The King Pro League Grand Finals 2026 marks one of the most valuable esports events in the business. It’s tied to Honor of Kings, and it brings together China’s powerhouse esports organizations, all fighting for the lion’s share of a massive $10 million prize pool, one of the biggest single prize pools in competitive gaming.
It’s a marathon tournament that runs for six weeks, and it’s one of the most-watched events on the calendar. In this guide, I’m going to break down everything you need to know about the Honor of Kings KPL Grand Finals, which opens with an intense Challenge Stage that promises to be electrifying.
Honor of Kings KPL Grand Finals Schedule
If you want to watch the Honor of Kings KPL Grand Finals live, you’ll need to consider this schedule:
Challenge Stage: October 2 – 18
This is where 12 teams enter the running, being seeded by points into two groups of six. All matches at this point are played in a best-of-five format, and six teams will transition from this stage into the next, while the other six teams drop into a last-chance qualifier of sorts.
Play-in Stage: October 20 – 22
The six teams that fail to qualify for the next stage enter a single-elimination bracket. This is their last chance to secure qualification into the latter stages of the tournament.
Knockout Stage: October 27 – November 8
Eight teams battle through a double-elimination bracket at this point, with every match in that bracket taking on a best-of-seven format, prolonging the tournament a bit more. This is where the teams are really whittled down.
Grand Final: November 14
On November 14, the final two teams in the Honor of Kings KPL Grand Final head to Chengdu to compete in the last fixture of the tournament.
Elsewhere in the tournament, the Challenge and Play-in Stages will take place in Guangzhou, and the Knockout Stage will land in Changsha.
As I pointed out, the entire tournament is Chinese by nature.
How Groups Work at Honor of Kings KPL Grand Finals
For a newcomer, the group structure in the KPL Grand Finals might not make too much sense. These organizations are split into two groups, but they’re different in terms of ‘tiering’, with one being dubbed ‘master’ while the other is ‘elite’.
Here’s how those teams look on paper:
Masters Group
- Wolves
- AG Super Play
- JD Gaming
- Talent Gaming
- Kuaishou Gaming
- Weibo Gaming
This group will see four teams qualify for the next round upon closure of the stage, while the bottom two teams are forced into the Play-In Stage.
Elite Group
- TOP Esports Armor
- EDward Gaming
- LGD NBW
- Douyo Gaming
- Rogue WArriors
- Hero Jiujing
The stakes are a little higher during this round. Only one team earns a guaranteed playoff spot while four head towards the Play-In Stage. One team faces elimination at this point.
Honor of Kings KPL 2026 Predictions
It’s no big secret that AG Super Play is entering this tournament as the frontrunner and fan favourite to win the entire thing. The organization is probably the most decorated group in the KPL space right now, and secured the championship in both 2024 and 2025. The almighty threepeat could be on the cards for this team.
Additionally, the squad landed in second place at the Honor of Kings World Cup this year and also secured the number-one spot in Paris at the Esports World Cup last year. That’s a prestigious history.
Behind AG Super Play, many are predicting a sweep from Kuaishou Gaming, a Master Group organization with some high-place finishes historically and a championship claim from this year’s Esports World Cup.
How to Watch Honor of Kings KPL Grand Finals 2026
If you want to tune into the action, here are the links you’ll need:
Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server which team you’re backing when the tournament’s final stages approach.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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