MXM released in July 2017 but only made it until January of this year before having its lights shut off. After all, if NCsoft - no slouch in the publishing and developing market - couldn’t get a MOBA to take off backed by deep pockets and numerous IPs (including the controversial addition of City of Heroes characters), then who could? Unlike many other games on this list, Master X Master did in fact launch, but it was not long for this world. Perhaps the most dire indication of the popped MOBA bubble was this title. After a year or so of beta, Dawngate failed to generate enough interest and was quietly closed down in November 2014. Developed by Waystone games, Dawngate went into testing in May 2013 with all of the standard MOBA elements (lanes, jungles, heroes, minions, and the like). DawngateĮlectronic Arts had its fingers in many potential MOBAs, including one slightly more obscure one known as Dawngate. For many, it was a sign of the end of the studio’s relevance. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite make it, and in August 2015, the MOBA shuttered and Turbine gave up its dreams of quick profitability. Otherwise known as “the game with wacky alternate versions of popular superheroes,” Infinite Crisis threw Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the like against their other-universe versions, giving us some of the most gorgeous wallpapers ever made for a MOBA. Turbine’s attempt to enter the MOBA field was backed by an incredibly strong IP: DC Comics. Wrath of Heroes was canceled in February of the next year, and Warhammer Online followed suit later in December 2013. The game went into open beta in April 2012 but did not ever see the light of an official release. The studio created a MOBA out of WAR’s characters and assets, calling it Wrath of Heroes.

When Warhammer Online started to slip in popularity, Mythic threw a Hail Mary pass to keep the game alive using its own resources. Perhaps they serve as cautionary lessons to other studios seeking to mimic League of Legends’ format, but we somehow doubt that the era of the MOBA is over just yet. In today’s Perfect Ten, we’re going to look at a dozen MOBAs that tried and failed to make it. A critical mass was needed, and when it was not achieved, games started folding up left and right. And while some, such as Hi-Rez’s SMITE, have endured, many games discovered the one key danger with this approach: If you could not generate and sustain a large, active playerbase, you were as good as dead.

In a relatively short span of time, the market became flooded with many imitators that sought to grab that slice of the profitable pie. After all, with players providing the ongoing content (through PvP matches), developers were freed up to focus on balance tweaks and churning out new skins and characters to sell. With the insane success - both in terms of popularity and finances - that Dota and League of Legends spawned, you can easily understand why game studios latched onto the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) as a relatively quick cash grab.

Top 5 moba games 2015