for is getting hacked in 2012 with over eight million accounts breached. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
9. Strife
Just like HoN, Strife was developed by S2 Games. The game was said to be a generation 2 MOBA game for the casual player upon the release in 2015. Making big points of hosting a less toxic community and with the addition of elements outside of the arena, this game is the perfect gateway into
MOBAs for new players. Another diversifying factor is how the game features an extremely powerful monkey named Kratos – sounds like a hoot! Does it not?
10. Awesomenauts
This awesome (pun intended) 2d-game is a ludicrous new take on the MOBA genre. The game was released and developed with console compatibility as its primary focus for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012, later the same year it was released to Windows.
Today the game is also available on PS4, Xbox One, Linux, and Mac. To describe the gameplay one could basically say it is an insane mashup of Super Mario meets DotA, with three lanes to be pushed and defended. The objective is as usual to destroy the enemy base, all while jumping blocks retro Mario-style, simply awesome.
New MOBA Games – Honorable mentions
While the MOBA games scene can feel almost overwhelming in its wide array of offerings, there are still some showing up to the party – better late than never huh? It is unlikely that any of these newcomers will revolutionize the MOBA genre, or even make a lasting imprint, but that does not mean they cannot be great fun and super addictive.
Perhaps the most exciting MOBA game that came out in 2018 is the revitalized version of HoN which is currently in public test beta. This extremely thrilling and competitive game will surely attract some of the old hardcore gamers that thrived in the unforgiving world of Heroes of Newerth.
Do any of these MOBA games have a chance to reach the top? That only time will tell.
Dark Eclipse – Virtual Reality
Dark Eclipse is finally doing it, they are bringing VR into the MOBA genre. The game was released on September 25, 2018, as a PS4 exclusive. It is actually one of the most thrilling new titles for PS-VR according to the PlayStation Blog Staff. This game also looks great, and for anyone looking to explore their innermost desires to feel like a god, this is the thing. Beware though, you might not be as merciful of a god as you first thought.
Ascendant One
Ascendant One is bringing Greek mythology, to space which may sound a bit weird to most people. However, the game’s graphics and overall gameplay look amazing. Go check out some of the gameplay videos on YouTube and marvel at the graphics.
Some of the other MOBA titles were released in 2018 include; ”Arkana”, ”Circuits and Shields”, ”Ethereal: Clash of Souls”, ”King’s Vessel”, and ”Project Phoenix Rising”. So fear not worshipper of MOBAs, you will be battling in lanes and jungles for many years to come.
Summary
So, I hope you are pleased after seeing the best MOBA games for 2020 and also the upcoming ones that were released in later 2018. We’d love to get your feedback or opinion, just post a comment.
