The Honor of Kings World Cup 2026 officially began on July 30 at the Esports World Cup in Paris, bringing together 20 teams from across the global Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor competitive scenes.
The tournament is being held at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and will run until August 8. It features a $3 million prize pool, making it one of the biggest international tournaments in the game’s esports calendar.
S8UL Represents India in Paris
Indian esports organisation S8UL Esports entered the World Cup after qualifying through the King’s Arise India tournament. Its qualification gave India a place among the world’s top Honor of Kings teams at the EWC.
S8UL was drawn into the Play-In stage alongside Influence Rage, Buriram United Esports and Team Flash. The opening Play-In matches use a best-of-three format, with the top teams progressing to the next stage.
S8UL faced Brazilian team Influence Rage in its opening match on July 30. Influence Rage won the series 2-0, putting S8UL into the lower bracket and making its next match crucial for its tournament hopes.
Global Teams Compete for a Place in the Main Stage
The Honor of Kings World Cup features teams from several major esports markets, including China, Southeast Asia, South Korea, Brazil, Europe and India.
Other notable teams in the field include Blacklist International, Nongshim RedForce, Virtus.pro, Buriram United Esports, Team Flash, Deep Cross Gaming and MIBR.LOS.
The Play-In stage runs from July 30 to July 31. Eight teams are split into two groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Group Stage.
What Comes Next for S8UL?
S8UL now needs to fight through the lower bracket to keep its Honor of Kings World Cup campaign alive. The double-elimination Play-In format gives the Indian representative another opportunity, but there is little room for error.
For Indian esports fans, S8UL’s run in Paris is an important international test. With the Honor of Kings World Cup bringing together teams from multiple regions, the tournament also provides a major stage for India’s growing mobile esports ecosystem.
The World Cup continues through August 8, when the champion will be crowned in Paris.
