The Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason 2024, part of the ongoing Esports World Cup, took place from July 30 to August 4 at Boulevard Riyadh City. The event shattered viewership records, furthering the game’s expansion into a global market, which was bolstered by its worldwide release earlier this year.
Notably, Facebook emerged as the most popular live-streaming platform for the event, largely due to its strong presence in the Asian market, especially Southeast Asia. The organizers actively promoted the streams on Facebook, leading to increased viewer engagement. Influencers were also involved, covering the event and participating in exhibition matches, which significantly boosted the tournament’s visibility on social media and other platforms.
KPL Dream Team
The KPL Dream Team upheld China’s dominance in international Honor of Kings events. The KIM 2024 saw English become one of the top three languages for viewership, reflecting the benefits of the global release and easier access for Western audiences. This trend is promising for future competitions and their global reach.
The Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason 2024 featured the top 12 teams from the first half of 2024 competing for a $3 million prize pool. It also marked the debut of the KPL Dream Team, representing China’s King Pro League in Saudi Arabia.
In the tournament’s Grand Final, the KPL Dream Team faced Malaysia’s LGD Gaming MY. The Chinese team triumphed 3-0, with the victorious team earning $1 million and the runner-up securing $500,000 and a spot in the Honor of Kings Championship 2024.
The event attracted 481.2K Peak Viewers for a showmatch between Team Honor and Team Kings, with Facebook contributing 71.2% of the viewership. Involvement of pro players and influencers helped draw substantial online and in-person crowds.
The most-watched competitive match was the Playoffs Semifinals between KPL Dream Team and All Gamers.HK, with the former winning 3-0. This match contributed to the event’s total of 2.4 million Hours Watched and 92.3K Average Viewers over 27 hours. The high viewership numbers were driven by popular teams and the star-studded showmatch.
Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason 2024
The Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason 2024 became the most successful tournament in the game’s esports history. Surpassing the previous record by 99.5% in peak viewership and by over 32% in hours watched. It ranked among the top five competitions of the Esports World Cup 2024, alongside other prominent mobile esports events.
The investment of over $15 million in the 2024 competitive season has resulted in the top five Honor of Kings events by peak concurrent viewership all occurring this year. The excitement around the upcoming Honor of Kings Championship 2024 in Indonesia, featuring the top 16 global teams and a $1 million prize pool, is expected to further boost viewership.
As the game prepares for its major world championship, it continues to build on its international success, potentially setting new viewership records in Indonesia.