1 hour ago
12
Kuaishou Gaming just did what most esports organizations can only dream of: win a world championship in their very first appearance at the tournament. KSG defeated AG Super Play 4-3 in the Honor of Kings World Cup grand final on August 8, completing a Cinderella run through the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris.
The victory netted KSG $600,000 from the tournament’s $3 million prize pool, a tidy return for an organization that was only founded in February 2021.
A grand final for the history books
The matchup pitted polar opposites against each other. AG Super Play entered as the reigning champions, having claimed the 2025 title along with multiple domestic championships in China’s King Pro League. KSG entered as first-time participants on the world stage.
Their playoff run was borderline disrespectful. They swept Virtus.pro 4-0. They swept Geekay Esports 4-0. The grand final was not another sweep. AG Super Play proved exactly why they came in as defending champions, pushing the series to a full seven games. KSG simply found one more gear when it mattered most.
The group stages ran through late July 2026, setting up the playoff bracket that would eventually deliver one of the more compelling storylines in Honor of Kings competitive history.
Why Honor of Kings matters more than you think
For readers outside the mobile gaming ecosystem, Honor of Kings might not register as a marquee title. The game, developed by TiMi Studio Group under Tencent, is the dominant force in Chinese esports through the King Pro League, and its global reach has been expanding steadily.
The Esports World Cup has been positioning as the tentpole event for competitive gaming, bringing together multiple titles under one umbrella tournament structure. Having Honor of Kings as a centerpiece event with a $3 million prize pool puts it on equal footing with many of the more traditionally Western-facing esports properties.
KSG is backed by Kuaishou Technology, one of China’s major short-video platforms and a competitor to Douyin, TikTok’s Chinese counterpart.
What KSG’s rise means for the competitive landscape
Founded in February 2021, Kuaishou Gaming reached world champion status in just over five years. The fact that KSG accomplished this against AG Super Play, a team with deep competitive pedigree and recent championship success, makes it even more striking.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) ·