We’ve been promoting Infinite Crisis for a while here on DCComics.com. But now that this exciting new DC Comics-inspired online game has entered open beta, we thought it made sense to take a step back for the sake of fans who may be new to this type of game. Over the next few days, we’ll be running a series of short posts that we’re calling “MOBA 101.” They’re intended specifically for fans who may love DC Comics and characters, but are new to the world of MOBAs.

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

What is a MOBA and How do You Play?

MOBA stands for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. It’s a multiplayer online video game that’s all about fast paced action and strategy. While some video games, such as the Batman Arkham games, emphasize story-driven action, MOBAs focus on competition between teams of players. (That’s right, you play as part of a team!) Also, since it’s played online, your team can be made up of people from all over the world, fighting against another team who can also be from anywhere.

Here’s how the game works. You begin by choosing a map to fight on and a character to play. In Infinite Crisis, we call our characters “champions,” and each champion has different strengths and weaknesses.

A few of the recognizable champions in Infinite Crisis

Obviously, choosing the right champion is important since you want a diverse team. However, the map you select makes a difference as well. Each map has different “win conditions.” We’ll talk about those in greater depth later, but they alter what you need to do to win the match. So in addition to offering a change of scenery, each map alters a slightly different game experience.

Once you’ve selected a map and character, you’re placed on a team of five champions, which can be a team of random players all at your skill level, or a team of your friends—it’s your choice. It’s also your decision whether you’re competing against a random group of strangers or a team of your friends. Once the teams are set, the game begins and it ends when either you destroy the opposing team’s base or they destroy yours.

As you play and defeat enemies, you gain both experience and credit. You can spend these credits in the game to become more powerful, increasing your chances of winning. Of course, the same applies to your opponents as well, so you’ll want to make sure you’re also helping to defend your teammates.

Also, we should mention that in addition to the opposing team of champions, there are also NPC characters and obstacles, such as drones, turrets and neutral creatures. In short, there are plenty of opportunities and ways to increase your credit.

Infinite Crisis: A MOBA for DC Comics fans

With Infinite Crisis, we’ve combined this exciting style of gaming with the massive scale of the DC Comics Multiverse. That means you can expect to see your favorite heroes and villains—folks like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Joker, Harley Quinn and Catwoman—as champions. But you’ll also see some wildly diverse versions of these familiar heroes designed specifically for the game, like Nightmare Batman, Gaslight Catwoman and Mecha Wonder Woman below.

You’ll also see the Multiverse reflected in the game’s maps. For example, the Coast City map is based on Green Lantern’s familiar hometown. But the Gotham Divided map features a drastically altered version of Gotham, where the familiar city is partially merged with the Gaslight version of Gotham.

Whatever character or map you choose, if you’re a DC Comics fan, you’ll find much to love in the game. Many of the actors voicing the characters have also voiced them in DC animation. Plus, keep your eyes and ears open for plenty of easter eggs and fun nods to comic continuity.

We’ll be back tomorrow with another MOBA 101 post. However, if you’d like to learn more, we suggest checking out the “Getting Started” section on the Infinite Crisis website: http://game.infinitecrisis.com/en

To sign up and start playing now: https://www.infinitecrisis.com/en