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 precise release date remains unconfirmed, the regulatory green light suggests its arrival is near.
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. Initially limited to China and Asia, its immense popularity has now extended its reach. Honor of Kings: World might entice even MOBA skeptics to explore this expansive new title.
A Significant Milestone
The approval is particularly noteworthy given China's previous gaming licensing freeze, which significantly impacted the nation's gaming development and publishing sector. The recent thawing of this freeze has resulted in a surge of game releases.
This month's approvals, exceeding even the highest monthly totals of the previous year (as reported by the South China Morning Post), indicate a potential flood of Chinese games in 2025. The coming months will reveal which titles rise to prominence amidst this wave of releases. We'll be closely monitoring developments.
