Honor of Kings World Cup 2026 to feature cross-title format with Arena of Valor teams

Honor of Kings World Cup (KWC) is returning to the Esports World Cup in 2026, and for the first time, it will also feature some of the top Arena of Valor players.

The event will run from July 30 to August 8, featuring 20 teams competing for a prize pool of $3 million.

Out of these, three teams will be invited from the Arena of Valor ecosystem, while the defending champions, AG Super Play, have already secured their spot.

Here is the rest of the slot distribution:

• KPL Spring 2026: 1 slot
• PKL Spring 2026: 3 slots
• MKL Spring 2026: 3 slots
• IKL Spring 2026: 3 slots
• KML Spring 2026: 2 slots
• CHOKBR Fall 2026: 2 slots
• King’s Arise India: 2 slots
• RPL 2026 Summer: 1 slot
• AOG Spring 2026: 1 slot
• GCS 2026 Spring: 1 slot

So far, Team Flash PH, BOOM Esports, Blacklist International, Virtus.pro, and Nongshim RedForce have already booked their places through the qualifiers.

The remaining participants will be finalized through multiple tournaments taking place across April and May.

How Will KWC 2026 Maintain Fairness in a Cross-title Format?

To keep the competitive integrity intact for AoV players, additional Arena of Valor heroes will be added to the tournament patch.

Moreover, Honor of Kings World Cup 2026 aims to highlight regional expansion into India, Thailand, and Vietnam, along with Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

“This landmark edition marks a thrilling evolution in competitive play, uniting the best of both worlds for players and fans alike,” the official announcement stated.

The previous edition of the event reached a peak viewership of over 650K, according to Esports Charts. With the introduction of a cross-title format, it is expected to reach even higher numbers.