The communities of Dota 2 and League of Legends have been marked by a certain tension for a long time. The games might seem to share a lot of commonalities, but the subtle differences mean the world to dedicated fans. Dota players believe their game is the more sophisticated in terms of design, since the original Defense of the Ancients was the origin point for MOBAs; League fans think the greater popularity of their title speaks for itself, and shows that the game is a refinement of the original formula. To Dota players, League is a game meant for children; to League fans, Dota is a game for masochists.
That’s why its so funny when one side peeks across the curtain and sees something, uh, pretty familiar. In the latest instance, both Dota 2 and League of Legends are hosting moon-themed events at the moment. League’s is forthcoming, while Dota’s released this week.
The Dota 2 event, titled “Dark Moon,” is a horde-defense game mode, where players resist waves of shades which increase in strength and number with each successive round. Each wave you survive earns you more event points, which can be spent on a variety of in-game rewards. Players interested in stacking up points have until February 6th, when the event ends.
Meanwhile, League of Legends is hosting an event titled “Hunt of the Blood Moon.” Rather than defending against large numbers of enemies, this event restricts the character pool to assassins only. In this mode, players are just competing to kill one another; each “sacrifice” here will be one step closer to appeasing the bloody minded entity throwing the whole shindig. The first team to kill the other enough times wins. There’s a twist, too; kill three enemies without dying or returning to base, and you’ll gain a huge buff thanks to the demonic being you’re trying to please. For 45 seconds or until you do damage, you’ll turn invisible and move at an increased speed, and do a walloping 20% of a target’s health as true damage on breaking stealth.
Maybe for once, the two most popular MOBA communities can be united in this odd moment of lunar synchronization. Unless, of course, one faction thinks their moon event is better…
