How did this long-running Tencent game manage to hold the No. 1 spot on the bestseller charts for 300 days in a single year?

In recent years, Tencent has introduced the concept of “evergreen games”—super-hit titles that exceed market expectations and generate significantly higher levels of popularity, DAU, and revenue than comparable products. As Tencent’s flagship evergreen title, *Honor of Kings* has virtually maintained its leading position throughout.

Recently, Tencent released its Q2 financial report, showing that domestic game revenue reached 40.4 billion yuan, a 17% year-over-year increase. The report explicitly noted that revenue growth from evergreen games like *Honor of Kings* played a positive role in this performance.

To illustrate this more vividly, over the past year, *Honor of Kings* topped the best-seller charts for an astonishing 300 days and occupied one of the top three spots on the iOS best-seller charts 99% of the time.

Screenshot courtesy of Qimai

It’s safe to say that even after a decade, it remains the unrivaled “King” that others can only aspire to.

In China, long-running online games are as numerous as the stars in the sky; however, most enjoy only fleeting success. As time passes, many rise and fall, eventually fading from the market’s memory. Only the sight of “Honor of Kings” claiming the top spot has long been a common occurrence in the industry.

What is the secret to *Honor of Kings*’ success?

To be honest, for a long time, I was often puzzled by this question myself. It wasn’t until I attended the first-ever in-person “Farmers’ Festival” and spoke with “Honor of Kings” players from all over the country that I gradually began to find some answers.

01

"Farm Friends" Are All About Playing Together

Last weekend, Honor of Kings’ first-ever in-person “Farmers’ Festival” was held in Suzhou.

Upon arriving in Suzhou, aside from the tranquil scenes of small bridges and flowing streams visible everywhere, what left the deepest impression on me was the scorching 35° heat—it felt as if a sprinkle of cumin would turn anyone into a gourmet dish.

At 3:30 p.m., a line stretching as far as the eye could see had already formed near the Suzhou Sports Center under the blazing sun.To escape the scorching heat, everyone instinctively sought shelter in the shade beneath the eaves, forming a long, winding line that snaked around half the stadium’s perimeter.

A young man standing near the front of the line told me they’d arrived about an hour earlier. Although he’d mentally prepared himself, seeing such a massive crowd made him secretly glad he’d come early.

In fact, just as he’d imagined, it took this massive “Farmers’ Friends Brigade” more than 20 minutes to fully enter the stadium from the outer field—though a staff member remarked to me that the entry pace was already quite fast.

My first impression of the “Summer Farmers’ Gathering” was just how many players were in attendance—virtually every activity area was teeming with people. After walking around the event grounds a few times, I suddenly noticed something interesting: aside from a group of younger players, the attendees came from all walks of life.There were college students who came in groups, a brother and sister who came specifically to check out the event, working couples, and parents with their children. While their roles in daily life vary widely, at that very moment they were all gathered in person because of *Honor of Kings*.

What left a deep impression on me was at the “Farmers’ Re-employment” (a player-defined 1v1 “first blood” PK event) venue, where a 44-year-old “veteran player” with nine years of experience faced off against a young opponent who was only 12 years old, ultimately suffering a “narrow defeat” by giving up the first blood.Interestingly, while he was locked in battle, his wife and daughter were engaged in their own “offline duel” at another table.

He told me that before discovering Honor of Kings, he had never played any MOBA games. At first, he struggled to adapt to the game’s mechanics, but after a few matches where friends carried him, he gradually discovered the fun in it—and has now become a true “nine-year veteran.”He shared with me that his first main hero was Xiao Qiao—simply because his daughter had activated a 7-day free skin trial. Once he found his “true love,” he couldn’t stop playing.

When asked how he felt about his daughter playing *Honor of Kings* as well, I was surprised by his straightforward and open-minded attitude. In his view, *Honor of Kings* ranks among the top in the mobile gaming market in terms of both popularity and download numbers; it’s an excellent game in its own right, so it’s no wonder his daughter likes it after trying it out.

Games aren’t some kind of scourge; the most important thing is striking a balance between gaming and real life. Following his approach, since his daughter usually has a lot of homework in the evenings, playing “Honor of Kings” serves as a way for her to unwind. In fact, these days, she often takes the initiative to invite both of them to team up and play a few matches after she finishes her homework.

At the end of the interview, one of his remarks particularly struck a chord with me.

“To this day, the three of us in our family have maintained one habit in *Honor of Kings*: no matter what happens, we never surrender.As the saying goes, ‘Don’t get cocky when you’re winning, and don’t give up when you’re losing.’ I think the spirit that *Honor of Kings* instills is positive and uplifting. Whether applied to life or work, it ensures that when we face difficulties, we won’t give up easily—we’ll keep persevering until we turn the tide even when the odds are against us.”

If the diverse backgrounds of the many farming enthusiasts in attendance shattered my stereotypes about *Honor of Kings* players, then the diverse player ecosystem fostered by the IP’s spin-offs gave me a true understanding of what it means to have a “diverse mix.”

In the open area outside the arena, in addition to the main stage right in the center, there were dozens of activity zones of various sizes.Particularly noticeable were the areas around the entrance, where long lines frequently formed—whether people were happily spending money at the collaboration food stalls, taking commemorative photos with *Honor of Kings* cosplayers, or snagging freebies at the stalls run by top fan creators.

In this IP content zone, I could clearly sense the intense passion Honor of Kings players have for creating derivative content. One Honor of Kings creator admitted that while playing the game, she pays attention to the dynamics between heroes and trending memes that fit the game’s world, which often sparks her creative inspiration.She still remembers that her very first drawing was of Diao Chan, which garnered hundreds of thousands of likes after it was posted. In her view, drawing inspiration from the rich character backstories and related plotlines is likely a common practice among creators.

Of course, aside from the “serious” IP-derived creations up front, the “silly” prank zone in the back offers a whole different scene.

You can see people at the “matchmaking corner” printing out their resumes on the spot in hopes of finding a “CPDD,” as well as a group of “Nong” players gathered around a stand featuring “Menglei cosplaying as ‘The Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix’” at the “100 Pieces of Pain Clothing” area, shouting to the crowd, “This is who we ‘Nong’ players are”—a rather abstract yet bold gesture.

Even in the center of the venue, a group of “Farmers” was spotted sitting upright and composed, furiously scribbling on exam papers—a scene that evoked a strong sense of nostalgia for old-school exams. Don’t get the wrong idea; they were simply taking the “Farmer Quotient Test.”

At the Farmers’ Gathering, I witnessed a diverse array of “farmer” personalities that defied a single-sentence description: some aspired to become “Honor of Kings masters,” others were passionate about CP fan fiction, and still others were dedicated to creating abstract memes and playing with inside jokes…In my view, it is precisely this all-encompassing diversity—which has become an integral part of their lives—that brings together countless King of Glory players who don’t know one another, uniting them under the common identity of “farmers” to celebrate this special moment for the King of Glory community.

For them, the joy of gathering offline doesn’t need to be defined by any labels or rules—just as I’ve truly felt—“Nongyou are all about playing together.”

02

Making “Farm Buddies” a “Phenomenon”

Some might wonder: where exactly did Honor of Kings’ massive, diverse, and highly inclusive player base come from? Perhaps it is the evolution of the Honor of Kings IP ecosystem that has allowed “farm buddies” to become a phenomenon.

From a macro perspective, today’s Honor of Kings is no longer limited to the simple PvP MOBA game it was in its early days. Ten years of development have been more than enough for it to branch out and evolve into a cultural symbol that spans generations, integrating gameplay, social channels, and an IP ecosystem.

When a game reaches such a broad audience and becomes a vessel for collective social memory, the diversification of player needs and the richness of the ecosystem become a natural outcome. The massive user base has given rise to players with diverse preferences; and this inherent diversity is precisely the cornerstone of the product’s vibrant vitality.

During an in-person interview, a player with nine years of experience told me that, for him, *Honor of Kings* is no longer just a game—it has become a “way of life.” While he and his friends may have their own individual preferences when it comes to games, whenever they get together in person and mention playing a game, they almost always end up launching *Honor of Kings* without even having to discuss it.What left a deep impression on him was that one Chinese New Year’s Eve, when they couldn’t go out, he and his friends rang in the new year together in the King’s Canyon, spending an unforgettable New Year’s Eve. In a sense, teaming up in the Canyon has become their unspoken “Spring Festival Gala” ritual.

At first glance, this ecological evolution—from gaming to social interaction to culture—seems to follow the progressive path taken by many games on the market today. But for “Honor of Kings,” the evolution of its ecosystem doesn’t conform to the linear progression the public typically expects; rather, it leans toward a boundary-blurring, cross-circle growth.

The key here is that “Farmers” is not a superficial, niche label, but rather represents a complex collective supported by Honor of Kings’ player base, which numbers in the hundreds of millions.In other words, each individual player has multifaceted interests and a long-term engagement trajectory: some are drawn to the game for social reasons, while others are attracted by the IP’s culture; their preferences and needs vary greatly.The various ecosystems extending outward from individual players intertwine and overlap; combined with the massive user base of *Honor of Kings* itself, the resulting reach across audiences and communities is unimaginable.

During the Farmers’ Festival, I met a new content creator,who started playing *Honor of Kings* four years ago after being invited by a friend. It wasn’t until this past March, when a heartwarming in-game interaction with a teammate sparked her inspiration, that she created a “real-life meetup” video featuring the hero Doria. The video quickly attracted nearly 10,000 user interactions and views, greatly fueling her passion for fan creation.It’s worth noting that, aside from praise for her work, she mentioned that a large number of players posted their match stats or CPDD comments under her videos. These users might be players, platform audiences, or even just casual passersby; yet she doesn’t find this “unrestrained” expression bothersome—she simply finds it amusing.These unintentional “cross-community” mix-ups precisely demonstrate the ecosystem’s natural inclusivity and broad reach. This approach to breaking down community barriers also helps “Honor of Kings” and its creators build a broader audience.

Of course, while the massive and constantly growing player base injects new vitality into *Honor of Kings*, it also presents a practical challenge: as the saying goes, “To each his own.” Insisting on confining the game to a single direction is likely to result in an inability to satisfy everyone’s tastes.

Consequently, the attitude of “going with the flow” has become Honor of Kings’ unspoken operational wisdom. Simply put, this means paying attention to the feedback and preferences of all types of players, using these as a foundation to create richer content, and ultimately forming a mutually nourishing ecosystem.

At the beginning of the year, the sudden release of *Ne Zha 2* sent shockwaves through the domestic animation industry. Keen-eyed *Honor of Kings* players noticed that the characters in *Ne Zha 2* could almost be matched one-to-one with the heroes in *Honor of Kings*.Subsequently, calls for them to “be together” flooded social media platforms, spawning dozens of related topics that collectively garnered hundreds of millions of views. The *Honor of Kings* team keenly sensed this overwhelming “public sentiment” and promptly initiated partnership discussions.In April of this year, both parties officially announced their collaboration. When the collaboration poster lit up the 52,000-square-meter giant screen at Chengdu’s Twin Towers, it sparked a collective frenzy across the entire internet.

In addition to IP collaborations, *Honor of Kings* has also resonated deeply with players by catering to their preferences and delving deeper into its own characters, experimenting with different ways to accompany players in their daily lives. In July of this year, *Honor of Kings*’ first-ever female-oriented project, “Heart-Fluttering Honor,” caused a sensation within the industry.In fact, long before this, the developers had noticed that many players projected their emotions onto their favorite heroes and spontaneously created fan content across various social media platforms. Deeply moved by this, they launched “Heart-Fluttering Honor.”

From the game’s perspective, the original intent of “Heart-Fluttering Honor” was to respond to players’ expressions of love with a heartfelt campaign of its own.It attempts to shift perspectives, allowing the game’s heroes to proactively reach out to players this time. Players are invited to step into a parallel world alongside their heroes from a first-person perspective—to meet, interact, and co-create stories together—making them indispensable co-creators of the project.

It’s clear that the IP ecosystem of “Honor of Kings” and its player community are not one-way streets, but rather form a two-way relationship characterized by close interaction and mutual enrichment.On the one hand, leveraging its robust IP ecosystem, “Honor of Kings” actively responds to players’ interests and preferences, building a mutually complementary, symbiotic relationship. On the other hand, as the IP ecosystem continues to evolve, it further and continuously attracts people from diverse circles, breaking down barriers.

After a decade of development, “Honor of Kings” has cultivated a rich, diverse, stable, and open player ecosystem, truly realizing the vision of “breaking down barriers so that everyone can be a ‘farmer friend.’”

03

Long-standing emotional bonds

the strongest bond among “Farm Friends”

Whether it’s the IP-driven pop culture trends beloved by players or the pranks and memes that make one seriously question the developers’ sanity, it’s clear that the first “Farmers’ Festival” was more than just a summer offline event—it served as an emotional outlet for Honor of Kings players to collectively “let loose.”

In the past, I didn’t have such a direct sense of Honor of Kings’ offline player community. However, after actually participating, I suddenly realized that this pure and sincere emotion had also touched me—even though I’m not a core Honor of Kings player—allowing me to easily blend in with them.

To give a concrete example, many years ago, the term “pesticide” was more of a playful jab among players, but today, “farmers” has become a badge of identity for *Honor of Kings* players.At the Nongyou Festival, you could see players wearing conical hats “tending to their fields” everywhere, while others posed for photos with sashes reading “Honor of Kings Heavy Dependency Syndrome” slung across their chests—not to mention the endless loop of “farm-themed hit songs” playing on the main stage.

The foundation of all this is the unique ecosystem forged by *Honor of Kings* through its massive player base and mutually beneficial operational strategies: it’s lively and boisterous, and so “diverse” as to be hard to define—yet precisely because of this, it’s brimming with authentic vibrancy and vibrant vitality.Driven by the shared sentiment that “farmers are meant to play together,” countless online and offline farmers have been truly connected through “Honor of Kings” as a vessel for emotional connection.

Returning to the question posed at the beginning of this article: What is the secret to *Honor of Kings*’ success? I believe the answer lies in its vast, inclusive, and diverse player ecosystem. It is precisely this “self-contained” narrative—along with the rich creative content and sincere emotional connections it fosters—that opens up even broader horizons for the Farmers’ Festival and the future development of *Honor of Kings*.