League of Legends (LoL), developed by Riot Games, has dominated the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) genre since 2009, captivating players with its strategic depth, diverse champions, intense team fights, and massive sports scene.
If you’re a LoL fan looking to explore similar games with fresh mechanics, unique settings, or different platforms, this comprehensive guide lists the top 15 MOBA games that deliver thrilling experiences. Optimized for SEO, this guide details each game’s gameplay, appeal, and how it compares to LoL, helping you find the perfect alternative in 2025.
Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game where two teams of five players each compete to destroy the opposing team’s Ancient structure while defending their own.
It is known for its deep strategy, unique heroes, and massive international sports tournaments with record breaking prize pools.
The successor to the original Defense of the Ancients, Dota 2 is a MOBA titan with over 120 heroes and a complex meta. Its three lane map, jungle, and objectives like Roshan mirror LoL’s structure. All heroes are free, with cosmetics driving monetization.
Smite is a third person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game where players control mythological gods and engage in team based combat, using unique abilities and strategies to defeat opponents and achieve objectives.
Its gameplay features diverse pantheons, and each god’s design is inspired by their real world mythologies.
Smite offers a third person perspective, casting players as gods (e.g., Zeus, Anubis). Its three lane map and jungle resemble LoL, but WASD controls create an action game feel.
Heroes of the Storm is a free to play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by Blizzard Entertainment, featuring 5v5 team battles with iconic heroes from Blizzard’s franchises like Warcraft, Diablo, StarCraft, and Overwatch.
Players cooperate to destroy the opposing team’s “Core” by completing map specific objectives, utilizing unique heroes with distinct roles and abilities in fast paced strategic matches typically lasting around 20 minutes.
Heroes of the Storm (HotS) simplifies MOBAs with team shared experience and Blizzard characters (Warcraft, Diablo).
Arena of Valor is a fast paced 3D multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by TiMi Studio Group and published mainly by Garena and Level Infinite.
It features 5v5 real time competitive matches where players select unique heroes with different roles and skills to defeat the opposing team’s base.
A mobile MOBA by Tencent, Arena of Valor mirrors LoL with 5v5 matches, a three lane map, and objectives like the Abyssal Dragon.
Pokémon Unite is a free to play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game where two teams of five players compete to score the most points within a 10 minute match by battling Pokémon and capturing goals.
Players level up their Pokémon during matches, unlocking new moves and powerful “Unite Moves,” aiming for strategic team play and quick paced battles on a mythical island called Aeos.
Pokémon Unite blends MOBA mechanics with Pokémon, focusing on scoring Aeos energy in 5v5 battles.
Vainglory is primarily known as a free to play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by Super Evil Megacorp for iOS, Android, and PC, featuring team based strategy battles where players aim to destroy the opposing base.
The term “vainglory” itself also means excessive pride or boastful vanity, signifying a desire for public recognition and approval.
Vainglory is a mobile first MOBA with 3v3 and 5v5 modes, boasting crisp visuals.
Battlerite is a free to play, fast paced team based arena brawler developed by Stunlock Studios, focusing on skill based combat where players control unique champions in quick, intense matches without traditional MOBA elements like farming or item purchasing.
Matches are short, typically lasting under 10 minutes, emphasizing direct team fights and aiming based abilities in a shrinking arena until one team prevails.
Battlerite focuses on 2v2 or 3v3 arena battles, emphasizing team fights without lanes.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is a popular free to play 5v5 mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by Moonton, featuring fast paced team battles where players fight across three lanes to destroy the enemy’s base using unique heroes with strategic roles.
It has a strong competitive scene with ranked matches, sports leagues, and continues to be widely played especially in Southeast Asia.
Mobile Legends offers 5v5 LoL like matches on a three lane map.
Paragon: The Overprime is a free to play third person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by Team SoulEVE and Netmarble, serving as a spiritual successor to the original Paragon by Epic Games.
It features 5v5 team battles on a 3 lane map with jungles, where players select heroes with unique abilities and work to destroy the enemy’s core by overcoming towers and inhibitors.
third person MOBA reviving Epic’s Paragon, with LoL like lanes and action combat.
Awesomenauts is a 2D multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by Ronimo Games, featuring teams of three players battling to destroy the enemy’s base while upgrading their characters with collected currency called Solar.
It combines platforming and fighting elements with unique, colourful characters, making it an accessible and strategic MOBA experience praised for its fun, fast paced gameplay and cartoonish style.
A 2D side scrolling MOBA with 3v3 matches and a retro aesthetic.
Strife generally refers to intense conflict or struggle, often causing suffering and division between parties.
For example, in John Galsworthy’s play Strife, it depicts a prolonged and bitter strike between factory workers and management, highlighting the human cost of unresolved industrial disputes.
Strife is a streamlined MOBA with a focus on accessibility and shorter matches.
Eternal Return is a philosophical concept that posits time as an infinite loop in which all events endlessly repeat in exactly the same sequence.
This idea, historically linked to Stoicism and later revived by Nietzsche, challenges notions of change and free will by suggesting that everything that has happened will recur eternally.
Eternal Return blends MOBA and battle royale, with crafting and survival elements.
Marvel Super War is a free to play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by NetEase Games, featuring over 50 heroes from the Marvel universe battling in team based combat on mobile platforms (Android and iOS).
The game focuses on fair, balanced gameplay where players use iconic Marvel characters to compete in strategic 5v5 matches.
A mobile MOBA featuring Marvel heroes in 5v5 battles.
Heroes Evolved is a free to play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game featuring intense 5v5 team battles where players choose from 55 unique heroes to destroy the enemy base.
The game emphasizes strategic gameplay across three lanes, hero customization, and ranked modes, offering engaging and varied combat experiences.
A 5v5 MOBA with a three lane map and LoL like mechanics.
Onmyoji Arena is a 5v5 mobile MOBA developed by NetEase Games, featuring Japanese themed characters called Shikigami, fast paced team battles, and beautifully modeled 3D graphics inspired by Japanese folklore.
It offers balanced gameplay without a rune system and includes unique modes like 3v3v3 Royal Battle, emphasizing strategic cooperation and fair competition.
A 5v5 MOBA with Japanese mythology themes.
The best MOBA games like League of Legends in 2025 stand out for their strategic depth, varied hero rosters, and polished gameplay adapted to different platforms, offering both competitive and accessible experiences.
Titles such as League of Legends: Wild Rift deliver a mobile optimized yet complex experience faithful to the original, while others like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Honor of Kings dominate mobile with smooth controls and rich content; Dota 2 remains a top PC choice for hardcore strategists, and games like Smite add unique perspectives and mythological themes, ensuring diverse options for MOBA enthusiasts this year.
