If you’re tired of League of Legends and Dota 2, the field of MOBA games for PC looks thinner than it should. Most of the genre’s challengers either flamed out (Heroes of Newerth, Battlerite), launched dead (Battleborn, Paragon), or quietly went into hibernation (Heroes of the Storm, mostly). The good news in mid-2026 is that the survivors are real games worth installing, three of them are free MOBA games for PC, and one of them is the most-watched closed beta on Steam. Below are four MOBA games on PC that earn the storage space, each with a one-line case for who should actually queue up.
If you’re newer to the genre, the Strategygame.org primer on what defines a MOBA covers the shared bones underneath every pick here.
1. SMITE 2: The Third-Person Aim Alternative
Hi-Rez’s sequel ditched the Smite 1 engine for Unreal 5, kept the mythology roster, and went into full release on PC in late 2024. The third-person camera is the reason to install it. You aim Zeus lightning the way you aim a hero shooter, and the targeting practice you built up clicking creeps in League does not translate, which is the whole point.
For who: LoL or Dota refugees who want strategic 5v5 lanes but are bored of overhead clicks and ready to learn skillshot aim with a mouse. The free-to-play Steam page is a five-minute install.
2. Deadlock: Valve’s Invite-Only Experiment
Deadlock is Valve’s first new multiplayer project in years, a 6v6 third-person shooter glued onto MOBA lane economy. As of mid-2026 it remains in invite-only PC playtest on Steam, no NDA, with regular concurrent player counts above 90,000 and patch-driven peaks past 125,000 earlier this year. Console support is not on the roadmap and Valve being Valve, it probably will not be.
For who: Dota lifers who want something Valve-shaped to grind, plus hero-shooter fans willing to learn last-hitting. Our new MOBA roundup goes deeper on where Deadlock sits in the current pipeline.
3. Predecessor: The Paragon Successor That Actually Shipped
Predecessor is the Paragon revival that finished the job Epic abandoned in 2018. Omeda Studios used the donated assets, kept the third-person camera and the vertical traversal hooks, and went 1.0 across PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2024. On PC specifically, the install runs on relatively modest hardware, and Discord-powered voice is baked in for squad calls.
For who: ex-Paragon players who want closure, plus newer MOBA players who’d rather aim from behind a hero than zoom out over a minimap. The roster is past 45 and the community polls on the official Predecessor site drive real changes, which is rare in the genre.
4. Eternal Return: The MOBA That Threw In a Shrinking Circle
Eternal Return is what happens when a Korean studio shoves a battle royale shrinking-circle into a top-down MOBA and refuses to compromise either half. Free-to-play on Steam, with concurrents around 25,000 in mid-2026, it runs solo, duo, or trio with full crafting, lane-style item builds, and a roster past 70 characters. Matches average 20 minutes, which is shorter than Dota and longer than a Fortnite round, sitting in a sweet spot the big two ignore.
For who: Players who like MOBA decision trees but hate sticking with a single lane assignment for 40 minutes. The 2.5D perspective is closer to LoL than to SMITE, so existing aim mechanics translate. For a wider list of alternatives in this lane, our games like League of Legends roundup pairs nicely.
Honorable Mentions and Dead Ends
Heroes of the Storm is technically back. Blizzard’s “maintenance mode” stopped looking like maintenance in 2026, with a full Arthas rework, the Haunted Mines map return, and ongoing balance patches every couple of months. Population is small but real, and the install is free if you already have a Battle.net account. Awesomenauts, sadly, is not a viable pick anymore. Ronimo’s official servers went offline in September 2023 after the studio’s bankruptcy, and while a handful of stubborn players keep things running, you should not treat it as an active game. Smite 1 still lives on Steam if you want the old god roster, but Hi-Rez has clearly moved the player base to the sequel.
For the broader cluster across mobile, console, and hybrid picks, the StrategyGame MOBA guides hub collects every related ranking on the site.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best MOBA games for PC beyond League and Dota?
The four PC picks worth installing in 2026 are SMITE 2 for third-person skillshot play, Deadlock for the Valve shooter-MOBA hybrid, Predecessor for the Paragon revival, and Eternal Return for a MOBA-battle-royale blend. Each offers something League and Dota 2 do not.
What is the best free MOBA on PC?
Several strong PC MOBAs are free to play. SMITE 2, Predecessor, and Eternal Return are all free, and Deadlock is free while it stays in invite-only playtest. That gives you a third-person option, a Paragon successor, and a battle-royale hybrid without spending a cent.
Is Heroes of the Storm still active in 2026?
Yes, more than its reputation suggests. Blizzard’s so-called maintenance mode picked back up in 2026 with an Arthas rework, the return of Haunted Mines, and balance patches every couple of months. The population is small but real, and it is free if you already have a Battle.net account.
What is the best third-person MOBA on PC?
SMITE 2 is the standout third-person MOBA on PC, with shooter-style aiming and a deep mythology roster. Predecessor is the other strong option, keeping Paragon’s third-person camera and traversal, and it suits players who want lane structure closer to League.
Is Deadlock available on PC?
Deadlock is PC-only and still in an invite-only Steam playtest as of mid-2026, with no public release date. Despite that, it regularly draws over 90,000 concurrent players and has peaked past 125,000. Console support is not on the roadmap.