KSG win Honor of Kings title at Esports World Cup
Kuaishou Gaming (KSG) has claimed the 2026 Honor of Kings World Cup title at the Esports World Cup, overcoming tournament favourites and defending champions AG.AL in a thrilling seven-game grand final in Paris.
The Chinese powerhouse entered the tournament as the second favourite with pre-event odds of 2.40 with esports betting sites, narrowly behind reigning champions AG.AL at 2.15, and lived up to expectations by capturing the biggest share of the tournament’s US$3 million prize pool.
KSG edged AG.AL 4-3 in one of the closest championship matches of the Esports World Cup, with the title decided in the tournament’s Ultimate Battle tiebreak format after the series was locked at three games apiece. KSG’s JuHao was named Finals MVP following a standout performance throughout the decider.
The result capped a remarkable tournament that brought together 20 teams from both the Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor ecosystems for the first time under a unified international competition. While betting sites had identified AG.AL and KSG as the clear pre-tournament frontrunners, the championship still delivered on its promise of drama, with the defending champions pushed to the brink before ultimately surrendering their crown.
In the battle for third place, Geekay Esports completed a dominant 3-0 sweep over ROC Esports to round out the podium.
Head of Honor of Kings Global Esports at Tencent Games Jackie Huang said the event highlighted the rapid international growth of the title.
“With an increasingly diverse international tournament calendar, deeper cross-regional competition and the global reach of the Esports World Cup, Honor of Kings is evolving,” she said.
“It is becoming a catalyst for the growth of mobile esports worldwide, connecting players, regions and communities to shape the future of a truly global mobile esports ecosystem.”
The Paris event represented another milestone for the mobile MOBA, with Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor teams competing against one another on the international stage for the first time at the Esports World Cup following years of convergence between the two ecosystems.
Attention will now turn to a packed second half of the 2026 competitive season, including the Honor of Kings International Championship in December, while the game will also feature as an official medal event at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya before the Esports Nations Cup later this year in Riyadh.
The Esports World Cup was one of the more notable events in Honor of Kings ecosystem to be covered by online betting sites, and with positive feedback surrounding the competition and wagering, expect more in the future.
