League of Legends and World of Warcraft are two different online games that come in different styles and modes. League of Legends is a MOBA, and World of Warcraft is an MMORPG-style game. League of Legends is known as LOL, and World of Warcraft is known as WOW in the gaming world.
League of Legends vs World of Warcraft
The main difference between League of Legends (LOL) and World of Warcraft (WOW) is that League of legends is a Moba game, while World of Warcraft is an MMORPG. WOW is a more complicated game than LOL at certain levels. When it comes to the matter of popularity, LOL has 11 million active players, which are higher than WOW.
League of Legends is a simple PVP game. It’s an online multiplayer battle arena video game, commonly known as LOL. Riot Games is the developer of the game. LOL is a free-to-play online game released in October 2009. In addition, the game provides the facility of purchasable character customization for the players.
World of Warcraft is generally a PvE game and a little complicated for the new players. It’s a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game also known as WOW. The game was released by an American company Blizzard Entertainment in 2004. The game has 10.3 million active users. In this game, players are allowed to explore an open game world and can generate a character avatar too.
Comparison Table Between League of Legends and World of Warcraft
| Parameters of Comparison | League of Legends | World of Warcraft |
| Gameplay | LOL is mainly a PVP game. It’s a battle game with two teams of five players. There is a custom map and also players can control the characters of the game. | WOW is a massive multiplayer PvE online game. The game has a fantasy world – Azeroth. Players can enjoy fighting with the monster, limitless magical adventures. |
| Developer | Riot Games. | An American company Blizzard Entertainment. |
| Release Date | October 27, 2009. | 23rd November 2004. |
| Game Mode | It’s in a multiplayer game mode. | Multiplayer. |
| Game Genere | MOBA, action roleplaying game. | MMORPG. |
| Available Platforms | Microsoft Windows, macOS, Macintosh operating system. | Microsoft Windows, classic Mac OS, Mac OS. |
| Affordability | It’s a free-to-play game. | It’s not a free-to-play game. Players need to pay a subscription fee to play the game. |
What is League of Legends?
League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena or MOBA video game developed and released by the Riot Games. The game uses a custom map for the gameplay, and all over, it’s a free-to-play game. It was released on 2009 October 27 for the Microsoft Windows platform.
League of Legends is a player-versus-player game where two teams of five players battle to destroy the ‘Nexus‘ of the opposing team. Each team has its Nexus. There are various game modes available like Summoner’s Rift, ARAM mode, Dominion, etc.
As LOL is a free-to-play game, anyone can play installing the game. Players can also spend real money to collect Riot points and can buy additional skins for their playing purpose. Players are allowed to purchase their favorite champions. Therefore, the game has become one of the most played games of all time.
There are various platforms available to play LOL, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Macintosh operating systems. According to data, the league of legends reached overall 115 million monthly players in 2021. The game download size is 9GB, and it’s around 22 GB in unpacked condition.
What is World of Warcraft?
World of Warcraft or WOW is an MMORPG game. The game is designed and published by an American company Blizzard Entertainment, in 2004. Like the other MMORPGs, players can control a character avatar. In this game, players can experience the adventures of the landscape, can fight with various monsters, and can interact with other players.
The game is a part of the Warcraft franchise. It also includes Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness, and Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos. The game is set in a fantasy world -Azeroth. Players are allowed to explore various avatars and interact with nonplayer characters.
There are many rewards like gold, weapons for the players. The exciting features of Exile’s Reach have been added by the developer team to give a twist to the gameplay. World of Warcraft Classic is a more hardcore and more epic version of World of Warcraft.
Players need to pay the subscription fee to participate in the game. WOW is available only on Windows and Mac devices. It’s a popular game amongst game lovers, and over 100 million accounts have been created.
Main Differences Between League of Legends and World of Warcraft
- League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena game. On the other hand, World of Warcraft is an MMORPG.
- LOL has a huge player base, around 115 million monthly. WOW has 100 million players.
- LOL came out in 2009. On the other hand, WOW was released in 2004.
- League of Legends is a PVP game. While World of Warcraft is a PvE game.
- LOL is a free-to-play game. On the other hand, WOW is a pay-to-play game. Players need to pay subscription fees.
- League of Legends is developed and published by Riot Games. World of Warcraft is developed by the American company Blizzard Entertainment.
- LOL is a comparatively easy game than WOW. WOW is complicated at certain levels.
Conclusion
Online video games are a very popular way to fill our lazy times with fun activities and entertainment. It has become very popular among everyone, from children to adults. Apart from the bad effects, games can build our strategic thinking and communicating skills.
League of Legends and World of Warcraft has gained massive popularity and attention from both the players and critics. Each of the games has its specialties. League of Legends is a MOBA game published by Riot Games.
Developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, World of Warcraft is admired MMORPG game. The skillful developers should get hats off for gifting us these kinds of adventurous, entertaining games. It’s very hard to compare which game is better, but we can observe some differences between them.
References
- https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2658537.2658538
- https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/1180875.1180898