Video game publisher Level Infinite has announced that mobile MOBA title Honor of Kings will host a $3m (~£2.38m) tournament at the Esports World Cup.
The Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason will see 12 teams compete for a share of the prize pool, as well as an opportunity to qualify for the International Championship taking place later in the year.
Alongside the tournament, the Esports World Cup and Honor of Kings will join forces to launch an exclusive in-game skin available for players to obtain.
Level Infinite has also announced that a Chinese Honor of Kings roster called KPL Dream Team will be the first invited team to the Invitational Midseason. The roster is said to consist of top players from China’s King Pro League, Honor of Kings’ franchised tier-one competition. Further teams have yet to be revealed, however, the winner of the Invitational Midseason will qualify for the Invitational Championship.
Announced in October 2023, the Esports World Cup is set to be an annual multi-title esports event in Saudi Arabia where numerous titles will host competitions. In addition to Honor of Kings, Starcraft 2 and Counter-Strike 2 competitions have been announced along with the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup.
Joining the Esports World Cup follows suit with Level Infinite’s and Tencent’s goal of bolstering Honor of King’s esports ecosystem in 2024. In January 2024, it was announced its esports circuit would undergo significant upgrades in addition to a $15m (~£11.89m) investment to grow the game globally.
Since its announcement the Esports World Cup has been met with criticism from sections of the esports community, partly due to the fact that the event is backed by the Saudi Arabian government. Some have labelled the country’s strategy into esports as ‘esportswashing‘, claiming that Saudi Arabia is aiming to distract from its public image concerning its human rights record.
James Yang, Senior Director of Level Infinite Global Esports Center at Tencent Games, spoke on the news: “The Esports World Cup is an exciting and unique opportunity to bring international esports recognition to the world’s most played mobile MOBA title.
“Honor of Kings is the latest example of our commitment to the mobile esports space, as we continue to prioritise our investment in the esports landscape.”
