Overview
The skill tree system in Honor of Kings: World provides the primary means of customizing the Flowborn's abilities within each Flow style. Each style has three distinct skill trees offering different specialization paths. Combined with the relic-based progression system, skill trees allow players to tailor their combat approach well beyond the basic moveset of a given style.
Structure
Third-party sources from the Chinese beta report three skill trees per Flow style, with over 50 total skills available across the three trees. Players earn skill points as they level up and distribute them across the trees. Each tree emphasizes a different aspect of the style's capabilities, creating three distinct ways to play the same Flow style.
For example, a melee-focused Flow style might offer one tree focused on raw damage output, a second tree emphasizing defensive abilities and sustain, and a third tree built around crowd control and team utility. A player who invests heavily in the damage tree will have a very different experience with that style than one who specializes in defense.
Specialization paths
The three-tree structure creates meaningful build diversity within each style. Players do not have enough skill points to fully complete all three trees, forcing a prioritization decision. Some players may choose to deeply invest in a single tree for maximum specialization, while others spread their points across two trees for a hybrid approach. The allocation shapes the player's combat identity beyond just which style they are using.
Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Deep specialization | maxing out one tree provides the most powerful version of that tree's theme, but leaves the other two trees undeveloped |
Dual-tree hybrid | splitting points between two trees provides versatility, combining elements from both specializations at the cost of peak power in either |
Broad investment | spreading points across all three trees gives access to key abilities from each but may lack the concentrated power of a specialized build |
Relic-based progression
Ancient relics are collectible items found through exploration of ruins and hidden areas across Primaera. They serve dual purposes: providing narrative context about the Twelve Wonders and the ancient civilization that preceded the current era, and unlocking or enhancing specific skills within the skill trees.
Relics tie into the world's lore about the ancient gods and the technology they built. From a gameplay perspective, certain powerful skills or skill tree nodes may require specific relics to unlock, creating an exploration-driven incentive to seek out hidden locations. This connects the skill progression system to the exploration loop rather than making it purely a byproduct of combat leveling.
The relic system adds a collectible dimension to skill progression. Players who thoroughly explore Primaera's ruins, hidden chambers, and off-the-beaten-path locations will have access to a wider range of skill options than those who focus exclusively on combat content.
Respec options
The game is expected to offer respec functionality that lets players redistribute their skill points. This is consistent with the game's broader design philosophy of encouraging experimentation. Since each Flow style has three distinct specialization paths, and players may want to try different approaches as they encounter different types of content, a respec system prevents players from being permanently locked into suboptimal builds.
The specific cost or restrictions on respeccing (whether it requires currency, consumable items, or is freely available) has not been confirmed in press coverage. Other recent action RPGs typically provide either unlimited free respecs or low-cost respec items, and Honor of Kings: World is expected to follow a similar approach.
Interaction with gear and styles
Skill tree choices interact with the Gear System. Certain gear set bonuses may amplify abilities from a particular skill tree, creating synergies between equipment choices and skill allocation. A player who specializes in a damage-focused tree and wears a gear set that boosts critical damage will see compounding benefits from the combination.
Because the Dual-Class System has players using two Flow styles simultaneously, each with its own skill trees, the total customization space is substantial. Two players using the same pair of Flow styles might have dramatically different builds based on their skill tree investments in each style.