It’s already the world’s most popular mobile MOBA game – and now you can play it too

HONOR of Kings is already the most popular mobile MOBA game in the world, even before its global launch, which was yesterday, June 20.

First released in China in 2015, the game quickly became the country’s biggest mobile MOBA, making it also the world’s most played 5v5 team battle mobile title.

Level Infinite

Honor of Kings just had its worldwide launch on June 20[/caption]

After a two-year delay and pre-releases in Brazil, Türkiye, and Middle Eastern countries, it’s finally available to everyone with a phone worldwide.

Just in time for the game’s global release, we asked the development team our burning questions about the new MOBA’s ambitions, and what new characters to expect, now that the game has a much wider audience.

In which ways has Honor of Kings been changed to fit the tastes of Western gamers?

Firstly, we have undertaken extensive localisation efforts.

Localisation involves more than mere translation; it entails providing a comprehensive set of solutions based on the languages and customs of different regions.

Secondly, we have introduced Heroes and skins created based on the characteristics of different cultures.

The new hero Luara and the Mayene Capoeirista Skin, inspired by Brazilian culture, are excellent examples.

Lastly, we will design exclusive operational activities tailored to the festivals and cultural practices of different regions, ensuring that players from various areas can experience the sincerity of Honor of Kings.

What prompted you to bring Honor of Kings into the Western market, despite it being very saturated with MOBAs in general?

We feel there is a place for a MOBA that takes the essence of MOBAs on PC and delivers strategic yet fun team-based battles.

We have seen players in Brazil, Türkiye and the MENA region, where Honor of Kings has already launched, embrace the game, and we hope the same is true for other markets.

What makes Honor of Kings stand out compared to other MOBAs on mobile devices that are already available in the West, particularly League of Legends: Wild Rift?

Honor of Kings is the original mobile MOBA and was built from the ground up for mobile devices, so from the outset, we wanted to create a game that made the most of that platform.

You can see this in the interface, the short match length and small packet size that allows players with lower-end devices to enjoy the game alongside those with the latest handsets.

And as handsets have become more powerful, we have utilised their technical advances to deliver an even better experience for our players, but all the while ensuring that the game remains scalable for those playing on older devices, and with unique Hero designs and refined game operations, we believe that Honor of Kings possesses a competitive advantage in the mobile MOBA market.

Initially, Honor of Kings was supposed to be out globally by the end of 2022. What caused the long delay, and how did it help the development of the Western version?

When we first launched Honor of Kings, the number of people playing games globally on mobile devices was a lot lower.

The rise in popularity of mobile gaming is in part due to the increased performance of handsets and vastly improved network capabilities, both of which have enabled developers to create deep and meaningful experiences with high production values that resonate with players.

We now feel we have reached a point where technology and accessibility of the phone as a gaming platform make this the right time to share Honor of Kings with the world. 

Why do we want to launch Honor of Kings globally – that’s pretty simple to answer.

We believe we have a great gaming experience that players, wherever they are from, will enjoy and we want to offer as many people as possible the opportunity to try the game, join the community, make new friends and experience competitive, yet fair, team battles.

Many of Honor of Kings’ characters are rooted in Chinese mythology and history. Will future updates bring more Western influences to the game’s content?

Yes, we will add more Heroes influenced by Western culture, and, as previously mentioned, we will see the introduction of a brand new Hero – Luara – who is inspired by Latin American lore and culture join the roster at the global launch.

We will continue to release more heroes or skins inspired by the histories and cultures of various regions worldwide.

We will also look to celebrate major regional festivals with in-game content and events that will resonate with our community.

An earlier off-shoot of Honor of Kings developed for the global market already exists in the form of Arena of Valor. How do you plan on having two (or three, counting Wild Rift) closely related games thrive in the same competitive genre?

Both developed by TiMi Studios, Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor are two different mobile MOBA titles derived from one IP system.

They offer different gameplay experiences, art styles and social interactions to meet the increasing and diversified appetite from global gamers.

Which lessons have the developers learned from the international launch of Pokémon Unite for Honor of Kings?

We have remained focused on what we learned from our community during the test and soft launch phases, and this will continue after the global launch.

The question of a mobile MOBA has led to tensions between Tencent and Riot Games in the past – has the League of Legends and Wild Rift developer been consulted about the global launch of Honor of Kings in any way to avoid conflict?

Sorry, but this isn’t a subject I have any visibility on.

Honor of Kings launched on June 20, 2024, for iOS and Android devices and it’s free to play.

If you’re looking for more free games to play, check out a free upgrade coming for Nintendo Switch fans.