(M.O.B.A) If you don’t know it, learn it!

Multilayer Online Battle Arena, or M.O.B.A is a fairly new sub-genre to the Real Time Strategy market but is one that shows a lot of promise.

Most gamers will know MOBA by the more commonly known game Defence of the Ancients (DoTA), which was a mod created within Blizzard’s own Warcraft III engine. The game consisted of maximum of 10 players in a equal ‘vs’ match.

The map is broken down into three lanes which is split down the middle, on each teams side are defensive structures that if an enemy player is within range will deal large amounts of damage to a single target. Thus creating a tug-o-war type match which eventually leads to a heavy team oriented game.

As I’m sure your still left up in the air since I haven’t even touched the surface to the multiple mechanics of the game, please watch the quick explanation from IGN.com below.

Since it’s early beginnings of DOtA it has had a loyal following, and an even more loyal developers, in particular IceFrog, who didn’t create to MOD within Warcraft (See ‘Guinsoo’) initially but picked it up after the original developer passed the rein’s to IceFrog who ran with it for the community. Since then IceFrog has introduced multiple characters and balances whilst keeping to the original format of the game.

Since the release of the DOtA, the mod has spawned multiple illiterations of the game, two of which are free to play, and both well known within the gaming community.

See Heroes of Newerth (HoN)

See League of Legends (LoL)

Since simple starts the game has become to become one of the newest respected e-sport titles with tournaments giving a chance for winners to win a grand prize of $1,000,000.

Since then IceFrog is now behind the future release of DOtA 2 which is intended to be it’s own game much the same as HoN and LoL but with the big-wig Valve behind it supplying it own twist on the game like Steam-works Integration, Sponsored Tournaments and much more exposure than already established.

DOtA 2 is set to release later this year so be sure to keep your finger on the pulse and your ear to the ground for this upcoming release.

(Source: au.pc.ign.com)