League of Legends is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena). Riot Games released it on October 27, 2009, and it has been the most-played game in the genre ever since, with an estimated 100+ million monthly players.
What Does MOBA Stand For?
MOBA stands for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. Riot Games popularized the term around 2009 when marketing League of Legends. Before that, games in this genre were called "DotA-style games" or "ARTS" (Action Real-Time Strategy), a label Valve later used for Dota 2. Riot wanted a genre name that wasn't tied to a competitor's product, so "MOBA" stuck.
What Makes a Game a MOBA?
Five mechanics define the genre:
- Two teams, typically five players each
- A structured map with lanes, a jungle between them, and defensive towers along each lane
- Single-unit control - each player controls one champion or hero, not an army like in StarCraft
- In-match progression only - champions earn gold and XP during a match, but everything resets when the game ends. Nothing carries over.
- Base destruction win condition - the goal is to push through enemy towers and destroy the opposing team's base structure (the Nexus in LoL)
MOBAs evolved directly from real-time strategy games. The genre traces back to Aeon of Strife, a StarCraft custom map from the early 2000s, then Defense of the Ancients (DotA), a Warcraft III mod created in 2003. DotA kept the top-down perspective and strategic layer of RTS games but replaced army management with single-hero control. League of Legends and Dota 2 are both standalone successors to DotA.
Is League of Legends an RPG?
No. League of Legends is not an RPG, though the confusion is understandable. Champions level up during matches, unlock abilities, and build items, all of which feel like RPG mechanics. Riot's own 2009 blog post described LoL as "a MOBA that blends the speed and intensity of an RTS with RPG elements," and the LoL Wiki's genre tags include "Role-Playing Game" alongside MOBA.
The distinction is persistence. In an RPG, your character carries progress between sessions: levels, gear, story choices, and stats all persist. In League of Legends, every match starts fresh. Your champion is level 1 with no items, regardless of what happened last game. The progression is session-based, not persistent.
If you're looking for an actual RPG set in the League of Legends universe, Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is a turn-based RPG featuring LoL champions with persistent character progression and a story campaign.
Other Popular MOBAs
League of Legends is the most-played MOBA, but several other games share the genre:
- Dota 2 (Valve, 2013) - The other major PC MOBA, descended directly from DotA Allstars. All 127 heroes are free from the start. Higher mechanical complexity than LoL with deny mechanics, turn rates, and a courier system.
- Smite 2 (Titan Forge, 2025 open beta) - Plays from a third-person perspective instead of top-down, making every ability a skillshot. Characters are gods from real-world mythology across 15 pantheons. Available on PC, PS5, and Xbox with full crossplay.
- Heroes of the Storm (Blizzard, 2015) - A crossover MOBA featuring characters from Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. No last-hitting or item shop; uses shared team XP and a talent system instead. In maintenance mode since 2022 but still playable.
- Wild Rift (Riot Games, 2020) - League of Legends adapted for mobile (iOS and Android). Shorter matches (15-20 minutes), smaller map, and touch controls. Console development was cancelled in 2024.
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Moonton, 2016) - The dominant mobile MOBA in Southeast Asia. Fast matches (10-15 minutes) designed for lower-spec devices.
- Pokemon Unite (TiMi Studio, 2021) - A casual MOBA on Switch and mobile with 10-minute matches and a goal-scoring win condition instead of base destruction. Over 200 million downloads.
For a detailed comparison of how each game plays differently from LoL, see our guide to games like League of Legends.
If you're sticking with League, LoLTheory optimizes your runes, items, and champion picks together as a package for your specific matchup.
