Honor of Kings to adopt ban&pick format globally, with upcoming Phillipines invitational scheduled

Honor of Kings is making waves in 2025 with major esports announcements. Following its global launch, the game is bringing its first-ever invitational tournament to the Philippines, running from February 21st to March 1st. Even bigger news? The adoption of a global ban & pick format for Season Three's invitational and all future tournaments.

What exactly is ban & pick? It's simpler than it sounds. Once a hero is used by a team in a match, that hero is unavailable to that team for the rest of the tournament. A player's hero choice is restricted to their team only, leaving opponents free to use the same character.

This change significantly alters the gameplay. Many MOBA players specialize in a limited roster of mastered heroes. Think of Tyler1 and his Draven in League of Legends – a prime example of player-hero synergy. Ban & pick introduces a strategic layer, forcing teams to adapt and consider hero availability throughout the tournament.

Ban & pick isn't new to the MOBA genre; League of Legends and even games like Rainbow Six Siege utilize similar systems, often with pre-tournament bans agreed upon by teams. Honor of Kings' implementation, however, places the decision directly in the hands of individual players, emphasizing teamwork and strategic decision-making. This adds an exciting new dimension to the competitive landscape, potentially attracting new viewers to Honor of Kings esports.