Top 13 best MOBA games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)
Which is the fairest mobile Multiplayer Online Battle Arena of them all?
Updated: November 16, 2021: Changed the text to fit the current date, added another title
MOBAs (that's Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) are big business in the competitive online gaming space. Since mobile gaming is taking up a lot of gaming space at the moment because most of the population owns a phone, a lot of big companies have shifted towards them. As you would expect from a genre as popular as MOBA games, they are taking over the iPhone gaming market by the day.
These highly tactical games combine the basic base-assaulting principles of real time strategy gameplay with the clicky combat and heroic abilities of an action RPG.
While this popular genre started out life on PC, it's since become massively popular on mobile. Some of these mobile MOBAs are clearly identifiable with their PC forbears, while others have streamlined the formula for portable play and spun it out into all new shapes.
Among this list of top mobile MOBAs, you'll find elements of card battling, some turn-based tactics, and even a little platforming. The mobile MOBA genre is basically wide open to interpretation, which makes it a pretty exciting place to be. Without further ado, click on the big blue button below to open up the list of best MOBA for iOS.
1
Vainglory
The daddy of mobile MOBAs, Vainglory has grown to be a fine experience with daunting layers of depth and plenty of updates. Its 3-on-3 combat has won the attention of streamers and pro players alike.
2
Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor is one of the most fully featured MOBAs this side of Vainglory, with a massive roster of heroes and rich gameplay. It's absolutely massive in China, and we can see why.
3
Clash Royale
Supercell's influential game takes the MOBA and funnels movement along two set paths, with a little Hearthstone card battling magic for good measure. The results are brilliant, an surprisingly intuitive.
4
Wild Beyond
Wild Beyond takes the core ingredients Clash Royale and then goes quite a bit deeper with the breadth and depth of its battles and the sheer presence of a single player campaign.
5
Paladins Strike
At first glance, Paladins Strike looks just like a traditional MOBA, with a familiar blend of zoomed-out team tactics. But here you get the kind of direct control of your hero that gives you more of an action game vibe.
6
Battle Bay
We almost forgot Battle Bay, not because it isn't good, but because it's very different to other games on this list. It feels like an online third person action game, but there's definitely a MOBA vibe to its nautical manoeuvrings.
7
Stormbound: Kingdom Wars
Stormbound: Kingdom Wars is a mobile MOBA that folds in elements of turn-based strategy and tower defence, further adding to this potent soup of a genre.
8
Little Lords of Twilight
Little Lords of Twilight is a highly strategic turn-based scrapper, but it weaves a little competitive MOBA magic into its fabric. The result is one of the cleverest games on this list.
9
The Machines
The Machines applies in intriguing AR spin to the MOBA. Battles here take place on your living room floor, or some other flat area, and you by pan around with your phone to view the action
10
Badland Brawl
Take the Clash Royale form of mobile MOBA, flip it to a side-on view, and introduce a little Angry Birds-esque catapult physics for an extra tactile twang. That's Badland Brawl's entertaining contribution to the genre.
11
Heroes of Order & Chaos
You wouldn't expect Gameloft to sit out the popular MOBA movement, but Heroes of Order & Chaos got in surprisingly early on mobile. It's a very accomplished effort too, with plenty of fresh content since release.
12
Wild Rift
Riot has successfully managed to bring their popular PC MOBA over to the mobile realm. It's not simply a one-to-one port either, they have rebuilt the game from the game up with touch screen devices in mind and it works incredibly well. The game has just been released in the US so they can also join the fun now.
13
Pokémon Unite
After a successful launch on Nintendo Switch, the company has released the game on mobiles a few months later and a lot of gamers around the world rushed to play with their favourite Pokemons. In regards to gameplay, this mobile MOBA does not stand out particularly from any other in the genre. However, if you are a Pokemon fan, this one is a no-brainer for you.
As you might need help with picking the right character, we have devised a Pokémon Unite tier list, so feel free to 'poke around'!