Istanbul recently played host to the inaugural Honor of Kings Invitational Season 1. The event brought together some of the top teams from around the world for heated battles over the course of a week, culminating in the grand finals which saw Brazil’s Vivo Keyd Stars crowned as champs.
Honor of Kings is the world’s largest mobile MOBA with 100 million daily active players. We selected the top five moments across the games that wowed us for strategy, unpredictability, and simply demonstrating the teams’ pure esports skill level.
#5: Quarter Finals Day 1, IW NRX vs STE
Stalwart Esports start the match strong by securing the Overlord. This gave them an initial advantage and set a strong pace for the game.
However, IW NRX immediately makes the counter play and manages to easily kill four of Stalwart Esports players. This left STE.Clue as the only player standing for Stalwart Esports. With only one player left, the match was decisively tilted in favor of IW NRX, as STE.Clue had to face a near-impossible 1v4 situation. Despite his best efforts, he was quickly overwhelmed, leading to a swift victory for IW NRX.
#4: Quarter Finals Day 2, VKS vs MP
Vivo Keyd Stars are absolutely on fire in Game 3. The undoubted MVP of the game was Vivo Keyd Stars’ top laner, VKS.Dani, who stole the Tyrant kill and managed to survive in a 3v1 situation.
Major Pride took a calculated risk in attempting to take down the Tyrant, but this move unfortunately backfired when Vivo Keyd Stars was able to steal the kill.
#3: Group Stage Day 1, IW NRX vs BJK
NRX initiates a team fight in the mid lane, but BJK skillfully turns the fight around, leaving NRX licking their wounds. BJK.Lizz attempts a sneaky move to backdoor the NRX Crystal while the team is preoccupied with the mid lane chaos, but ultimately misses.
#2: Semi Finals, A7 vs STE
Alpha7 Esports put on an impressive show of skill, strategy, and teamwork. Their strategy paid off greatly during the game with their successful gank at the top lane.
Among those unfortunate casualties was STE.Wawa, who nearly made a successful escape from the intense battle. However, Aomine of Alpha7 Esports made a quick play and managed to secure the kill, ensuring STE.Wawa couldn’t get away.
#1: Grand Finals, A7 vs VKS
VKS absolutely dominated game 3 and had enough of an advantage and confidence to just stroll into the base at the 14 minute mark to secure an Ace and win the game to become champions.
This victory for VKS was a testament to their impeccable skills and strategic acumen. Despite A7’s valiant efforts, VKS managed to take control of the game early on, setting the pace and trajectory. This masterful performance led to an early Ace that sealed their championship status.
The Grand Finals was a thrilling culmination to the HoK Invitational Season 1 in Istanbul, where VKS emerged as the true champions, etching a memorable moment in the annals of the tournament’s history.
