Honor of Kings Invitational SEA 2025: 你需要知道的一切
Honor of Kings Goes All-In on SEA
Tencent has announced the Honor of Kings Invitational SEA 2025, a US$300,000 tournament that signals the Chinese gaming giant's aggressive expansion into the Southeast Asian competitive scene.
Tournament Details
- Prize Pool: US$300,000
- Dates: May 2–18, 2025
- Location: Online group stage, LAN finals in Bangkok, Thailand
- Teams: 12 invited teams from across Southeast Asia
- Format: Group stage (BO3) into single-elimination playoffs (BO5)
Invited Teams
The full list of invited teams includes representatives from six SEA nations:
| Team | Region | |------|--------| | Nova Esports | Thailand | | Buriram United Esports | Thailand | | RRQ | Indonesia | | EVOS Legends | Indonesia | | RSG | Philippines | | Blacklist International | Philippines | | Team Flash | Vietnam | | Saigon Phantom | Vietnam | | Todak HoK | Malaysia | | Selangor Red Giants HoK | Malaysia | | Flash Wolves | Singapore | | Impunity | Singapore |
Why This Matters
Honor of Kings has been the undisputed king of mobile MOBAs in China, but its global expansion has been gradual. This invitational represents the largest HoK esports investment in Southeast Asia to date, and industry insiders suggest it could be the precursor to a full-fledged professional league in the region.
"Southeast Asia is the most important growth market for Honor of Kings outside of China," said a Tencent spokesperson. "This invitational is our way of building the competitive ecosystem that players and fans deserve."
The MLBB Factor
The elephant in the room is Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, which dominates the mobile MOBA scene in Southeast Asia. Many of the invited teams, including TODAK and Selangor Red Giants, are better known for their MLBB rosters. Whether HoK can carve out its own niche alongside MLBB remains the biggest question.
Broadcast Details
The tournament will be broadcast in English, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Filipino on the official Honor of Kings esports channels. egg.network will provide English-language coverage and analysis throughout the event.