Patryk Stachowiak
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The Honor of Kings Esports World Cup 2026 has its complete 20-team lineup locked in, and the road to the trophy is now fully mapped out. Defending champions AG.AL headline a field that blends Honor of Kings powerhouses with Arena of Valor league champions for the first time under direct Garena recognition, all competing across three stages between July 30 and August 8 in Paris. Here’s a full breakdown of who’s in, how the bracket works, and which rosters are worth watching from the opening whistle.
Twelve Teams Skip Straight to the Group Stage
Half the field enters directly into the Group Stage, having either been invited on reputation or qualified through their regional league playoffs. AG.AL — playing as reigning champions — headline this group alongside Kuaishou Gaming, who topped KPL Spring 2026, and a run of regional league winners from across Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
| Team | Path | Region/League Result |
|---|---|---|
| AG.AL | Invited (Defending Champions) | — |
| Kuaishou Gaming | Qualified | KPL Spring 2026 — 1st |
| Team Vitality | Qualified | IKL Spring 2026 — 1st |
| Team Nemesis | Qualified | IKL Spring 2026 — 2nd |
| Aurora Gaming | Qualified | MKL Spring 2026 — 1st |
| Geekay Esports | Qualified | MKL Spring 2026 — 2nd |
| ROC Esports | Qualified | MKL Spring 2026 — 3rd |
| BOOM Esports | Qualified | PKL Spring 2026 — 1st |
| Titan Esports Club | Qualified | PKL Spring 2026 — 2nd |
| MIBR.LOS | Qualified | CHOKBR Fall 2026 — 1st |
| Virtus.pro | Qualified | KML Spring 2026 — 1st |
| Revenant XSpark | Qualified | Indian Qualifier — 1st |
A handful of these entries come with roster wrinkles worth flagging. Team Vitality compete under that banner after Bigetron’s rebrand, while Team Nemesis are fielding the roster previously known as Dominator. Titan Esports Club, meanwhile, absorbed Team Flash PH’s roster back on June 1 — a reminder that regional consolidation has been reshaping several of these lineups all year.
Eight More Teams Have to Earn Their Spot First
The remaining eight sides start in the Play-In stage, fighting for four available slots in the Group Stage proper. This bracket features a mix of invited teams — largely representing the Arena of Valor side of the tournament — and league qualifiers from India, South Korea, Brazil, and beyond.
- Buriram United (Invited) — RPL 2026 Summer champions, fielding most of their APL roster
- Team Flash (Invited) — competing as a joint FPT x Flash roster, though only two players carry over from their AOG Spring 2026 lineup
- Deep Cross Gaming (Invited) — GCS Spring 2026 champions, with a notably different roster than their APL squad
- OG Esports (Qualified) — IKL Spring 2026, 3rd place
- Blacklist International (Qualified) — PKL Spring 2026, 3rd place
- Influence Rage (Qualified) — CHOKBR Fall 2026, 2nd place
- NS RedForce (Qualified) — KML Spring 2026, 2nd place
- S8UL Esports (Qualified) — Indian Qualifier, 2nd place
Several of these squads are entering with makeshift lineups. Team Flash’s roster swap and Deep Cross Gaming leaving their regular starters at home both stand out as factors that could level the playing field against nominally stronger opposition.
How the Bracket Actually Works
The tournament unfolds in three stages, each raising the stakes:
- Play-In (July 30–31): Eight teams split into two groups of four, playing GSL-format Bo3 matches. The top two from each group advance.
- Group Stage (August 1–4): The Play-In survivors join the 12 direct qualifiers to form four groups of four, again in GSL Bo3 format. Group winners from the upper and lower bracket finals punch their tickets to the playoffs.
- Playoffs (August 5–8): The top eight teams enter a single-elimination bracket, with best-of-seven matches throughout and a dedicated third-place decider.
One format quirk carries over from the game’s competitive rulebook: all classes of the hero Flowborn count as a single hero for pick purposes, though each class can still be individually banned. A team can only pick one Flowborn per Global Ban/Pick rules, and Flowborn can only appear on one side of the map per game. Games are also not played back-to-back, a deliberate departure from how the King Pro League typically schedules its matches. Any Game 7 in the playoffs will additionally use the special Ultimate Battle format.
How the Group Stage Draw Is Structured
The four Group Stage pools were seeded rather than left entirely to chance. Pool 1 was fixed in advance — AG.AL, Kuaishou Gaming, Aurora Gaming, and Geekay Esports — while the remaining pools were drawn randomly from the rest of the qualified field, with the four Play-In survivors filling out Pool 4. Each of the four groups draws one team from each pool, ensuring no group is stacked purely with direct qualifiers or purely with Play-In graduates.
- Also read: Honor of Kings Esports World Cup 2026 Odds
Day One Kicks Off With Four Marquee Openers
The Play-In stage begins July 30, and the opening card is stacked with intriguing stylistic clashes between Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor rosters.
| Estimated Start (CEST) | Match | Group |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 a.m. | Buriram United vs Team Flash | Group A opener |
| 11:30 a.m. | S8UL Esports vs Influence Rage | Group A opener |
| 1:00 p.m. | NS RedForce vs OG Esports | Group B opener |
| 2:30 p.m. | Deep Cross Gaming vs Blacklist International | Group B opener |
| 4:00 p.m. | TBD vs TBD | Group A upper final |
| 5:30 p.m. | TBD vs TBD | Group B upper final |
With only two teams progressing from each four-team group, none of these opening matches carry any margin for error — a loss on Day One immediately pushes a team into the lower bracket with no room left to slip again.
Full Rosters
Enter in Group Stage
AG.AL
Invited (Defending Champions). Main roster: Ran, Zoe, Sheng, YiNuo, and Shuai.
KuaiShow Gaming
Qualified via KPL Spring 2026 (1st). Main roster: silence, JuHao, LiuLang, Yu, and wStar.
Team Vitality
Qualified via IKL Spring 2026 (1st). Main roster: Bal, ZhanQ, JenMyth, LanFeng, and F1. Notes: Bigetron by Vitality will participate in the tournament as Team Vitality.
Team Nemesis
Qualified via IKL Spring 2026 (2nd). Main roster: Tufz, TianX, JerL, Cc, and eL. Notes: Dominator by Nemesis will participate in the tournament as Team Nemesis.
Aurora Gaming
Qualified via MKL Spring 2026 (1st). Main roster: Siang, YuLong, ZhiHong, JR, and Saber. Notes: April 29 – Aurora Gaming acquires All Gamers Global.
Geekay Esports
Qualified via MKL Spring 2026 (2nd). Main roster: GuiYu, MusangKing, Shisan, Jem, and Zhe.
ROC Esports
Qualified via MKL Spring 2026 (3rd). Main roster: Xuan, KongLing, Wendy, Muci, and Weipit.
BOOM Esports
Qualified via PKL Spring 2026 (1st). Main roster: Miggie, Karlll, Tatsurii, Daniii, and Dr4w.
Titan Esports Club
Qualified via PKL Spring 2026 (2nd). Main roster: Calm, GuXing, Katsu, QingC, and Ivalice. Notes: June 1 – Titan Esports Club acquires Team Flash PH.
MIBR.LOS
Qualified via CHOKBR Fall 2026 (1st). Main roster: Freaks, Abh, 0Ne, Vento, and ManoFrizer. Notes: LOS will participate in the tournament as MIBR.LOS.
Virtus.pro
Qualified via KML Spring 2026 (1st). Main roster: Nighty, JiaBao, hai1ang, TGold, and Clue.
Revenant XSpark
Qualified via Indian Qualifier (1st). Main roster: Deadshot, JingTian, Candie, Senpai, and Crowley.
Enter in Play-Ins
Buriram United
Invited via RPL 2026 Summer (1st). Main roster: Littleboyz, Valdus, NuNu, Ligky, and TAOZ. Notes: All players and coaches from BRU’s APL roster except AlmondP and Deawwy will compete at the event.
Team Flash
Invited via AOG Spring 2026 (1st). Main roster: Yuh, Julius, Ryn, HieuDuc, and Tofu. Notes: Only Julius and HieuDuc have competed in AOG Spring 2026. The rest of Flash’s APL starters and Coaches Tony and Minju will not be part of this event. FPT x Flash are competing under the name Team Flash for the Esports World Cup.
Deep Cross Gaming
Invited via GCS Spring 2026 (1st). Main roster: Clean, Godwu, Ethan, Son, and Xin. Notes: All starters (non-subs) from DCG’s APL roster and Coach Hanzo will not be part of this event.
OG Esports
Qualified via IKL Spring 2026 (3rd). Main roster: iHanss, DaoDao, Niel, Ahem, and 663.
Blacklist Intl.
Qualified via PKL Spring 2026 (3rd). Main roster: Chammy1, Juschie, Dragon, Goldenk1te, and Chazz.
Influence Rage
Qualified via CHOKBR Fall 2026 (2nd). Main roster: Tempest, Dani, Fury, Lefy, and Maynah.
NS RedForce
Qualified via KML Spring 2026 (2nd). Main roster: Ratel, HAKU, illusion, SIRI, and Namu3.
S8UL Esports
Qualified via Indian Qualifier (2nd). Main roster: Meruem, Kong, Kyurem, Kaeltzy, and Doofy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many teams are competing at the Honor of Kings Esports World Cup 2026?
Twenty teams in total — twelve enter directly into the Group Stage, while eight begin in the Play-In round.
What is the tournament schedule?
Play-In runs July 30–31, the Group Stage runs August 1–4, and the Playoffs run August 5–8, all in Paris.
Who are the defending champions?
AG.AL, competing under the AG Super Play name, are the reigning Honor of Kings World Cup champions.
How does the Group Stage draw work?
Pool 1 (AG.AL, Kuaishou Gaming, Aurora Gaming, Geekay Esports) is fixed. The remaining pools, including the four Play-In qualifiers, are drawn randomly, with each group receiving one team from every pool.
What’s the total prize pool?
The tournament carries a $3,000,000 prize pool, with $600,000 going to the eventual champions, plus EWC Club Championship points for all participants.
What Comes Next as Paris Sets the Stage
With rosters locked, pools seeded, and the opening Play-In card set, all that’s left is for the teams to settle it on the Rift. AG.AL will spend the next nine days defending both their Honor of Kings World Cup crown and their claim as the sport’s premier roster, while sides like Kuaishou Gaming, BOOM Esports, and Aurora Gaming look to use league-winning form as a springboard into the sport’s biggest crossover event yet. However the bracket shakes out, the results here will carry weight well beyond Paris — feeding directly into the EWC Club Championship standings and setting the tone ahead of the King Pro League Grand Finals later this year.