Team of dream takes esports crown

China's KPL Dream Team dominated the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason at the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia with a decisive 3-0 victory, Li Xinran reports.

From July 3 to Aug 25, the first Esports World Cup (EWC) was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In the final showdown of the Honor of Kings Invitational Midseason, held from Aug 1 to 4, China's King Pro League (KPL) Dream Team emerged victorious, defeating Malaysia's LGD team with a commanding 3-0 scoreline.

Honor of Kings is a multiplayer online battle arena mobile game developed and operated by TiMi Studio Group under Tencent Games. Officially launched for public testing on Nov 26, 2015, the game has garnered over 200 million users across its domestic and international servers.

However, Honor of Kings is more than just a game — it is a sport.

"Similar to traditional sports, esports also tests the stress tolerance and teamwork of the players," said 23-year-old Peng Yunfei, known by his game ID "Fly", a member of KPL Dream Team. "The only difference between esports and conventional sports is the absence of physical contact, with the competitive process unfolding on LED screens."

Xu Bicheng, 22, known by his Game ID "Yinuo", clinched the FMVP title in the finals. He highlighted pivotal moments where the score was almost overturned.

"We faced and overcame the pressure exerted by LGD, and we learned a lot from our encounters with them and other teams," Xu said. "It was a precious opportunity for us to experience firsthand the gameplay and training systems of other countries."

KPL Dream Team was assembled to participate in international events and competitions, such as the EWC, to enhance the global presence of Honor of Kings. Although the team members play for different clubs during most KPL seasons, they have known each other for a long time and ultimately play within the same system.

"We all play in KPL, so we are familiar with and have a deep understanding of the different heroes in the game. During our offline training, we synchronized our strategies, which greatly facilitated our teamwork," Peng explained.

Chen Zhengzheng, 26, known as "Cat", usually serves as a roamer in this five-member game. "My role on the team is similar to that of a military strategist in ancient Chinese warfare, helping my team perform better by providing the optimal game plan," he said.

Li Daheng, 20, with the Game ID "Pang", takes on a more flexible role as the team's jungler. While others adhere to specific routes on the map, he navigates a larger area. "For junglers, it's important to maintain constant communication with the rest of the team, as strategies and routes are always changing," Li explained.

Peng further noted that, like traditional sports such as swimming and table tennis, esports have a strong and mature youth training system. Another member of the Dream Team, Wu Jinxiang, known by his Game ID "Qing", became a professional gamer through this pathway.

Reflecting on his own journey, Peng recalled his first exposure to the game while at work. "As everyone around me got into the game, I began playing just to have a shared topic with my coworkers," he said. "I soon discovered a sense of accomplishment as I earned each star and became familiar with different heroes. Eventually, I realized I was quite good at it and decided to pursue it professionally."