Entertainment of today is extremely varied, and a large part of the industry is video games. Some games have become so popular they have become a phenomenon that is popularly known as electronic sports, or e-sports. The genre commonly known as “multiplayer online battle arena” (MOBA), has developed a massive competitive environment. This has been primarily propagated through two titles: Defense of the Ancients 2 (DotA2) and League of Legends (LoL). These two e-sports are similar at a pass, but also show many differences in the mechanics and accessibility of Dota2 and LoL.
Due to the two e-sports being of the same genre, Defense of the Ancients 2 and League of Legends are fundamentally the same. This can be compared to softball vs. baseball, or arena football vs. gridiron football. The game is played in a 5v5 format, in which each player will select an in game avatar. Each player will be playing the chosen character for the duration of the match. The games accentuate strong team-play, and the strategies will be developed around this and the character choices. The objective of the game is to destroy a central structure with the assistance of computer-controlled units which are spawned at regular intervals. These units always march towards the enemy’s primary structure through 3 paths known as “lanes.” There are defensive structures in place to aid players in defending the main objective. Players gain “experience” and spend “gold” on items to increase the power level of their character. Gaining experience is possible by standing nearby an enemy unit as its health is reduced to zero. Gold is gained actively in several ways, such as landing the last blow on an enemy unit, as well as passively per second from the base. Gold is used to purchase items of variable prices and impacts, usually positively effecting the combat impact of the character, though can also lend aid to support the team. These are all similarities shared by both DotA2 and LoL.
Although the...