Revision 3

Overview

The Zhengming Test (争鸣测试, Zhēngmíng Cèshì) was Honor of Kings: World's first-ever paid, confidential, data-wipe closed beta. Per IT之家's launch coverage and Baidu Baike, the test was labeled 保密、计费、删档 ("confidential, paid, data-wipe") and was explicitly positioned as HoKW's first commercial paid beta, distinguishing it from the earlier unpaid Pioneer Test of July 2025 and the confidential test of late 2024 and early 2025. The test name derives from the Warring States intellectual movement 百家争鸣 ("the hundred schools contend"), thematically fitting Jixia Academy as the main launch setting.

Correct Dates (Recruitment vs Actual Test)

Earlier drafts of this wiki treated February 10 to 23, 2026 as the actual test play window. That was incorrect. The February 10 to 23 window was the recruitment period during which Tencent accepted sign-ups. The actual test build did not go live until March. Per IT之家's recruitment announcement: "招募期限…2026年2月10日至2026年2月23日" ("recruitment period: February 10, 2026 to February 23, 2026"). pre-download coverage: "预下载于3月4日17:00正式启动…测试将于3月5日12:00全端开启" ("Pre-download officially started at 17:00 on March 4, and the test will open on all platforms at 12:00 on March 5").

The exact end date of the Zhengming Test play window is not documented in the primary sources consulted.

Paid Entry

The Zhengming Test required a paid entry fee, the first time Tencent had charged for an HoKW beta. Per Baidu Baike, this was the game's first 商业化删档付费测试 ("commercialized data-wipe paid test"). The specific yuan amount of the entry fee is not documented in the accessed Chinese launch-window articles and should not be invented. Prior tests (the late-2024 to early-2025 confidential test and the 2025 Pioneer Test / 先锋测试) were both 不计费 (non-paid).

Platforms

The Zhengming Test was HoKW's first full four-platform beta, covering:

• PC (Windows) standalone Tencent launcher, ~90 GB client size

• Android ~25 GB client size, with first-login device lock

• iOS ~28 GB client size, with first-login device lock

• Tencent Cloud Gaming streamed access through the cloud client

Cross-play and cross-save between PC and mobile were enabled during the test, and the test was the first public demonstration of HoKW's cross-platform progression system. Mobile device-lock restrictions meant that once a player's first login was registered on a specific device type (Android or iOS), they could not switch to the other platform mid-test.

Participation Rewards

Participants in any paid HoKW test (including the Zhengming Test) received recharge rebates on the April 10, 2026 PC public launch as a thank-you benefit. This was confirmed by 17173's April 5, 2026 pre-download feature. The rebate rules have not been fully documented in accessed sources.

What Was Tested

Specific content scope details for the Zhengming Test. How much of the S0 launch roster and main story were playable, which regions were opened, and what specific systems were on vs off. Are not documented in the accessed Chinese launch-window articles. The general framing in launch coverage is that Zhengming was the last major test before the April 10 public launch and that it focused on the mobile and cloud gaming stack to validate cross-platform parity. Specific feedback items that shaped the April 10 build are also not publicly documented beyond the day-one Q&A fixes (see Day One Patch).

Predecessors

• Confidential Test (保密测试) December 2024 to January 2025, PC only, non-paid, confidential

• Pioneer Test (先锋测试) recruitment opened June 25, 2025, test started July 24, 2025, PC only, non-paid

• Zhengming Test (争鸣测试) (recruitment Feb 10 to 23, 2026, play window from March 5, 2026, first paid multi-platform test) documented here

For the full pre-launch beta timeline, see Closed Beta Tests and Development History.