The King Pro League (KPL) Spring 2026 is happening from January 14 to April 11 as 18 teams compete in the biggest esports league for Honor of Kings.
This year, the competition features a prize pool of 12 million Chinese yuan (about $1.7 million). The KPL is one of the largest esports leagues in the world. Its scale can be understood by the fact that it will take place across eight venues in China. Teams like JD Gaming, Weibo Gaming, All Gamers, and Wolves all have home arenas, similar to traditional sports leagues.
Here’s everything you need to know about the King Pro League Spring 2026 including its format, teams, schedule, and more.
For more Honor of Kings betting odds, check out our article here.
| Event | KPL Spring 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | January 14 to April 11, 2026 |
| Location | China |
| Total prize pool | $1.7 million |
| Number of teams | 18 |
| Format | Group stage followed by playoffs |
The KPL features 16 franchise teams with two more making it into the tournament through a promotion tournament. The full list of teams is as follows:
The KPL Spring 2026 has a prize pool of $1.7 million. The winner will walk away with about $520,000 while the runners-up will receive about $170,000.
The remaining prize pool is distributed through match wins during the regular season and playoffs. Each regular season win rewards approximately $1,450 while a playoffs win grants about $1,740.
The KPL features an extended format, and it starts with a group stage where the 18 teams are split into three groups. Here, they compete in a best-of-five single round-robin format, and based on the results move into groups S, A, or B for stage two.
The second stage once again features best-of-five round-robin matches, followed by best-of-seven seat decider matches. The bottom teams, which are ones in group B are eliminated here.
Then in stage three, the groups S and A compete against each other where the bottom two teams in group A are eliminated.
The remaining 10 teams will then compete in the playoffs from March 26 to April 5. They will compete in a double-elimination bracket with each match being a best-of-seven. Finally, the grand finals will take place on April 11 to crown the KPL Spring 2026 champion.
Read also: Best MOBA games to play in 2026
Featured image source: Honor of Kings esports
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