Revision 9

Overview

Honor of Kings: World launched on April 10, 2026 in mainland China after approximately five years of development. TiMi Studio Group has described the game as a long-term live service project with a multi-year content plan. At GDC 2025, Lead Designer Simen Lv committed to delivering one new region annually, alongside regular updates that add heroes, dungeons, raids, and gameplay systems on a rolling basis.

Development History

The path from initial announcement to launch spanned several years of development, testing, and public showcases. The following timeline captures the major milestones.

v1.0: Launch Content

The launch version establishes the foundation of the live service with a substantial amount of content available from day one.

• Heroes: 15 playable heroes available at launch, each with unique Flow styles

• Open world: 64 square kilometer seamless map spanning multiple biomes

• Dungeons: 30+ dungeons across multiple difficulty tiers

• Raids: 8-player raid encounters for endgame group content

• Story: main story campaign spanning 10 chapters

• Level cap: 100

• PvP: competitive PvP modes with stat normalization

• Guilds: guild system with territory control mechanics

• Crafting: crafting system for gear and consumables

v1.1: Forbidden Mountains

The first major post-launch update adds the Forbidden Mountains region, a high-level area featuring treacherous terrain and the Temple dungeon. The update also introduces new Flow styles, a new 8-player raid encounter, and the first post-launch story chapter. Estimated release is 6 to 8 weeks after launch.

• New region: Forbidden Mountains with new exploration content and enemies

• Temple dungeon: one of the most challenging endgame dungeons

• New Flow styles: additional hero-based combat styles

• New raid: 8-player encounter set in the Forbidden Mountains

• Story continuation: new main quest chapter expanding the narrative

v1.2: Housing and Pets

The second major update introduces player housing and a pet companion system. Players can acquire, decorate, and upgrade personal living spaces. Pets are collectible companions that follow the player in the open world and provide minor passive bonuses. The update also includes additional Flow styles and new dungeons.

• Player housing: customizable personal spaces with furniture crafting

• Pet system: collectible companions with passive bonuses

• Additional dungeons: new challenge-tier endgame dungeons

• Quality-of-life: community-requested improvements from launch feedback

v2.0: New Continent

The first expansion-scale update adds an entirely new continent to the game world, significantly expanding the explorable area. The developers have described it as a region with a distinct visual identity and cultural inspiration compared to the launch continent. New story arcs, dungeons, raids, and gameplay systems are planned for this milestone.

Annual Region Commitment

At GDC 2025, Lead Designer Simen Lv made a public commitment to deliver at least one new region per year. This commitment sets the baseline for content expansion, with additional heroes, dungeons, and system updates arriving between major region releases. The annual cadence is intended to give the development team enough time to create regions with the same density and quality as the launch content rather than rushing smaller, less developed areas.

Ongoing Content Between Major Updates

Between major version updates, the team delivers regular patches on a 6 to 8 week cycle.

• Balance adjustments: Flow style and gear tuning based on player data and community feedback

• Seasonal events: limited-time activities with exclusive cosmetic rewards tied to holidays and in-game lore

• New Flow styles: additional heroes adapted as Flow styles on a rolling basis

• Community events: in-game tournaments, guild competitions, and collaborative world challenges

Global Release

The global release for regions outside mainland China has not been dated as of launch. Level Infinite is handling the international rollout. The game already has English localization from its press events and international beta tests. Steam and Epic Games Store listings are live, and the global launch is expected to follow the China release. Specific dates remain to be announced.

Developer Commitment

TiMi Studio Group has described the launch content as representing approximately 30% of what they have planned for the game's first two years. The remaining 70% will be delivered through the update cadence outlined above. The team has emphasized that their goal is to build a game that players engage with for years, not months, and that the content roadmap reflects this long-term vision.