The difference between Vainglory 5v5 and the old map 3v3

Early access version of Vainglory 5v5 just rolled out today with update 2.12. Currently, only owners of the game’s “Golden Ticket” item can experience this brand new map. Obviously, even if it wasn’t played first, anyone who is a fan of Vainglory It is also predictable that there will be a lot of difference between the new 5v5 map and the old 3v3 map. Below, let’s take a look at the most basic changes between these two “traditional” and “new” gameplay:

Number of participants

This is obviously an overstatement, because 5v5 will definitely have more participants than 3v3. However, this change is not so simple. The number of people changing, will obviously also entail a change in resource allocation as well as tactical positions in the team. If you are a person who used to play titles MOBA game like League of Legends or Dota 2, this might not be a big deal. But if you are a mere Vainglory player, the “transfer” from 3v3 to 5v5 is certainly not an easy process.

Split lanes

Lane, or road, is a common name for MOBA games. Previously, in the 3v3 map, Vainglory had only 1 main lane and 1 jungle area. At that time, lane division was very simple. One laner, one jungler, the other chooses to support one of the two areas above depending on the situation or the specifics of the match. This split will become very different when playing 5v5.

First, the 5v5 map has 3 lanes, including top (top), mid (middle) and bots (bottom). The lanes of Vainglory 5v5 are divided according to symmetry and there is almost no difference between the top lane and the bot lane. As such, players will need at least 3 players in each lane as well as 1 jungler. Regarding the last one, if it’s like League of Legends, it will be a support in the bot lane to support the “main farm” of our faction. Obviously, this division will be much more complicated than when playing 3v3, and many newcomers will have a hard time determining their position because they do not have enough experience.

Split position

As mentioned above, Vainglory 5v5 will have a split between top, mid and bot lanes. Along with this division, the position of each player as well as the hero will have a clear division. Usually, mid heroes will be heroes that are able to work independently and cause mutations as well as open the game. Vainglory has never had this concept before, so players will need a lot of experimentation to choose the right heroes. As predicted by some gamers, heroes like Celeste or Idris with their damage, flexibility and annoyance will be suitable candidates for the mid lane position.​

Regarding the bot and top lanes, it is still unclear which lane will be more suitable for the main farm position (carry) and carry the team late (needs time and experience to determine). However, according to the usual lineup, this will be 2 lanes for 2 main tank and farm positions. In which, the tank player will favor solo, and the main farmer will be supported by the rest of the team (the last one to farm in the jungle). It is not known how this regular lineup will be changed in Vainglory 5v5, but believe that these basic positions will be very difficult to change.

Tactic

The strategy in Vainglory 3v3 is usually very simple, that is to win the teamfight and then destroy the tower. Because there is only one main lane, other strategies will be difficult to apply in the Halcyon Fold map. In contrast, with 3 lanes of the 5v5 map, there will be countless tactics waiting for players to create and explore. Obviously, this tacticalness is an important factor to turn Vainglory into a true esport game like SEMC’s ambition.

Time
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Obviously, 5v5 matches will last much longer than 3v3 matches. As expected, a game on Vainglory’s new map will last for more than 30 minutes, even longer if the forces between the two teams are balanced. All in all, compared to the more entertaining matches of the 3v3 map, the 5v5 battlefield will be more intense, prolonged and hardcore than is certain.

The above are just the most basic differences between the 3v3 map and the 5v5 map of Vainglory. The more specific differences, will take time for players to feel and discover.
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