The Honor of Kings Invitational Season 3 (HOK Invitational S3) is set to kick off in Manila, Philippines, from February 21st to March 1st, 2025. This tournament marks the beginning of the 2025 global Honor of Kings esports competition, featuring top teams from around the world. Twelve teams will battle it out for a total prize pool of $300,000.

HOK Invitational S3 Participating Teams

• Blacklist International (Philippines)
• Elevate (Philippines)
• Rough World Era (Philippines)
• Nova Esports (Malaysia)
• All Gamers Global (Malaysia)
• Impunity (Wild Card)
• A7/SCCP (Americas)
• Team Vitality (Europe)
• Gen.G Esports (MENA)
• Nongshim Redforce (Korea)
• Bigetron Sigma (Indonesia)
• Kagendra (Indonesia)

2 Indonesia Teams

Indonesia will be represented by two strong teams: Bigetron Sigma and Kagendra. They qualified through a fierce national competition that saw 10 teams vying for a spot at HOK Invitational S3.

• Bigetron Sigma: Dominated the qualifiers, remaining undefeated throughout the Group Seeding and Knockout Stages, securing their place in the Grand Final.
• Kagendra: After a setback against Bigetron Sigma in the Upper Bracket, Kagendra fought back through the Lower Bracket, defeating ONIC Esports and Mahadewa to clinch their spot.

New Rules and Format

HOK Invitational S3 will introduce the Global Ban Pick system outside of China for the first time. This rule prevents teams from selecting heroes previously used in the match, demanding deeper strategic thinking and a broader hero pool understanding.

The 12 participating teams will be divided into four groups of three. The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs. The playoff stage will feature a single-elimination format with eight teams vying for the championship.

Absence of Chinese Teams

This will be the second international Honor of Kings tournament without Chinese teams. Chinese teams have opted out, focusing on their own competitive scene, which is considered more robust. The most recent Honor of Kings Championship 2024 concluded in October 2024 with Black Shrew Esports from Malaysia emerging victorious.