Overview

The Honor of Kings World Cup (KWC) will commence on July 30, 2026 as part of the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, France, and will run through August 8. Twenty elite teams from the Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor ecosystems will compete for a total prize pool of US$3 million.

Cross‑Title Format and Game Patch

For the first time, the event will feature a cross‑title showdown between Honor of Kings (HoK) and Arena of Valor (AoV). Competition will be played on a dedicated tournament patch built on Honor of Kings Season 15, specifically engineered for elite play. The patch unlocks a roster of 111 playable heroes, providing extensive strategic depth and ban‑pick flexibility for participating teams.

Global Representation

The tournament expands its geographic footprint by including teams from India, Thailand, Vietnam and the Taiwan region, thereby increasing its status as one of the most international MOBA esports events.

Participating Teams

The twenty qualified squads are:

AG.AL (Title Defender), Kuaishou Gaming (KPL Spring 2026), Buriram United Esports (RPL Summer 2026), Team Flash (AOG Spring 2026), Deep Cross Gaming (GCS Spring 2026), Team Vitality (IKL Spring 2026), Team Nemesis (IKL Spring 2026), OG Esports (IKL Spring 2026), Aurora Gaming (MKL Spring 2026), Geekay Esports (MKL Spring 2026), ROC Esports (MKL Spring 2026), BOOM Esports (PKL Spring 2026), Titan Esports Club (PKL Spring 2026), Blacklist International (PKL Spring 2026), MIBR.LOS (CHOKBR Fall 2026), Influence Rage (CHOKBR Fall 2026), Virtus.pro (KML Spring 2026), Nongshim RedForce (KML Spring 2026), S8UL Esports (King's Arise India qualifier) and Revenant XSpark (King's Arise India qualifier).

Tournament Structure

The competition is divided into three stages:

  • Play‑in (July 30‑31): Eight teams split into two groups play best‑of‑3 double‑elimination matches using the Global Ban&Pick system; the top two from each group advance to the Group Stage.
  • Group Stage (August 1‑4): Sixteen teams divided into four groups contest best‑of‑3 double‑elimination matches, again with Global Ban&Pick; the top two from each group move to the Playoffs.
  • Playoffs (August 5‑7) and Grand Finals (August 8): Eight teams compete in a single‑elimination bracket. Playoffs feature best‑of‑7 matches (third‑place match is best‑of‑5) under Global Ban&Pick and the “Ultimate Battle” draft mode. The Grand Finals on August 8 will be a best‑of‑7 series using the Ultimate Battle mode.

About Honor of Kings

Developed by TiMi Studio Group, Honor of Kings is described as the world’s most‑played MOBA. In 2025, the combined monthly active users (MAU) of Honor of Kings titles exceeded 260 million. The game is free‑to‑play, with success determined by player skill and tactics, and it supports a thriving esports ecosystem ranging from grassroots to elite professional competition.

About Level Infinite

Level Infinite is Tencent’s global games brand, responsible for publishing titles such as PUBG MOBILE, Honor of Kings and Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, and for collaborating on games like Dune: Awakening and Warhammer 40K: Darktide. The brand provides services and resources to developers and partner studios worldwide.

Media and Further Information

Updates on the tournament and related esports news can be followed on the official Honor of Kings social channels: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch and TikTok under the handle @HoK Esports.