The Meaning of MOBA: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of MOBA? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the abbreviation MOBA, including its definition, usage, origin, and more!

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What does the acronym MOBA stand for?

According to Dictionary, the abbreviation MOBA stands for multiplayer online battle arena. The MOBA genre of video games is popular in eSports tournaments, even the world championship, and on streaming sites like Twitch. Some of these gameplay tournaments, while played on free-to-play games, may have prize pools of real money In these online real-time strategy video games, two teams of characters are supposed to compete head-to-head with the respective goals of protecting their home base and destroying the other team’s towers, turrets, or other structures of the opposing team’s base or enemy’s base. These games will often have a custom map, an assassin, modders, first person or third person shooter, a mod, a jungle, a tank, and more. These forms of competitive gaming are popular among gamers. MOBA games can be PVP or MMORPG, and are often played on iOS, Android, or PC gaming. You might see the slang term MOBA used on Facebook or Twitter. Many of these are put out by Riot Games or Blizzard. 

According to The Free Dictionary, the abbreviation MOBA also has a plethora of different meanings outside of multiplayer online battle arena. While these are all still valid definitions, they are far less common and should be used sparingly to eliminate any confusion. If you do plan to use one of these different definitions for the acronym MOBA, ensure that you are providing the reader or listener with the proper context to be able to decipher your intended meaning. This should be standard practice with any acronym that can have more than one definition. When in doubt, use the full form of the acronym MOBA.

  •  Metro Orlando Business Alliance (Florida)
  •  Military Operations in Built-up Areas
  •  Mobility Operations in Built-up Areas
  •  Metro Omaha Builders Association (est. 1946; Omaha, NE)
  •  Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (former students of Mfantsipim Secondary School, Cape-Coast, Ghana)
  •  Museum of Bad Art (Dedham, MA)

What are MOBA games?

There are many different MOBA games out there, and many of them are free to play. How many MOBA games have you played? Take a look at the below list of MOBA games from MMO Bomb and see how many you recognize!

  •  Bloodline Champions
  •  Primordials: Battle of Gods
  •  Dota-AllStars
  •  Reign of Chaos
  •  World of Warcraft III
  •  Archeblade
  •  Robocraft
  •  Heroes of Newerth
  •  Dota 2 (Defense of the Ancients)
  •  Dogs of War Online
  •  Drifters Loot the Galaxy
  •  Aeon of Strife
  •  Heroes of the Storm
  •  Spellsworn
  •  Battlerite
  •  One Tower
  •  Awesomenauts
  •  Super Mecha Champions
  •  Vainglory
  •  Rise of Legions
  •  AirMech Strike
  •  Heavy Metal Machines
  •  FREE
  •  Panzar
  •  Eternal Return: Black Survival
  •  Divine Souls
  •  Minion Masters
  •  Paladins
  •  Battlerite Royale
  •  Pocket Starships
  •  Robocraft
  •  Dungeon Defenders 2
  •  League of Legends (LoL)
  •  Blood of Steel
  •  Smite
  •  Starcraft

What are other MMORPG games?

Not all MMORPG games are MOBAs, but many have similar fans. Take a look at the below list from MMORPG and see how many of these you know!

  •  Star Wars Galaxies
  •  City of Heroes
  •  Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen
  •  DarkSpace
  •  Phantasy Star Online
  •  Pardus
  •  Meridian 59
  •  Emil Chronicle Online
  •  World of Warcraft
  •  MapleStory 2
  •  AIKA Online
  •  Underlight
  •  Matrix Online
  •  Aion: The Tower of Eternity
  •  StarQuest Online
  •  Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
  •  Realm of the Mad God
  •  Flyff
  •  Trove
  •  Soul of the Ultimate Nation
  •  Requiem: Memento Mori
  •  Perpetuum[4][5]
  •  Vendetta Online
  •  Granado Espada
  •  Gekkeiju Online
  •  Ragnarok Online
  •  Wizardry Online
  •  Mortal Online
  •  Skyforge
  •  Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine
  •  Illyriad
  •  Pirates of the Burning Sea
  •  Albion Online
  •  Champions Online
  •  Puppet Guardian
  •  Asheron’s Call 2
  •  Pirates of the Caribbean Online
  •  Echo of Soul
  •  Spiral Knights
  •  Atlantica Online
  •  Salem
  •  Dragon’s Prophet
  •  Dark and Light
  •  Sangokushi Online
  •  Empire & State
  •  Angel Love Online
  •  Ryzom
  •  Dragon Oath
  •  The Legend of Mir 2
  •  WildStar
  •  MU Online
  •  New World
  •  Darkfall Unholy Wars
  •  Drakensang Online
  •  Ashen Empires
  •  Eternal Lands
  •  Rubies of Eventide
  •  Omerta
  •  Dragonica
  •  Age of Wulin
  •  Regnum Online
  •  Jade Dynasty
  •  Voyage Century Online
  •  Rohan: Blood Feud
  •  Phoenix Dynasty Online
  •  Mabinogi
  •  Fantasy Earth Zero
  •  Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
  •  LaTale
  •  Twelve Sky 2
  •  Wurm Online
  •  The Legend of Mir 3
  •  The 4th Coming
  •  Neocron
  •  PlaneShift
  •  Entropia Universe
  •  Order & Chaos 2: Redemption
  •  Master of Epic
  •  Puzzle Pirates
  •  Final Fantasy XI
  •  Dead Frontier
  •  Darkfall
  •  Tales of Pirates
  •  Vindictus
  •  Fiesta Online
  •  ArcheAge
  •  Darkeden
  •  EverQuest II
  •  Tibia
  •  Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
  •  Lineage
  •  Fantasy Westward Journey
  •  Tabula Rasa
  •  Xsyon
  •  Wizard101
  •  Dofus
  •  Earth and Beyond
  •  Mythos
  •  Toontown Online
  •  EverQuest
  •  Wakfu
  •  Grand Chase
  •  Dark Ages
  •  Dragon Quest X
  •  Shot-Online
  •  The Lord of the Rings Online
  •  Phantasy Star Online 2
  •  WonderKing Online
  •  Eden Eternal
  •  Rusty Hearts
  •  Guild Wars
  •  Star Wars: The Old Republic
  •  TERA: Rising
  •  Firefall
  •  Battlestar Galactica Online
  •  Twelve Sky
  •  Fragoria
  •  Dungeons & Dragons Online
  •  The Legend of Ares
  •  Ragnarok Online 2
  •  Rappelz
  •  Free Realms
  •  Priston Tale 2
  •  Love
  •  GodsWar Online
  •  Elsword
  •  Poptropica
  •  Empire of Sports
  •  Silkroad Online
  •  Fallen Earth
  •  Infantry Online
  •  MapleStory
  •  Guild Wars 2
  •  ROSE Online
  •  World of the Living Dead
  •  Neverwinter
  •  Knight Online
  •  Kal Online
  •  Allods Online
  •  Astonia III
  •  Scions of Fate or Yulgang
  •  Perfect World
  •  Cabal Online
  •  Hero Online
  •  Hello Kitty Online
  •  Aura Kingdom
  •  The Realm Online
  •  Digimon Masters
  •  Minions of Mirth
  •  Priston Tale
  •  Wonderland Online
  •  The Secret World
  •  Battle of the Immortals
  •  Trickster Online
  •  Clan Lord
  •  Ultima Online
  •  AdventureQuest Worlds
  •  Lineage II
  •  Face of Mankind
  •  Ran Online
  •  MonsterMMORPG
  •  Lineage III
  •  EVE Online
  •  Digimon Battle Online
  •  Shadowbane
  •  Black Desert Online
  •  Parallel Kingdom
  •  Order and Chaos Online
  •  Identity
  •  Anarchy Online
  •  Defiance
  •  Clone Wars Adventures
  •  Dynasty Warriors Online
  •  With Your Destiny
  •  Asheron’s Call
  •  Stellar Dawn
  •  Little Space Heroes
  •  A Tale in the Desert
  •  Terra
  •  Dark Age of Camelot
  •  Final Fantasy XIV (original)
  •  Seal Online
  •  Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
  •  Marvel Heroes
  •  Dragon Ball Online
  •  Blade & Soul
  •  Uncharted Waters Online
  •  Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues
  •  RuneScape
  •  Star Trek Online
  •  Rift
  •  Myst Online: Uru Live
  •  Zhengtu
  •  Dragon Nest
  •  RF Online
  •  Pirate101
  •  The Elder Scrolls Online
  •  Metin 2
  •  Red Stone
  •  DC Universe Online
  •  Toontown Rewritten
  •  Fantage
  •  City of Villains
  •  Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted
  •  Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds
  •  Camelot Unchained
  •  Runes of Magic

Overall, MOBA means multiplayer online battle arena. This is a genre of video game.

Sources:

  1. 29 Best Free MOBA Games to Play Right Now! (2021) | MMO Bomb 
  2. MOBA – What does MOBA stand for? | The Free Dictionary 
  3. Moba Definition & Meaning | Dictionary 
  4. MMORPG Games List | MMORPG