By Sagar V. Mankar Honor of Kings, the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, announces its latest tournament: the Honor of Kings Championship 2024. This inaugural global event promises to shake up the competitive scene with its unique format and impressive prize pool. Let’s dive into everything you need to know.
What Sets the Honor of Kings Championship 2024 Apart?
One of the most distinctive features of the Honor of Kings Championship 2024 is that it does not include teams from China. This decision is likely due to the long-established skill gap between Chinese teams and those from other regions. Since Honor of Kings has been in China since its launch in 2015, Chinese teams have consistently dominated international tournaments.
The game, developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Tencent, was originally launched in China before expanding globally in 2017 under the name Arena of Valor. In 2024, however, the developers decided to reintroduce the original Honor of Kings version internationally, with Level Infinite serving as the global publisher. This year saw the game’s official launch in several new regions, including the Middle East, North Africa (MENA), Türkiye, the CIS, and South Asia, further expanding its global presence.
By focusing on regions outside of China, the Honor of Kings Championship 2024 aims to create a more balanced and competitive playing field for teams worldwide, encouraging the growth of the game’s international esports scene.
Schedule
The Honor of Kings Championship 2024 is set to debut in Jakarta, Indonesia, from Oct. 12 to 27.
Format
The Honor of Kings Championship 2024 is divided into three exciting stages:
Group Stage (October 12-17):
- 16 teams split into four groups
- Single round-robin format
- Best-of-three matches
- The top two teams from each group advance
Knockout Stage (October 18-26):
- Double-elimination bracket
- Best-of-five matches
Grand Finals (October 27):
- Best-of-seven format
This structure ensures intense competition throughout the tournament.
Teams
The tournament features 16 elite teams from across various regions, each having earned their spot through regional qualifiers. The participating teams include:
- Black Shrew Esports (Malaysia)
- Influence Rage (Brazil)
- Team Vitality (France)
- Fearless Esports HK (Hong Kong)
- Dominator Esports (Indonesia)
- Kagendra (Indonesia)
- Mahadewa (Indonesia)
- BOOM Esports (The Philippines)
- Blacklist International (The Philippines)
- Nova Esports (Malaysia)
- Team Secret (Malaysia)
- Alpha7 Esports (Brazil)
- Impunity (Cambodia)
- Revenant Esports (Singapore)
- FUT Esports (Turkey)
- Team Falcons (Saudi Arabia)
Prize Pool Distribution
The tournament features a $1 million prize pool, which will be split among the teams as follows:
- First place: $300,000
- Second place: $160,000
- Third place: $100,000
- Fourth place: $80,000
- Fifth and sixth places: $60,000 each
- Seventh and eighth places: $40,000 each
- Ninth to 12th places: $25,000 each
- 13th to 16th places: $15,000 each
Where Can Fans Watch the Action?
Fans can catch all the action live on the HoK Global Esports YouTube channel, where matches will be streamed throughout the event.
What Does This Mean for the Future of Honor of Kings Esports?
In 2024, the developers of Honor of Kings announced plans to invest $15 million into the game’s global expansion, including four major international tournaments.
The first season of the HoK Invitational was held in Istanbul in March with a $300,000 prize pool, followed by Season 2 in Kuala Lumpur with the same prize pool in June and July.
The top eight teams from both seasons then competed in the $3 million Midseason Invitational at the Esports World Cup 2024 where China’s sole representative, KPL Dream Team won the tournament.
By establishing a high-stakes international tournament solely for talent from various regions, Honor of Kings aims to bridge the significant skill gap between Chinese teams and those from other regions.
For more information, visit the official Honor of Kings website. And remember to subscribe to Gaming Foodle for more news!