The MOBA genre offers an incredible variety and a game of this kind needs a good idea to stand out against long-established big names like League of Legends or Dota 2. A new MOBA will be released in December 2025 in beta on Steam and has convinced with interesting innovations.
What kind of game is this? Spellcasters Chronicles is the latest title from Quantic Dream. The French developers have become known for strong story-focused games like Heavy Rain and Detroit Become Human.
Now they are trying their hand at a 3vs3 MOBA, in which you, as a so-called Spellcaster, must destroy the life stones of the opposing team to win the match. The beta of Spellcasters Chronicles on Steam starts in December 2025.
MeinMMO author Nico has already been able to play a few rounds and get a first impression of Spellcasters Chronicles.
What does the genre need in 2026? The genre Multiplayer Online Battle Arena was created with a mod for the real-time strategy game Warcraft 3, Dota. Since then, several games of this kind have been released, but many of them have not been able to establish themselves over the long term.
With League of Legends, the probably largest MOBA was released in 2009 and has attracted many players every day since. The successor to Dota, Dota 2, has also been among the most played games on Steam for years.
Many new MOBAs have to come to terms with the fact that there are already one or more really good games for the “original” version of the genre. This means that a new MOBA must expand the genre with its own good ideas in order not to fade in the shadow of the big titles. And exactly these good ideas have come to Quantic Dream for Spellcasters Chronicles.
Spellcasters Chronicles wants to return to the roots of the genre
What ideas does the new MOBA have? As already mentioned, the MOBA genre originated from a real-time strategy game. Spellcasters Chronicles uses elements from the original genre and mixes them with a third-person view MOBA.
After you select your character, you can assemble a deck from various spells and creatures. These creatures can be skeleton warriors, large stone monsters, or helpful buildings and will be summoned by you during the game. With additional levels, you can increase the limit of creatures, enhance your other spells, or provide your Spellcaster with more health or regeneration.
Later, you will be able to unleash whole hordes of monsters on your opponents and can summon a huge titan, similar to a chargeable ultimate, to help you clear the battlefield.
What is the big difference compared to LoL or Dota 2? In LoL or Dota 2, the creatures (minions or creeps) are just small helpers that leave the base at set times and support you on the lane. They are usually available as melee fighters, ranged attackers, and as a special minion that deals more damage to buildings.
In Spellcasters Chronicles, however, you decide which creatures help you and when. This aspect was a welcome change compared to the rather one-dimensional minions from LoL and Dota 2. New MOBAs can certainly adopt elements from other representatives of the genre, but they should focus on new and interesting mechanics, like the creatures in Spellcasters Chronicles.
You can decide how you want to play your character
How are the Spellcasters played? Another nice idea of Spellcasters Chronicles lies in the variety of characters. In my gaming session with the developers, I could unfortunately only choose from two pre-made decks, but I noticed there that it is my decision whether I prefer to focus on many strong creatures to tear down the towers of the three lanes, or whether I want to upgrade my Spellcaster’s abilities.
As a Fire Elementalist, I chose to focus on fire spells. With almost every level, I could enhance my fire beam and later conjure a rain of embers to thin out the many creatures of the opponents. I also had a few creatures with me, but my focus was on the abilities.
With the Iron Sorcerer, I was able to experience the other side of Spellcasters Chronicles. As an ability, I only had a shield to block enemy spells or tower shots, and a powerful ultimate that could bring most monsters before me to their knees. My focus was rather on the many monsters I could summon. With small archers as cannon fodder and large stone monsters, I could summon an army and easily destroy the enemy tower.
The various possibilities, which were even limited for me during the gameplay, really pleased me and show that Quantic Dream does not simply want to create the next LoL clone, but has thought about how they can further develop the MOBA genre.
A MOBA that plays and feels like League of Legends does not always have to fade in the shadow. A mobile game from China seems like a real clone of LoL, yet it is the most successful game in the world and has generated the highest revenues for three years: The most successful game in the world looks like a clone of LoL but does one important thing better
