Honor of Kings international esports ecosystem in 2026 introduces new region and structure

Honor of Kings is getting a massive global competitive series thanks to Level Infinite. 

On its official X account, Honor of Kings announced a worldwide structure with five leagues competing, including a newly formed league. The Honor of Kings Major League (KML) merges three existing leagues together: the WKSk, KMW, and KME. The five leagues are now: 

• Honor of Kings Major League (KML)
• Indonesia (IKL)
• Philippines (PKL)
• Malaysia (MKL)
• Brazil (CHOKBR)

As you can see, these regions are the most active in the Honor of Kings scene. When I attended the Honor of Kings KPL Grand Finals, representatives from the Philippines and Brazil were both there to explore the possibilities of expanding their countries' Honor of Kings scenes as the mobile game grew within their populations. 

How the Honor of Kings esports scene changes in 2026

There are some structural changes coming to the Honor of Kings esports scene in 2026 as the MOBA looks to expand internationally. While the game is already massive in China, breaking viewership records, it's hoping to create the same hype in other countries. 

With the five new regions, the Wildcard Kings Series, Major West League, and Major East League have been combined into one singular global league. This brings countries across Asia, Europe, and America together. Meanwhile, teams from Macau and Hong Kong will become part of the Chinese mainland esports ecosystem. 

This new esports ecosystem organized by Level Infinite will run alongside the continued King Pro League (KPL) that's only for Chinese teams. 

Honor of Kings roster rule changes coming in 2026

To coincide with these structural changes, Level Infinite is also updating the roster rules going into 2026. 

Teams participating in this new ecosystem have to have five players at minimum and seven at most. Only one player on the team can be from a different region than the team's home region. 

There are further restrictions for players from China, the most dominant country in the competitive scene. Players from China will be classified as import players in all other divisions.