Support NeoGAF

[ScOULaris]

Both games have been out for years now and have remained the far-and-away leaders within the MOBA genre, but League of Legends has managed to maintain its playerbase lead over Dota 2 without fail. Now, we can argue to death over which game excels over the other in subjective terms (better heroes, production values, game modes... etc.), but one thing that Dota objectively does better is offer a hell of a lot more for absolutely free.

The F2P model that League established years ago proved to be very successful, and countless other games (MOBA and otherwise) have adopted it since. Dota 2 is in a unique position in that it is arguably the densest, most content-packed MOBA out there... and it's completely 100% free. Other than cosmetics designed by the community and approved by Valve, players have access to every single hero and mode in the game without ever paying a dime. Valve is in a unique position in which it owns the platform on which Dota 2 is played, so they can get away with such an absurdly consumer-friendly model where almost nobody else ever could.

So calling everything else a wash due to subjectivity and the relative similarity of both games, Dota 2 has a few things going for it that I feel like should've given it the edge over LoL after years of building steam:

• It's an official sequel to the game that invented the genre, complete with 99% of the heroes from the original game tastefully updated and brought into the modern era.
• It offers more content for free than any other MOBA.
• It's developed by fan-favorite Valve (although I guess there is a sort of love-hate relationship these days).
• It offers more variety than LoL ever since the inclusion of Custom Games (Arcade)

Now let's look at the list of things that LoL objectively has over Dota 2:

• It came out first.

Is that one, crucial factor really all there is to it? Was the momentum that League had going for it by being the first polished F2P adaptation of the DotA All-stars formula enough to give it the permanent lead in terms of popularity? Once people started playing they got hooked and saw no need to switch over to Dota 2 once it released?

 

[BearPawB]

It's easier to play (That's not a knock)
It probably (?) runs better on worse computers (?)

Also, when a game starts bigger, it's a hell of a lot easier to stay bigger.

If you are already into league, and you know the in and outs, and you like it, why would you be inspired to switch

 

[darkside31337]

Maybe more people just prefer it over DOTA?

 

[LordRaptor]

Now let's look at the list of things that LoL objectively has over Dota 2:

• It came out first.

That's being hugely reductive as to the streamlining of game design that LoL had over the base DOTA template, and is similarly the reason why the game much closer to the DOTA template (HoN) did not fare as well in the market.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

Accessability. League is the CoD of MOBAs.

 

[Giever]

It was there first, and maybe the fact that people do have to pay for some stuff ends up locking them into it, since they don't want to abandon the investment?

 

[ScOULaris]

That's being hugely reductive as to the streamlining of game design that LoL had over the base DOTA template, and is similarly the reason why the game much closer to the DOTA template (HoN) did not fare as well in the market.

Oh, I agree that LoL was a huge leap forward in terms of streamlining the MOBA template established by the original DotA. But then again Dota 2 was that as well.

Once Dota 2 came out it wasn't like LoL was offering much that was unique in and of itself when compared to Dota 2, and that's why I only listed its release-date advantage there. Everything else that could be compared between the two is subtle and subjective.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

I have a sneaking suspicion that players who dropped money of any amount on league are apprehensive to just leave it for another game.

Since league was out first it means more people bought into its eco system and feel compelled to stay within it.

I don't play these games but my anecdotal evidence says that most who played league very causally ended up being the ones that switched to dota2 and then went hard while those that went hard on league stayed there.

 

[Tambini]

Not everyone has Steam

More marketing

Easier to get into

Low PC requirements

and personally I think Dota 2 looks less inviting to new players with the darker visuals

 

[Pewpewlazors99]

Honestly, I think its because League came out first. It had time to build a HUGE player base before Dota 2 launched its beta. Its also because League players have invested so much time and money into the game that they are even more unlikely to leave it.

 

[LordRaptor]

Oh, I agree that LoL was a huge leap forward in terms of streamlining the MOBA template established by the original DotA. But then again Dota 2 was that as well.

Once Dota 2 came out it wasn't like LoL was offering much that was unique in and of itself when compared to Dota 2, and that's why I only listed its release-date advantage there. Everything else that could be compared between the two is subtle and subjective.

LoL is a very different game to DOTA2 in very fundamental design terms.
It's like the difference between ARMA and CoD.

 

[Stumpokapow]

i think the better explanation is that Riot has made more inroads doing deals with local partners in the Asian market than Valve does. Does LoL even have a higher playbase in the US than DOTA 2?

 

[NeOak]

Not everyone has Steam

More marketing

Easier to get into

Low PC requirements

and personally I think Dota 2 looks less inviting to new players with the darker visuals

.

Dota 2 is less forgiving for new players.

I hate the Dota 2 camera too. Too fucking CLOSE.

i think the better explanation is that Riot has made more inroads doing deals with local partners in the Asian market than Valve does. Does LoL even have a higher playbase in the US than DOTA 2?

Latin America too. With the regions for LATAM and Brazil.

 

[Blooddimond]

i think the better explanation is that Riot has made more inroads doing deals with local partners in the Asian market than Valve does. Does LoL even have a higher playbase in the US than DOTA 2?

I think it does. Dota is much bigger in Europe than America, CSGO is the bigger Valve title in NA.

 

[Goney]

Was the momentum that League had going for it by being the first polished F2P adaptation of the DotA All-stars formula enough to give it the permanent lead in terms of popularity?

More or less. And keep in mind that a large number of players who took to LoL didn't know (or didn't care) that DOTA 1 existed.

And from what little I know about these 2 mobas, LoL is often seen as easier/more accessible than DOTA2. So more players stick with it in the end.

 

[A Sentient Keyboard]

Like others have said, I believe it is the accessibility factor. Dota 2 is not just complex, it's arcane. (It's worth it in the end though

.)

 

[Syril]

League of legends is much more standardized in the way that abilities and items behave and as a result can be easier to grasp during the learning phase.

 

[Crono27]

i think the better explanation is that Riot has made more inroads doing deals with local partners in the Asian market than Valve does. Does LoL even have a higher playbase in the US than DOTA 2?

good question. Doubt we will ever know cause riot hasn't really said much about their playerbase in a while. Also game is alot easier for newer players to get into than dota 2.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

LoL is more accessable and already had a strong following before Dota 2 hit the big leagues.

As a Dota player I don't really see it as a bad thing. I'm really happy that both games are able to coexist and succeed on the level they are.

 

[paradise_circus]

I guess the character design applies to a broader audience, especially in asia (?).

 

[BHK3]

It's 100x easier than dota

They bought most of korea

Once something gets big enough, no one tries the other game because their friends don't play it

Casual bait heros: scantily clad women and dreamworks face heros. Overwatch does the same thing and look at the fan following that has

It was first

League has actual marketing, a fuckton of it. Valve has never marketed anything.

Friend bonuses due to the skinner box design the game has, so everyone invites strangers and friends so they can get rewards to buy new heros and skins

They've already spent money on league and don't want to switch

 

[Knox]

Along with coming out first and already having a huge audience by the time DOTA 2 came out, it's hard to get people to switch between similar multiplayer games because getting a person to switch isn't enough, you have to get all of that person's friends to switch. A single person could start playing a different game but eventually their friends/people they play with will drag them back.

 

[Annubis]

Dota 2 has a few things going for it that I feel like should've given it the edge over LoL after years of building steam:

• It's an official sequel to the game that invented the genre, complete with 99% of the heroes from the original game tastefully updated and brought into the modern era.
• It offers more content for free than any other MOBA.
• It's developed by fan-favorite Valve (although I guess there is a sort of love-hate relationship these days).
• It offers more variety than LoL ever since the inclusion of Custom Games (Arcade)

Now let's look at the list of things that LoL objectively has over Dota 2:

• It came out first.

I don't think you understand the meaning of objectivity.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

[*]It came out first.

When you're dealing with games with a really hardcore fanbase that plays for thousands of hours, that's a powerful advantage (see WoW). After investing countless hours mastering one game, people are unlikely to change over to a different game that's mostly the same since they don't want to spend the time getting good again. This is doubly true if they've spend money. And even more true if they play with friends since they would have to convince them to switch as well.

Also, judging from different PAXs that I've attended, Riot spends substantially more money on marketing LoL than Valve does on Dota2.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

that very objective comparison seems completely fair and reasonable, objectively

 

[MekaDragon]

Despite what people says, it's a good game. Pretty good in fact.

Although it could be MUCH better...

 

[SliceSabre]

Speaking as someone who played League for years and put way too much money into it, when I tried DOTA2 I expected things to be different but my god they felt significantly more complex and the game didn't feel like it did much to help new players along. League felt a whole lot easier for me to get into and I started playing it back before they made the game even more newcomer friendly.

Ended up going back to League and feeling more at home.

 

[Haly]

Accessibility, and League of Legends reached critical mass before DOTA 2. You might pick up League today not because it's """better""", but because all your friends are playing it, which is the most important factor when it comes to a genre like this.

 

[Herbspiceguy]

LoL simply has a more appealing character designs and accessible gameplay for the mainstream market.

 

[SirPinkyNose]

Dota is incredibly hard to get into, you have to spend hundred of hours into the game just to understand the basic. Hero designs don't help neither since skill interactions and effects are vary.
It's not that League is easy for the beginner, but Dota is just much much harder.

 

[Archie]

First mover advantage
Tencent's muscle
Riot actively trying to sabotage Dota back in the day

 

[Deadstar]

Graphics looked trash to me which is why I never tried getting into it. I prefer Dota because it looks like a modern game. I've been very happy with it.

 

[Brazil]

In terms of Brazil, the answer is pretty easy: Riot Games actually gives a shit about Brazil. They started showing up in local gaming events 4 years ago and eventually went on to host their own, and now they even have their own local broadcasting studio.

I think Valve only actually sent prize money for two local Dota 2 events ever. They never even showed up here officially.

I can only imagine the same goes for a lot of other markets that aren't the US.

 

[Walpurgis]

League is easier. I hate getting hit by people way off screen in DOTA and I can't wrap my mind around the "higher ground" mechanic since the game is top-down. The secret shops are also a pain to figure out. I just went back to League. DOTA has an undeniably better business model but I unfortunately just can't play it.

 

[Just_myles]

Well Valve is into more things than Dota I would assume. Where as Riot games is just league and can spend more resources on the game's design?

 

[Madison Paige]

I've personally been arguing that Dota 2 is the superior game to most of my friends in an attempt to convert them to the dark side, but the response I usually get whenever I meet someone who's into MOBAs is that they play League of Legends because it's what their friends play. If it wasn't for having a very principled stance on this (I prefer the harsher nature of Dota as well as the entire game being free), I'd probably be with them.

 

[paradise_circus]

I'm not sure if you can simply say LoL was the first. DotA was getting pretty big till some guys tried to make a sole game like Heroes of Newerth. League of Legends succeeded thanks to it's easier mechanics and price model.

 

[TwistedFate]

LoL simply has a more appealing character designs and accessible gameplay for the mainstream market.

I think this is a factor that people are overlooking as well, LoL's character design seems to have more global appeal

 

[DeathoftheEndless]

Had a huge playerbase before Dota 2 existed, easier to get into, more marketing, more frequent updates, etc.

 

[dave is ok]

It can run on a toaster, it has more waifus, people actually like having to grind to unlock champions

 

[Perfect Blue]

It's easier to play.

 

[ScOULaris]

Good points about the marketing muscle of Riot Games. I hadn't thought about that.

Also, the sunk costs into LoL for early adopters making them much less likely to switch to a similar game (and convince their friends to follow) is another salient one.

I think both of those are probably mostly responsible for the game's maintained advantage over Dota. The accessibility thing probably doesn't account for much of it, since both games are somewhat intimidating to new players and free to try. They both also run well on lower-spec hardware, albeit LoL is probably the less graphically demanding of the two.

I also agree that the art style probably appeals to Asia more than Dota's western fantasy look, and we all know what a huge market that is.

 

[Purple Cheeto]

Riot had way better support for Korea/China when they launched LoL there than Valve did with DotA2. They also targeted the East Asian Markets a lot sooner than Valve did.

You have to go through Perfect World to play DotA2 in China and by all accounts the experience has never been particularly good.

I think there are other things Riot has done well, they embraced their community beyond eSports a lot earlier and did a TON of community based things from Youtube videos to dorky lore events early on.

Riot has more transparency with their plans for both the game and the community than Valve does with DotA2. They talk and interact with their community way more than just going on reddit and calling an announcer an ass.

There's a lot of other things but I think these are some of the big ones.

 

[SirPinkyNose]

League is easier. I hate getting hit by people way off screen in DOTA and I can't wrap my mind around the "higher ground" mechanic since the game is top-down. The secret shops are also a pain to figure out. I just went back to League. DOTA has an undeniably better business model but I unfortunately just can't play it.

Higher ground was made since the beginning of rts. Red alert 2 had it, Warcraft 3 had it and Dota 2 has it. It's nothing uncommon.

 

[Archie]

Riot had way better support for Korea/China when they launched LoL there than Valve did with DotA2. They also targeted the East Asian Markets a lot sooner than Valve did.

You have to go through Perfect World to play DotA2 in China and by all accounts the experience has never been particularly good.

I think there are other things Riot has done well, they embraced their community beyond eSports a lot earlier and did a TON of community based things from Youtube videos to dorky lore events early on.

Riot has more transparency with their plans for both the game and the community than Valve does with DotA2. They talk and interact with their community way more than just going on reddit and calling an announcer an ass.

There's a lot of other things but I think these are some of the big ones.

Instead Riot employees go on Reddit and out the identities of their competitors. Much better. :^)

 

[Tagyhag]

It's easier to play (That's not a knock)
It probably (?) runs better on worse computers (?)

Also, when a game starts bigger, it's a hell of a lot easier to stay bigger.

If you are already into league, and you know the in and outs, and you like it, why would you be inspired to switch

Yep.

As long as DOTA stays more complex than LoL, it will never be bigger.

The only game that can beat LoL is LoL 2.

 

[Moral Panic]

Better design template (including):
- No turn speeds
- No denies
- Lower mana costs & lower cooldowns which means you can use your abilities more often
- Less mechanically demanding
- Mage characters can scale and carry

More humanoid characters
- Thankfully league is now moving away from it but I am sure the amount of badly dressed, "sexy" female characters would be a big selling point for many.

Less overwhelming start
- Starting Dota2 with so many playable characters is more likely to make you suffer from the choice dilemma and makes playing frustrating when you are not gradually introduced to the characters whereas in League all starters will play from the same 10 champ pool.

Better alternate outfits
- Buying an entire thematically consistent skin with a cool splash image, VO, animation and particle effects feels a lot more satisfying then getting piecemeal parts from a chest drop.

I have been playing League on and off since Orianna's release in S1 and played a couple of games of DOTA2 when it was about to leave beta.

 

[ProfessorLobo]

I can't tell you why exactly, but I'm one of the players that played League for a couple years, and then decided to try out dota.

It was confusing as hell, and felt obsolete. Why the hell do I have to look for this secret shop in the middle of the map? Why isn't my character moving? Oh, I'm selecting on my donkey or something? What the hell? I'm guessing they kept many of the terrible design decisions from the original DOTA, whereas league tried their hardest to simplify things.

Not to say that Dota isn't incredibly rewarding once you learn all the ins and outs, but I didn't feel I needed to force myself to become learn them, when I had League right there.

 

[2San]

It's more accessible. From what little I played of either game, I liked LoL more. It felt faster and more actiony. Even being as accessible as it is, it has plenty of depth. Having an insanely skill ceiling is pointless at some point. I know a lot of people that play or have played LoL. I don't think I know anyone that has played Dota 2.

 

[LordRaptor]

The accessibility thing probably doesn't account for much of it

Well to give one very obvious difference between the two;

If an enemy is so far ahead that you literally cannot do anything to stop them soloing your entire team, in LoL you can vote to surrender and you take a loss with no other penalty and can play a new game and hope things go better.

In DOTA2 you are getting buttfucked for another half hour, or take the ragequit penalty. Either way you're not getting a do-over in a new game anytime soon.