Honor of Kings had its global debut on June 20, 2024. The Honor of Kings esports scene accompanied its launch.
The first-ever Honor of Kings Invitational Season 1 was held in February 2024. Keyd Stars, a Brazilian esports organization, took first place. At Honor of Kings Invitational Season 2 held in Kuala Lumpur from June to July 2024, LGD Gaming claimed the title.
The third boost to the Honor of Kings esports scene came shortly after in August 2024. The global Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason 2024 was held in conjunction with the Esports World Cup that pit China — which already has an established Honor of Kings esports scene for almost a decade — with the rest of the world. KPL Dream Team, which handpicked top players from various esports teams in China, swept the competition in Riyadh.
During the finals, Level Infinite made another milestone announcement: Indonesia is the host of the Honor of Kings Championship 2024. Teams from Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, Turkey, Brazil, the Middle East and North Africa, the Americas, Europe, the Pacific, and beyond wil vie for glory on the biggest stage in Honor of Kings esports.
Speaking to ONE Esports and other media in a roundtable interview, we find out more from James Yang, Senior Director of Esports at Tencent on what more players can expect from Honor of Kings esports in the near future.
How Level Infinite is planning to elevate Honor of Kings esports on a global scale
In a saturated mobile MOBA market dominated by Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, especially within Southeast Asia, and League of Legends: Wild Rift, Honor of Kings is the third giant to enter this genre on a global scale.
“We have confidence in Honor of Kings because its game quality, graphic quality, sound quality, and game balance. We have more than hundred heroes,” James told the press. “If users are looking to play the highest quality game, then I think Honor of Kings will be the answer.”
The title is featured in the Asian Games and is confirmed for the upcoming Esports Olympics in 2025.
Laying the groundwork, James elaborated that esports has always been an important success factor when Level Infinite, Tencent’s global brand, published Honor of Kings internationally. The company intends to continue investing in Honor of Kings esports, propelling its growth.
The company also recognizes that they need to grow, expand, and strengthen the Honor of Kings esports ecosystem from amateur, to semi-pro, to the professional level. Players in Malaysia, for example, can expect more tournaments happening over the year, said James.
When ONE Esports asked about how they’re measuring the success of Honor of Kings esports thus far outside of viewership numbers and watch hours, James shared that the company is evaluating players’ desire to join the ecosystem. This is why open registration tournaments is something that they will support and prioritize in the future.
Creating fresh esports content is the second pillar that goes hand-in-hand, not just from the publishers but also user-generated content from the fans.
“We are pushing and making this ecosystem building to be faster because if we don’t do this, the gap between the China and others will get bigger and bigger,” James explained. “I believe it may not be too long for the global Honor of Kings esports scene to reach a high competitive level.”
READ MORE: All Honor of Kings ranks — find out where you stand
