Manila, the Philippines — Nova Esports emerged victorious as the winners of the Honor of Kings Invitational Season 3 after taking down Nongshim RedForce in a nail-biting grand final that came down to the wire. Their stellar performance earned them the lion’s share of the $300,000 USD prize pool, taking home $100,000, and the coveted title of champions.
The final showdown was decided in an Ultimate Battle round, a part of Honor of Kings’ Global Ban & Pick system. This innovative format underscored’s dynamic gameplay, as 71 different heroes were played throughout the tournament.
Ultimately, Nova Esports secured an 18-minute victory in the Ultimate Battle, propelled by early-game momentum that dismantled Nongshim RedForce’s defenses. The match, held in front of an enthusiastic Filipino crowd at the SM North EDSA’s Block Atrium, will be remembered as one of the most intense battles in the tournament’s history.
Nova Esports’ Nicholas “Xuan” Ng Kai Shuan was named Finals MVP for his exceptional performance that carried his team to victory.
How it all went down: A tournament to remember
The Honor of Kings Invitational Season 3 saw 12 teams competing in a high-stakes format, where elimination loomed at every stage. Gen.G Esports, Alpha7 Esports, Kagendra, and Rough World Era were eliminated in the Group Stage, and each team walked away with $10,000.
The Playoffs featured the top eight teams in a single-elimination format—losing meant going home with US$15,000 in each team’s pocket:
| Win | Loss |
|---|---|
| Blacklist International | Impunity |
| Nongshim RedForce | Elevate |
| Nova Esports | AG Global |
| Team Vitality | Bigetron Esports |
Playoffs Day 1
Playoffs Day 2
On day 3, South Korea’s Nongshim RedForce executed an incredible reverse sweep, coming back from a 0-3 deficit to defeat Blacklist International, the home crowd favorites, in a 4-3 series.
Meanwhile, Nova Esports prevailed over Team Vitality in another seven-game thriller, overcoming a 1-3 deficit to advance to the Finals.
Playoffs day 3
Grand Finals: The epic conclusion
The Finals delivered on all fronts with both teams exchanging blows in a best-of-seven slugfest. Nongshim RedForce initially dominated the series, jumping to a 3-1 lead, but Nova Esports clawed their way back to tie it 3-3.
Nongshim RedForce drafted Sun Ce, Augran, Mai Shiranui, Loong, and Dolia. Nova Esports picked Guan Yu, Augran, Mai Shiranui, Arli, and Dyadia.
Nongshim RedForce tried to claw their way back, but were unable to overcome Nova Esports and finally clocked out at the 18-minute mark after already losing all three high-ground turrets and a fight near the Shadow Tyrant.
Honor of Kings esports: Roadmap for 2025 unveiled
Six new regional professional leagues will debut in the lead-up to the Esports World Cup in July—PKL, MKL, IKL, WKS, KME, and KMW—joining the established KPL (China) and CHOKBR (Brazil).
Together, these leagues will create more opportunities for players worldwide to compete at the highest level as Honor of Kings invests $15 million USD investment to expand the ecosystem.
These will lead up to the two pinnacle tournaments, the Honor of Kings World Cup (KWC) in July, hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the Honor of Kings International Championship (KIC) in November.
Grassroots initiatives will expand with the return of the Open Series Split 4 and the debut of the Campus Series, featuring amateur competitions supported in 92 countries and a $100,000 prize pool.
“Congratulations to Nova Esports on winning the Honor of Kings Invitational Season 3. What a historic moment to showcase the excitement and growth of Honor of Kings esports,” said James Yang, senior director of the Level Infinite global esports center.
“We are also so excited to reveal our plans for the rest of 2025 and beyond, as we continue to build Honor of Kings into a truly global ecosystem.”
