Game Groups > Genre: ARTS/MOBA

ARTS (Arena Real-Time Strategy) or MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena - a term now trademarked by Riot Games) is a sub-genre of the real-time strategy genre with more focus on action. Typically, MOBA games take place on a giant map without unit construction where two players or teams each control a single character. Each character, often dubbed a hero, has a specific skill set and teams are organized around complimentary skills. The objective is to destroy a main structure of the opponents with the help of computer-controlled units dubbed Minions that spawn periodically. These units march towards the opponent through paths that are called lanes. There are also often defensive structures. Heroes earn a currency that can be used to buy items and also gain experience to level up and access new abilities. Heroes can attack each other directly and when they die they respawn at the base after a certain amount of time often combined with a penalty.

The genre was started through Aeon of Strife, a custom map for StarCraft and later further expanded through Defense of the Ancients (known better by its acronym DotA), a custom scenario for WarCraft III. The genre is also often called DotA-based because of the scenario's popularity. The first standalone game based around the concept was Demigod (2009), followed closely by the very successful League of Legends in the same year. DotA itself would receive a sequel as a standalone game under Valve's ownership as Dota 2 in 2013, making WarCraft III no longer a prerequisite for any popular MOBA. Blizzard released their own MOBA Heroes of the Storm in 2015.

Even though strategy is the main focus, the third-person shooter Super Monday Night Combat is also often considered part of the genre.

Related links

• Wikipedia: Multiplayer online battle arena