As mobile esports continue to grow, we often think of China and Southeast Asia as the dominating regions in the scene. Especially after China’s Honor of Kings King Pro League (KPL) Grand Finals event broke records as the biggest esports event in history. But there’s one country that’s holding its own in the scene: Brazil.
When I flew out to Beijing, China to watch the Grand Finals, I met with LOUD Esports’ Co-Founder Matthew Ho, who was eyeing Honor of King’s growing regional plans to see if he should grab a team of his own.
Ho told me that Honor of Kings is “one of the largest esports titles” for sure, but it’s not just its size alone that makes it a potential title to pursue for LOUD. It’s the passion of the Honor of Kings scene in China that’s caught his attention. The female-to-male ratio of the player and fanbase, as well as the community-oriented focus of the game and its esports circuit, is what has made it exciting for a country like Brazil.
While Honor of Kings is focused on its competitive experience first and foremost, Game Producer Dean Huang stated that localization is a massive part of the game. He said: “When we go global, we will accommodate our game to local cultures in different countries.” This includes not just the way that esports ecosystem works from country to country but special characters and events based on passionate communities. For example, Mayene the Capoeirista is a Brazilian hero inspired by the country’s martial arts style.
But how did Honor of Kings get such a passionate community in Brazil in the first place? KPL Operations and Development Lead Jiaxin Zhang stated that the game has more of an offline focus than online – definitely different than most other esports scenes. They really emphasize offline events, tournaments, and activations to “engage more audiences” and “get more local fans.”
This has definitely worked.
“One of the things that makes Honor of Kings unique to Brazilian audiences is its focus on social connectivity,” Ho said, noting that this coincides with LOUD’s own focus on fandoms and creators rather than straight-up competition. “We were able to unite an entire generation of gamers.
“Honor of Kings has a lot of social tools to connect players to each other. But then outside of the game, the investors are investing in offline experiences, bringing the community together.”
Ho recalled one time when he was visiting a famous Chinese hot pot chain while in Toronto, Haidilao. I’ve gone to one myself in Los Angeles. At the time, there was an Honor of Kings in-game event collaborating with that restaurant – you could get discounts by playing the game.
“Hot pot is one of those things that you do with friends,” Ho said. “It’s a very social meal. So both in and out of the game, Honor of Kings has these considerations I haven’t seen done in other titles.”
Is LOUD considering an Honor of Kings team?
Ho noted that he founded LOUD Esports to bring mobile esports to the Western esports scene. After seeing its massive appeal in China and other parts of Asia, Ho wanted to bring that passion and excitement to Latin America. The organization currently fields mobile teams for Brawl Stars and Free Fire.
Brazil has since become pretty invested in mobile esports. Because you only have to use a phone, these games are a lot more accessible for players and fans. You don’t need a PC setup or an increasingly expensive console. Mobile games like Honor of Kings also have a lot of content potential, including YouTube videos and livestreams. This is significant for Brazil, where time spent on social media has increased by 40%.
The Free Fire World Series (FFWS) Global Finals 2025 in Jakarta actually has two Brazilian teams competing – Team Solid and E1 Esports. Along with one other team from Mexico, they are the only teams outside of Asia to compete in this massive spectacle.
This shows Brazil’s potential for a large Honor of Kings esports scene. The game launched globally not too long ago and it’s been growing rapidly in Brazil with the growth of a creator network and Tencent’s development of an esports ecosystem outside China.
However, Ho feels there’s a big obstacle: China itself. The country’s King Pro League is miles and miles ahead of other countries’ circuits, and so far no other team has come close to winning when the countries all clash.
“We’re playing catch-up to one of the most prestigious levels of competitiveness in China,” Ho said. For us, it’s about understanding what we can do if we participate in that space. How do we close that gap?
“There are certain variables we can consider as part of our launch strategy. We’re considering everything from bringing Chinese players, coaches, and supporting staff. How can we adopt things that work in China over to Latin America?”
This could be tricky, since Brazil doesn’t have the same infrastructure and funding as China when it comes to Honor of Kings. They can’t pay the same salaries. This leads to another issue, Ho noted: If a Brazilian player ends up being dominant, could they easily be bought out by a team that offers a larger salary?
While Ho couldn’t outright tell me that LOUD Esports is considering an Honor of Kings team, it did sound like the organization was considering it very closely and is thinking of some solutions to these aforementioned issues.
There will probably be a lot of catch-up to do when it comes to the competitive aspect, but they can grow the scene without being the best in the world. According to Ho, there could be experiences for fans, grassroots competitions, streamers making content… It can still be a strong esports ecosystem.
And it seems that LOUD may be one of the first to jump on it.
The post “We’re playing catchup”: LOUD Esports Co-Founder Matthew Ho sees Honor of Kings as potential title, but China is a huge threat appeared first on The Escapist.