The record-breaking esport that dominates in China

Up till final weekend, a whole lot of common esports followers had been doubtless unaware of Honor of Kings and its aggressive ecosystem.

Nevertheless, in the course of the 2025 King Professional League Grand Finals at China’s iconic Chicken’s Nest stadium, the match broke the Guinness World File for the very best attended single esports occasion ever. With an attendance of over 62,000, the accolade was formally recognised in the course of the competitors’s half-time present, which in itself is a uncommon idea for many titles.

With the Chinese language esports scene usually shrouded in thriller, Western audiences are sometimes instructed about its reputation by way of phrase of mouth. Nevertheless, on this occasion, there was a numerical worth to place alongside this declare. Not solely did this determine spotlight the recognition of Honor of Kings within the nation throughout social media, but it surely additionally put a highlight on the cell esports scene.

To be taught extra concerning the Honor of Kings esports ecosystem, its sheer reputation in China and its world growth, Esports Insider was invited by Tencent to the KPL Grand Finals 2025. 

Partly one among this two-part deep dive, ESI explores Honor of Kings’ progress in China, together with its unprecedented esports construction and cultural affect.

Developed by Tencent Video games subsidiary TiMi Studio, Honor of Kings was first launched in mainland China in November 2015. The cell MOBA follows the tried and examined system of getting two groups compete to destroy one another’s base, with varied buffs and goals to assert all through the length of the match. 

Honor of Kings had a really clear ambition to enter esports from the get-go, with the sport’s first main championship — the Kings Champion Cup — happening in 2016. Following the competitors, which was received by eStar Professional, Honor of Kings launched the King Professional League.

Initially beginning with 12 groups, the league would go on to turn out to be one of many largest competitions in China. Nevertheless, when chatting with the media previous to the 2025 KPL Grand Finals, Cheng Huang, Head of the King Professional League, highlighted how the league’s success didn’t come with out doubts or difficulties. 

Within the translated interview, he stated: “When the KPL was first based, we had been fearful whether or not there can be sufficient golf equipment or groups that recognised our league. 

“So for them to hitch us, we wanted to enhance our format, our mechanism. For our viewers, the format and the scene wanted to be thrilling and extra partaking. So these are the challenges we confronted within the preliminary stage.”

In 2018, the league adopted a set franchise format that includes 14 groups, together with notable Chinese language names equivalent to EDward Gaming, Prime Esports, and Royal By no means Give Up. 

Furthermore, the KPL launched a pick-and-ban system that has lately gained reputation throughout different esports. The system prevents any hero that the precise staff has chosen from being performed for the remainder of the collection. Nevertheless, in a best-of-seven collection, if it goes to the final recreation, the ‘Final Battle’ will start. All picks are then hidden from the opposition, and gamers can select freely with no restrictions. 

Usually, Honor of Kings esports utilises BO5 and BO7 collection all through its ecosystem. While this will look like a whole lot of video games to many esports fanatics, the cell MOBA’s matches are high-action and quick-paced, sometimes lasting between 13-20 minutes.

By way of a presentation shared with Esports Insider, Honor of Kings highlighted that 2017 was ‘the start of a real ecosystem for KPL’. Within the following years, the King Professional League continued to develop and increase its framework earlier than touchdown on a constant construction in 2021. 

Within the current day, the KPL consists of 18 groups — 16 franchised organisations and two momentary slots. These two momentary slots are used to assist the KPL Development League (KGL), its tier-two ecosystem. Every break up, the KGL winner positive factors immediate promotion whereas the momentary KPL groups compete in opposition to different KGL groups for the ultimate slot. 

From its inception, the King Professional League ecosystem has grown from a 1.85m RMB (~£197,210) prize pool in 2016 to 103.5m RMB (~£11m) in 2025. Furthermore, the KPL claims that the league has climbed from 180m distinctive viewers in 2018 to 250m viewers within the 2025 season (previous to final weekend’s Grand Finals). 

Tencent clarified to Esports Insider that these figures are calculated from varied platforms, together with social media, native streaming channels and Honor of King’s in-game TV stream.

After 9 years of growth, the Honor of Kings esports ecosystem in China is deep and complete. 

The KPL incorporates a Wage Cap system that units a minimal and most wage. Furthermore, Honor of Kings in China gives a assist system to assist gamers transition into different roles, equivalent to broadcasting and training, as soon as they retire.  

Nevertheless, the a part of the ecosystem that shocked this author was Honor of Kings’ emphasis on creating fandoms by way of regionalisation and elevating its gamers’ profiles to movie star standing.

In 2020, the Kings Professional League started implementing its house metropolis format in a bid to attach the golf equipment carefully with completely different elements of China. Which means that the likes of All Players (AG Tremendous Play), JD Gaming and Wolves Esports characterize Chengdu, Beijing and Chongqing, respectively. 

In some instances, groups have additionally created esports services within the cities which are used in the course of the KPL season to host ‘house venue’ matches. 

While the regionalised franchised mannequin has been utilised in different esports prior to now, it has not often been seen as a hit within the Western world. But, in China, there’s a clear sense of regional delight, evident each within the groups’ advertising and followers’ views. 

One showcase of this was the Honor of Kings Carnival in Beijing, a multi-city competition that celebrated the sport’s tenth anniversary. Going down at Weibo Gaming’s esports venue, the carnival had a big emphasis on Honor of Kings esports, together with having an space during which followers may write down supportive messages for KPL groups. 

every staff’s boards, those with probably the most messages had been the 2 Beijing representatives — JD Gaming and Weibo Gaming — in addition to AG Tremendous Play, undoubtedly the KPL’s finest staff.

It was additionally throughout this author’s go to to the Weibo Gaming venue that the true sense of how well-liked Honor of Kings’ esports gamers are hit house. 

Visiting the day after the KPL Grand Finals, tons of of followers (presumably 1000’s all through the day) had been current on the carnival. One exercise specifically noticed them come up on a stage to shout out gamers that they wished to indicate assist for. This was then adopted by two KPL athletes from LGD Gaming NBW and KuaiShow Gaming showing to work together with followers.

When discussing the advantages of the regionalised franchise mannequin, Zhong Zhuang, King Professional League’s Operations Supervisor, highlighted how many of the golf equipment had been initially primarily based in Shanghai. As such, these groups “didn’t have a powerful sense of belonging,” he talked about.

Zhuang defined: “With a house venue and residential metropolis, there can be a gradual native viewers, after which that can give rise to consumption in addition to tourism domestically. 

“Second, it offers a stronger sense of belonging and metropolis delight for followers and likewise residents. Additionally, this results in increased loyalty of the followers in a sure metropolis. Third, it expands the industrial worth as a result of it could possibly higher join the native governments with the golf equipment and groups, so the native authorities can have extra monetary assist for the groups.”

These house venues specifically can’t go understated. Hosted by esports organisations, a few of these venues have turn out to be notable landmarks in their very own proper. Esports Insider had the chance to go to JD Gaming and Weibo Gaming’s venues, that includes areas that may host as much as 2000 and 1500 spectators, respectively, for esports matches.

When visiting, each venues additionally felt distinctly completely different. The JD Gaming house area had a concentrate on esports efficiency, geared up with a coaching and testing centre for younger, potential esports athletes, in addition to a health club, kitchen, streaming, and technique rooms. In the meantime, Weibo Gaming’s venue was extra akin to a mall, that includes meals eating places and shops. 

JD Gaming and Weibo’s venues are one among six house metropolis arenas which are utilised all through the KPL season. The others are situated in Chengdu (All Players), Chongqing (Wolves), Hangzhou (LGD) and Nantong (Hero JiuJing), in addition to KPL’s personal venue in Shanghai. 

When studying increasingly about Honor of Kings in China, it’s considerably much less of a shock to see the sport pull off an occasion on the Chicken’s Nest, a venue that may maintain as much as 91,000 folks with momentary seating.  

Tickets for the KPL Grand Finals between Wolves Esports and AG Tremendous Play bought out inside 12 seconds, with 85% of these bought by followers exterior of Beijing. The setup featured a 7,000-square-meter dual-sided display screen located within the centre, permitting either side of the stadium to look at the motion. 

The distinctive structure offered a house vs. away really feel, with followers splitting the world 50/50. It may be argued that extra seats may have been bought; nevertheless, promoting tickets for the edges would have resulted in poor viability as a result of screens.. 

“That is our first time internet hosting this occasion within the Chicken’s Nest  Nationwide Stadium. I believe for the KPL, this can be a milestone occasion in our historical past,” stated the Head of the King Professional League.

In complete, 62,196 folks flooded into the stadium, which featured varied Honor of Kings and KPL-themed activations. Some notable ones included followers taking photos alongside their favorite heroes, a few of whom held up their accounts and statistics on their telephones. 

If the recognition of esports athletes wasn’t already highlighted on this piece, followers who purchased tickets had been additionally given items (which diverse relying on what ticket they purchased). This included merchandise equivalent to photocards, stickers and bookmarks, with followers clamouring to tug their favorite participant, equally to Okay-pop fandoms.

Curiously, Honor of Kings instructed Esports Insider that its offline KPL viewers is usually a gender ratio of seven:3 Feminine/Male, with a 4:6 Feminine/Male ratio for on-line viewers. From scanning the group on the occasion, it’s exhausting to disprove this determine. 

The opening ceremony featured a cinematic video showcasing the upcoming match, with AG Tremendous Play on a historic run, having claimed 5 KPL occasion titles in a row. In the meantime, the underdogs, Wolves Esports, clawed its means by way of the decrease bracket to make it to the finals. 

The anthem of the occasion — 神驰的属地 (Shenchi’s territory) — was carried out by Han Hong and was akin to watching a efficiency on the Tremendous Bowl. Alongside the announcement of the Guinness World File, the half-time present after recreation three additionally included a musical efficiency by Zhou Shen.

In the long run, Wolves Esports was unable to topple AG Tremendous Play, falling to a 4-2 defeat that featured extremely tense motion, with Wolves being just some assaults away from claiming recreation one. AG Tremendous Play, a staff that has dominated the KPL during the last two years, secured maybe Honor of Kings’ largest trophy but. 

The historic nature of the occasion was additionally not misplaced on the gamers competing. Talking to pick media, the AG Tremendous Play staff mentioned its latest win. 

Midlaner Xie ‘ChangSheng’ Chengjun, commented: “I believe for folks, all of us have desires, so for me to compete right here on such a giant stage. For me, it was a dream come true. Particularly seeing so many followers coming to cheer us on. It’s an excellent reminiscence for me. I’ll all the time bear in mind this second in my life.”

In the meantime, Roamer Meng ‘DaShuai’ Jiajun, added: “I couldn’t think about that I may stand right here. We will compete right here at Chicken’s Nest. Particularly for Chinese language folks, it’s like a really iconic venue. So to compete right here and win right here, it’s a really completely satisfied day for me, and I’ll all the time bear in mind this second.”

Honor of Kings’ newest achievement as soon as once more highlights the recognition of esports and gaming in China. A lot so, that this text didn’t even contact on the truth that Honor of Kings has a Chinese language drama collection primarily based on the sport and varied KPL player-centric industrial alternatives equivalent to selection reveals appearances and picture licensing. 

What occurs subsequent for Honor of Kings esports stays to be seen, however the recreation’s reputation appears to be displaying no indicators of slowing down. As a pure spectacle, the occasion has additionally caught the eye of these exterior of China, which comes at a great time as Honor of Kings’ world growth continues to ramp up. 

Partly two later this week, Esports Insider explores Honor of Kings’ world ambitions and the way it goals to supply a non-Chinese language world champion sooner moderately than later.

Editor’s be aware: Most, if not all, of those interviews featured have been translated from Chinese language. Esports Insider was invited to the occasion on behalf of Tencent. This included journey and lodging. Esports Insider has full editorial management of the content material.