Tencent will roll out a new global version of its biggest hit Honor of Kings. The announcement comes amid ongoing regulatory pressure in China, as no new games from Tencent have been approved by the government in 11 months.
Level Infinite, Tencent’s subsidiary focused on publishing the company’s games outside China, shared the news on June 7. The global launch is expected by the end of this year, with invitations to a closed beta starting next month.
We have great news! We will be rolling out Honor of Kings by TiMi Studio Group to you global gamers by the end of this year!
Rounds of closed beta tests will be gradually announced starting next month.
Please be patient and stay tuned for more updates! pic.twitter.com/T8ZN1ZLM8Y
— Level Infinite (@LevelInfinite) June 7, 2022
In 2017, Tencent released Arena of Valor, a Western version of Honor of Kings. However, the game has been struggling to retain an audience in the US, especially compared to other popular MOBA titles.
It is unclear what will happen to Arena of Valor after the new global version is launched. Tencent probably has big plans for the game, considering that Honor of Kings remains the highest-grossing mobile title in the world. It surpassed the $10 billion mark last year, with its lifetime revenue now reaching over $13 billion.
On June 7, China’s National Press and Public Administration licensed 60 domestic games in a second batch of approvals since ending its almost nine-month freeze in April. Although the list includes titles from developers like miHoYo and Perfect World, the country’s regulator once again approved no games from Tencent and NetEase. According to South China Morning Post, the two biggest game companies in China have been already waiting 11 months for their new titles to be approved.