By Sagar Mankar 
Malaysia’s Black Shrew Esports (BSE) has clinched the inaugural Honor of Kings World Championship 2024 title in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The team displayed exceptional skill by defeating home favorites Dominator Esports with a commanding 4-0 sweep, securing the top prize of $300,000 from a $ 1 million prize pool.
BSE’s roster, featuring:
- Lee Han “Siang” Siang
- Jimmy Tan
- Chan “MusangKing” Tat Yann (Series MVP)
- Lim “Zhihong” Chee Hong
- Ryan “JR” Na
- Low Li Zhe
Under the guidance of head coach Lai “Joker” Kok Kiong, the team displayed unparalleled coordination and skill.
Journey to the Championship
BSE’s journey to the championship showcased their consistency and resilience. Earlier this year, they competed under the name LGD Gaming MY, winning the Honor of Kings Invitational Season 2 in Malaysia in July. After a close match against Nova Esports early in the tournament, BSE redeemed themselves by narrowly defeating Fearless Esports HK in a thrilling 3-2 showdown, securing their place in the upper bracket final. There, they once again faced Dominator Esports and emerged victorious, ensuring their spot in the grand final.
Meanwhile, Dominator Esports, the home team, also displayed an impressive performance, working their way up the lower bracket after losing to BSE. In a five-game battle, they defeated Team Secret, earning a second chance to face BSE in the grand final. However, BSE’s cohesive gameplay proved too strong, leaving Dominator unable to mount a successful comeback.
Finals Showdown
Game 1: Setting the Tone
BSE’s innovative hero composition featuring Yuhuan and Dolia proved crucial in countering Dominator’s Adrian “Toshi” Bacallo’s signature Lady Sun pick. Despite early resistance, BSE’s superior teamwork secured the opening victory.
Games 2-3: Maintaining Momentum
The Malaysian squad continued their dominance by neutralizing key threats, particularly shutting down Ilham “CipengZ” Aldiqri’s attempts on heroes Biron and Augran.
Game 4: Sealing the Dynasty
Even when faced with early pressure from Ho Zhe “Freddie” Khoo’s Han Xin, BSE’s adaptation skills shone through. Their mid-game recovery and tactical execution sealed their perfect championship run.
MVP
Chan Tat Yann, also a bottom laner, was awarded Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series and attributed his success to the teamwork within BSE.
Prize Pool Distribution
The tournament features a $1 million prize pool, which is split among the teams as follows:
- 1st – Black Shrew Esports: $300,000
- 2nd – Dominator Esports: $160,000
- 3rd – Team Secret: $100,000
- 4th – Nova Esports: $80,000
- 5th & 6th – Fearless Esports HK & Blacklist International: $60,000 each
- 7th & 8th – Team Falcons & BOOM Esports: $40,000 each
- 9th to 12th – Mahadewa, Team Vitality, Alpha7 Esports, Impunity: $25,000 each
- 13th to 16th – FUT Esports, Kagendra, Influence Rage, Revenant Esports: $15,000 each
This historic win by BSE follows the recent international success of another Malaysian team, Selangor Red Giants, in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup in Riyadh.
As the first Malaysian team to secure a global Honor of Kings title, BSE’s success highlights the country’s emerging influence in the esports world. The Malaysian government also is supporting its esports talent as they recently announced over $4.58 million in its annual budget specifically for Esports development in the country.
The best-of-seven finale garnered 387,000 peak concurrent viewers, the highest recorded for Honor of Kings so far, according to Esports Charts. Notably, this does not include Chinese viewership, which remains the game’s largest audience.
As we move forward, Level Infinite, the game’s global publisher, also announced 3 international tournaments for the 2025 season.
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