After officially booking their place in the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, SIBOL’s Honor of Kings national team reached another milestone for Philippine esports after finishing second in the Asian Games Qualifiers.
But beyond the qualification itself, the achievement highlighted how quickly Honor of Kings has grown in the Philippines since arriving in the country in 2024.
What started as a newly introduced esport game has quickly developed into a competitive scene, with local teams gaining experience through domestic leagues and international tournaments.
That progress was already visible on the global stage, where Philippine representatives Blacklist International and BOOM Esports both reached the semifinals of the HOK Invitational Season 4. Although they fell against Malaysian and Korean opponents, their deep runs proved that Filipino teams were already capable of challenging some of the region’s established powerhouses.
The local scene has continued to strengthen as well. BOOM Esports recently captured the 2026 PKL Spring Season title, securing its second championship after also winning the inaugural Spring 2025 edition. Blacklist International, meanwhile, claimed its first PKL crown during the 2025 Fall Season.
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For Honor of Kings Philippines Esports Manager Angelica Neri, the rapid development of the scene shows how quickly Filipino players have adapted and improved despite the game being relatively new in the country.
“It shows how rapid we are in developing our players, our scene in terms of Honor of Kings. Basically, PKL (Philippines Kings League) is only three seasons and we’re already competing in the high level,” Neri said.
That growth was reflected in SIBOL’s Asian Games Qualifiers campaign, where the Philippine squad posted a 3-1 record in Group A. The team, composed mostly of players from Blacklist International, showed that the country now has the talent pool to compete against top teams in the region.
The upcoming Asian Games will also mark a historic moment for Honor of Kings, as it makes its debut as an official medal event in the continental competition.
For Neri, the recent performances of Filipino teams show that the gap between the Philippines and Asia’s elite squads continues to shrink.
“It’s a statement that shows how much the growth has been because when we are in other tournaments outside of Asian Games and SEA Games, it’s easy to see that we’re losing but when we go to much bigger, it’s clearly seen that we’re almost there,” Neri added.
Now, the next challenge for SIBOL is turning progress into a podium finish. The national team enters the Asian Games with bigger ambitions, aiming not only to represent the country but to compete for a medal.
The Philippines will be among 12 nations competing in Honor of Kings at the 2026 Asian Games, joining China, South Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Lao PDR, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Nepal, and Vietnam.
With a six-man roster set to carry the country’s hopes in Nagoya, SIBOL’s campaign will serve as the biggest test yet of how far Honor of Kings has come in the Philippines.
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