One of the biggest mobile MOBA’s in the scene isn’t holding any punches.
Season three of the Honor of Kings Invitational launched last Friday and they’re looking to make a big splash here in the Philippines. SM North EDSA’s The Block Atrium was filled with excited fans and curious onlookers as international teams battled for supremacy.
This is the first time the Honor of Kings Invitational is being held in the Philippines. It’s also the first stop of their competitive season which leads up to the Midseason tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Every match is vital for the 12 participating teams as they’re divided into four groups for the group stage. It’s a best-of-five, single round robin, and only the top two get to move on. In the playoffs, the stakes are raised as it’s a single elimination bracket where all matches are best-of-seven. Everyone only has one chance to raise that trophy and win the lionshare of the 300,000 USD prizepool.
What makes the Honor of Kings Invitational even more exciting is their Global Ban-pick System. Once a team picks a hero, they can no longer use it for the rest of the match. Best-of-seven matches also use their Ultimate Battle rules where, if a match reaches the final game, all restrictions are removed and both teams make completely blind drafts. These rules test the limits and creativity of every team, making every match a spectacle to watch.
Beyond that, there are various events and activities happening on the event floor. Fans can play games and participate in community tournaments to really get into that Honor of Kings hype.
And this is going to be happening all throughout the week. It’s going to be an action packed nine days before we see who’s crowned the Honor of Kings Invitational season three champion later this Saturday.
Banner photo by Ramon Domingo.