Level Infinite, the overseas gaming distribution arm of Tencent Games, announced on Thursday that it has launched a global version of its hit mobile game Honor of Kings in a swathe of new international markets including Japan, South Korea, North America, and Europe.

Level Infinite stated that Honor of Kings has now established a global service network and supports 14 languages to enhance the gaming experience for players around the world.

Why it matters: The most profitable title from Tencent Games, Honor of Kings is already the world’s biggest multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game according to the company, with a global launch somewhat overdue. Honor of Kings maintains a daily active user base of 100 million, the company said.

Details: TiMi Studio, a subsidiary of Tencent Games, originally released Honor of Kings in China in 2015. The latest development means it is now available globally in more than 160 countries. 

• Honor of Kings is a competitive MOBA title where players choose from a diverse line of heroes, each with unique skills, to engage in strategic team battles. To celebrate the global release, the game introduced Lu Yana, a new hero exclusive to the global edition. Currently, a total of 85 characters, of which 28 are free to use, are available to global players.
• The design inspiration for Lu Yana comes from the mysterious Latin American legend of Boitata, according to the game team. The first region-themed exclusive hero was born after in-depth discussions with local gaming experts, they added. Boitata is a mythical creature from Brazilian folklore, often depicted as a giant serpent or dragon that emerges from bonfires and protects the forests.
• At time of writing, Honor of Kings topped the free-download game chart in 10 countries or regions, securing a spot in the top 10 of 25 countries’ free-download gaming charts, local gaming media outlet GameLook reported today. The ten countries or regions where it tops the charts are Canada, the Philippines, Brunei, Myanmar, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bolivia, and Bermuda. Additionally, in terms of free-download mobile games, the game ranked second in the US, fourth in Japan, and eleventh in South Korea.
• Tencent Games has deployed dedicated servers in every country or region to ensure low latency and optimal game performance, the same GameLook report revealed. Due to regulatory constraints, Honor of Kings cannot achieve global cross-server play between Chinese and global versions. However, Chinese players can authorize migration of their data when logging into the global version.

Context: In the first quarter, Tencent’s revenue from the overseas gaming market increased by 3% year-on-year to RMB 13.6 billion ($1.88 billion), while revenue from the domestic gaming market decreased by 2% year-on-year to RMB 34.5 billion ($4.77 billion). 

• In 2023, Honor of Kings reached nearly $1.48 billion in in-game revenue, making it the highest-grossing mobile game of the year for Tencent Games, according to market intelligence firm AppMagic.

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