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The Best Mobile MOBAs | 2021 Edition

Mobile MOBAs might not seem all that exciting — especially not if you’re accustomed to playing them on PC... | 7. May 2021

Mobile MOBAs might not seem all that exciting — especially not if you’re accustomed to playing them on PC — but you’d be surprised at just how entertaining and layered they’ve become over the years. Heck, we’re putting it mildly here. More often than not, they’re packed with content, they look amazing, and are every bit as engaging as their full-fledged PC counterparts. Whodathunkit? It defies all logic and reason, and yet it’s still true — despite the odds.

Naturally, as time went on, these games became better and better. Right now, at the time of this writing, they’ve reached a state of polish that is astounding in every sense of the word. Some, of course, are better than others. Some developers had bigger budgets to work with and that’s evident in the end result as well. It can truly make a world of difference when it comes to character models, animations, overall design, user experience, gameplay, and everything in between. Creating any kind of game is always a tall order; having a slew of talented developers is definitely a prerequisite, but talent itself can only get you so far without ample financial backing. 

That’s precisely what separates the good mobile MOBAs from the mind-blowing ones. 

League of Legends: Wild Rift — A Momentous Triumph

There are many mobile MOBAs out there, but none of them come even remotely close to the polish and execution that LoL: Wild Rift brings to the table. What Riot (and Tencent) has been able to accomplish is nothing short of awe-inspiring — this truly is a mobile version of League of Legends, and it comes with surprising depth and complexity. Of course, some corners had to have been cut, but you’ll be amazed to see just how feature-rich and entertaining Wild Rift is, despite being slightly watered-down. 

In fact, it has near full feature parity with the full game as well, which is mind-blowing, to say the least. It is, however, a lot quicker (for better or worse), and games tend to snowball out of control pretty easily. Still, if you’re after the absolute best and most streamlined mobile MOBA out there, then look no further than Wild Rift. Not only is it an absolute technical marvel, but it also manages to evade many of the pitfalls that have been so prevalent in the genre. 

Heck, if you’re a fan of League of Legends, you can stop reading right now and just download the game as nothing listed below will come even close to satisfying that MOBA-related itch!

Arena of Valor — Exceptional in More Ways Than One

In many ways, Arena of Valor was the precursor for Wild Rift. It was financed and developed by Tencent (a Chinese conglomerate that owns Riot Games), and it carries much of the same DNA. It definitely comes close in terms of polish and sheer gameplay, but it’s packed with annoying pop-ups, limited-time offers, seasonal events, and everything in between. Once you spawn on the map and start playing it’s definitely an exceptional game, but the road towards that point is severely flawed, to say the least. 

Still, if you’re fed up with League and its cast of colorful characters, Arena of Valor will definitely come as a breath of fresh air — despite having many similarities with Riot’s legendary IP. 

Heroes Evolved, Mobile Legends Bang Bang, Vainglory, etc. — No Longer Sufficient

Finally, we have a slew of titles that simply pale in comparison to Wild Rift and even Arena of Valor. Games like Heroes Evolved, Mobile Legends Bang Bang, Heroes Arena, and Vainglory are all fairly solid, but they’re also inherently flawed. And, perhaps most importantly, their flaws are too big and, at times, inexcusable. Why should you endure them, after all, when there are better and more well-rounded options on the market? 

Still, they’re quirky and idiosyncratic in a myriad of different ways, and they’re also fun too. Seeing how there’s no price tag attached, you might as well give them a try — you don’t have anything to lose, other than five or so minutes! They’re by no means better than the games listed above, but they have their own dedicated player bases and are staying afloat, despite the surging competition!