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. While a concrete release date remains unannounced, the regulatory green light suggests a relatively swift arrival.
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 renowned MOBA, surpassing even League of Legends in certain regions. Previously limited to China and Asia, its immense popularity now extends globally. Honor of Kings: World may entice even MOBA skeptics to explore this expansive new title.
A Significant Milestone
This regulatory approval is particularly noteworthy given China's previous gaming licensing freeze. This period significantly hampered the nation's game development and publishing sector before a recent surge of approvals. The current wave of approvals, exceeding even last year's peak monthly numbers (according to the South China Morning Post), suggests a potential flood of Chinese game releases in 2025. The competitive landscape will undoubtedly become more intense, and only time will tell which titles emerge as frontrunners. We'll continue to monitor developments.
