Gaming News It is one of the most played video games in the world, despite not being released in the West. He now wants to take over the entire planet!
If video game fans are well aware of the best-selling video games of all time, there is a parallel market: that of mobile devices, which is very different from that of gaming consoles. In this market, several titles are fighting for the top position and one of them has already caused a big stir in the Asian market. And he will arrive with us soon.
Already a juggernaut in the mobile phone market
We have known since 2022: Honor of Kings is arriving worldwide. A pregnancy that is about to come to an end since the mobile game from Timi Studios (they made Pokémon Unite). exported outside the Chinese market to Japan, Europe and North America from June 20th. One of the most played video games in the world therefore reaches the entire planet.
The character selection screen.
Honor of Kings is a mobile game that was first released in China in 2015. It is an online multiplayer game featuring arena battles (a genre better known as MOBA): in an arena divided into three lanes, two teams of five players each compete to take control of the opposing team Base. A simple concept that gets there: Tencent, publisher of the game, claims to have 100 million daily players. We can also read on other sites that the title attracts more than 160 million players every month. Colossal characters that make Honor of Kings one of the most played video games in the world, especially in its category. For comparison: Candy Crush has had 200 million daily users in the last few years.
Honor of Kings therefore already has its audience in China (and Asia in general), but wants to expand to the entire planet. An initiative that the publisher has already carried out with Arena of Valor, a title similar to HoK but available on the Western market since 2018 (including a release on Nintendo Switch). If we do not know what the future of the first will be after the arrival of the second at the beginning of the summer, the first question that arises is: how do Timi Studios and Tencent plan to conquer the Western market?
Its worldwide introduction
It must be said that there is already a MOBA juggernaut here with League of Legends. We can read that the title lists 32 million players active daily in Western Europe. A number that has evolved since the game’s release in 2009 and in which we likely saw some growth by the time the television series was released Arcane on Netflix: an animated series set in the League of Legends universe that will air at the time of the 2022 World Cup Finals and whose second season is expected at the end of the year.
When it comes to the competitive scene, Tencent also decides to put its hand in its pocket. 15 million dollars will be made available for an eSports circuitwith trophies open to all players (the Open Series) as well as a rotation of tournaments dedicated to the best (the Invitationals)
But of course the Honor of Kings teams also have MOBA newcomers in mind. They highlight the integration of modules that allow you to fully understand the powers of each hero. There is also a single-player training mode and a kind of “boot camp” where you can practice. Finally, they assure that they have remained true to their basic principle: “Freedom, in that a player’s success is determined by his skills and his strategy and not by his financial resources.”
Pre-registration rewards
Starting today, players can pre-register for the global launch and work together to earn a series of rewards for each milestone achieved. These rewards include a free hero, in-game currency and more. The more pre-registrations, the more rewards will be unlocked!
- Free heroine – Ying and her costume – for everyone with pre-registration
- Level 1 – 500 diamonds
- Level 2 – 2000 arcane fragments
- Level 3 – 5000 Starstones
- Level 4 – 20 vouchers to try out each hero
Why now ?
Released in 2015, Tencent took its time before taking action. After seven years of probably mature deliberations, the Chinese publisher has officially launched. And two years after the announcement, Honor of Kings is about to be released. Why did you wait so long? During an interview with various game officials, it was Dean HungThe Chief designer from Honor of Kings, which explains:
The increasing popularity of mobile games in recent years and the improved performance of mobile phones is one of the reasons for this, as the higher performance and network capacity has allowed developers to create a better experience. We believe now is the time for players to fully enjoy the game.
An optimal time for the teams at TiMi Studios and Tencent, who already have a long-term vision for their game but are still unclear about the content. They ensure that relevant events and collaborations take place for each market (They emphasize that they have already worked with renowned composers such as Hans Zimmer, Joe Hisaishi and Ramin Djawadi), without specifying what they have in mind. When asked about possible concerns about the existence of already established competitors Henry Li (Partnerships and Localization Manager) explains that there should be no fear.
That’s not the case. We can assure that we are the best mobile game on the market. We represent the form that is closest to the ultimate form of MOBA.
An ambition that already fits well with its status as a video game giant. At least that will be necessary to push League of Legend out of the European market and then perhaps swallow the entire planet. Reaction of June 20th with the release of Honor of Kings in France on iOS and Android.
