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Games · Top 10

Top 10 Free-to-Play MOBAs in 2027

By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 4 min read
Dota 2
Direct answer

Dota 2 is the best free-to-play MOBA, with a Metacritic Metascore of 90 and a free download on Steam. League of Legends: Wild Rift (89) is the best free MOBA on mobile, and SMITE (80) is the best on consoles.

At a glance

#PickPriceBest for
1Dota 2Free to play on Steam (US store)The deepest PC MOBA at no cost
2League of Legends: Wild RiftFree (the official site says “Play for free”; US App Store price Free)League of Legends built for phones
3Heroes of the StormFree to play (official site: “MOBA • Free to play”)Short matches with Blizzard characters
4SMITEFree to play on Steam (US store)Third-person god battles on console
5Arena of ValorFree (US App Store)A mobile MOBA that also runs on Switch
6League of LegendsFree (the official site says “Play for free”)The classic 5v5 PC MOBA
7Honor of KingsFree (US App Store)A polished phone MOBA from Tencent’s studio
8Pokémon UNITEFree (US App Store)Pokémon fans new to MOBAs
9Mobile Legends: Bang BangFree (US App Store listing “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.US”)Quick mobile matches
10PredecessorFree to play on Steam (US store)A third-person MOBA with modern graphics

Pick by what you want

Best overall (PC)
Dota 2
Best on mobile
League of Legends: Wild Rift
Best on console
SMITE
Best for Pokémon fans
Pokémon UNITE
Newest
Predecessor

The ranking

1

Dota 2

Dota 2
Answrs VerdictThe highest-scored free MOBA on Metacritic.
Price: Free to play on Steam (US store)Metascore: 90 from 33 critic reviews on MetacriticPlatforms: Windows, macOS and SteamOS + LinuxDeveloper: Valve

Dota 2 is free on Steam for Windows, macOS and SteamOS + Linux. It holds a Metascore of 90 from 33 critic reviews, the highest on this list.

Go ifThe deepest PC MOBA at no cost
Skip ifYou want to play on a phone
Why #1 over #2: Its 90 beats Wild Rift’s 89 and it runs on PC.
2

League of Legends: Wild Rift

League of Legends: Wild Rift
Answrs VerdictThe top-scored mobile MOBA.
Price: Free (the official site says “Play for free”; US App Store price Free)Metascore: 89 from 7 critic reviews on MetacriticPlatforms: Android, iOS and iPadOSLatest update: Sep 22, 2026 (US App Store)

League of Legends: Wild Rift scores 89 from 7 critic reviews and runs on Android, iOS and iPadOS. The US App Store listing was last updated Sep 22, 2026.

Go ifLeague of Legends built for phones
Skip ifYou want a PC or console game
Why #2 over #3: Its 89 is higher than Heroes of the Storm’s 86.
3

Heroes of the Storm

Heroes of the Storm
Answrs VerdictStill playable, but no longer growing.
Price: Free to play (official site: “MOBA • Free to play”)Metascore: 86 from 57 critic reviews on MetacriticPlatforms: Windows and macOSStatus: In maintenance mode; a quarterly update was reported on Jul 22, 2026

Heroes of the Storm is free on Windows and macOS and scores 86 from 57 critic reviews. It is in maintenance mode, with a quarterly update reported on Jul 22, 2026.

Go ifShort matches with Blizzard characters
Skip ifYou want a game with big new content drops
Why #3 over #4: Its 86 is above SMITE’s 80.
4

SMITE

SMITE
Answrs VerdictThe best free MOBA on consoles.
Price: Free to play on Steam (US store)Metascore: 80 from 21 critic reviews on MetacriticPlatforms: Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Amazon LunaPublisher: Hi-Rez Studios

SMITE is free on Steam and lists Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Amazon Luna. It scores 80 from 21 critic reviews.

Go ifThird-person god battles on console
Skip ifYou want the top-down view of Dota 2 or League
Why #4 over #5: Its 80 edges Arena of Valor’s 79 and it reaches consoles.
5

Arena of Valor

Arena of Valor
Answrs VerdictLive and updated, and playable on Switch.
Price: Free (US App Store)Metascore: 79 from 8 critic reviews on MetacriticPlatforms: Android, iOS, iPadOS and Nintendo SwitchLatest update: Sep 29, 2026 (US App Store)

Arena of Valor is free on Android, iOS, iPadOS and Nintendo Switch, with a Metascore of 79 from 8 critic reviews. Its US App Store listing was updated Sep 29, 2026.

Go ifA mobile MOBA that also runs on Switch
Skip ifYou want a PC game
Why #5 over #6: Its 79 is above League of Legends’ 78.
6

League of Legends

League of Legends
Answrs VerdictThe best-known MOBA, ranked here on critic score alone.
Price: Free (the official site says “Play for free”)Metascore: 78 from 37 critic reviews on MetacriticPlatforms: Windows and macOSDeveloper: Riot Games

League of Legends is free on Windows and macOS and scores 78 from 37 critic reviews on Metacritic.

Go ifThe classic 5v5 PC MOBA
Skip ifYou want the highest critic score
Why #6 over #7: It has 37 critic reviews against Honor of Kings’ 6 at the same 78.
7

Honor of Kings

Honor of Kings
Answrs VerdictTies League of Legends on score but has fewer reviews.
Price: Free (US App Store)Metascore: 78 from 6 critic reviews on MetacriticPlatforms: Android, iOS and HarmonyOSLatest update: Sep 22, 2026 (US App Store)

Honor of Kings is free on Android, iOS and HarmonyOS, with a Metascore of 78 from 6 critic reviews. Its US App Store listing was updated Sep 22, 2026.

Go ifA polished phone MOBA from Tencent’s studio
Skip ifYou want a PC or console game
Why #7 over #8: Its 78 is above Pokémon UNITE’s 70.
8

Pokémon UNITE

Pokémon UNITE
Answrs VerdictThe lowest critic score here, with the friendliest theme.
Price: Free (US App Store)Metascore: 70 from 33 critic reviews on MetacriticPlatforms: Android, iOS and Nintendo SwitchPublisher: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon UNITE is free on Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch, published by The Pokémon Company, and scores 70 from 33 critic reviews.

Go ifPokémon fans new to MOBAs
Skip ifYou want a traditional hero MOBA
Why #8 over #9: It has a Metascore, which Mobile Legends: Bang Bang lacks.
9

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Answrs VerdictUnscored on Metacritic, so it sits after the scored games.
Price: Free (US App Store listing “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.US”)Metascore: None listed on MetacriticLaunch: Nov 12, 2016 (Metacritic)Platforms: Android, iOS, iPadOS and HarmonyOS

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is free on Android, iOS, iPadOS and HarmonyOS. Metacritic lists no Metascore and a Nov 12, 2016 launch.

Go ifQuick mobile matches
Skip ifYou want a critic-reviewed game
Why #9 over #10: Its Nov 12, 2016 launch is earlier than Predecessor’s Aug 20, 2024.
10

Predecessor

Predecessor
Answrs VerdictThe newest pick, unscored on Metacritic.
Price: Free to play on Steam (US store)Metascore: None listed on MetacriticLaunch: Aug 20, 2024 (Metacritic)Platforms: Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5

Predecessor is free on Steam and lists Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Metacritic lists no Metascore and an Aug 20, 2024 launch.

Go ifA third-person MOBA with modern graphics
Skip ifYou want a critic-reviewed game

How we ranked these

We ranked the games on Metacritic Metascore, the critics’ consensus score, because no publisher of these games releases comparable player counts. Games with no Metascore (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Predecessor) follow in launch-date order, and a tie (League of Legends and Honor of Kings, both 78) goes to the game with more critic reviews. Metascores, update dates and platforms were checked in October 2026 and change over time. SMITE 2 and Deadlock were left out: SMITE 2 is still in Early Access on Steam and has no Metascore, and Deadlock is not a free public release. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.

Questions people ask

What is the best free-to-play MOBA?

Dota 2, with a Metacritic Metascore of 90 from 33 critic reviews and a free download on Steam.

What is the best free MOBA on mobile?

League of Legends: Wild Rift, with a Metascore of 89 from 7 critic reviews; it runs on Android, iOS and iPadOS.

Is Heroes of the Storm still playable?

Yes. It is in maintenance mode, and a quarterly update was reported on Jul 22, 2026.

Which free MOBAs are on Nintendo Switch?

Arena of Valor, Pokémon UNITE and SMITE all list Nintendo Switch among their platforms.

Metacritic Metascore (0-100) at a glance

Pokémon UNITE70 points
League of Legends78 points
Honor of Kings78 points
Arena of Valor79 points
SMITE80 points
Heroes of the Storm86 points
League of Legends: Wild Rift89 points
Dota 290 points
Metacritic Metascore (0-100), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.

Official sites

Sources

Prices, specs and availability change; confirm on the official site before you buy.

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