Sibol's Asian Games berth highlights Honor of Kings' expanding footprint in PH

KUALA LUMPUR — Sibol Pilipinas' Honor of Kings national team finished second in the Asian Games Qualifiers, formally securing a spot in the prestigious quadrennial event set this September in Nagoya, Japan.

The squad, composed mostly of players from Blacklist International, finished with a 3-1 record to place second in Group A, a result that secured its spot in the main stage of the Asian Games. The achievement comes as Honor of Kings is set to make its debut as an official medal event in the continental meet.

While Asian Games qualification is a milestone in itself, it also serves as a testament to the rapid growth of Honor of Kings in the Philippines since its debut in 2024.

"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," Angelica Neri, HOK Philippines Esports Manager, told GMA News Online.

"In terms of representing the nation, the Philippines, this would be the biggest tournament so far."

Ever since reaching Philippine shores, the game has shown a significant jump in competitiveness in the country.

In the previous HOK Invitational Season 4, one of the title's flagship tournaments, two Philippine representatives, Blacklist International and BOOM Esports, both reached the semifinals before losing to Malaysian and Korean clubs, respectively.

In the local scene, BOOM Esports recently ruled the 2026 PKL Spring Season to capture its second title after also winning the inaugural edition in Spring 2025. In the 2025 Fall Season, Blacklist International dominated to seize its maiden title.

"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.

"There’s still the powerhouses of course, and we’re still trying to learn from them."

Ahead of the Asian Games, Sibol is targeting no less than a medal.

"Sibol naman has always aimed for a medal and we will always aim for a medal so I think those chances are getting higher as everyone could see the performance of the Philippine team right now."

—JKC, GMA News