It’s the crossover nobody wanted, but the one we all should have seen coming. Prime Arena answers the poorly-thought-out question: What if we merged Dota 2 with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds?
Developed by indie studio Nival, Prime Arena is a game that somehow aims to combine the teamwork and intricate balance of games like League of Legends or Dota 2 with the solo survival elements of the battle royale genre.
Much like PUBG, the game takes place on an ever-shrinking map, which forces players together as the match progresses, until one of them is left standing. Unlike PUBG, however, Nival say the game incorporates MOBA elements. That seems to mean a fantasy-style map, an isometric view, and neutral monsters to battle, as well as characters with their own unique abilities, but there’s no official word on what the MOBA mechanics actually are.
Instead, Prime Arena actually seems to want to distance itself from the problems that many MOBAs suffer from, which it blames almost solely on toxicity. In a press release, the team say “toxic atmosphere is the main problem of MOBA games,” and that overall, the genre is simply “too aggressive.” Help is at hand, however, as Nival claim they have entirely solved the problem by abandoning any form of socialisation and instead making a project “meant for solo carries.” That sounds a lot like Prime Arena is a game designed for that top-laner who refuses to join team-fights, or the support who fancies themselves some sort of roaming assassin.
I’m not sure how any of this will actually work, but MOBAs and Battle Royales are just about the two most popular genres in the world, so maybe it’ll all pay off.
