Revision 1

Overview

S1 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 opens on May 29, 2026 and continues TiMi Studio Group's announced model of two sub-versions per season for the entire post-launch lifecycle.

This 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.

S1 Season-Level Facts

S1 First-Half Content (May 29 Opener)

• New 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 arc

• New feature: Genderswap (性转) selection for player characters, paired with a login-reward genderswap item

• New login outfit: 异邦斗影

• Login package: 异邦斗影 outfit + 10 Heavenly Reward Banner pulls + the genderswap item

• Newcomer onboarding: low-level gear stat buffs to ease new-player ramp

• End-of-season catch-up event for late-joining players (auto-balanced gear curve)

S1 Second-Half Content (Mid-Season Patch)

• New Resonance: Fei Han (kit details pending verified patch notes)

• New dungeon: Cangmang Riverboat (沧浪楼船)

Resonances and Acquisition

Sun 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.

Genderswap (性转) Feature

S1 introduces an in-game genderswap toggle for player avatars. The launch package includes a one-use genderswap item, 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.

Newcomer Onboarding Layer

S1 ships two newcomer-friendly systems to address community feedback about S0's early grind:

• Low-level gear stat buffs, increasing the effective stats on starter and early gear pieces so new players ramp faster through Jixia content

• End-of-season catch-up event: late joiners get auto-balanced gear so they can engage Chapter 9 content without first finishing the S0 progression

• Together these systems are intended to keep S1 accessible to anyone joining after May 29 without locking them out of current-season content

How S1 Compares to S0

S0 (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.

Future Beyond S1

Per 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.

S1 Pre-Show Hedging

All details in this article are sourced from pre-show coverage published May 25-27, 2026: the official Tencent S1 PV summary, the CN store listing for build 1.0.68, and major Chinese guide-site previews. The article will be refreshed with verified patch-note data once S1 lands on May 29, 2026.