Ferrari

From Generative to Conventional Play: MOBA and League of Legends

Simon Ferrari's 2013 DiGRA paper examines the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre through League of Legends, arguing that the genre emerged from player-modders working within Warcraft III, most notably the DotA mod, whose generative, exocentric design choices, including removing base-building, standardizing 5v5 play…

• The MOBA genre emerged from player-modders working in Warcraft III, most notably the DotA mod, whose design choices (removing base-building, standardizing 5v5 play, and using a single symmetrical map) were later commercialized.
• Ferrari positions League of Legends as the central MOBA case, citing it as the most played game by hours, supported by a professional competitive scene and a free-to-play model sustained by ongoing champion releases and data-driven balancing.
• Ferrari argues League of Legends constitutes conventional, exocentric play, with its team-based competition shaped by layered hidden and complex information.