DOTA 2
Games Like League of Legends (LoL)
Looking for games like League of Legends? Luckily there are plenty. DOTA 2, Valve’s take on the MOBA genre, is League of Legends’ toughest competitor. DOTA’s origins come from a community-made mod in Warcraft III: Reign of Choas, entitled Defense of the Ancients.
Valve acquired the rights for this mod, and have created a MOBA that matches League of Legends’ depth, pace, and hero variety.
The key differences in gameplay between DOTA 2 and League of Legends is the inclusion of friendly fire. Unlike in League of Legends, DOTA 2 allows players to damage their allies, which makes busy lanes an issue. The environment plays a much larger role in DOTA 2, too, unlike League of Legends’ reliance on bushes.
Certain heroes in DOTA 2 are more powerful dependent on the map’s climate and time, with heroes also having a turn-around animation. In essence, DOTA 2 is very similar to League of Legends (community included) but has a few key idiosyncrasies to keep it fresh.
Related: Check out the rarest League of Legends skins.
Heroes of the Storm
Games Like League of Legends (LoL)
Heroes of the Storm is significantly more streamlined than League of Legends, offering an easier point of entrance for newcomers to the genre. Acting as a greatest hits collection of Blizzard properties, the MOBA title brings together heroes from Starcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft. While its star-studded roster was cause for initial hype, Heroes of the Storm carved out a permanent niche of a low MOBA learning curve.
The title has major differences from League of Legends, with the title having no in-game gold, items, and healing forts as opposed to potions. XP is shared amongst the team, with lanes being significantly more closed-off and map objectives being paramount to victory.
Overall, if players are tired of League of Legends’ demanding playstyle, then Heroes of the Storm can function as a perfect reprieve.
Smite
Games Like League of Legends (LoL)
Ever fancied playing a MOBA in third-person? Smite delivers on that particular want, offering a fast-paced MOBA centered around Godly mythos. The obvious difference between League of Legends and Smite is the perspective, with League of Legends opting for a top-down view and Smite centering around a third-person view.
Smite also has a smaller item set, as well as faster game times. Many abilities in Smite also have to be aimed, adding another dimension of skill.
For players who do not have experience in skill shot games, this transition may be difficult, yet also exciting. Gold and XP generation from minions is different, too. In Smite, players do not have to get the last hit on the minion to achieve rewards but will be rewarded a bonus if they do.
All in all, Smite offers a totally different pace and skill set compared to League of Legends, along with enough similarities to keep players comfortable.
Arena of Valor
Games Like League of Legends (LoL)
Given the explosion of the handheld market on mobile and Nintendo Switch, it is surprising that the MOBA genre has not taken the platform by storm. Arena of Valor, however, has enjoyed enormous success on the platform, blending MOBA mechanics with mobile accessibility. The title was the highest grossing mobile title of last year, grossing $1.9 billion in revenue, mostly from China.
The play is incredibly similar to League of Legends, with the item and XP system being a direct copy, albeit with less depth.
Arena of Valor also boasts one-on-one and free-for-all modes, as opposed to merely offering team battles. Hero choice is random, too, with players being able to re-roll a few times. Permanent characters can be bought via in-game coins or real money vouchers, so if you’re not a flex player, be prepared to grind.
Both LoL and Arena of Valor are controlled by Tencent, so the similarities in these two games are numerous. Maybe even too similar, but if you’re looking for something for your Switch that is like League of Legends, this is the way to go.
Vainglory
Games Like League of Legends (LoL)
Another game that has made the most of the mobile market is Vainglory, a five-versus-five or three-versus-three MOBA. Vainglory has the usual set-up for a MOBA, but has been designed from the ground up to run on tablets and smartphones.
Unlike its main competitor Arena of Valor, Vainglory has a much more forgiving cash shop and monetization policy, as well as simpler maps. There are 38 hero options and five game modes, with the mobile platform having surprising depth.
The game was praised for trimming features in the right areas, so if players are looking for a simpler League of Legends clone on the go, then look no further.
That does it for our five games like League of Legends. Let us know if you have any suggestions of your own below!
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