According to a report from DFC Intelligence, DOTA 2 has passed League of Legends as the most played “core” PC title. Both games literally towered above the third game in the running, World of Warcraft. It looks like the age of the addictive MMO is starting to wane and MOBA games are starting to take their place on the PC gaming throne.
“Usage of League of Legends has been steady the past year and surprisingly the huge success of DOTA 2 did not seem to cut into its popularity as much as would be expected,” said DFC analyst Jeremy Miller.
Perhaps even more interesting is that DOTA 2 and League of Legends are both free to play titles, providing even more evidence for the power of the freemium business model.
League of Legends and DOTA 2 were both made by members of the original DOTA mod team. League of Legends came out first and thus had a more established fanbase, and has a far larger position in the pro gaming community with their yearly events and tournaments. However, DOTA 2 is growing fast and, if DFC Intelligence can be believed, it is certainly giving LOL a run for its money.
Source: Games Industry