Dota 2 or League of Legends: Which Game is More Interesting and Popular?
Table of Contents
The most popular MOBAs today are Dota 2 and League of Legends. They were both created in the image and likeness of Warcraft and popularized their genre to the maximum. Despite the same source code, the games have significantly evolved over the years and feature considerable differences. Fans of both MOBAs can’t stop arguing over which game is more popular, interesting, and important in the gaming community.
Riot Games (developer of League of Legends) and Valve (Dota 2) try hard to give their games an identity and introduce as many distinctive features as possible in order to stand out. As a result, the games really differ not only in gameplay but also in other characteristics: character names and skills, maps, strategies, and other gameplay aspects. If you want to understand how good both games are and the highlights of each of them, it is worth objectively understanding all the subtleties and nuances.
Dota 2: Key Features
Defense of the Ancients did not start out as an independent piece but was one of the game modes in Warcraft III, which was the most in-demand and popular at the time. PvP Arena 5 vs. 5 quickly gained recognition as it stood out for the variability of strategies and enabled users to diversify each confrontation. Valve saw the potential and bought the rights to Dota from Blizzard. A stand-alone game of the same name was developed. The number 2 was simply added to the title.
Characters
Characters are called heroes in Dota 2 and are divided into four categories: Strength, Agility, Intelligence, and Universal. How many heroes are in Dota 2? As of today, there are 124 heroes available in the game. Each of them has four abilities: three basic ones and a utility. In some cases, there may be two passives. Skills can be boosted up to 30 points, and are used with mana.
The diversity of heroes is the game’s signature feature. They are not restricted to their class but can perform a wide range of roles. Scalability and playability remain at the forefront. Choosing a hero is a high responsibility because teamwork depends on it, which is a must in Dota 2.
Map
After the April update, it expanded by 40% to include the Jungle, with Roshan providing gold and a guardian angel to one of the team members. Players on both teams move along three lanes: Top, Middle, and Bottom. The map, like many other things, was taken from Warcraft III and modified by the Valve developers.
Mechanics and Engine
The game is powered by the Source 2 engine by Valve, which is an update of the first version. Its advantage is that it enables users to launch the game on low-powered hardware. However, recent changes have made the game more demanding to hardware.
As for the mechanics, some things are not so simple. Gamers have noted a certain sluggishness of characters and, in general, slow gameplay.
System Requirements and Graphics
One must have at least 4GB of RAM, a 2.8 GHz dual-core processor, and a DirectX 9.0 graphics card to have no issues with FPS. The animation and design are well-developed, so gamers are happy with the visuals of Dota 2.
League of Legends: Features
The isometric RTS by Riot Games is now considered the most popular MOBA, which has surpassed any other similar game in terms of the number of players. It is based on the gameplay of the first part of Dota. It was finalized by the experts who previously participated in the development of Dota 2 and even World of Warcraft by Blizzard. The company made sure that the improvement was made by actual developers who were well acquainted with the gameplay details of the source material.
The idea of the game is the same: two teams of five players compete for dominance on the map, and the main goal is to destroy the towers and inhibitors of the opponents. The strategy is to advance along three lanes: top, middle, and bottom, where the champions lane up in the following order:
- the top lane is a tank or close-range fighter;
- the midline is occupied by a Mage or assassin to cause maximum damage;
- the bottom line is occupied by a ranged champion and support;
- the forester moves all over the place to provide support on all lanes.
The tactics are undeniable and work the same way every time. Therefore, further actions on the battlefield depend on the choice of a character.
Heroes and Abilities
There are 159 champions to choose from in LoL, which are divided into six classes:
- Assassin
- Shooter
- Mage
- Tank
- Fighter
- Support.
A special feature of the characters in the game is that they are clearly classified by abilities and do not deviate from the assigned functions.
Each champion has three basic abilities and one ultimate. The basic ones can be upgraded four times to level 18. The ultimate skill is upgraded three times. Most characters need mana to use their skills but there are some that don’t need it. Some champions use their own HP or designated Fury champions.
Map
Two teams get to Summoner’s Rift. The task of each group is to destroy the opposing towers and, at the same time, to try to defend their own structures. The three lines are strictly fixed and do not enable wide variation in strategy. Special inhibitors are placed on each line to keep minions out. By killing them, champions are upgraded and receive resources. When they reach a certain level, it is possible to unlock new skills or improve existing ones.
Mechanics and Engine
League of Legends stands out for its smooth and mobile characters. They are more agile and faster, which increases the overall dynamics of gameplay. It can be explained to a certain extent by its engine developed by Riot Games. Therefore the game, released in 2009, can easily be launched on the hardware from those times. FPS 30–45 is sufficient for a comfortable game.
System Requirements and Graphics
Due to regular updates, the game has become a little more demanding on the technical characteristics of the hardware. It is recommended to keep an eye on the following system requirements in order to avoid failures and freezes:
- 4GB of RAM;
- 3 GHz processor clock speed;
- 512GB of video memory;
- DirectX 9.0c support.
It is important to understand that these are the minimum conditions for running the game, so you should consider higher values if you want to achieve high FPS.
Dota 2 vs League of Legends
Only a lazy person does not compare these two games, or find many similarities and differences between them. Particularly ardent fans argue tirelessly about which game is better. If we describe these two MOBAs in terms of LoL vs Dota 2, we can point out the following features:
- both games are derivatives of Warcraft III;
- the two opposing teams consist of five players and their goals are the same;
- both are free multiplayer games;
- characters have different names: champions and heroes;
- champions’ skills are strictly assigned, while heroes’ ones are varied;
- League of Legends is faster and smoother in gameplay;
- each new round in Dota 2 is completely different from the previous one;
- in LoL, each character is an independent figure, while the team game is effective in Dota 2.
What both games have in common is their high popularity and multi-million dollar fan base. Players collect skins and arcanas, can sell Dota 2 items for money, and monetize their successes into real cash. The games are played in major international tournaments where cyber athletes compete for the title of best gamers and a substantial prize pool.
