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S1: World Beginning Season - Version 8 vs Version 9
Aug 17, 2026, 03:52 PM
Corrected the August 6 role change: five position labels were added on top of the three trait roles, not a replacement (2026-08-17)
Aug 17, 2026, 03:53 PM
Added the August 11 developer letter: S1 extended, no S2 date, and the work named for the next season (2026-08-17)
11Overview22S1 World Beginning Season (世界启程·梦演) is the first full live-service season after launch for Honor of Kings: World. The season opened on May 29, 2026 and runs in two halves: the first half ran through approximately July 8, 2026, and the second-half patch went live on July 9, 2026. It continues TiMi Studio Group's announced model of two sub-versions per season for the entire post-launch lifecycle.44This article is the hub for all S1 content. Each major addition has its own dedicated article; this page consolidates the season-level facts in one place and cross-links to the deeper documentation.66S1 Season-Level Facts88FieldValueSeason name世界启程·梦演 / S1 World Beginning SeasonSub-name梦演 (Dream Performance)Launch dateMay 29, 2026 (Friday)PatternTwo sub-versions per season (first half + mid-season patch)Prior seasonS0 (Jixia Chapter, launched April 10, 2026)1010S1 First-Half Content (May 29 Opener)1111New Resonance: Sun Shangxiang (Scorching Flow Strong Attack and Support builds)New Resonance: Longya (hammer-wielding 铸云庐 sect blacksmith, Scorching Flow Support)New region: Caiyun Basin (彩云盆地)New chapter: Chapter 9: Guixu Dream Performance continues the 归虚 arcNew feature: Genderswap (性转) selection for player characters, paired with a login-reward genderswap itemNew login outfit: 异邦斗影Login package: 异邦斗影 outfit + 10 Heavenly Reward Banner pulls + the genderswap itemNewcomer onboarding: low-level gear stat buffs to ease new-player rampEnd-of-season catch-up event for late-joining players (auto-balanced gear curve)1313S1 Second-Half Patch (July 9, 2026)1515The S1 second-half patch went live on July 9, 2026. It opened new group content and adjusted several live Resonances:1717Cangmang Riverboat: a new riverboat area with story and exploration content (see the Cangmang Riverboat article)Calamity Beast Twin Shadows (灾兽双影): announced in this window as the season's new co-op boss challenge; its opening came later, on July 31, 2026Hero balance: Sun Shangxiang received a nerf to her armor-penetration output; Longya received a damage increase to strengthen solo play; Xi Shi received a character-model optimization with a second facial design option and support-ability buffsNew cosmetics: a Wang Zhaojun skin (繁光旧梦), a vegetable-themed collaboration that includes a free Meng Ya collaboration skin, and reverse-season winter outfitsAdditional content: a new 鲲梦决·堕梦 (Fallen Dream) challenge and Master Lu Ban resonance and story missionsFei Han held back then re-dated: the mid-season Resonance Fei Han (妃寒) originally planned for this patch did not ship with it, and was subsequently confirmed for July 23, 20261919Resonances and Acquisition2121Sun Shangxiang and Longya launch on the S1 opening Heavenly Reward Banner, which uses the cosmetic-banner pull system rather than character gacha. Per the S0 model, S1 launch Resonances will eventually also become available through direct-shop purchase using the in-game Jingpo currency. Exact price anchors and Heavenly Reward pull mechanics for S1 will be confirmed on May 29 and reflected in the Monetization article.2323Genderswap (性转) Feature2525S1 introduced an in-game genderswap toggle for player avatars. The launch package includes a one-use genderswap item (化相滴露, valued at 1280 crystals), and the feature ties into the existing Character Customization surface (gender selection, facial customization, hair, outfit). Exact UI placement and any cooldown / cost mechanics for repeat genderswaps will be documented after the patch ships.2727Newcomer Onboarding Layer2929S1 ships two newcomer-friendly systems to address community feedback about S0's early grind:3131Low-level gear stat buffs, increasing the effective stats on starter and early gear pieces so new players ramp faster through Jixia contentEnd-of-season catch-up event: late joiners get auto-balanced gear so they can engage Chapter 9 content without first finishing the S0 progressionTogether these systems are intended to keep S1 accessible to anyone joining after May 29 without locking them out of current-season content3333S1 Live-Only Systems and Features3535Beyond the new Resonances, region, and chapter, the live S1 patch shipped several systems and quality-of-life features that the pre-show previews did not detail. Confirmed on the official S1 hub:3737Ranch (牧场): a home-side activity centered on animal care, expanding the Home Building loop. See that article for the homestead systems it builds on.Minimap UI: a long-requested small-map interface was added; official coverage notes it required underlying code restructuring to implement.1V1 Peak Ranked (1V1 巅峰赛): a top-tier solo PvP ladder that requires King rank or the current season's high-tier qualification to enter. See the PvP System article.New activity modes: 神机推演 (Divine Machine Deduction), 暗影试炼 (Shadow Trial), and 灾兽双影 (Calamity Beast Twin Shadows).A free exploration-unlock Resonance, 破灭刀锋 (Broken Blade), obtained through S1 beginner tasks rather than the banner.3939S1 Second Half in Practice (July 23 Onward)4141The July 23, 2026 update delivered the held-back mid-season content. Fei Han arrived as the game's first Battle Pass Resonance, with her quest and a limited trial opening the same day. The update also started two crossovers: the China National Geographic collaboration, a creature-cataloguing side event in Jixia, and the Chagee collaboration, a tea-planting home event running July 23 to August 12. An in-game activity calendar covering July 23 to August 12 shipped with the patch, and a bonus-drop event in the 流光试炼 daily runs had already started on July 20.4343A July 30 no-downtime patch acknowledged a damage bug on Fei Han's Snow Spirit Ring and pushed the Twin Calamity Beasts Challenge back a day; it opened on July 31 with a widened title reward, covering the top 10,000 on the leaderboard instead of the originally announced top 1,000. The same patch spelled out rating-decay rules for Peak Ranked and fixed breakthrough-stage issues for Leng Chun, Dongfang Yao, and Kai.4545On August 6 a further no-downtime update reworked how Resonances are labeled for team-building: the three trait roles were joined by five position labels (Warrior, Assassin, Mage, Marksman, Support), layered on top of them, and dungeon matchmaking added first-choice and backup position selection. The three trait roles were not retired: they remain the basis on which matchmaking composes a team. See Party and Matchmaking for details.4747How S1 Compares to S04949S0 (Jixia Chapter) shipped the launch baseline: 11 Resonances, the Jixia Academy region, the 27-chapter prologue arc, the Resonance and Talent systems, and the cosmetic-only monetization model. S1 is the first season-pack expansion in the live-service rollout: it adds Resonances in pairs (one per sub-version), opens a new region, and continues the main narrative arc, while keeping the no-gacha, skin-based monetization unchanged.5151Future Beyond S15353Per the announced Content Roadmap, the post-S1 future-region pipeline includes 孤叶山 (Solitary Leaf Mountain, with Li Bai content and a Martial Arts Meet), 元初学院 (Yuanchu Academy), and 灭境荒原 (Wasteland of Annihilation). Season placement for these regions has not been announced; they are not part of S1.5555Season Extended, No S2 Date57+On August 11, 2026 the development team published a letter confirming that S1 will run on for longer than planned and that no date has been set for S2. The stated reason is a deliberate pause in the season cadence: rather than ship the next season on schedule, the team is spending the time on three areas of the base game.59+Newcomer experience: a rework of the opening hours, which launch-window feedback singled out as the weakest part of the game.Combat and progression framework: iteration on the underlying systems rather than additions on top of them.Base polish: mobile performance, art, and controls.61+The letter also named content intended for the next season. None of it has shipped, and it should be read as announced work rather than as live content.63+Named for S2Status姑射山 (Mount Guye), a new regionAnnounced only. It does not appear in the live region dataset.Li Bai costume redesignAnnounced only. Li Bai already appears in the story.Story and Adventure difficulty modesAnnounced only.Resonance development rework, including a dual-Resonance passAnnounced only. Existing gear and inscription progress is stated to carry over.梦行 entry moving from stamina to ticketsAnnounced only.65+A limited test server was said to open recruitment at a later date. No recruitment window had been published as of August 17, 2026.66+Documentation Status5768S1 is live as of the May 29, 2026 patch; its second half went live on July 9, 2026, with the mid-season Resonance following on July 23 and the Twin Calamity challenge on July 31. The season-level facts, new Resonances, region, chapter, gender-swap feature, and the live-only systems above are confirmed by official S1 coverage. What remains undocumented (and is left out here to avoid fabrication) is the deep per-system detail: numeric values for Fei Han's abilities, full Chapter 9 boss and collectible data, and the granular mechanics of the new modes and the Cangmang Riverboat area, which Chinese guide sites are still publishing after each patch.
