Report updated May 19, 2026
Honor of Kings
For mobile gamers seeking competitive, fast-paced 5v5 team battles with a focus on skill-based progression.
Honor of Kings is an established games app that is free with in-app purchases. With a 4.3/5 rating from 1.8M reviews, it shows polarized user reception. Users particularly appreciate smooth gameplay mechanics provide a fresh and engaging experience compared to other mobile battle arenas, though rigged matchmaking algorithms force win rates by pairing solo players with incompetent or bot-like teammates remains a common concern.
What is Honor of Kings?
Honor of Kings is a 5v5 mobile MOBA game featuring hero-based combat and team-based strategy on iOS and Android.
Players hire the game for fair, skill-based competitive sessions that avoid the stamina-gated progression common in the genre.
Current Momentum
v11.3 · 6d ago
Active- Shipped Yango hero in latest release
- Upgraded Nezha hero mechanics
- Balanced 13 heroes in latest update
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
What Are The Key Features?
Classic three-lane map structure with tower pushing and jungle monster objectives
Automated AI takes control of characters when players disconnect during a match
Region-specific servers, voiceovers, and hero skins tailored to local markets
How much does it cost?
- Free-to-play base game
- Optional in-game purchases of virtual currency for items and skins
Freemium model relies on cosmetic IAP and virtual currency, explicitly excluding pay-to-win mechanics or stamina gates.
Who Built It?
Level Infinite
Delivering high-fidelity, competitive core gaming experiences to global mobile audiences through strategic IP adaptations and original tactical titles.
Portfolio
13
Apps
What other apps does Level Infinite make?
Delta Force
Age of Empires Mobile
NBA Infinite - PvP Basketball
Undawn(언던)
Arena Breakout Lite
Hiispii:PUBG MLBB GameBooster
Explore the full Level Infinite report
Portfolio breakdown, audience, momentum, and every app published by Level Infinite.
What do users think recently?
High confidence · Latest 120 of 240 total reviews analyzed
How did the latest release land?
What is the recent mood?
Recent user voice shows a mixed sentiment. Users appreciate smooth gameplay mechanics provide a fresh and engaging experience compared to other mobile battle arenas, but report rigged matchmaking algorithms force win rates by pairing solo players with incompetent or bot-like teammates.
What Users Love
What Frustrates Users
What Users Want
How have ratings & review volume moved?
Rating, review sentiment, and total reviews over time, with release markers showing the post-launch impact.
Vertical markers = app releases. Hover any release for the post-release impact delta.
View the full user-sentiment analysis
Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.
What is the competitive landscape for Honor of Kings?
How's The Games Market?
**Pricing Strategy**: Freemium model relying on cosmetic IAP and virtual currency, explicitly excluding pay-to-win mechanics or stamina gates. **Target Audience**: Mobile gamers seeking competitive, fast-paced 5v5 team battles with a focus on skill-based progression. **Chart Performance**: The app maintains a strong presence in Southeast Asian markets, holding top 20 grossing positions in the Philippines and Malaysia, though it faces significant competition in the US market where it struggles to break into the top 50 grossing for action games.
How does it evolve in the Games market?
Honor of Kings holds a top 20 grossing position in the Philippines and Malaysia, but struggles to maintain top 50 grossing status in the US market. The gap between its free-to-play discovery and monetization rank signals friction in converting the casual base.
Rank progression
350 active rankings tracked — 30-day window
Which niche is Honor of Kings in?
to compete in team-based tactical battles
Explore the full Moba Battle Royales niche
Every app in this space — 1 tracked, the niche's live rankings, and Marlvel's editorial take on the job-to-be-done.
The rivals identified
Nemeses(1)
With over 2.4 million ratings, it is the established market leader in the mobile MOBA space, directly competing for the same core player base.
Differentiators
- Leverages a massive, decade-long PC franchise IP that drives deep player loyalty and brand recognition.
- Features a more complex, high-skill-ceiling control scheme that appeals to competitive MOBA purists.
- Maintains a consistent, high-frequency release cadence of new champions to keep the meta evolving.
Head to head
The target app must emphasize its superior mobile-first accessibility to capture the casual segment while Wild Rift maintains its dominance in the hardcore competitive and esports-driven demographic.
Contenders(2)
A direct genre competitor that offers a distinct aesthetic and cultural flavor to differentiate from standard MOBA tropes.
Differentiators
- Features a unique Japanese-inspired art style and character design that appeals to a specific niche audience.
- Implements a more balanced, fair-play monetization model that avoids pay-to-win mechanics in competitive hero acquisition.
A major competitor that leverages the world's largest media franchise to capture a broader, more casual audience.
Differentiators
- Utilizes the globally recognized Pokémon IP to lower the barrier to entry for non-MOBA players.
- Simplifies the traditional MOBA objective structure into a unique, score-based system that reduces match complexity.
Same space(2)
An alternative MOBA title that attempts to differentiate through card-based hero customization mechanics.
Differentiators
- Integrates a card-based system that allows players to customize hero stats before entering the match.
- Focuses on significantly shorter match durations to cater to players with limited time for gaming.
A long-standing MOBA alternative that serves as a secondary option for players seeking a classic 5v5 experience.
Differentiators
- Provides a wider variety of secondary game modes beyond the standard 5v5 map to increase session variety.
- Offers a more lightweight client footprint, making it accessible on lower-end mobile hardware.
New entrants(1)
An emerging threat that, while primarily a shooter, competes for the same high-intensity, competitive mobile gaming time.
Differentiators
- Combines hero-based abilities with battle royale mechanics to create a hybrid competitive experience.
- Aggressive update schedule with six releases in the last six months shows rapid iteration and feature testing.
Compare Honor of Kings against every rival
All rivals in one side-by-side table — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel — plus a head-to-head page for each.
The outtake for Honor of Kings
Strengths to defend, gaps to attack
Core Strengths
- Fair-play monetization model removes pay-to-win barriers
- AI disconnect recovery maintains match integrity
- Localized content drives international market penetration
Critical Frictions
- 0.35 rating gap between Android and iOS
- Matchmaking transparency is the #1 churn driver
- Account management failures block long-term retention
Growth Levers
- Dedicated solo-only matchmaking queue
- Expansion of global esports partnerships
- Wearable integration for companion stats
Market Threats
- League of Legends: Wild Rift esports dominance
- Aggressive update cadence of Farlight 84
- Persistent server latency in emerging markets
What are the next best moves?
Ship solo-only matchmaking queue because matchmaking fairness is the top churn complaint → increase long-term retention
Sentiment data identifies rigged matchmaking as the primary driver of player frustration.
Trade-off: Pause the new hero skin release cycle for one sprint to reallocate engineering resources.
Audit server latency logs in emerging markets because ping complaints disrupt competitive integrity → reduce reputation point loss
Latency is the second most cited complaint in ranked modes.
Trade-off: Same-quarter capacity available — no major lever displaced.
A counter-intuitive read
The game's #20 grossing rank in emerging markets is a stronger indicator of future success than its US performance, as the localized server strategy creates a distribution barrier competitors cannot easily replicate.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Dedicated solo-only matchmaking queue (available in some competitive titles but missing here)
- Integrated wearable companion app for real-time stats (available in some MOBA peers but missing here)
Key Takeaways
Honor of Kings succeeds by removing pay-to-win friction, but the persistent perception of rigged matchmaking and server latency undermines its competitive integrity. The PM should prioritize a solo-only queue to stabilize the core player base, as current churn risks outweigh the benefits of cosmetic-only monetization.
Where Is It Heading?
Mixed Signals
The mobile MOBA market is consolidating around titles that offer the most transparent competitive environments. Honor of Kings remains exposed to churn until it addresses the matchmaking fairness perception, as the current live-ops cadence is insufficient to offset the frustration of solo players.
Persistent matchmaking complaints suggest the current algorithm fails to satisfy the competitive player base, leading to increased churn.
Recent hero balance updates demonstrate an active live-ops cadence, which helps maintain engagement despite the matchmaking friction.