Honor of Kings developer Level Infinite has unveiled the eight teams that will compete in the inaugural Honor of Kings Invitational Season 1 tournament.
The esports arm of Turkish football club Besiktas, Besiktas Esports, Brazilian esports organisation Vivo Keyd, and Saudi Arabian organisation Twisted Minds are among the participating teams.
The first season of the Honor of Kings Invitational circuit commences March 2nd – 10th at the Grand Pera Emek Sahnesi Theatre in Istanbul, Türkiye. Participating teams will compete for its $300,000 (~£236,709) prize pool and a place in the second season.
The start of the Invitational circuit is the first event that forms part of the Honor of Kings Global Invitational Series. Unveiled in January 2024, the circuit is part of the mobile MOBA title’s global expansion. The game recently released on Android and iOS devices in several regions including South Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Some fans may already be relatively familiar with Honor of Kings as the title has an international adaptation called Arena of Valor which was launched in 2016.
Honor of Kings’ two Invitational seasons will be followed by the Invitational Midseason tournament, set to take place at the Esports World Cup. As part of the collaboration, the game and the multi-title esports event will join forces to launch an exclusive in-game skin.
For 2024, Level Infinite and Tencent plan to bolster the Honor of Kings esports ecosystem globally. In January 2024, the two parties announced a $15m (~£11.8m) investment through the expansion of international tournaments and the creation of local leagues, similar to Brazil’s Pro League.
James Yang, Senior Director at Level Infinite’s Global Esports Center, spoke on the news: “The Honor of Kings Invitational Season One tournament is our official kickoff of the new Global Invitational Series.
“We’re thrilled to pull back the curtain on the future of Honor of Kings esports and look forward to showcasing the potential of this game as a competitive title alongside its official launch in new regions around the world.”
