We had the opportunity to interview James Yang, Senior Director of Level Infinite Global Esports Center, and John Zhang, Director of Honor of Kings Southeast Asia, during the Honor of Kings World Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia. The executives shared insights into the game’s global expansion and future esports initiatives, revealing ambitious plans for the future of mobile esports.

A Strong First Year

The inaugural global year of Honor of Kings has exceeded expectations, establishing a robust foundation for future growth. “I wouldn’t consider 2024 just a ‘Year Zero.’ We organized 4 global events, and one midseason tournament alone attracted nearly 500,000 peak viewers and over 270 million media views. I don’t think any game could reach that level in its first year,” Yang stated proudly.

The championship event in Jakarta further demonstrated the game’s growing appeal. “I’ve seen remarkable growth in each team’s competitiveness. You can see the difference clearly from the start of the season to midseason, and especially in the championship yesterday. The final matches were incredible—I found myself cheering and was almost moved to tears. Witnessing this level of play in the very first year is amazing,” Yang added.

East Meets West: New Professional League Structure

The introduction of HOK Major EAST and HOK Major WEST divisions represents a strategic approach to global expansion. “The main reason we divided the Major into East and West is due to time zone differences,” Yang explained. “By creating Major East and Major West, we’re able to schedule each event to suit the respective audience, making it more convenient for eastern viewers in the East Major and for western viewers in the West Major.”

While specific regional allocations are still being finalized, Yang confirmed North America’s inclusion in Major West. “We’re considering implementing more national qualifiers, although this is just one step away from being formally announced. Soon, we’ll provide more details about the number of teams, the regions involved, scheduling, and viewing options.”

Addressing the Global Skill Gap

The executives provided a transparent assessment of the current competitive landscape and their plans to elevate global competition. “KPL started seven years ago, whereas globally, we’re only in Year One, so a difference is to be expected,” Yang noted. “This is one reason why we currently separate the regions. However, we’re actively working to close this gap.”

The strategy includes expanding the hero roster and implementing professional systems. “We started with around 80 heroes and have now added over 110, continuously expanding and updating the roster,” Yang explained. “This year, we didn’t use the global ban system that KPL uses, but starting next year, we plan to implement it as announced. I believe the gap may close sooner than expected, as I’ve seen significant improvement in global pro team performance this year.”

Southeast Asian Market Focus

In Southeast Asia, the Honor of Kings executives are taking a comprehensive approach to market adaptation. “One of the challenges we face here is the region’s reliance on relatively limited devices, in terms of RAM and storage,” Zhang explained. “We’re optimizing Honor of Kings to ensure that it runs smoothly on every type of phone used in Southeast Asia while maintaining high-quality graphics and impressive skin effects.”

The results have been encouraging, as Zhang noted: “I’m sure Southeast Asians are doing great. See our players’ performance here and see how they catch up with them, even though I do acknowledge there’s a gap between the China launch and Southeast Asia player launch, but they’re doing a great job. So I would say it meets my expectations and I’m expecting more for next year and in the long run.”

Cultural Integration and Localization

The game’s global strategy heavily emphasizes cultural authenticity and local relevance. “We’re fully committed to delivering the best user experience while celebrating diverse cultures,” Zhang shared. “Garuda is just the beginning. For instance, we recently introduced a character inspired by Malaysian badminton legend Lee Chong Wei. This approach allows us to bring unique cultural elements to each country, step by step.”

The selection process for new content is carefully considered. “We do have a careful thickness on it. And also sometimes we do also consult our core members from a community,” Zhang explained. “What you learn from the user is actually the best. Listening from the users and learning the cultures are the two main criteria that will pick up who to put into the global server.”

Investment in Esports Ecosystem

The Honor of Kings executives commitment to building a sustainable esports ecosystem is backed by substantial financial investment. “We’re committed to investing in the esports ecosystem, and this year alone, we allocated over $10 million to support various initiatives,” Yang revealed. “However, real sustainability goes beyond financial investment; it requires collaboration with our fans.”

Looking ahead, the Honor of Kings executives emphasized their vision for audience engagement: “I really wanna make all of the esports as the most interactive esports between audiences and players in the teams. Currently, there aren’t enough avenues for audiences to actively contribute to the sustainability of the esports ecosystem. This is why we’re focused on creating more interactive experiences that connect audiences with pro players and tournament productions.”

Future Development

The roadmap for Honor of Kings’ competitive scene is comprehensive and forward-looking. “We have a clear path from grassroot to the pro league level. So all the talents, players, they can just start from scratch, learn from the grassroot that get promoted, eventually get to the top tier of the players,” Zhang explained.

Yang added his perspective on the game’s trajectory: “In 2025, we’ll be introducing more tournaments, professional leagues, and global events. I’m thrilled with Honor of Kings’ Year 1 and even more excited about what’s to come.” The executives indicated that more detailed announcements about national leagues, qualification processes, and regional structures would be coming soon, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting year for Honor of Kings esports in 2025.