The Global Launch and Market Expansion

Following ten years of dominance in the Chinese market, Honor of Kings officially launched its global version on June 20, 2024. This move initiated a rapid expansion phase where Honor of Kings had its biggest year yet in terms of international reach and infrastructure development. To support this transition, Tencent and Level Infinite: Honor of Kings Global Esports Roadmap saw a total investment of $15 million into the game’s competitive ecosystem across 2024 and 2025.

A significant portion of this international success is attributed to Indonesia, which currently serves as the largest market for the title outside of China. Data indicates that Indonesia accounts for approximately 34.9% of the international viewership. This concentration of players has been supported by the establishment of new professional leagues, including the Philippines (PKL), Malaysia (MKL), and the Indonesia (IKL) leagues in 2025. These efforts parallel broader shifts in the mobile industry, such as when Apple will allow three parties outside the APP to pay, facilitating more direct monetization methods for global mobile titles.

Championship Records in Paris

The competitive season culminated at the Esports World Cup 2026, which was hosted in Paris, France. This event was significant as it marked the first time the multi-game tournament was held outside of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The scale of the event was massive, with over 175,000 tickets sold, nearly doubling the attendance recorded during the 2025 edition. The atmosphere mirrored the growth seen in other major industry events, such as the shift discussed in Gamescom vs SGF: Why Gamescom Is Now the Biggest Game Event.

During the grand final of the Honor of Kings World Cup 2026, Kuaishou Gaming secured a 4-3 victory over All Gamers. This win earned the team $600,000 from the $3 million total prize pool. According to Esports Charts: Honor of Kings World Cup 2026 Viewership, the final set a new all-time viewership record for the title, reaching 783,318 peak viewers.

Competitive MOBA Analysis and Audience Growth

While Honor of Kings was the only MOBA among the top four to see continuous audience growth over the last two years, it operates in a highly competitive sector. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) remains a powerful force, particularly on TikTok where it accounts for 61.6% of all esports watch hours. In January 2026, the MLBB M7 World Championship recorded a peak viewership of 5.68 million, though 97.8% of its watch hours were concentrated in Southeast Asia. This competitive environment is reminiscent of historical industry tensions, such as when Google Considers Buying Epic Games During Fortnite App Clash to secure a foothold in the mobile market.

League of Legends maintained its position as the most-watched MOBA globally in 2025 with 735.9 million total watch hours. However, the gap between mobile and PC titles is narrowing. In 2025, the difference in watch hours between MLBB’s M7 and LoL Worlds 2025 finished within 0.65% of each other. To manage its own expanding global audience, Honor of Kings introduced “Major East” and “Major West” divisions in 2025 to better accommodate different time zones for international viewers.