Published in 2015, King of Glory is a mainland Chinese version of popular MOBA game, Arena of Valor. Apart from being one of the most famous MOBA games in China, King of Glory’s shared game engine and UI design is popular all around the world. With revenues in the mobile market on the rise, it is no surprise about the games’ success.
Specifically across Asia, Europe, and North America, MOBA’s have become one of the most popular game genres for players to choose. With the likes of DOTA 2, LoL, and Wild Rift being highly popular, KoG was already destined for success. This popularity can also be credited to the games’ competitive side. The ranking system allows players to compete against each other for prizes and bragging rights.
For this reason, we have collected information on KoG, the ranking system used, all current ranks in-game, how it compares to competition, and its esports scene.
What is King of Glory?
King of Glory is a mobile MOBA game targeting the mainland China audience. It also goes under the name of Honor of Kings and is very well-known in the region. It was first published back in 2015 by Tencent Games. However, it was developed by TiMi Studio Group for the iOS and Android platforms. Its overall success was predictable in its first year, as the companies decided to open to a wider market and attract a Western audience with the same game, but a different name, Arena of Valor.
The Western version was released in 2016 and reached a large audience. In 2017, King of Glory was a huge success, reaching over 80 million daily active players and grossing more than $13.4 billion, making it the most famous game in the world at that time. It now has over 100 million daily active players. Unfortunately, it only targets the mainland Chinese audience, but if you want to get the same joy, you need to try the Western version, Arena of Valor.
King of Glory Ranks
The King of Glory ranking system is pretty simple to understand. It shares similarities to other MOBA games. There are many different details on getting a better King of Glory rank but of course, the most general one is winning more games than you lose. First of all, you need to have an account that is at least 6 levels up, and owns at least 5 heroes. For players who start from scratch, this will grant time to learn more about the game and get to grips with the basics.
Players who fulfil the requirements can play 5v5 ranked matchmaking. Just like League of Legends, players are not allowed to play in a group of 4 players but can play with 2,3, or solo queue. Players earn and lose stars depending on their match results. There are 8 ranks in the game, Tough Bronze, Order of Silver, Glory of Gold, Noble Platinum, Eternal Diamond, Master Star, Super King, and King of Glory.
However, there are also some tiers, differing from rank to rank. Tough Bronze and Order of Silver contain 3 tiers, which means a player has to complete every tier in every rank to reach a full promotion. Glory of Gold and Noble Platinum include 4 tiers. Finally, Eternal Diamond and Master Star contain 5 tiers. After reaching Super King, there will not be any tiers left as the calculation is then made through stars.
- Tough Bronze – I, II, III
- Order of Silver – I, II, III
- Glory of Gold – I, II, III, IV
- Noble Platinum – I, II, III, IV
- Eternal Diamond – I, II, III, IV, V
- Master Star – I, II, III, IV, V
- Super King – I
- King of Glory – I
King of Glory vs competitors
With MOBA being one of the most famous game categories in the past few years, there are lots of competitors to the game both in mainland China and worldwide. The League of Legends mobile game, Wild Rift, is one of the biggest opponents to it in the world.
Interestingly, both games are related to the biggest gaming company in the world, Tencent Games. As a result, it is no surprise both games are largely successful in China.
Esports Scene
Mobile esports scenes hold a huge audience, especially in China, and King of Glory is one of them. King Pro League is one of the tournaments being hosted by Tencent Games for KoG. There are large prize pools in tournaments which started with $443,454 with the first-ever title, King Pro League Fall 2016. Furthermore, a prize pool of almost $3 million had been distributed in King Pro League Fall 2021. These big prize pools are a result of the audience and interest in the game growing exponentially year on year.
You need to have a great King of Glory rank if you want to compete in esports tournaments. Apart from these, there are lower King of Glory ranks and rewards for you to enjoy in your free time. Not everyone can be or has to be a professional esports player. Afterall, a player does not have to travel the world to show their skill. The UI design and game engine are the same as Arena of Valor for the Western audience. If you want to check the game out, go and download it on your iOS or Android device. Due to game restrictions, there aren’t many esports tournaments in regions outside of Asia. However, this does not stop you from competing against other players on different servers.
