Mobile MOBA game Arena of Valor has expanded its esports ecosystem to allow Honor of Kings teams into the 2022 Arena of Valor World Cup (AWC).
According to the release, the combination of both titles is expected to bolster global competition within the scenes.
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Created in 2015, Honor of Kings is a multiplayer mobile title published by Tencent Games for Chinese markets. Arena of Valor is Honor of Kings’s international adaptation that was launched a year later.
The AWC will feature teams representing Asia, North America, South America, Middle East, and Europe. Exact details regarding qualification for the tournament has yet to be revealed, however, Tencent Games did confirm that the AWC will use a specific esports version of the title.
Built to ‘ensure a fair, balanced and exciting competition’, Arena of Valor’s esports version will feature a mixture of heroes from both games.
Bernd Gottsmann, Lead of the Global Esports Center at Tencent Games, commented: “As we hit five years of Arena of Valor esports, our expansion of the competitive ecosystem is an ambitious plan for the Arena of Valor World Cup 2022.
“We are combining Arena of Valor and Honor of Kings for the first time and we look forward to sharing more details on how teams can qualify very soon. The Arena of Valor community and player base is so passionate, and that’s why we wanted to create something that would truly take the competitive experience to a whole new level.”
The AWC, which is set to take place in October 2022, will feature 16 group stage spots and a prize pool ‘in excess of $8m (~£5.8m)’, according to the release. The title’s esports expansion will also include a restructuring of its schedule and tournament structure. The new system, which will affect local to regional professional leagues, is expected to provide top teams with the opportunity to fight for a slot at the AWC.
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A full competitive roadmap, details on the new leagues, and an update on the Arena of Valor International Championship will be received in the next few months.
Esports Insider says: Combining Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor should only strengthen both titles’ competitive ecosystem, as long as the merger is done effectively. It’s important to make the expansion seamless, particularly from a competitive standpoint so it doesn’t negatively affect the player experience of both titles. If proven to be a success, it’s very likely that Tencent may adopt a similar approach when it comes to TeamFight Tactics and its Chinese adaption.