Game profile
League of Legends
In this classic MOBA, two teams of five players guide their champions across a symmetrical map to destroy the enemy base. Strategy, mechanical skill and team coordination decide every match.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is MOBA / Strategy, set in a fantasy world. Visually it is deliberately stylised rather than photorealistic, and the overall tone stays somewhere between light and heavy. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. Sessions of an hour or two sit at the sweet spot here.
It is genuinely demanding, and repeated failure is part of how it is designed. There is no story to speak of, the systems carry everything. You can play it with others cooperatively or go head to head. It is available on one platform. Getting in costs nothing.
What stands out
- Five versus five MOBA
- Huge champion pool
- Competitive esports
This fits you if
- you want your skill measured against other people
- levelling, looting and optimising a build is your kind of loop
- cutscenes annoy you and you just want to play
- you want real resistance and are fine with dying a lot
- you have someone to play with
- you enjoy competing against other players
Look elsewhere if
- you want to relax and not be punished for mistakes
- you play mainly for narrative
- you want a game with a clear ending you can reach
- you play alone, this needs other people
How long is League of Legends?
This one has no finish line. It is built to be played for years, in whatever rhythm suits you.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 84 out of 100, which puts it above 52 percent of the 1276 games here and at rank 559 overall. That is mid-table for this database. Not a standout at the top, but solidly rated.
For comparison, MOBA averages 79 points across the database, so this one sits 5 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 1028 collected ratings.
Released in 2009, which makes it 17 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 2009
- Genres
- MOBA, Strategy, Action
- Playtime
- Endless game
- Difficulty
- Demanding, punishing
- Story weight
- None, pure gameplay
- Play with
- Co-op, Competitive
- Setting
- Fantasy
- Visual style
- Stylised
- Price bracket
- Free-to-play
- Platforms
- PC
- Critic rating
- 84 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League of Legends | 2009 | Endless game | 84 | Free-to-play |
| Dota 2 | 2013 | Endless game | 91 | Free-to-play |
| League of Legends: Wild Rift | 2020 | Endless game | 84 | Free-to-play |
| Heroes of the Storm | 2015 | Endless game | 86 | Free-to-play |
If you liked this, try these
- 91/100 Dota 2 Shared: MOBA, Strategy, Fantasy, rated higher
- 84/100 League of Legends: Wild Rift Shared: MOBA, Strategy, Fantasy
- 86/100 Heroes of the Storm Shared: MOBA, Strategy, Fantasy, rated higher
- 82/100 Predecessor Shared: MOBA, Strategy, Fantasy
- n/a Smite 2 Shared: MOBA, Strategy, Fantasy
- 84/100 Honor of Kings Shared: MOBA, Strategy, Fantasy