Arena of Valor
Developer: Tencent | System: Android, iOS | Release Date: November 30, 2016 | Rating: 13 | Payment Model: Free2Play
What kind of game is this? Arena of Valor was one of the first MOBAs on smartphones and comes from the Chinese company that owns Riot Games.
The gameplay and overall structure are identical to LoL Wild Rift:
- There are 3 lanes, 3 towers per lane, and a jungle
- It is played in 5v5
- The role distribution is identical
- Last hits earn gold and characters can buy items
- Visually, there are many similarities
In fact, there were discussions in 2015 about implementing a mobile version of LoL. However, Riot decided against a collaboration. It was said that there were concerns that “the LoL feeling from the PC could not be transported to mobile.”
Tencent then developed Arena of Valor (Honor of Kings in its original name), which became a great success. In 2017, over 80 million people reportedly played it daily, roughly equivalent to the population of Germany. Anti-addiction measures for children were even initiated to limit daily playing time.
What do the reviews say?
- Arena of Valor receives 4.1 out of 5 stars in the Google Play Store with over 1.15 million ratings
- In the App Store, the MOBA even gets 4.6 stars from 13,200 ratings
In the reviews, Arena of Valor is praised for its overall gameplay and the wide selection of characters. These are said to be just as lovingly designed as in LoL. One of the newest reviewers even states that he prefers Arena of Valor to the new Wild Rift because the title from Riot Games currently lacks such a selection of champions.
However, there is criticism regarding the toxic community, which is said to predominantly speak Russian or Turkish. Additionally, new champions are often reported to be unbalanced and require time before they fit into the game.
Where can I download it? You can get Arena of Valor in the Google Play Store or in the App Store.
Who should play it? Anyone looking for a mobile MOBA with many champions and more content than Wild Rift could find a home in Arena of Valor. Despite the competition from Riot Games, the old title enjoys great popularity.
Only the community seems to be even more negatively inclined in Arena of Valor compared to League of Legends. But this can be deftly ignored if you turn off the chat.
