League of Legends and DOTA 2 have been at the forefront of the MOBA genre over the years, and due to their active competitive scenes and consistent game mechanics, they have also played significant roles in the growth of Esports as a whole.
A long-standing discussion, however, remains-what is the best MOBA title to immerse yourself in-LOL or DOTA2?
It’s an easy question to answer, and it’s a pretty complicated explanation at the same time;
Very clearly, a LOL veteran would prefer LOL as the better game, while an active DOTA 2 player would do the same with DOTA 2.
Otherwise it would be impossible to persuade any group of players since they will have acknowledged the shortcomings in their chosen title merely because they have already been through the process of immersing themselves in their preferred title.
For a new player looking to delve into the MOBA games universe, though, a more analytical approach to analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of both games can go a long way, on that note, here’s a head-to-head look at some main facets of LOL and DOTA 2.
PAYWALLL
Almost all professional games have microtransactions these days, they still remain a contentious topic, but the gaming culture as a whole has evolved to embrace them to some degree.
In an attempt to ensure that players do not feel pressured to make any payments aimed at improving their advancement in a game, some games keep their microtransactions to the bare minimum, whereas other games purposely impose a paywall around key products, the latter becoming by far the greatest pet peeve among most gamers today.
Both DOTA 2 and League of Legends have microtransactions, but LOL’s microtransactions are more pronounced because some of the champions available for use in the game are surrounded by a paywall.
In the other hand, DOTA 2 has a fully free pool of heroes from which you can select, providing an enjoyable gameplay environment for new players who are not too keen on paying cash to unlock characters.
So, DOTA 2 has a big advantage over LOL in terms of microtransactions.
COMPLEXITY
DOTA 2 boasts a steep learning curve, though it is very easy to pick up on League of Legends.
Although this can sound like a downside on the part of DOTA 2, the difficulty of the game makes it even more satisfying after you have put in the moment to learn the dynamics of the game and perform those uncommon builds and plays effectively.
DOTA 2 has a special mechanic called the counter mechanic, which ensures that there is another hero on the roster that is more or less tailor-made to stop them, regardless of how powerful any hero is in the game.
This suggests that among other aspects, DOTA 2 players need to have an in-depth understanding of the game’s roster, providing an additional layer of expertise to the game.
COMMUNITIES
Worldwide, League of Legends has approximately 70 million users, while DOTA 2 boasts about 43 million, so LOL is definitely the most popular title.
The biggest advantage of having such a broad player base for the average user is the amount of content you can immerse yourself in outside of playing the game, when the amount and nature of LOL content eclipses what the DOTA community is capable of collecting.
VERDICT
The fact that DOTA 2 does not have a paywall makes it the easy alternative for others, whilst some will look at the rules of the game and make a judgement about what they consider is the best game.
DOTA 2 boasts a steep learning curve, though it is very easy to pick up on League of Legends.
Although this can sound like a downside on the part of DOTA 2, the difficulty of the game makes it even more satisfying after you have put in the moment to learn the dynamics of the game and perform those uncommon builds and plays effectively.
DOTA 2 has a special mechanic called the counter mechanic, which ensures that there is another hero on the roster that is more or less tailor-made to stop them, regardless of how powerful any hero is in the game.
By watching our lesson with N0tail-The Draft, about how to pick the correct counter, you will learn more about counter mechanisms.
Overall, this suggests that DOTA 2 players need, among other things, to have an in-depth understanding of the game’s roster, providing an additional layer of skill to the game.
To sum up, DOTA 2 will opt for a player who prefers sluggish and complicated gameplay, while League of Legends will opt for a player who prefers quicker gameplay and simpler mechanics.
All boils down to personal desire.
