What’s Actually New in Honor of Kings This Year
Shi hit the servers November 11th as our 95th hero - and let me tell you, this control mage is something else entirely. Her damage scaling based on distance? We’re talking 5% increase per 100 units, maxing out at a ridiculous 40% bonus. Yeah, positioning matters now more than ever. She’ll run you 13,888 Starstones or 333 Tokens.
Fatih basically kicked Cao Cao to the curb as the new Fighter standard. What caught my attention immediately was how his Basic Attacks get supercharged after skill usage - and the numbers back it up. 53.49% win rate across 43 KWC 2025 tournament picks? That’s not luck, that’s legitimate power.
But here’s where things get really interesting: Flowborn. This isn’t just another hero release - it’s a complete paradigm shift. We’re talking customizable hero avatars with adaptive combat systems and personalized appearance options. When the Honor of Kings Plus update drops, this could fundamentally change how we think about hero selection.
The pipeline looks stacked too. Chano (Marksman) lands April 5, 2025, followed by Bai Qi (Fighter/Tank) on May 1st. The Flowborn Marksman variant hits June 24th, with Tank and Mage variants rolling out July 2025. Oh, and Yixing (Mage) debuts this December alongside Amazon Prime’s ‘Secret Level’ series - talk about cross-promotion done right. Garuda Khageswara with Indonesian inspiration is somewhere in the 2025 queue too.
Breaking Down These New Kits (And Why They Matter)
Fatih’s design philosophy revolves around this brilliant passive that enhances Basic Attacks after any skill usage. You get sword energy, Attack Speed, and Health restoration all bundled together. His Ultimate ‘Sacred Tree Blessing’ is basically a get-out-of-jail-free card that removes crowd control, heals you to maximum HP, and amplifies everything about his passive. Throw in ‘The King’s Blade’ dash and ‘The King’s Return’ ranged attack with slow/heal, and you’ve got a Fighter who can actually stick to targets.
Shi’s mechanics reward smart positioning in ways I haven’t seen before. That ‘Maiden’s Trick’ passive genuinely changes how you approach team fights - suddenly, staying at max range isn’t just safer, it’s optimal DPS. Her complete kit includes ‘Silk Imprint’ for enemy pulls, ‘The Silky Beauty’ AoE orb, and ‘Sole Focus’ Ultimate for ability enhancement. What’s fascinating is how she emphasizes long-range engagement over the typical mage mobility we’re used to.
Chano’s innovation lies in that Ultimate ‘Leader Stance’ - summoning wolf spirits while activating traps and entering ‘Horseback Archery’ state. The Movement Speed, Physical Attack, and Attack Speed boosts are substantial. Factor in bush speed boosts, terrain-crossing leaps, and placeable area control traps, and you’ve got a Marksman who controls space like a Support.
Bai Qi’s pseudo-tank design is brilliant because it combines Fighter damage output with Tank durability through high life steal, health recovery, and AoE attacks. From my testing, he works equally well in Roamer and Clash Lane positions - that flexibility alone makes him valuable.
Current tier rankings have Fatih ranging from S-Tier (Hokbuild) to A-Tier (Bluestacks). Shi sits consistently at B-Tier across most sources, while Chano and Bai Qi both hit A-Tier on Hokbuild’s August 2025 list.
Actually Getting These Heroes (Without Breaking the Bank)
Standard pricing hasn’t changed: 13,888 Starstones or 333 Tokens. Starstones come through daily missions, ranked matches, and events - the usual grind. Tokens are premium currency, obviously. Trial Cards let you test before committing, which honestly everyone should use.
For immediate access, HOK Top up services offer convenient Token acquisition. Sometimes you just need to adapt to the meta quickly, and there’s no shame in that.
The ‘Want It, Get It!’ event drops 1688-Token vouchers through task completion - actually worth doing. Active codes include TAGULAN2025, HOKPATAAS, and KWC2025. You’ll find the redemption section under Community tab, Gift Code option.
Builds That Actually Work (From Someone Who’s Tested Them)
Fatih optimization starts with smart Arcana choices: Hunt (x10), Eagle Eye (x10), Mutation (x5), Red Moon (x5). Core items are Rapacious Bite, Boots of Resistance, Axe of Torment, Cuirass of Savagery, Eye of the Phoenix, and Frostcar’s Embrace. Battle Spells? Smite or Flash, depending on your role.
Shi configuration needs Nightmare (x10), Hunt (x10), Compassion (x10) for Arcana. Core build: Boots of Deftness, Mask of Agony, Frozen Breath. Situational items matter here - Breakthrough Robe against high-health targets, Scepter of Reverberation for AoE scenarios, Void Staff when facing tank-heavy compositions.
Skill priority remains straightforward: Ultimate first for power spikes, then your primary damage abilities. With Chano, I’ve found emphasizing trap utility early gives you map control that translates into objective advantages.
How to Counter These New Threats
Against Shi: High-mobility divers are your best bet. Her positioning dependency becomes a liability when Assassins and mobile fighters can bypass her long-range requirements. Luna, Ling, and Pei Qinhu all give her serious problems.
Against Fatih: Burst-heavy compositions can eliminate him before his passive enhancement kicks in. Coordinated crowd control chains prevent his ultimate from cleansing effectively - think Cai Wenji into Angela combos.
Against Chano: Map awareness and vision control around objectives reduce his territorial advantage significantly. Safe pathing avoids those trap-based ambush scenarios that make him so dangerous.
Team coordination is crucial here. Focus Shi under pressure to diminish her team fight contribution. Concentrate damage on Bai Qi’s sustain capabilities while respecting his initiation potential.
Team Compositions That Make Sense
Synergies matter more than ever. Shi excels with protective supports who create positioning space - Zhang Fei and Donghuang Taiyi come to mind. Fatih’s versatility complements burst lineups while providing sustained threat presence that forces enemy positioning mistakes.
Chano’s trap control supports objective-focused strategies beautifully. I’ve seen successful compositions built entirely around his territorial control during Baron and Dragon attempts.
Draft strategy gets interesting with Flowborn’s customization enabling real-time adaptation based on opponent selections. Bai Qi’s role flexibility prevents counter-picking while maintaining assignment flexibility throughout the draft phase.
His pseudo-tank classification enables creative compositions that blur traditional boundaries. The damage output allows aggressive support selections while maintaining necessary front-line presence.
Advanced Techniques (For When You’re Ready)
Chano’s ambush sequence is devastatingly effective when executed properly: Deploy 4 Lupine Traps in strategic bushes, position in nearby bush for passive enhancement, trigger with passive-enhanced double shot, activate Leader Stance, then use Soaring Signal for finishing or escape. The timing window is tight, but the payoff is massive.
Fatih optimization changes throughout the game. Early game: Skill 1 dash plus enhanced Basic Attack plus Skill 2 sustain. Mid-game: Ultimate transforms fight potential through CC removal and regeneration. Late game: Focus on sustained damage delivery with roamer coordination.
Common mistakes I see constantly: Shi players compromising distance-based damage through aggressive positioning, and Fatih players delaying enhanced Basic Attack usage instead of immediate post-skill utilization. These micro-optimizations separate good players from great ones.
Should You Actually Invest?
High priority picks: Fatih offers strong tournament performance with 69.61% pick/ban presence at KWC 2025 and competitive viability across skill levels. Flowborn provides long-term value through the expanding customization system.
Situational value: Shi’s B-Tier ranking indicates specialized rather than universal applicability. She’s powerful in the right hands and team compositions, but not a safe blind pick. Bai Qi’s role flexibility offers meta-resistant value through adaptable positioning.
For beginners, Fatih provides straightforward execution with immediate feedback on your performance. Advanced players will appreciate Shi’s positioning complexity and strategic depth - but she requires significant game knowledge and mechanical precision to unlock her potential.
The Questions Everyone’s Actually Asking
How often do new heroes drop? Every 2-3 months, with 2025-2025 featuring 5 major releases including the Flowborn system overhaul.
Who’s the newest hero right now? Shi launched November 11th, Fatih is current, then we’re looking at Chano (April 2025), Bai Qi (May 2025), and Flowborn (June 2025).
What’s the cost? 13,888 Starstones or 333 Tokens. Trial Cards provide temporary testing access before you commit.
Who’s actually the strongest new hero? Fatih ranks S-Tier on Hokbuild with that 53.49% tournament win rate across 43 picks. The competitive viability speaks for itself.
Ready to dominate with the latest heroes? Get immediate access to all new champions with Honor Of Kings Top up and stay ahead of this rapidly evolving meta!
