Game developer TiMi Studio Group and publisher Level Infinite, both divisions of Tencent, have confirmed that Honor of Kings will continue its global roll-out on June 20.
That may sound a bit strange to people in the know, as Honor of Kings debuted as a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) in China back in 2015 and it already had more than 200 million registered players and 100 million daily players. How can one of the biggest games in the world — which has generated $15 billion in revenues — not be global yet?
Well, the companies are making a concerted effort to go after players from North America, Europe, Japan and elsewhere, joining those countries and regions where the title has already launched. The company launched a teaser trailer and opened up the game for pre-registration — which can generate rewards for players in the in-game experience.
The game will be available in 16 languages on June 20. Apple pre-registration isn’t ready yet.
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Pre-registration rewards
Those who pre-register can get a free hero – Ying, and the associated skin. Plus, they can get a Level 1 reward of 500 Diamonds; Level 2 of 2,000 Arcana Fragments; Level 3 of 5,000 Starstones; and Level 4 of an All Heroes Free Trial Pass x 20.
In addition, from May 31, all players who pre-register and those in countries and regions where Honor of Kings has already launched, can enter a lucky draw event and have a chance of winning the following prizes: Grand Prize – Full Hero with full Skin privileges; 1st Prize – 500 Limited Time Tokens; 2nd Prize – 18,888 Starstones; and Sunshine Blessing Prize – 200 Diamonds for all participants.
The key to popularity
Since its initial release, Honor of Kings has remained true to a key principle – free to play and fair to win – where a player’s success is determined by their skill and strategy, not their ability to pay.
Players leverage tactical knowledge while coordinating with teammates to defeat opponents. Honor of Kings brings teamwork to the forefront with objective-focused gameplay and communication tools that drive tactical decisions, all brought together by a matchmaking system build upon fair and competitive paring.
The game has in-game cinematics and music created by world-renowned composers including Hans Zimmer, Joe Hisaishi, and Howard Shore. The play sessions last for 15 minutes to 20 minutes. There are over 100 heroes in the game and five different character types: Fighter, Assassin, Mage, Marksman or Support. You can play in classic 5v5 MOBA matches, along with 1v1, 3v3, Boot Camp and AI simulation sessions.
Matchmaking is determined by players with similar skill levels, ranking and their lane preferences to keep matches evenly balanced.
Esports news: Invitational Season 2
From June 29, all eyes will be on the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur as the city plays host to the Invitational S2.
The tournament will feature teams from Southeast Asia, Brazil, Turkey, Middle East and North Africa, Latin America, and Europe, along with the winner of the Open Series Split One, who will compete for a share of the $300,000 prize pot and a chance to participate in the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason, taking place during the Esports World Cup in Riyadh this summer. The companies are investing $50 million in the esports ecosystem.
Founded in 2008, TiMi has developed a string of hit titles including Honor of Kings, Speed Drifters, and Arena of Valor. TiMi is also a partner to some of the biggest gaming brands in the world, creating titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile, the first strategic Pokémon team battle game Pokémon Unite, and the upcoming Age of Empires Mobile.
