This year, the Honor of Kings World Cup will be held at the Esports World Cup 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and it will feature a $3 million prize pool.
The Honor of Kings World Cup at the Esports World Cup 2026 will have a cross-title format, bringing 20 teams from both Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor to compete. The competition itself will also introduce new Arena of Valor heroes for the tournament patch, making for a high-stakes competitive scene.
The 20 teams will come from a variety of regional circuits, with spots from each of them as follows:
- Title Defender: 1 team
- King Pro League Spring 2026 (KPL): 1 team
- Indonesia Kings Laga Spring 2026 (IKL): 3 teams
- Philippine Kings League Spring 2026 (PKL): 3 teams
- My Honor of Kings League Spring 2026 (MKL): 3 teams
- Honor of Kings Brazil Championship Fall 2026 (CHOKBR): 2 teams
- Honor of Kings Major League Spring 2026 (KML): 2 teams
- King’s Arise India – KWC at EWC26 Qualifier: 2 teams
- RoV Pro League 2026 Summer (RPL): 1 invited team
- Arena of Glory 2026 (AOG): 1 invited team
- Garena Challenger Series Spring 2026 (GCS): 1 invited team
The Honor of Kings World Cup will have three different stages throughout the Esports World Cup 2026, taking place from July 30, 2026, to August 8, 2026.
The Play-ins will feature eight teams (split into two groups of four) that will have best-of-three matches in a double elimination format. There will be a global pick and ban, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the Group Stage.
The Group Stage will see 16 teams in 4 groups of 4 with more best-of-three, double elimination matches with global pick and bans. The top two teams from each group will then move on to the Playoffs.
The Playoffs will put the eight teams into two groups of four. These matches will be best of seven and single elimination, also featuring a global ban and pick system. There will also be an Ultimate Battle.
For more news on the Esports World Cup 2026, check out the full lineup of games and the Esports Nations Cup 2026, also from the Esports World Cup Foundation.
