What is a MOBA?
MOBA stands for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. MOBAs pit two teams of players against each other in objective-based combat. The goal is to destroy the opposing team‘s main structure, called the nexus, while defending your own.
Core MOBA gameplay revolves around three lanes that connect the two opposing bases. Each lane is lined with defensive turrets and waves of computer-controlled minions march down them towards the enemy base. Players control a powerful character, known as a hero or champion, and must work with their team to push lanes, destroy towers, get kills, and ultimately assault the enemy base.
MOBAs test skills like strategy, teamwork, and quick decision-making. Their competitive team-based nature and roster of complex, diverse heroes with unique abilities make them hugely popular as esports titles.
The Rise of MOBAs
MOBAs trace their origins to a Warcraft III mod called Defense of the Ancients (DotA). This gained a cult following in the early to mid 2000s due to its new take on real-time strategy gameplay.
League of Legends expanded the genre‘s popularity exponentially when it launched in 2009. Since then, dozens of new MOBAs have arrived on PC and consoles from major publishers and indie developers alike.
Titles like DotA 2, Heroes of the Storm, Smite, and Paragon have cultivated thriving esports scenes and communities numbering in the tens of millions of players. MOBAs are firmly one of gaming‘s most dominant genres.
Were MOBAs Popular on PS4?
While the PlayStation 4 built a stronger reputation than past PlayStation consoles for first-person shooters, RPGs, and shared-world games, MOBAs have never been quite as prolific on Sony’s console platform compared to PC and other devices.
Big name MOBAs like League of Legends and DotA 2 remain exclusive to Windows and OS X. This left PS4 players relying largely on multiplatform titles or PS4-specific MOBAs. Fortunately, there were some great options across both categories!
The 10 Best PlayStation 4 MOBAs
The PlayStation 4 may not have an abundance of MOBAs, but the ones it does have include some real gems for competitive team-based combat fans.
Here are 10 MOBAs that stand out as the absolute best on PS4 thanks to their gameplay, long-term support, and fan reception.
1. Smite
Developer: Hi-Rez Studios
Release Date: May 31, 2016
Genre: Mythological MOBA
Smite differentiates itself from other MOBAs by using gods, heroes, and creatures from various real-world mythologies as playable champions. Today its roster contains over 100 deities from pantheons like Greek, Norse, Chinese, Roman, Arthurian, Japanese, Slavic, and more.
Nimble third-person combat combined with a more action game-inspired perspective make Smite feel faster and flashier compared to isometric MOBAs. Regular updates add new events, ranked seasons, gods, and quality of life improvements.
It remains one of the most popular free-to-play PS4 games years after release. For mythology fans or players craving fluid MOBA battles, Smite hits the mark.
2. Paragon
Developer: Epic Games
Release Date: Early Access 2016, Shut Down 2018
Genre: Third-Person Hero Shooter/MOBA Hybrid
Paragon blended traditional MOBA mechanics with the over-the-shoulder perspective and shooting action more expected of a third-person shooter. Players picked a hero and used their varied weapons and abilities to push lanes and destroy the enemy core.
Matches felt grittier and more skill-based compared less forgiving isometric MOBAs where going head-to-head against specific heroes often came down to stat checks. Sadly, Paragon never left beta and was sunset by Epic in 2018 as they shifted focus to Fortnite and offering developer support through the Epic Game Store on PC.
Its legacy lives on through spiritual successors, like Predecessor and Overprime, that emulate Paragon’s gameplay and heroes. During its run, Paragon was one of the PS4’s most visually impressive showcases.
3. Awesomenauts Assemble!
Developer: Ronimo Games
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Genre: 2D Platfomer MOBA
This 2D sidescrolling MOBA simplifies the formula by focusing all combat into a single lane. Teams of three unique Awesomenauts duke it out with guns, swords, explosives, and abilities in a cartoonish sci-fi world.
Matches prioritize nonstop action over more complex strategy. Awesomenauts streamlines item builds, creep waves, and jungle environments to deliver a more immediate, brawler-esque experience compared to traditional MOBAs.
Post-launch support lasted over 5 years with regular Awesomenauts and skin packs. It remains one of the most accessible entry points for players curious about MOBAs available on both PS4 and Xbox One.
4. Gigantic
Developer: Motiga
Release Date: July 20, 2017
Genre: Hero Shooter/MOBA Hybrid
Gigantic blended team-based hero shooter gameplay with light MOBA elements across gorgeous fantasy battlefields. Two teams of five players picked champions with unique weapons and abilities to fight alongside a massive guardian.
By capturing control points to summon creatures and escorting them to enemy territory, your guardian grew more powerful for the final clash. Matches created intense PvP skirmishes as small groups of players constantly rotated across the map to complete objectives.
Vibrant, colorful visuals and a roster of 17 imaginative heroes like giant packs of wolves or massive stone golems set Gigantic apart. Sadly, Gigantic fell victim to lack of players caused by ineffective marketing, launching alongside blockbuster titles like PlayerUnknown‘s Battlegrounds, and other development hurdles. It shut down in July 2018.
5. Battlerite
Developer: Stunlock Studios
Release Date: November 14, 2017
Genre: Top-Down Arena Brawler
Battlerite focused purely on action-packed hero vs. hero duels rather than tactical lane defense and base pushing. Teams brawled it out using ranged weapons, magic, counters, and combos that lend Battlerite’s combat incredible depth.
Matches distill the MOBA experience down to 2v2 or 3v3 fights concentrated on a single map. Fast, frenetic battles test player skill and mastery over each hero’s movesets. Battlerite resisted overcomplicating players with elements like items or minions and instead emphasized fights dependent primarily on mechanical skill.
Regular free updates brought new heroes, maps, and game modes up until October 2019 when Battlerite transitioned into a sequel called Battlerite Royale. While support for the original game ended, it remains one of the most intense PvP experiences available on PS4.
6. Smite Tactics
Developer: Hi-Rez Studios
Release Date: November 6, 2018
Genre: Turn-Based Strategy
Smite Tactics brought a twist to Hi-Rez Studios’ wildly popular mythological MOBA universe. Instead of controlling a single god, you summon and command armies based on Smite’s roster of deities across a grid-based battlefield. More of a complex, tactical spin rather than traditional multiplayer battles.
Using cards representing gods, heroes, spells, weapons, and structures, players must capture control points and push lanes in order to destroy the enemy tower. Matches required balancing troop deployment, god powers, and siege tactics.
While innovative, Smite Tactics perhaps strayed too far from the core MOBA appeal of playing as unique heroes. Support ceased in October 2019 but it remains downloadable on PS4 for fans seeking a more strategic take on leveraging Smite‘s beloved mythological pantheons against each other.
7. Arena of Valor
Developer: TiMi Studios
Release Date: Switch and Mobile 2018, PS4 and Xbox One 2019
Genre: Multiplatform MOBA
Arena of Valor first launched as Strike of Kings for iOS and Android in 2015. The immense popularity of mobile MOBAs across Asia spawned an expanded version appropriately titled Arena of Valor for Nintendo Switch in 2018 and PS4 in 2019. Crossplay pools its player base across all platforms.
Gameplay sticks to a classic isometric MOBA design where two teams of five battle across a map split into three lanes protected by defensive towers. Destroy the enemy Ancient while protecting your own.
With over 40 unique heroes, regular live ops events and battles passes, Arena of Valor manages to feel populated and lively regardless of platform. It didn’t make quite as large a splash in North America and Europe as Asia and South America but remains proof epic MOBAs can thrive on console.
8. Megabyte Punch
Developer: Reptile Games
Release Date: February 21, 2017
Genre: Brawler/MOBA
Megabyte Punch mashes up Super Smash Bros. style brawling with tactical lane defense. Players choose from seven unique robots, each equipped with customizable weapons and abilities, and face off in 4v4 matches. The goal remains destroying the opposing team’s base by capturing control points to spawn stronger bot minions.
However, the behind-the-back camera perspective and focus on using combos, dodges, blocks to directly engage other players gives Megabyte Punch more fluid melee combat. Strong solo carry potential means individual player skill plays a bigger role compared to team composition.
Matches breeze by in under 15 minutes once both teams are in each other’s faces throwing punches and unleashing ultimate abilities. While player numbers are small, Megabyte Punch still delivers hectic battles for fans of multiplayer beat ‘em ups.
9. AirMech Strike
Developer: Carbon Games
Release Date: May 9, 2017
Genre: Real-Time Strategy MOBA
AirMech Strike shifts the typical MOBA approach by having players pilot transforming mechs with flight capabilities rather than being bound to the ground as a single champion. You view battles from a top-down perspective while directing troops around objectives and supporting them in combat.
The fusion of real-time strategy base-building mechanics like gathering resources and researching technology paired with progression systems expected of multiplayer RPGs makes AirMech Strike feel fresh. Matches force you to balance economic strategy and unit micromanagement while pursuing objectives like capturing control points or defending bases.
For console gamers yearning for gameplay mirroring classic real-time strategy but with modern multiplayer progression hooks, AirMech Strike nicely scratches the itch.
10. Fractured Space
Developer: Edge Case Games
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Genre: Spaceship MOBA/Hero Shooter
Combining MOBAs with capital ship combat in the depths of space, Fractured Space had players square off in interstellar vessels ranging from small fighters to massive dreadnoughts. Hero abilities let you develop unique strategies and playstyles tailored to specific subclasses like stealth, disruption, and siege.
Two teams of five battled to destroy the enemy base hidden in an opposing solar system. Matches unfolded across stunningly detailed galactic battlefields as players collected resources to upgrade their ships, fought AI minion squads in side objectives, and sabotaged enemy operations through tactical crew coordination.
While Fractured Space shut down in 2018, its fresh take on objective-based multiplayer combat combined with MOBA-lite progression helped it stand out as one of PS4’s more distinct hero shooters during its run.
