13 Types of Players You See in MOBA Games

3 paths, 2 bases, Towers and Jungle

MOBA is an abbreviation for multi-player online battle arena. This sort of game has different game modes (or maps), where players use different strategies to destroy the enemy base or take control of capture points.

You control one unit known as a “hero” which has a diverse set of skills. Neutralizing an opponent grants you currency as a reward, which you later use to buy equipment for your character. The approximate match duration is thirty minutes. The two battling teams consist of 5 players each for the larger maps. Smaller game modes include 3 vs 3, 2 vs 2, 1 vs 1 competitions.

On your way to demolish the enemy structures you encounter uncontrollable units referred as “creeps” ( different games use various names ). They give you additional currency when you kill them. There are three paths called “lanes” on the most common map which lead to the opposing base, as well as a jungle area where you can earn more money by killing neutral monsters. Most famous MOBAs nowadays are “DotA” and “League Of Legends” which are considered electronic sports.

Like all other cooperative online games, the best way to win is to communicate with your team mates. And the main purpose of playing is to have fun, right ? Entertaining or not, positive or negative, here are some of the most common player behaviours you will encounter in MOBAs.

1. The Noob

He is a new player, probably installed the game yesterday. He is still learning the controls, the key locations on the map, the jungle monster camps, all the heroes released until today and their skill sets. Trust me, it takes time to actually know what you are doing. These players are usually motivated and try to get used to the MOBA as fast as they can. They have a nice in-game personality, kindly accept feedback and seek go get better.

The term “noob” is also used to describe a far more experienced player who performs as low as a beginner. So if anyone tell you that you are a noob, he most likely uses this word to offend you.

2. The Rager

This particular species of gamer is always unsatisfied with the way his team mates perform and the way the game goes in general. Also known as a flamer -- a person who uses team chat to insult his companions. For their every mistake, or should I say move?

He expresses his anger by using bad language, wishing certain tragic events happen in the lives of your family members, even death threats (not real death threats… I think). The toxic behaviour is strong with this one, as he destroys the team’s morale. He just can’t suffer the indignity of losing a game. Forget it, after all it’s your fault he is defeated.


Just a tip from my personal gaming experience - don’t mind that person, don’t speak to him. All online games have a “mute” option where you can simply hide all the messages you receive from him in team chat. After the match has finished, you can report that player for verbal harassment.

3. The Positive Guy

This dude is extremely motivated, as he will continually bolster the courage of his team. He uses communication to lift the spirits of others. He never surrenders. A morale booster. He is going to help you achieve victory. He is even positive after being defeated. Just wow.

There is always a way guys. We can win just keep trying. Oh wait, I started to sound like him, didn’t I.

I’m not a psychologist or anything but I can tell this guy is positive like this in real life too.

4. The Helper

Just like the positive guy, this one uses the strong mentality technique. He aids your path to success, gives you advices, feedback, follows you around in the game. The helper plays mostly support roles in MOBA games where one is to provide map vision, sustain the well-being of all friendly characters, and buy equipment that give certain benefits to his buddies. For example auras, healing items, items that suppress enemy units etc.

Its not easy to win a game as a support because you often rely on your team mates to be victorious. Imagine if they are trolls or ragers.

5. The Troll

The troll finds amusement through the misery of others. His main goal is to piss his team mates off while having fun at it. Most of the time he does not care about game objectives, although some trolls prefer to use extraordinary tactics to win. He can confuse the enemy when using his unusual strategies. The most important thing is to mock the hell out of all players and have a laugh about it.

Be careful with trolls because they lose temper very quick if you doubt their exceptional methods. They can easily turn against their own teammates. Either way, winning or losing, their goal is achieved.

After being victorious in a game, the troll will often state how easy it was to win, no matter the actual struggle he had to endure. Get rekt noobs.

6. The Leader 

This guy takes the role of a commander even before the match has started. Leaders love to organise stuff. He distributes the roles of his team mates and gives orders. He tells you where to go and what to do. It is in his nature, he doesn’t understand how annoying he can be sometimes.

Some people don’t want to follow your instructions, dude. After all I’m here to have fun, I have my own ways of doing things.

Just imagine having a troll or a rager and a leader in one team. Hilarious. Or disturbing.

7. The Selfish One

As the title says, this guy lives in his own world. This player just likes to show off, convince us how professional he is, how good his gaming mechanics are.

This narcissistic being is a fan of numbers. He plays only to have an outstanding KDA ( kill/death/assist ) and brag about it. He can jeopardise the whole match just to satisfy his ego.

8. The Quitter

This negative attitude person loses all hope of winning a game very fast. Sometimes even a single mistake of a team mate can make him surrender. It’s difficult to persuade this guy that nothing is lost. The problem is that this behaviour is contagious and can quickly destroy the morale of others.

However he will most likely leave the game earlier, before it has ended, or just go AFK until the match is finished.

Your only option here is to continue playing and try to win with one man short. Report every single one of them to the game developers to rid the game community of their existence.

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Other exceptional types of players in MOBA games include: the child, the tryhard, the drunk, the casual, the lagger, the AFKer. There’s a lesser chance to encounter these people. That doesn’t mean you won’t.

9. The Child

A person with the mentality of a kid. It can be an adult too. The problem here is that the children lose hope or quit playing when they don’t get what they want. You can blame their mummy for that, she is the one that spoiled them.

10. The Tryhard

Failure is not an option here. This guy tries hard to emerge victorious in games. Even when his success is obvious, he puts a lot of unnecessary effort just to appear professional.

11. The Drunk or The Stoner

He uses the excuse of being under certain alcoholic or narcotic effects to justify his failure to do something in-game.

12. The Casual Player

He is not investing too much effort when playing online games. He says that gaming is not real life, although he chose to play a computer game… in real life…

13. The Lagger

This dude always has internet connection issues. Every time he fails miserably, he points lag as the reason for his misplay. Why do you even play an online game when you have lags in the first place ?

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Only because you have came this far in the article, I will give you some examples of good and bad player combinations.

Synergy:

• Noob and Positive Guy
• Noob and Leader
• Noob and Helper
• Leader and Helper
• Leader and Positive Guy
• Helper and Positive Guy

Discord:

• Noob and Troll
• Leader and Troll
• Positive Guy and Quitter
• Rager and pretty much everyone
• Selfish One and… pretty much everyone
• Quitter and the universe