5 best free MOBA games right now

A staple in gaming, MOBA games have dominated the landscape, partially on PC, for years. With massive player bases that rival and often surpass other genres, there’s a ton of fun to find in these games.

While there are a ton of great MOBAs out there, you’ll likely want to play the best that the genre has to offer. Whether you’re looking for a lighthearted romp through a weird game mode or an intense ranked match, you can get all that and more from these great MOBAs.

5

Heroes of the Storm

Still kicking

It might come as a bit of a surprise to hear, but Heroes of the Storm is still around and has been getting plenty of regular updates every few months since it was officially put on the back burner. It’s even getting new events, with regular character balances, bug fixes, and shop updates.

Much of the appeal of Heroes of the Storm comes from the vast roster of characters that come directly from other Blizzard games. You’ve got characters from all the main games, like:

• Ana – Overwatch
• Kerrigan – StarCraft
• Medivh – World of Warcraft
• Tyrael – Diablo

Maps are all based on the different games, with all sorts of little Easter eggs and throwbacks to each of the respective games. The player count in Heroes of the Storm might not be nearly as high as in other games, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get some great games going.

4

Smite

Perfect for new players

A slightly more beginner-friendly game than most of the others here, Smite has a lot of great features that make it a perfect choice for anyone looking to get into the genre. One of the biggest features that sets Smite apart from other MOBAs is that it has a third-person perspective, compared to the traditional top-down view that most MOBAs take, making it a bit easier to jump right into if you’re familiar with other games.

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Another nice feature that sets Smite apart from other MOBAs is the wider range of game modes from which to pick. The Conquest mode is your standard MOBA mode, with players competing to destroy each other’s titan at their base. Assault is a shrunken down version of Conquest, with just one lane to focus on while Arena is a combat-focused mode that does away with any objectives other than getting more kills on both your opponents and their minions. There are a few other game modes to explore, keeping the game feeling new for a long while.

3

Pokemon Unite

A different style of MOBA

One of the newer entries into the MOBA pantheon, Pokemon Unite follows all the same beats as other popular MOBAs, but with a Pokemon twist. The roster of characters is a bit smaller than other games, though it does feature a twist that most other games do not.

You start the game out as a Basic Pokemon, and if that Pokemon can evolve, you will move up evolutions as you level up. For example, you can pick Charmander to start, who will evolve into Charmelon at level five, and then Charizard at level seven. Not all Pokemon evolve though, like Darkrai and Mewtwo.

The game features a simplified version of item management, with players picking a few before the start of the game, and the only choices you need to make on character customization are on what attacks you’ll choose to have your Pokemon learn.

You can play Pokemon Unite on both your Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, with cross-play across all platforms you can play with friends on any device.

2

Dota 2

Combat at its finest

Dota 2 has been around for a long while, since 2013, and is a sequel to an even older mod created for Blizzard’s Warcraft III. Since then, it has grown into an impressive game on its own, with a level of complexity that other games cannot match.

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This can make the complete Dota 2 experience a little daunting for new or returning players, which is completely fair. However, once you clear this hurdle, you’ll have one of the deepest and most rewarding experiences the genre can offer.

One of the nicer features of Dota 2 is that it has a huge competitive scene, featuring tournaments with huge prize pools fairly regularly.

1

League of Legends.

Can’t topple the king

One of the oldest and grandest MOBAs around, League of Legends is the gold standard for how MOBAs should be. Since its debut in 2009, League of Legends has grown into a global phenomenon, with a player base regularly hitting over 150 million monthly.

With 170 champions to pick from, not to mention roles, items, and mechanics unique to each character, it runs into a situation where new players might face an information overload. Which is completely fair given how much there is to learn, even about individual champions. Once you find your favorite champions, preferred lanes, and some solid loadouts, you will start to get into the swing of things.

Much like Pokémon Unite, there is a mobile version of League of Legends you can try called Wild Rift. The core of the game is the same while streamlining other features to make it comfortable to play with just your phone’s touchscreen.

So many good games to pick from

There are tons of great MOBAs to pick from, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the games on this list. Keep in mind that MOBAs are highly skill intensive, and it can take hours of dedication before you feel competent in any game, not to mention any specific character. It is also important to be realistic with your expectations with these games as some of them can have a very vocal and volatile player base. Don’t be afraid to report any player who is being rude and focus on having a blast!

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