League of Legends has become the face of the MOBA genre in recent years and remains one of the most-played PC games around the world. Across the board, from the casual player base to the Esports scene, it continues to grow, with new changes and additions arriving every year to keep the game fresh.

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The MOBA genre is still thriving outside of League of Legends, however, as are several games outside the genre that share similar themes. For players who are just a bit sick of the solo queue grind, or simply looking for something to add to their library or skill set, here is a great selection of games that offer something a little different to League, while sharing some of the same core themes.

Updated April 28, 2024 by Alexandra O'Leary: League of Legends is an absolute force in gaming as easily the most popular and consistently played MOBA of all time. Riot has mastered the art of longevity, which in part is thanks to the immense world and lore that has grown alongside the game. While Riot is brilliant at releasing updates and new content on a reliable basis, some players might find themselves searching for a new game to play. While nothing beats the rush of a pentakill, not all players want to hop on the rift every day.

Whether its MOBAs players are after, or Riot spin-offs, there's a fantastic selection of games available that League of Legends players can easily pivot to. While some players like having multiple champions with unique skills, others might be after games with loads of lore. Some gamers like the team aspect of LoL, while others enjoy the chaos of going rogue and off-task. Whatever it is that draws a player to League, there's a plethora of other titles out there that are ready to be played.

1 Bandle Tales: A League Of Legends Story

Yordles Front And Center

• Platforms: Switch, PC,
• Released: 21st February 2024
• Genre: RPG, Crafting, Adventure
• Developer: Lazy Bear

For those who love the ever-so-memorable League-original Yordles, Bandle Tales: A League of Legends Story is the perfect pick. This charming RPG puts fan favorites like Corki, Teemo, and Tristana front and center as the player - with their very own custom character - explores Bandle City and the lands that lie beyond it.

Bandle Tales is purposely a completely different genre from League of Legends. As a new spin-off, Riot teamed up with Lazy Bear Games (Graveyard Keeper and Punch Club) to create an original LoL experience that builds on preexisting characters. The game is themed around knitting and is a crafting-focused RPG. While the story isn't exactly canon, the world and surrounding lore are accurate, meaning it's a great option for those who love the world of League of Legends. It's also a great choice for those who never quite adapted to the MOBA style but love a whimsical RPG.

2 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Ability-Based Gameplay With Less Intensity

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a classic game that's essentially thought to be D&D in a video game. This, alongside titles like Balder's Gate, has drawn crowds in from all corners of the gaming world - since ultimately, being the hero in one's own story appeals to everyone. While it's a big switch-up from League in terms of gameplay, players might be surprised by how much they enjoy this RPG.

One of the biggest differences is Divinity's turn-based combat, which is a brilliant breath of fresh air for those who find League's reactionary gameplay a little too intense - even those who just fancy a break from the fast-paced rounds will appreciate the time they're allowed. Nonetheless, fighting is still ability-centered, and players can focus on building their character with unique skills and expertise - just like champions, but with even more range. While Divinity is story-based, at its core it's an easy pivot for League players who fancy something a bit calmer.

3 Teamfight Tactics

League With Less Stress

Most gamers who've played League will likely have come across TFT by now. It's on the same client as LoL, which means it's super accessible and doesn't require a separate installation. Teamfight Tactics is an auto-chess style game where each player creates a team of League champs which then battle against each other. It's almost like a board game version of the normal game, except it has its own metas and tactics.

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Players should move their champs around the board to find the best position, pay attention to the traits of each character, and use in-game gold to acquire others with the same traits. These traits offer unique bonuses and buffs, and often certain traits complement each other.

TFT is a great choice for players who love the LoL world but find League a little too stressful to play all the time. Although rounds are timed, TFT has fewer things to think about, and it doesn't rely on quick reaction times or meticulous gameplay. It's more forgiving than League, and many players find themselves becoming big TFT fans once they start playing. The game also avoids being monotonous through seasonal Sets, which regularly introduce new themes, augments, traits, and Little Legends. Purchasing a Season Pass will allow players to receive prizes that are unlocked by gaining XP, including Little Legend eggs, new TFT boards, and elimination animations.

4 Overwatch 2

Similar Lore Drops & Champ Selection

Overwatch 2 is a team-based, PvP first-person shooter with a few different game modes and is generally dubbed as a hero shooter. Like League, Overwatch 2 requires players to compose a balanced team with each player serving a purpose, like offensive class or support class, and players can choose from a broad selection of characters with unique stats and abilities.

Game modes include escorting a payload behind enemy lines, or simply executing all opposing team players. It's certainly a change in playstyle, but a lot of the fundamentals are there. Additionally, the Overwatch team released story and lore-based videos that give insight into their characters, which is also something Riot does for their champions. Those who enjoy the expansive narrative of League might find themselves enthralled by Overwatch's original characters too.

5 Wild Rift

Same Game, New Form

Wild Rift might seem like an obvious choice, but sometimes those are the best. It's essentially a mobile phone version of League, which is great for players who want to switch up gameplay without leaving the Rift. For those who travel a lot or have some downtime throughout the day, it's as close to the League of Legends experience as possible. It offers a nice change of scenery since the environment of the game is very different, even if it has the same map and characters.

Wild Rift also features a very different set of mechanics, as well as an adjustment to lane assignments, which will help it feel like an entirely new experience. It's also designed to be quicker, which means games are almost guaranteed to be over in fifteen to twenty minutes - considerably quicker than the average League game. The real perk, however, is that it can be played on the move, which is not a perk to be sniffed at in the world of MOBAs.

6 Paragon: The Overprime

Combines MOBAs With FPS

Paragon is one of the very few third-person shooters that also sits in the MOBA genre, and the colliding of these worlds works much better than players might expect. There are currently 36 playable heroes, with new additions still being released, and it's a great alternative for fans of shooter games that still want the feel of the MOBA genre.

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Paragon is typically much more action-packed than League of Legends but features a similar average game length, which is something many shooters struggle to do. This can be a pro or con depending on player preference, but its uniqueness in this aspect certainly improves the game.

7 Fortnite

Battle Arena Without Abilities

Fortnite is one of the most popular games in the world, capitalizing on the sensationally popular battle royale format. Released in 2017, this wacky free-for-all game took the gaming world by storm and continues to be one of the most regularly played games in the world. With millions of games played every day, players will find themselves occupied for hours.

Although Fortnite isn't a MOBA, it shares similarities with League in several of its gameplay modes. Those who like the battle arena style but dislike teamwork will love the basic Fortnite battle royale mode. Those who enjoy League but want a change of scenery and mechanics will also enjoy Save the World mode, which has players teaming up to defend a base and survive various challenges. For fans who want something new without straying too far into other genres, Fortnite is a great choice.

8 Dota 2

Strategic MOBA With Longer Matches

Defense of the Ancients began as a mod for Warcraft 3 and is widely heralded as responsible for popularizing and inspiring most modern games in the genre. Dota 2 is the sequel, released in 2013, and is similar to League of Legends in a lot of ways, but differs in some key ones that make it an entirely different experience.

Dota 2 is a much more strategic, complex game, with typically longer match lengths, so for players looking for a challenge within the genre, it's the perfect game. League of Legends offers faster, more mechanical gameplay, and while the debate about which is better has been fierce for years now, it's entirely down to personal preference.

9 Valorant

Riot's First-Person Shooter

MOBAs aren't for everyone. Some players might have picked up League hoping they'd take to it, but found themselves unable to adapt to the playstyle. Luckily, for those who find that their skills lie more in first-person, Riot has the perfect option. Valorant is a tactical first-person hero shooter, equipped with its own set of agents who have unique talents and abilities.

Not everybody who likes League will like Valorant, and vice versa, but both games have a distinct Riot touch to them. Simplified, Valorant has two teams that are either attacking or defending. The attacking team needs to infiltrate enemy territory to place and activate the Spike in a certain location - and doing so will win the round. In classic Riot style, the games can run for a long time - especially since the standard unranked mode is the best of 25 - but players can vote to surrender if they feel there's no hope of redemption. It's great for players who want a change from MOBA gameplay but enjoy Riot's innovative game development.

10 Vainglory

Mobile MOBA With Shorter Games

• Platforms: PC, Mobile
• Released: February 13, 2019
• Developer: Super Evil Megacorp
• Genre: MOBA

Vainglory is a rare sight among MOBAs, as players can party-up and play with friends on mobile platforms. Equally rare for a mobile-compatible game, it has all the depth and strategy players would expect, with over 50 heroes to choose from and learn on the journey.

Another benefit for some players is that Vainglory has much shorter game times than most MOBAs, clocking in around the 20-minute mark on average. Luckily, the game time doesn't detract from the strategy and decision-making involved in mastering the game fully.

11 Pokemon Unite

Pokemon MOBA With Short Matches

Pokemon Unite is a MOBA set in the Pokemon universe that adapts the classic Nintendo game to a different playstyle. Essentially, players begin each match playing a low-level Pokemon that will level up and unlock new abilities as they capture and defeat wild Pokemon in the arena. Additionally, the well-known mechanic of "types" isn't featured in this game but there are ultimate style moves just like League.

One of the unique things about Pokemon Unite compared to other MOBAs is that it doesn't have a scoreboard, specifically implemented to avoid players giving up or leaving the game early. There are over fifty different playable Pokemon to choose from, which makes it the perfect choice for League players who also love Nintendo. Each match is also limited to ten minutes, so overall the game is less stressful and time-consuming than League can often be.

12 Arena Of Valor

Newer MOBA With Good Platform Selection

Arena of Valor is a newer addition to the MOBA genre, and much less well-known than some others, but it still maintains a huge active player base and a thriving Esports scene. It can also be played on PC/Mac or mobile devices, allowing players to party-up with their friends on multiple platforms.

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The game has amassed over 100 heroes to pick from, and is a very manageable learning curve for new players, while still rewarding veteran players who are willing to put the time in.

13 Song Of Nunu

Joyful Nunu & Willump Platformer

Song of Nunu is a charming platformer released in 2023 that follows Nunu and Willump, a child and friendly yeti, as they quest to find the Heart of Blue. Most League players will recognize Nunu and Willump as a great champ for Junglers, known for their snowball-based ultimate. In LoL lore, the two are best friends and this game does all the best things to reinforce that.

Song of Nunu was met with great audience and critic reviews and is a truly joyful way to get to know Nunu and Willump a little better. Not only is the art style beautiful, but the gameplay combines platforming with puzzle-solving and even adds a little bit of combat here and there. It's a great option for any fans of the League universe, or for players who find the MOBA a little overwhelming at times. Plus, there are all sorts of familiar faces and easter eggs for League players to find.

14 Apex Legends

Broad Character Selection With Unique Abilities

For players looking for something that has a very different style, while still using a lot of the same features as League of Legends, Apex Legends offers just that. While it's a Battle Royale game and first-person shooter, it shares a fair few similarities that make it quite accessible to LoL players and slips them perfectly into its genre.

The key aspect the game shares with League of Legends is having a selection of characters, each with unique abilities to match any player's style. The powerful ultimate abilities associated with each character are a very similar premise in both games and can drastically alter the course of any fight. Games will likely be much faster-paced in Apex Legends, but for fans of both MOBAs and FPS games, it's a perfect option.

15 Ruined King - A League Of Legends Story

Relaxed RPG In League Lore

League of Legends has one of the most extensive collections of lore around, and as the library of games from the universe of Runeterra increases, there are more ways than ever to dive deeper into the lore and learn more about the world and the champions from the game. Ruined King offers a more in-depth look at the Shadow Isles, and their titular king, Viego.

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As a turn-based RPG, the game offers a much more relaxing experience than League of Legends, but technical and challenging. Despite being a spinoff game, Ruined King is fantastically designed in its own right, and will be a blast to play even for players who are much less familiar with the world of Runeterra.

16 Heroes Of The Storm

MOBA With Map Selection

Heroes of the Storm is a MOBA produced by Blizzard and offers something that no other MOBA does right now in its variety of dynamic maps for players to explore and master. There are 90 heroes to choose from, which is very high even within the genre, and offers a very fresh-feeling experience.

Unfortunately, support for the game has been scaled back since summer 2022, as Blizzard diverted attention towards newer titles, but the game is still very much worth trying and has a huge player base.

17 SMITE

Accessible MOBA With Over-The-Shoulder POV

Released in 2014, SMITE was a hot contender in the MOBA genre for quite some time, and despite being slightly less popular in recent years, it retains a very active and devoted player base. SMITE caters much more to the casual gamer, and has less of a learning curve than League of Legends, so it's perfect for players newer to MOBAs.

Another key difference is the style of visuals on offer, as SMITE offers slightly better graphics and an over-the-shoulder, third-person view, making the FOV a lot more limited. This creates a much faster feel to the game, as the action is very much front and center.

18 Legends Of Runeterra

League-Based Card Game

Another game from the League of Legends extended universe is Legends of Runeterra, a strategy card game that offers a very different experience. Players will need to combine characters from League of Legends, as well as companions from the different regions of Runeterra - each one with their own stats.

The game draws a lot of inspiration from Hearthstone but offers a much more streamlined experience which makes it easier to get into. This accessibility, paired with the familiar faces of the League champs, makes it a great alternative for players who want a slower-paced game. It's available on mobile as well, which makes it perfect for players looking for a quick League fix while on the go.

League of Legends

Platform(s)

PC , macOS

Released

October 27, 2009

Developer(s)

Riot Games

Genre(s)

MOBA