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Overview
Red-light counter is the player-side response to a boss's red-glow (红光技) telegraphed attack in Honor of Kings: World's combat system. When a boss charges an unusually dangerous attack, it flashes red; a perfectly timed dodge at the red-flash moment triggers an automatic counter-attack that staggers the boss into a hard-stun state. 17173's launch combat guide confirms the mechanic exists and calls the counter result 硬直 (hard-stun / stagger), but the guide does not publish specific timing windows, button inputs, or iframe values.
How It Works
Per 17173's launch combat guide: "用这招来对付BOSS的'红光技'（威胁比较大的那种攻击），直接能把对方打出硬直" ("Use this technique against a boss's 'red-light move' (the more threatening type of attack), and you can directly stagger the opponent"). The input is described as a perfect dodge timed to the red flash moment, which causes the player to "自动打出一发反击" ("automatically fire off a counter"). No separate parry button or unique input beyond the perfect dodge is documented at launch.
Name: "红光妖反"
The term 红光妖反 (hóngguāng yāo fǎn, "red-light demon counter") appears in NetEase Cloud Gaming's HoKW combat overview, which compares the mechanic to the Yōkai-Reversal (妖反) mechanic in Team Ninja's Nioh series. The NetEase write-up: "红光妖反系统类似于《仁王》中的'妖反'，能针对特定攻击进行巧妙反击，增加战斗的策略性" ("The red-light counter system is similar to the 'yokai reversal' in Nioh: it can cleverly counter specific attacks, adding tactical depth to combat"). Whether 红光妖反 is a distinct named system or the NetEase author's label for the perfect-dodge-versus-red-attack interaction is not disambiguated by any other Chinese launch source. 17173's guide uses 红光技 (red-light move) as the name of the attack rather than naming the counter separately.
Distinction from Perfect Dodge
Based on 17173's description, red-light counter is not a separate input from the general perfect dodge system. A perfect dodge against any enemy attack grants invincibility frames; a perfect dodge specifically timed against a red-flash attack additionally triggers the automatic counter that staggers the boss. Players who already have good perfect-dodge timing will land red-light counters naturally as they recognize red telegraphs.
Reward
17173 confirms the counter produces 硬直 (stagger/hard-stun) on the boss. The stagger opens a damage window similar to posture break, but it is not the same as posture break: the posture bar is a separate sustained-pressure mechanic, while red-light counter is a single-action reactive stun. No source publishes a specific damage multiplier, posture-bar value, or iframe window granted by the counter.
Not Publicly Confirmed
The exact frame window for the red-flash perfect-dodge timing
PC keyboard or controller button input, if different from the standard dodge button
Any hero-specific red-light counter bonuses or passives
Whether the counter has a cooldown or per-combat limit
Specific bosses that rely heavily on red-light attacks (no source confirms examples)
This article intentionally avoids any speculation on timing frames or button inputs. A future expansion will be possible when datamined frame data or dedicated guide-site timing tables become available.
Sources
17173 launch combat guide (硬直 stagger outcome): https://news.17173.com/content/04072026/161348935.shtml
NetEase Cloud Gaming HoKW combat overview (term 红光妖反 and Nioh comparison): https://cg.163.com/static/content/69d46cb25a4185cfc935f110
IT之家 combat mechanics feature (general parry/dodge loop): https://www.ithome.com/0/936/251.htm