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Four games bringing League of Legends' gameplay to mobile

Let's all do the MOBA

Four games bringing League of Legends' gameplay to mobile
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If you're reading this article, we assume you know what a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game is.

If you don't, MOBA is a game genre, based on the acronym Multiplayer Online Battle Arena.

It's a action real-time strategy thing that started with StarCraft...

Just check Wikipedia.

What's interesting about it is that PC game League of Legends has racked up 70 million registered players and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, but it's not coming to mobile.

Which leaves a massive gap in the market, so here are some of the companies with mobile MOBA games out soon.


game: Fates Forever
developer: Hammer & Chisel
platforms: iOS (launch), Android
out: summer

Set up by Jason Citron, the co-founder of OpenFeint, Fates Forever highlights its innovation with gesture-based skilled combat moves.

Citron says each 3-on-3 session will last about 15 minutes, and that monetisation will be respectful.

"The game doesn't make you stop playing if you don't pay, and you can't pay to get an unfair advantage," he told us.


game: Solstice Arena
developer: A Bit Lucky/Zynga
platforms: iOS (Android TBC)
out: soon

The first big mobile MOBA of the summer comes from Zynga studio A Bit Lucky. It's currently live in 20 countries as a soft-launch but will go global soon. The game's been in development for over a year, with dev team A Bit Lucky promises that this "won't be a dumb port". "We're not comprising when it comes to gameplay or graphics," GM Frederic Descamps told us. The game is designed to be accessible to new players, however, and will come with single player, co-op and PVP modes. As with many of the mobile MOBAs, Solstice Arena is all about 3-on-3 action. There's no resource elements, while social interactions will encourage players to come back for more The game will run on top of Zynga's With Friends network.

"You can think of it as the NBA Jam of MOBAs," Deschamps jokes.

The team also promise they will be supporting the launch with tons of additional content - skins and heroes - being released. New stuff will arrive weekly.


game: Arena of Heroes
developer: Sneaky Games/Zattikka
platforms: iPad, PC and Mac
out: Now (PC/Mac)

Putting a twist on the genre, Sneaky Games is about to release its turn-based MOBA game on iPad. (It's already available for PC/Mac in an open beta.) It can be played between 2-4 players, each of which have four hero characters. Games will be available cross-platform; something made easier by Arena of Heroes' turn-based gameplay.

Find out more here.


game: Skara - The Blade Remains
developer: 8 Bit Studios
platforms: Dependent on Kickstarter
out: Dependent on Kickstarter

Every article about upcoming games has to have a Kickstarter project. This article's one is Skara.

It's got 21 days to go, and has raised less than 10 percent of its £150,000 goal so it seems unlikely we will be playing it anytime soon, but Spanish developer 8 Bit Studios is hoping to bring the game to consoles, PC and mobile devices.

Using Unreal Engine, it's focusing on a fluid combat system, and a fast action - almost shooter - feel to the atmosphere.

There will also be a Story mode. You can read much more about the project here.


Of course, there are already some MOBA games available.

We weren't particularly impressed by Maya's Legendary Heroes but Gameloft's Heroes of Order & Chaos was much better, if a first attempt.

Jon Jordan
Jon Jordan
A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon can turn his hand to anything except hand turning. He is editor-at-large at PG.biz which means he can arrive anywhere in the world, acting like a slightly confused uncle looking for the way out. He likes letters, cameras, imaginary numbers and legumes.