JAKARTA, Indonesia – After a dominant streak in the professional Honor of Kings scene, Black Shrew Esport claimed their crown as champions of the inaugural 2024 Honor of Kings Championship.
The three-day finale at Lippo Mall Kemang featured the tournament’s top six teams competing for their share of the US$1 million prize pool.
(Read more: 6 top teams clash at the 2024 Honor of Kings Championship in Jakarta)
The Malaysian champions secured US$300,000 for their victory, while Indonesian runners-up Dominator Esports earned US$100,000.
The cherry on top, Black Shrew Esport’s Chan “MusangKing” Tat Yann captured Grand Final MVP honors for his outstanding performance.
How it all went down: Lower Bracket battles
The championship playoffs featured a double elimination format, with teams advancing from four initial groups. Upper Bracket losers dropped to the Lower Bracket for a final chance at survival, while a Lower Bracket loss meant elimination.
Day one opened with surprising Lower Bracket results. Malaysia’s Team Secret delivered an unexpected 3-0 sweep against Hong Kong’s Fearless Esports, who had shown dominance throughout the group stage.
In the day’s other match, Malaysia’s Nova Esports matched that scoreline with their own 3-0 victory over the Philippines’ Blacklist International, setting up an all-Malaysian semifinal.
Day two showcased Black Shrew Esport’s championship caliber as they handed the previously undefeated Dominator Esports a decisive 3-1 loss in the Upper Bracket. This sent the Indonesian squad to the Lower Bracket, awaiting the winner between Nova Esports and Team Secret.
The all-Malaysian clash saw Team Secret emerge victorious in a thrilling 3-2 series. After claiming the opening game, Team Secret dropped two straight before rallying to win the final two maps, eliminating their countrymen and advancing to face Dominator Esports.
Energized by their home crowd, Dominator Esports prevailed over Team Secret in another five-game thriller. The decisive match stretched to 24 minutes, ending dramatically when a minion secured victory while Team Secret was engaged in a crucial mid-map teamfight.
Grand Final showdown
The stage was set for an epic best-of-seven Grand Final rematch between tournament favorites Black Shrew Esport and the hometown heroes Dominator Esports. What followed was a masterclass in precision and execution from the Malaysian champions.
Black Shrew Esport opened with a methodical 15-minute victory in game one. Game two saw them capitalize on a crucial teamfight at nine minutes, securing victory just two minutes later.
In game three, they surprised with an unprecedented Mulan pick, dominating the Indonesian squad in under nine minutes.
Despite Dominator Esports’ best efforts to rally, Black Shrew Esport’s superior coordination proved insurmountable. They closed out the sweep with a 13-minute victory in game four, cementing their position as the inaugural Honor of Kings Championship winners.
Honor of Kings Invitational Season 3 will kick off in spring
With the end of the 2024 season, new details have also emerged for next year’s competitive scene. The Honor of Kings Invitational Season 3 will start in the spring of 2025, before heading to Riyadh in the summer for the Invitational Midseason, then concluding with the 2025 Honor of Kings Championship.
Meanwhile, a new pro-league system is set to debut: HOK Major EAST and HOK Major West, that will offer new opportunities for teams and players to compete in a league format. More details will be revealed in time.
And Honor of Kings is introducing the new Honor of Kings Tournament License, which will empower organizers to bring the community closer together with their own tournaments, which will also come with official support depending on the scale of the event. Interested parties can head here to register.
