EXAVA
EXAVA was a free-to-play mobile action MMORPG that spun competitive arena combat into a standalone experience. It focused on short, rapid-fire PvP sessions, letting you queue up quickly, pick from a roster of heroes, and battle in 3v3 matches against other players.
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Publisher: Asobimo, Inc. Type: Action MMORPG Release Date: September 15, 2016 Shut Down: October 03, 2017 Pros: +Arena-first PvP focus. +Short, high-energy match structure. +Responsive real-time combat. Cons: -No announced release date. -Limited depth and modes. -Uneven English localization. -Busy, sometimes confusing interface. |
EXAVA Overview
EXAVA is a free-to-play action PvP battler built from the arena combat framework found in Avabel Online. Instead of an open-world MMORPG loop, it strips things down to quick matchmaking and short fights, with battles clocking in at about three minutes. It was available on Android and iOS, and aimed to deliver flashy, readable action with detailed 3D character models, smooth animations, and anime-style portraits that keep the Avabel identity intact.
The core pitch is speed and accessibility. You are not asked to grind through long quest chains before the game becomes interesting, you press a button, get matched, and jump straight into a 3v3 brawl. Team building is where most of the planning happens. You assemble a squad of five heroes drawn from the Avabel cast, then take one into direct control while the rest support the fight through AI behavior and on-demand swapping. That swap system is the key to momentum, letting you rotate into a different kit when you need burst damage, survivability, or a better matchup.
Controls follow a typical mobile action layout with a joystick-style movement pad and ability buttons for attacks and skills. The result feels closer to an arena action game than a traditional MMORPG, with positioning, cooldown timing, and target selection mattering more than long-term character building. Winning pushes you up rankings and rewards progression materials used to strengthen your roster, and new battlegrounds open as you continue playing, giving matches a bit more variety over time.
EXAVA Key Features:
- 21 Playable Heroes – build a five-hero roster from familiar Avabel Online characters (including names like Ganfi, Anesia, and Waltz), and switch between them during a match to adapt to changing situations.
- Fast-Paced 3v3 Combat – enter arena fights with three active characters (one you control and two handled by AI), plus two stand-by picks you can rotate in when needed, facing three opponents on the other side.
- Easy to Begin Playing – designed around immediate matchmaking, it trims away most MMO overhead so you can queue and fight without lengthy setup.
- Real-time PvP Battling – matches are fought live against other players, rewarding mechanical execution and smart swaps rather than turn-based planning.
- Avabel Universe – uses Avabel’s characters and arena style as a shortcut for fans who want competitive battles without committing to the full MMORPG experience.
EXAVA Screenshots
EXAVA Featured Video
EXAVA Review
EXAVA’s concept is easy to appreciate: take the most immediately exciting slice of an MMORPG (arena PvP) and package it into a lightweight mobile game built for short sessions. In practice, the match length and the simple “tap to queue” flow make it an inviting option for players who want competitive action without the time commitment of a full online RPG. The game is at its best when both teams are actively swapping heroes, punishing mistakes, and coordinating pressure around cooldown windows.
Moment-to-moment combat is built around movement and skill usage rather than menu-driven stats. The joystick controls are familiar to mobile action players, and the ability effects are bold enough that you can usually read what is happening in the middle of a scrum. The hero roster is also where EXAVA finds much of its variety. Different characters push you toward different rhythms, some feel better at diving into fights, others excel at controlling space or finishing targets, and swapping lets you change your approach mid-round instead of being locked into a single kit.
That said, EXAVA also feels like a product that never fully rounded into a complete competitive package. Even with the fun baseline of real-time 3v3, the surrounding feature set comes off as thin, and the interface can feel crowded on smaller screens. The English translation is serviceable in places but inconsistent, which can make menus and explanations harder to parse than they should be for a game that is trying to be “instant-play.”
As a standalone PvP spin-off, EXAVA is easiest to recommend in theory to Avabel Online fans who primarily enjoyed arena matches and wanted a faster way to get them. For players looking for deeper progression systems, multiple competitive modes, or a more polished long-term service, the game’s limited scope and rough edges are harder to ignore. The foundation is solid, but it needed more time and refinement to compete with the best mobile PvP action games.
EXAVA System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Android 4.0 or later / iOS 7.0 or later
EXAVA Music & Soundtrack
Coming soon…
EXAVA Additional Information
Japanese Title: イクサバ
Developer: Asobimo, Inc.
Publisher: Asobimo, Inc.
Alpha Date: September 16, 2016 to October 14, 2016
Shut Down Date: October 03, 2017
EXAVA was developed and published by Asobimo, a Japanese mobile studio recognized for mobile MMORPGs such as IRUNA Online and Izanagi Online. Following Avabel Online’s popularity, the team carved out its real-time arena PvP into a separate app intended for quick matchmaking and focused competitive play. By leaning on the same general presentation and combat feel as Avabel’s PvP mode, EXAVA positioned itself as a streamlined alternative for players who wanted battles without the broader MMO structure.
The game ran a global alpha from September 16, 2016 to October 14, 2016, with the stated goal of gathering feedback and improving the overall experience. Despite that early test, it did not reach a full long-term release, and the project was ultimately discontinued on October 03, 2017.