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We had the opportunity to sit down with Black Shrew Esports (BSE) following their historic victory at the Honor of Kings World Championship 2024, where they became the first Malaysian team to claim the prestigious title. The team’s remarkable 4-0 sweep against Indonesia’s Dominator Esports in the grand finals not only secured their place in history but also demonstrated the growing strength of Malaysia’s esports scene.
During our conversation with the team, jungler MusangKing’s dominance with the hero Yuhuan emerged as a crucial factor in their success, with their opponents surprisingly allowing the powerful pick in three out of four matches. “I’m not sure why they didn’t ban Yuhuan, as she is currently a very strong jungler,” MusangKing reflected. Team manager Joker emphasized that their biggest challenge came from within, stating, “I believe our biggest enemy is ourselves. We lost to FE in the group stage, and if we hadn’t adjusted our mindset and performance in time, we certainly wouldn’t have been in the best shape to face our next opponent.”
The team’s success appears deeply rooted in their local identity. “I’ve always believed in focusing on local players,” Joker explained. “Continuously recruiting foreign players would limit opportunities for local talent to enter the professional league. This approach also helps build a strong local esports market and ecosystem, which is why all BSE players are from Malaysia.” While they maintain this stance on players, they remain open to foreign coaching staff, as evidenced by their Chinese coach Mopo.
Looking ahead, coach Mopo expressed optimism about the upcoming global BP system: “I think the global BP system will be an advantage for us. In a regular BP, you only need two lineups to keep going, but with a global BP, we’ll be able to showcase more of our players’ hero pools and skill ceilings. I’m confident my players are looking forward to this format as well.”
The interview also revealed the team’s strong bonds beyond competition. Between training sessions, the players maintain unity through shared activities like badminton and meals together. This camaraderie was evident in their post-victory plans, with Joker sharing, “They’ve already asked me for a meal at Haidilao—one of our sponsors this time around—and they absolutely love it. They mentioned it to me even before the tournament, so now that they’ve won, it’s a promise I definitely have to keep.”
Support player Zhe offered interesting insights about their finals opponent, suggesting that “they expand their roster. There’s a noticeable gap in the variety of heroes they’re comfortable with compared to us.” This observation came after BSE’s overwhelming victory in the finals, which the team noted felt more comfortable than their previous encounter where Dominator had managed to secure one game.
The championship marks not just a personal achievement for BSE but also reflects the growing competitiveness of the global Honor of Kings scene. “I think the improvement across teams is noticeable,” Joker observed. “We saw Brazil’s Alpha 7, one of the S1 finalists, get eliminated in the group stage, and the Philippine team Blacklist defeating Malaysia’s Team Secret in the group stage—these were all unexpected results. I’m genuinely happy to see this because it shows everyone is improving, and the esports ecosystem for HOK is gradually taking shape.”
