Hey friend! I know the popular question floating around is whether the hit game Genshin Impact can be considered a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) or not. As an avid Genshin player myself, I‘ve done a deep dive to break down Genshin‘s mechanics and how they stack up against games in the MOBA genre. Let‘s take a look!
A Refresher on MOBA Gameplay
First, a quick refresher on what defines a MOBA. Some key qualities that the most popular MOBAs all share:
- Each player picks a unique hero with special abilities to control
- Teams of players compete head to head, typically 5v5
- The main goal is destroying the opposing team‘s base/structures
- Matches usually last 30-60 minutes on average
- Heroes can gain XP and upgrade skills/gear during the match
The undisputed titans of this genre of course are games like League of Legends, Dota 2, and Heroes of the Storm. Their razor focus on competitive team play has created devoted esports scenes.
How Genshin‘s Gameplay Stacks Up
Now let‘s see how Genshin Impact compares in its core gameplay elements against these MOBA staples:
Character Roster and Abilities
Genshin absolutely delivers in terms of its diverse and growing character roster. With the latest additions in version 3.4, there are now over 60 playable characters, each with beautifully detailed models and their own unique abilities.
For example, the 5-star Cryo character Shenhe wields a polearm and can buff your team‘s Cryo damage. While the new 4-star Yaoyao is a Dendro healer who provides persistent regeneration and protective barriers.
The depth of combat options here rivals popular MOBAs. League boasts over 160 champions while Dota 2 has over 100 heroes to choose from.
PvP and Co-op Modes
Genshin does offer some light PvP and co-op modes, but they are not the primary focus. The Spiral Abyss pits your characters against waves of enemies and bosses in a timed challenge, while up to 4 players can team up in the open world.
But that pales in comparison to the full-blown 5v5 or 3v3 arena battles in competitive MOBAs lasting up to an hour.
Progression and Meta
One area where Genshin thrives is its long-term progression systems. There‘s deep metagame of optimizing artifacts, team synergies, and combos to take characters from zero to hero.
MOBAs similarly have vigorous theorycrafting cultures, but their progression resets after each match. Genshin‘s persistent upgrades feel more RPG-like.
Matches and Pacing
Perhaps the biggest departure is Genshin‘s sprawling open world exploration. Rather than brief 20-60 minute matches, you can easily spend hours traversing the lands of Teyvat seeking hidden treasures and completing quests at your own pace.
The continuous progression and open ended adventure provides a markedly different feel from MOBAs rigid arena matches.
Genshin‘s Success on Mobile
It‘s worth mentioning that Genshin adapts well to mobile gameplay, which sets it apart from PC-focused titles like League or Dota 2. On mobile platforms, Genshin has grossed over $3 billion worldwide as of 2022.
The following table compares Genshin‘s mobile revenue and downloads to top MOBAs:
| Game | Downloads | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Genshin Impact | 52 million | $3.7 billion |
| Arena of Valor | 89 million | $2.5 billion |
| Mobile Legends | 600 million | $2.5 billion |
| Wild Rift | 10 million | $76 million |
As we can see, Genshin‘s mobile popularity and monetization metrics exceed even longstanding handheld MOBAs. The intuitive controls and progression carryover make Genshin a hit on phones.
Personal Reflections as a Long-Time Player
As someone who‘s been playing Genshin Impact since nearly the beginning, I‘ve enjoyed watching the world of Teyvat grow and expand over time. When I first picked up the Mondstadt arc, it hooked me with its lush scenery to explore and charming playable characters like Venti and Razor who I leveled up to dominate enemies.
It scratched that RPG itch of steadily powering up a dream team of characters and mastering their abilities that MOBAs recapture in short bursts. I have fond memories joining up with friends to take down challenging domain bosses and weekly events.
While Genshin has some platforming issues and gacha monetization, the excitement of a new map expansion and story quests keeps me engaged after 2+ years. And with major regions like Sumeru now in the game, the future looks bright.
The online community provides theorycrafting and team building resources that keep the meta evolving. And the ability to play cross-platform on PC, consoles, and mobile means I can adventure alongside my worldwide Genshin friends anytime.
Does Genshin Need More Competitive Elements?
As Genshin continues maturing, I think there are opportunities to introduce more skill-based competitive modes. These could take inspiration from MOBAs and battle royales:
- Ranked PvP arenas with seasons and rewards
- Faction wars where player guilds control territory
- Leaderboards tracking statistics like speedrun times
- Limited-time events with special buffs or conditions
- In-game tournaments organized by miHoYo with prizing
Integrating these types of competitive social features could reduce reliance on resin and the gacha system while giving elite players something to master. Though it risks alienating casual exploration fans.
The Verdict: Genshin Borrows From MOBAs but Forges Its Own Identity
At the end of the day, Genshin Impact skillfully blends the satisfying ability mechanics of MOBAs with the longevity and progression of RPGs, then wraps it all in a beautiful anime-inspired open world.
While it picks some of the best facets of competitor games, Genshin pairs them with console quality production values and a gameplay loop that promotes relaxing long-term enjoyment rather than repetitive high intensity matches.
These smartly integrated ingredients have created a recipe for success, allowing Genshin to stand distinctly apart from the MOBAs that came before it. So while you can certainly spot some similarities in its DNA, labeling Genshin as just another MOBA doesn‘t accurately capture how delightfully different its flavor is.
So in summary friend, is Genshin Impact a purebred MOBA? No. But does it deserve credit for taking proven ideas and remixing them into something uniquely memorable? Absolutely.
Let me know what aspects of Genshin keep you coming back in the comments down below! And what new modes or competitive features you‘d like to see added in future updates. I always love geeking out over everything Genshin with fellow fans.
