Honor of Kings spin-off Honor of Kings: World part of first batch of releases approved by regulator

Honor of Kings: World, the highly anticipated open-world RPG spin-off of Tencent's popular MOBA, Honor of Kings, has received approval from Chinese regulators. This approval, part of the first batch of 2025 game releases, signals an imminent launch, though a concrete date remains unannounced.

True to its name, Honor of Kings: World expands the Honor of Kings universe into a fully explorable open world. Its impressive graphics and open-world gameplay were prominently featured during the iPhone 16 showcase.

For those unfamiliar, Honor of Kings is a globally dominant MOBA, surpassing even League of Legends in certain regions. While previously limited to China and Asia, its immense popularity makes Honor of Kings: World a potentially significant title for global audiences. This open-world expansion could attract players who previously held reservations about the MOBA genre.

A Significant Development

This regulatory approval holds significant weight, considering China's previous gaming licensing freeze. This freeze significantly impacted the Chinese game development and publishing landscape before a recent surge in approvals.

The recent wave of approvals, exceeding even last year's highest monthly total (according to the South China Morning Post), suggests a potential influx of Chinese games in 2025. The coming months will reveal whether this leads to a highly competitive market or if certain titles overshadow others. We eagerly await further updates.