As you know, Dota 2 and League of Legends are considered the architects of the MOBA game genre. Since they are the first examples of their kind, they have had a rivalry among themselves for years. Although Dota is much older, the industry has slowly started to change hands since the release of League of Legends in 2009. We will try to answer the following question in our article today; What’s bigger LoL or Dota 2?
Also, if you want to learn about Dota 2 ranks system before focusing on the difference between the two games, you can take a look at our article. Now we can get back to our topic.
These two games are very similar in terms of game mechanics, competitive scenes and the Esports world. In our article, you will find detailed statistics such as the number of simultaneous players and the total number of players. In addition, we will be evaluating the differences and similarities of the two games in the MOBA game genre. If you are ready now, let’s get started and take a look at the details of our article.
Which is Bigger LoL or Dota 2
The most critical point where Dota 2 and LoL differ is undoubtedly the player numbers. When we look at the number of Dota 2 players in the last quarter of 2021, we see that the average number of simultaneous players is 450,000. We use these values for League of Legends in the same way, and we see more than 1 million active players simultaneously.
As you can see, simultaneously League of Legends is almost twice as high as Dota 2. In addition to this data, we can also evaluate the statistics published by League Of Legends for October 2021.
According to Riot Games, the number of gamers playing in October 2021 is 180 million. The figure is valid for October only. Of course, we do not know if this only applies to League of Legends. Because it may contain player counts in Wild Rift, Runeterra or Teamfight Tactics.
Dota 2 vs League of Legends 2022 – Twitch Stats
Now, there is another important statistic, the number of Twitch views. When we examine all this data, we can have a clear answer to “Whats bigger, LoL or Dota 2?”. Now let’s take a look at the Twitch statistics of the games, respectively.
The statistics we share below are valid for the first quarter of 2022. (Dota 2 Twitch Stats 2022 Jan – March)
- Hours watched: 119,550,698
- Hours broadcast: 2,061,027
- Average viewers: 55,347
- Max viewers: 224,463
- Broadcasters: 98,558
- Average viewers rank: 13th
- Average channels rank: 22nd
League of Legends Twitch Stats (January 2022 – March)
- Hours watched: 433,968,551
- Hours broadcast: 8,382,593
- Average viewers: 200,911
- Max viewers: 669,460
- Broadcasters: 529,139
- Average viewers rank: 2nd
- Average channels rank: 6th
When we examine all Twitch statistics of both games, we see that League of Legends has an obvious dominance. There is a difference of almost 3 times in all values. Let’s consider all the statistics to finally decide. You can see that the numbers give the answer to Whats bigger, LoL or Dota 2? as League of Legends.
Should I Play LoL or Dota 2
Most players who are new to the MOBA genre have searched for “Dota 2 vs LoL 2022”. In this title of our article, we will evaluate both games on various issues in order for the players to decide. In this way, you can objectively evaluate both games beyond statistics and decide which one is better.
1. Game Visuals – (Dota 2)
When we evaluate the visuality of both games, we see that the Dota series is at the forefront. With the development of technology over the years, both games have changed in terms of graphics and visuals. However, the updates to League of Legends caused a very different game to emerge from the day it was first released.
Dota 2, on the other hand, made more consistent updates to carry on the legacy of Warcraft and stay true to the ties of the original production. While the graphics and visual style of the game kept up with the technology, it also managed to keep up with its old ties.
2. Cosmetic Items, Skins and Unique Designs – (League of Legends)
In-game cosmetics have been an indispensable part of online games for 2-3 years. You can find various skins and cosmetic items in both League of Legends and Dota 2.
We think that League of Legends does this best. Because there is a wide variety of fantastic skins ranging from creatures of nothingness to cosmic creatures to witches. Therefore, every match in the game is colorful and different for the players.
Also in League of Legends, it is possible to find good-looking skins with many advanced graphics in most themes. For example, according to the cost of the skin, everything from the character’s walking animation to his voice-lines changes.
Of course, the use of cosmetic items in Dota 2 reflects well. However, it cannot be as successful as League of Legends, and it cannot appeal to the community. The most important point of Dota 2 in terms of skins is that they can be fully traded. However, even this cannot prevent League of Legends’ fantastic character skins.
3. Continuity of In-Game Mechanics (Dota 2)
Although Dota 2 has undergone various changes over the years, it has managed to preserve the mechanics of the game. Apart from various graphic changes, you can’t see much change in gameplay in Dota 2.
However, if you look at the game mechanics of League of Legends on the first day of its debut and look at it now, you will understand what we mean. No matter how big the changes made in Dota 2, they hardly affect the mechanics of the game. The changes made in League of Legends completely change the gameplay of the game.
In Dota 2, meta updates occur at long intervals. For example, with a new update that came in February 2022, the offlaners meta has completely changed.
4. Radical and Fast Gameplay Updates – (League of Legends)
League of Legends is a game that has undergone incredible changes since its debut. With the season structure of the game-changing almost every year, the basis of the game completely changes. The gameplay of champions can be strengthened and weakened with nerfs and buffs. Likewise, items can be deleted or a new one can be added to the item shop.
In short, let’s say you took a break from League for 1-2 years. And when you come back to the game years later, you will probably see that the game has changed almost completely. Even if the core gameplay and map structure remain similar, you’ll still notice a lot of changes. This is a situation that increases the continuity of the game for new generation players. Because of this, LoL wins the Dota 2 vs LoL 2022 contest at this point.
5. Stable Map Design – (Dota 2)
When creating the MOBA genre, Dota never shied away from simplicity and intelligibility. For this reason, they adopted a simple map design approach as much as possible. The roads leading down to the river, the stairs, and the green areas are clearly noticed by the players.
Problems such as accessing runes for new players are not uncommon. Getting used to Dota 2’s map design is simple, however, after playing a game or two. Even if you return to the game after many years, you will not see big differences, as the change is almost minimal.
6. Constantly Updated Map – (League of Legends)
League of Legends is the number one MOBA game in terms of map diversity. Because of the major updates made every year, the structure of the Map completely changes. For example, the gameplay of the map has completely changed, with four different dragon mechanics added a few years ago.
So if you’re playing League of Legends, keep in mind that the map will change several times each year. These changes affect the gameplay mechanics of the map rather than changing the entire map. For example, the gameplay has changed almost completely thanks to the new dragon mechanic that arrived in 2021.
7. The International and Esports (Dota 2)
Dota 2 is by far the leading game in Esports tournaments organized within MOBA games. As you know, Dota 2 The International tournament is held regularly every year. Dozens of teams from different parts of the world participate in these tournaments.
In addition, the Dota 2 International tournament has a multi-million dollar prize pool. For example, a total of $40,018,195 money was distributed at The International in 2021. We’re keeping Dota 2 one step ahead of League of Legends here as it’s the biggest tournament of the year.
8. Events and Collaborations – (League of Legends)
Although League of Legends is not as big as Dota 2, it does important work to be close to it. For example, the League of Legends Championship Series is held regularly every year. And every year, special events are held for the tournament accompanied by famous singers.
For example, in the past years, it has held events that include live music concerts with celebrities such as Madison Beer and (G)I-DLE. Especially the songs that League of Legends releases for the tournament every year almost got to the number one place in the music charts. Millions of players expect such events to come every year. While Dota 2 offers a more hardcore Esports event, in League of Legends the fun is more at the forefront.
The Result
In fact, we wanted to tell you throughout our article. Dota 2 is the purest form of MOBA. And it’s a game that has almost become a classic. Due to its compelling, classic, and Warcraft heritage, it has a high age limit of players. However, these features do not appeal to the new generation of gamer.
League of Legends, on the other hand, is a game that is more innovative, puts more emphasis on cosmetic items, and most importantly, much simpler. For this reason, League of Legends is loved by the new generation of players. Thanks to the updates coming almost weekly and monthly, the game always stays new. This makes the game easy to play. Because everyone has to relearn everything with every new update.
Therefore, the winner of Dota 2 vs LoL 2022 is definitely League of Legends. Besides the compelling competitive structure of Dota 2, the simple ranked system of League of Legends is one of the biggest advantages. In addition, we have no choice but to choose League of Legends when we take other distinctions to the fore.
