Honor of Kings: World Gets Regulatory Nod

• The upcoming Honor of Kings spin-off, Honor of Kings: World, has received official approval.
• Chinese regulators included it in the first batch of game approvals for 2025.
• While a concrete release date isn't set, this approval signals a launch in the relatively near future.

Honor of Kings: World, the highly anticipated open-world RPG spin-off from Tencent's blockbuster MOBA, has finally received the necessary approval from Chinese regulators. It was included in the initial group of titles greenlit for release in 2025, a mandatory step for all games launching in the Chinese market.

As the name suggests, Honor of Kings: World dramatically expands the franchise's universe into a vast, explorable open world. The game was prominently featured during a showcase for the upcoming iPhone 16, highlighting its impressive graphics and expansive gameplay.

Honor of Kings likely needs little introduction, being one of the world's most popular MOBAs. Previously focused on China and other Asian markets, its player base has even rivaled that of Riot Games' genre-defining League of Legends. For players hesitant about MOBAs, Honor of Kings: World might be the compelling entry point into this universe.

This approval is significant, considering China's gaming industry faced a licensing freeze a couple of years ago. That freeze greatly impacted the massive local development and publishing sector before abruptly ending, leading to a surge of new game releases.

Since then, the global gaming community has watched these approval announcements closely, as they offer clues about international release timelines. It's noteworthy that, according to the South China Morning Post, this month's batch of approvals exceeds even the highest monthly total from the previous year.

Will 2025 bring an overwhelming wave of new games from China? Could some titles get lost in the shuffle? We'll have to stay tuned and see how it unfolds.