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April 10, 2026 PC Launch
April 11, 2026 at 08:04 AM
Correct inaccurate April 10, 2026 launch claim and reframe as Spring 2026 window with verified milestones
Honor of Kings: World is officially committed to a Spring 2026 global release window. This window was first announced at Gamescom 2025 Opening Night Live on August 19, 2025 and reaffirmed by Tencent and Level Infinite in late October 2025. As of April 2026 the game has not yet launched in any region. A number of secondary outlets have reported April 30, 2026 as the intended China open beta launch date, but this has not been confirmed by an official Level Infinite English-language press release.
The first-ever overseas closed PC alpha test was announced in early April 2026 for select players in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. This is an English-only PC build running ahead of the global launch and is the first time overseas players have direct hands-on access outside of the press demo programs at GDC 2025 and Gamescom 2025.
Tencent has been careful to use the "Spring 2026" phrasing rather than committing to a specific date in English press materials. In the Chinese calendar, spring generally refers to the months of March through May. Secondary coverage around the February 2026 closed beta pointed to an April 30, 2026 China open beta launch based on Apple App Store listings and Tencent's Chinese-facing disclosures. Treat this as reported and likely, but not as an officially confirmed fact in English-language materials.
Detail | Information |
|---|---|
Release Window | Spring 2026, officially confirmed |
China Launch | Reported as April 30, 2026 in secondary coverage; not confirmed by Level Infinite English press |
Overseas Launch | Unannounced; global rollout expected to follow the China release |
Launch Platforms | PC (Windows), iOS, Android, Tencent Cloud Gaming |
Developer | TiMi Studio Group (J3 team) |
Publisher | Level Infinite / Tencent Games |
Price | Free-to-play |
Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
Cross-Platform Play | Yes, PC and mobile share the same servers and progression |
The path from announcement to the Spring 2026 window has spanned roughly five years of active development and multiple public milestones:
Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
October 2021 | Initial project announcement and first reveal trailer |
May 2023 | Computex 2023 NVIDIA reveal, DLSS 3 and ray tracing confirmed |
March 2025 | GDC 2025 behind-closed-doors press demo and hands-on previews |
April 22, 2025 | Tencent SPARK 2025 gameplay demo and China pre-registration opened |
April 30, 2025 | China mobile open beta launch |
July 24, 2025 | PC Pioneer Test (先锋测试) begins in China |
August 19-24, 2025 | Gamescom 2025 Opening Night Live trailer and public playable demo in Hall 9, Booth B040 |
Late October 2025 | Spring 2026 window formally locked and iOS pre-registration opened globally |
February 10-23, 2026 | Paid, NDA China closed beta test with data wipe |
April 2026 | First overseas closed PC alpha test announced for NA, EU, SEA |
Spring 2026 | Targeted global launch window (exact date unannounced) |
The first-ever overseas closed PC alpha was announced via the official site honorofkingsworld.com in April 2026. Key facts from the announcement include:
PC only, English-language build
Open to select players in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia
Registration is conducted through the official site
Test dates have not been publicly announced as of the registration opening
Big Huang, lead combat designer at TiMi Studio Group, framed the test as the studio's "first opportunity to get player feedback at scale"
Honor of Kings: World will launch as a free-to-play title with no upfront purchase required. TiMi has publicly positioned monetization around cosmetic outfits, skins, and home decorations. At GDC 2025, lead designer Simen Lv stated that the team is committed to avoiding pay-to-win mechanics. A battle pass structure has been described as "possible in the future" but no pricing or tier structure has been announced. See Monetization for the latest publicly disclosed details.
The Chinese server will launch first. Level Infinite has confirmed that the global rollout will cover at least North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia based on the alpha test region list. English localization is already in place, and the official site's language detection script recognizes Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, which suggests East Asian localizations are in active development. Specific dates for regions outside mainland China remain unannounced.
