Arena of Valor
Officially Arena of Valor (王者荣耀国际版)
MOBILE MOBA (2015 China, 2017 global) by TENCENT GAMES — the INTERNATIONAL version of HONOR OF KINGS (王者荣耀), the world's MOST-PLAYED mobile game by revenue + engagement (100M+ DAU in China). 5v5 MOBA with fantasy + Chinese mythology heroes; 60+ playable characters. AoV was demonstration esport at ASIAN GAMES 2018 + officially medaled at ASIAN GAMES 2022 (Hangzhou) — first-ever esport at multi-sport games. AWC (Arena of Valor World Cup) prize pools $1M+.
Quick facts
Category
Esports
Type
Team sport
Players
6–10
Duration
~15 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇨🇳 China
Estimated origin
2015 China launch (Honor of Kings); 2016 SEA launch as Arena of Valor; 2017 EU/NA launch; medaled Asian Games 2022
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Destroy enemy team's Nexus by pushing through 3 lanes + jungle.
Rules
Basic rules
5 heroes per team; 3 lanes + jungle; 12-15 min matches
MOBA fundamentals; faster than PC MOBAs.
60+ heroes drawn from Chinese mythology, DC Comics (Batman, Superman via crossover), Marvel (some regions)
Signature hero pool.
Touch controls: virtual joystick + tap abilities
Mobile-native input.
Roles: Solo, Mid, ADC (Dragon lane), Support (Roam), Jungle (Farm)
Standard MOBA roles.
Dragon + Abyssal Dragon buffs; Turret defense
Objective control.
Scoring
Team ranked ladder; individual MMR; tournament prize pools; Asian Games medals.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Ranked ladder placement | Bronze → Conqueror tiers |
| Asian Games gold medal (AoV team) | Historic — first-ever esport gold at multi-sport games (2022) |
| AoV World Cup (AWC) | $1-1.5M prize pool |
Win condition · Destroy enemy Nexus or team surrenders.
Equipment
iOS + Android smartphones + tablet
Mobile only (no PC version)
Touch controls + optional Bluetooth controller
Standard mobile input
Free-to-play with cosmetics + hero unlocks
Standard mobile monetization
Terminology
- Nexus
- Base structure — destroy to win.
- Abyssal Dragon
- Late-game objective monster granting team-wide buffs.
- KPL
- King Pro League — top Chinese Honor of Kings circuit.
- AWC
- Arena of Valor World Cup — annual global tournament.
- 5v5 / 3v3
- Standard MOBA / Arena team sizes.
Major competitions
Arena of Valor World Cup (AWC)
annual · Global (South Korea/Vietnam/Thailand strong) · since 2017
King Pro League (KPL) — Honor of Kings China
annual seasons · China · since 2016
Asian Games esports (AoV)
quadrennial · Asia (Hangzhou 2022 first medaled) · since 2022
Where it is played
Governing bodies
TiMi Studios / Tencent Games (developer + tournament organizer)
Founded 2008 · Shenzhen, China
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Team Flash (Vietnam — multi-time regional champions)
- Team Buriram United (Thailand)
- Chinese Honor of Kings pros (KPL circuit)
Frequently asked
Arena of Valor vs Honor of Kings vs Wild Rift?+
AOV + HONOR OF KINGS are SAME GAME under different names — Honor of Kings is the Chinese domestic version + AoV is the international rebrand (with some cross-brand heroes replaced due to licensing). WILD RIFT is Riot's competing mobile MOBA (League of Legends Mobile). In China, Honor of Kings has 100M+ DAU + is arguably the world's biggest mobile game by engagement. In Southeast Asia, AoV competes with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. All three are simultaneously top-3 mobile MOBAs globally.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Arena of Valor— Wikipedia