MOBA fans can now get started on the Nintendo Switch, as Arena of Valor is now available – and it’s free-to-play.
Until now, fans could only play the fast MOBA Arena of Valor on mobile devices with iOS and Android. Now you can also experience the killstreaks on the Nintendo Switch.
What is Arena of Valor? It’s an online multiplayer game from Tencent where you play as your heroes in an arena. In China, the game is known as Honor of Kings and is extremely popular there. The Chinese kids are so addicted to the game that the government has even had to take anti-addiction measures.
There are over 35 heroes categorized into the classes of Tanks, Mages, Assassins, Support, Warriors, and Marksmen.
What’s new?
- The MOBA has received a major graphical overhaul on the Switch, so Arena of Valor looks great on the TV.
- Some heroes have also been adjusted to ensure they are balanced for controllers.
- There is a Switch-exclusive arcade mode “Hook Wars” that utilizes the motion sensors of the small Joy-Cons.
Is it like League of Legends? Anyone who has played other MOBAs will likely be reminded of them after watching the trailer. Familiar MOBA elements like Top, Mid, or Bot lane as well as Jungle are also present in Arena of Valor. There are also 5v5 or 3v3 game modes. However, Arena of Valor is considerably faster than LoL. In our test, we came to the conclusion that Arena of Valor is a MOBA for “in-between”.
The games are fast-paced, you won’t be stuck in a match for an hour, but usually finish it in about 15 minutes. Sometimes even earlier. Particularly, the 3v3 mode could be won on the smartphone in less than 10 minutes.
To get you started, you should take a look at our Beginner’s Guide to Arena of Valor
