MOBAs Are No Longer Liked According to Former Riot Games Manager

Robin Guo, who is the former Corporate Development Manager at Riot Games, shared some insights on how shooters and adventure games are dominating the market and MOBAs (Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas) are nowhere near as popular as they used to be. Mobile gaming is still seen as a casual platform as hardcore gamers continue to deviate to console and PC. Guo based his observations on a survey of over 2,000 gamers who participated in the Games Fund One’s 2022 Gamer Survey. Here are some interesting insights from the survey that might shock you. 

MOBAs are not as popular as they used to be 

A data point shared in Guo’s insights revealed that MOBAs are far down the list of genres that are the most popular right now. Triple-A titles, battle royales, shooters and adventure games make up 40% of the preferred genres based on the respondents’ answers. Puzzle games and Candy Crush are also extremely popular, and MOBAs are way down the list.

But something Guo pointed out was that MOBAs are likely to be very popular in Asia currently, even though the rest of the world has deviated to other genres.

There is also a disparity between games and their platforms. Puzzle games are way more popular on mobile (20% delta), MMOs on PC (8% delta), sports and shooter games on consoles (10% delta).

The “Fortnite is for kids” statement might actually be true 

There is a sentiment among a lot of gamers that Fortnite is meant for kids and while the game is enjoyed by gamers of all ages, the stigma around the game might actually be true. Roblox and Fortnite were listed by over 60% of respondents from younger age groups. But much older age groups tend to deviate towards puzzle-based games.

Cuo also revealed that the “motivations for play are highly varied across socialization, relaxation, competition, monetization, etc. Many different games for different players and needs! Though motivations are hard to nail down exactly, this should give a directional sense of what draws people to a game.” He noted that men tend to deviate towards competition while women are motivated in gaming by relaxation, crafting, and socializing.