Honor of Kings is one of the most-played games worldwide. Currently only available in China, the game has still managed to amass more than 100 million daily players, per Tencent. Now, the game is going to be released globally in phases across different regions in 2024. Ahead of the phased release, the developer has revealed the esports plans for Honor of Kings in 2024.
Honor of Kings already has a developed esports scene in China, with numerous high-stakes Professional Leagues taking place as LAN events. The previous season of the King Pro League (KPL), from June to September 2023, had a prize pool of more than $2.5 million alone.
The International Championship (KIC), on the other hand, had a prize pool of $10 million. This is an indication of the popularity of the game in the country. Tencent wants to bring this popularity to other regions as well. Thus, it has pledged $15 million to the global esports ecosystem in 2024 alone.
“At the core of our ecosystem, we will be focusing on you, the player, and teams around the world,” said Jan M. Jahnke, the lead for global esports product at Level Infinite, who is the publisher for the game.
Tencent reveals 4 global Honor of Kings Esports tournaments
As the game releases in a phased manner, Tencent has said that it will be bringing local tournaments in different regions. For the regions that don’t get a specific product, there will be other ways for them to participate in the global ecosystem.
Currently, four global tournaments have been announced, starting with the Honor of Kings Invitational Series. The first season will take place in March 2024 in Istanbul, Turkey. This will be followed by the second season of the Invitational Series, details for which haven’t been revealed yet.
In the summer, Tencent will be bringing the Honor of Kings Mid-Season Invitational. This new global tournament will feature a prize pool of $1 million. The year will culminate with the Honor of Kings Championship Invitational. Both of these tournaments will be LAN events with teams from different regions, including China.
Can the game rival MLBB?
When talking about the global mobile MOBA scene, there is only one game that occupies that spot. This is MOONTON’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), which even managed to counter the rising popularity of Riot’s League of Legends: Wild Rift.
An Honor of Kings global version has been in the works for a while now, and the delayed release has certainly been beneficial for MOONTON. The developer has been investing significantly in other regions like North America and the Middle East before the release of Honor of Kings. It has already managed to build a base for itself in these regions.
Nonetheless, the $15 million global investment into esports is a big move from Tencent. For MOBA games, having a robust esports scene is vital for pulling players and keeping active ones engaged. Thus, the commitment to building a global roadmap with frequent international events does come as a positive sign for the Honor of Kings.
Additionally, Tencent has the added experience of growing a game like PUBG Mobile from scratch. Now, the battle royale title is one of the most popular esports titles worldwide.
