MOBA
Also said as Multiplayer online battle arena, ARTS, Dota-like
Two teams, usually of five, each control a single hero, while waves of computer-run minions march down lanes between the bases. It promises a long, deep team match in which you level up from nothing each game.
Gold and levels start at zero every match, and small early leads snowball. This is why it is so absorbing, and why a bad teammate can feel like a personal disaster.
Say it
“MOBA rules: three lanes, minion waves every 30 seconds, and the last hit earns gold. A match should run about 30 minutes, with towers that punish anyone who pushes too early.”
Where you’ve seen it
It grew from Aeon of Strife, a StarCraft custom map, and Defense of the Ancients, a Warcraft III mod from 2003. League of Legends (2009) and Dota 2 (2013) followed. Gold goes mainly to whoever lands the killing blow on a minion, and Dota 2 also lets you deny your own.
Not to be confused with rts
It grew from RTS games, but you do not build a base or an army. You are one unit, and your army marches without you.