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

Tencent's highly anticipated open-world RPG, Honor of Kings: World, a spin-off of the massively popular MOBA Honor of Kings, has received approval from Chinese regulators. This approval, part of the first batch of games cleared for release in 2025, signals an imminent launch. While a firm release date remains unannounced, this regulatory green light suggests its arrival is relatively near.

Honor of Kings: World, as the name implies, 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. Previously limited to China and Asia, its immense popularity now extends worldwide. Honor of Kings: World may well serve as an enticing entry point for those previously hesitant to explore the MOBA genre.

A Significant Development

This approval holds significant weight, considering the previous gaming licensing freeze in China. This freeze significantly hampered the country's substantial game development and publishing sector before its recent lifting. The subsequent surge of game approvals is noteworthy, with this month's approvals exceeding even the highest monthly totals from the previous year, according to the South China Morning Post.

The influx of Chinese game releases in 2025 promises to be substantial. However, the potential for some titles to be overshadowed by others remains a possibility. We'll have to wait and see how this unfolds.