A distinctive feature of betting on Honor of Kings during the Esports World Cup is the difficulty involved in pre-match forecasting. This is due to the nature of the mobile esports discipline, as well as the lack of sufficient statistical data for a thorough analysis. Odds for the event can be followed through the 1xBet app BH and other available tools, while more detailed game data may still require other resources.
Chinese Teams Bring a Longer Competitive Record
The mobile game Honor of Kings is extremely popular in the Chinese region, and for good reason—it was first launched there back in 2015. Meanwhile, Honor of Kings did not reach most of the world until 2024. Arena of Valor had already been released separately in other countries before that. This is a significantly reworked version of the original game, making the two titles quite different from one another. Due to its long history of play, Honor of Kings has gained immense popularity specifically in China. Leading Chinese teams enter the event with a longer domestic competitive history, while recent tournament results give them a stronger evidence base than many international opponents.
The Impact of Updates
Major updates may be released before the World Championship, which can affect betting predictions in Honor of Kings. These updates are often released shortly before the World Championship, so under these conditions, the balance between the favorites can change. After all, the most important thing is to figure out how to play on the updated map or with the new features in time.
The combination of the playstyles from both games—Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor—also influences strategy development. The updated version may differ from the traditional game for both Chinese players and teams from other regions. Because of this, teams must adapt their usual tactics. For example, if the respawn time for monsters has changed, this single parameter alone can affect the outcome of the game—such as during resource gathering. Esports players must respond correctly to these changes in order to play just as effectively.
Results from the previous season may carry less weight after a major tournament patch changes hero availability or map timings. In the new season, players on such teams may fail to adapt to the changes and start the game on the wrong foot.
Lack of Accurate Statistics
Predicting pre-match bets is complicated by the limited availability of comparable statistical data from Chinese teams. Much of the data is published on regional resources and, naturally, in Chinese. This means that finding and comparing the information can take more time. However, official tournament pages and regional resources still provide useful data.
Additionally, the mobile format of the game itself means that some information is shown directly within the game app. However, tournament data can also be viewed through official websites and broadcasts.
In other regions, the level of competition may be different, and well-coordinated teams can still defeat more experienced opponents. However, the pace of Chinese teams’ play often creates serious difficulties for their rivals. Even when teams from other regions win, the result may depend on their preparation or the selection of the right in-game characters.
All of this is quite difficult to predict. This is precisely why matches between teams from different regions in Honor of Kings pose a real challenge for bookmakers when setting odds.
Tournament Format Details
In terms of structure, the 2026 Honor of Kings competition will take place in several stages, with the play-in stage being the first. At this stage, teams battle it out for places in the group stage.
The rest of the championship structure is as follows:
- Group Stage. Here, 16 teams are divided into 4 groups, where they compete against each other. The top two esports teams from each group advance to the next stage—the playoffs.
- Playoffs. The competition among the top 8 teams is played in a knockout format.