All the game modes in Mobile Legends explained

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang offers one of the purest forms of the MOBA – or "multiplayer online battle arena" – experience on mobile devices. There are multiple ways to experience the genre, from standard 5v5 matches to themed modes that can't be found elsewhere. This quick guide will detail each mode available in the game, when it unlocks, and what you'll be doing when you dive in.

The main game mode – and the first one available to you after logging on and completing the tutorials – is Classic mode. This is a 5v5 multiplayer match where teams must try and take over the other team's territory. The battlefield is split into "lanes" and a middle "jungle" area, with each member of the team taking a certain assignment based on the character they've chosen.

If you're assigned a lane, you'll fight against the other team and their minions as you set out to destroy towers along the path. Eventually, you'll enter the enemy base, and if you can destroy the Inhibitor tower in the base, your team will be victorious.

Meanwhile, if you're assigned the "jungle" areas, your goal will be to take down monsters that live between the lanes, earning gold and experience points for your team in the process.

Brawl takes the Classic experience and condenses it into a bite-sized package. Instead of multiple lanes, there’s just a single lane and two turrets per lane. What's more, Brawl adds a little chaos to the mix by not allowing you to openly choose your hero; instead, you're presented with two of the heroes you've unlocked, and you have to choose one on the fly.

Ranked mode is similar to Classic mode but with tiered competition based on placement matches and success throughout a designated "season". This is where you'll find serious Mobile Legends players. It also has a unique Draft mechanic where each team is allowed to ban specific heroes from being selected in the hopes of limiting their opponent's viable options.

A far cry from the other game modes, Magic Chess is an 8-player strategy mode which takes place on a massive chessboard. Each player can choose a "Little Commander", and from there you’ll recruit heroes, move around the board, and upgrade your commanders. Each turn has two phases: Preparation, where you can buy, sell, and upgrade your heroes; and Battle, where you fight to decide the winners.

Arcade is the hub for limited-time events or special game modes which are themed around in-game seasons. The types of match style you might find in Arcade mode include Survival, which is a team-based battle royale mode where groups of three fight to be the last team standing, and Frenzy, which adds stat-buffing consumable food items to a Classic match for a different spin.

Mobile Legends allows players to create custom Classic, Brawl, and Draft matches, either with AI-controlled bots or with other players. The AI matches, in particular, serve as a great way to practice with new heroes or train your abilities with those you've unlocked.