Honor of Kings is making waves in 2025 with some major esports announcements. Following its global launch, the game is bringing an invitational tournament to the Philippines for the first time, running from February 21st to March 1st. Even bigger news is the global adoption of a ban & pick format for Season Three's invitational and all future tournaments.
But 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 ineligible for the rest of that tournament for that same team. This means a player's hero choice directly impacts their teammates' options, but not their opponents.
This change is significant because many MOBA players specialize in a limited roster of characters. Think of Tyler1 and his Draven mastery in League of Legends—this highlights the strategic depth ban & pick adds.
Ban & pick is a popular format in MOBAs, used in games like League of Legends and even Rainbow Six Siege. However, in those games, bans are often pre-determined through team agreement. Honor of Kings' implementation puts the decision directly in the hands of individual players, emphasizing team coordination and strategy. Players must choose between using a character ideal for the situation, a teammate's mastered hero, or reserving their main character for later rounds. This innovative approach is sure to make Honor of Kings esports even more engaging for viewers.
