The goal
Two teams of six face off. To win you break the enemy base's defences one by one and finally destroy the core at the heart of their base.
Lanes
The map has several lanes where AI-controlled troops march towards the enemy base. Early on each player or pair holds one lane and gathers experience and souls.
Phases of a match
The lane phase is about farming and staying alive. After the first defences fall, teams group up, fight over map objectives in the middle, and in the late game push into the enemy base.
First steps
Pick a simple hero with the hero finder, follow a suggested build, and for your first few games focus only on last-hitting and not dying.