Mitsura of House Kartelle won the Honor of Kings Rising Star Cup 2026 on June 27 after defeating 1-of-1 Nine Lives of House KielArmy 3-2 in a closely contested Best-of-5 Grand Final.
Held at Lucky Chinatown Mall, the tournament’s Grand Finals capped weeks of competition that attracted thousands of registered players from across the Philippines, highlighting the continued growth of the game’s grassroots esports scene.
More than 81,000 players joined the nationwide tournament
The Rising Star Cup 2026 adopted a creator-led House system, allowing participants to represent one of four communities before competing in a structured tournament.
The competition began with the House Open Trial, held from June 8 to 14, followed by the House Breakout stage from June 18 to 21. Successful teams then advanced to the semifinals before culminating in a Best-of-5 Grand Final.
Each House organized its own qualifying tournament, with the top four teams earning spots in the House Breakout. From there, the winning team from each House advanced to the playoffs to compete for the overall championship.
The tournament format provided amateur and aspiring players with a clear pathway to higher-level competition while representing communities led by prominent Filipino content creators and esports personalities, reinforcing the event’s focus on grassroots talent development.
Four Houses battled for the championship
The competition featured four creator-led Houses, each represented by its respective champion team.
House of BuNo, led by Butters and Chano, was represented by Team The Bayawak. House of KarTelle, led by Karl and Chantelle, was represented by Team Mitsura. House of BooGie, led by Sh1nboo and Dogie, advanced with Team CODE UNKNOWN X VALKYRA, while House of KielArmy, led by Oheb and Dlar, was represented by Team 1OF1 NINE LIVES.
After emerging from their respective House brackets, Team Mitsura faced Team 1OF1 NINE LIVES in the Grand Final, where Mitsura secured a hard-fought victory to become the inaugural champions under the tournament’s new creator-led House format.
Unlike traditional open tournaments, the Rising Star Cup centered its competition around House identities, encouraging players to compete alongside communities built around popular creators and esports personalities.
The format extended beyond online competition, with supporters gathering at Lucky Chinatown Mall to cheer for their respective Houses during the offline Grand Finals.
The live event combined competitive matches with community activities, giving fans an opportunity to interact with creators while celebrating the growing local HOK ecosystem.
HOK continues investing in grassroots esports
The Rising Star Cup reflects Honor of Kings‘ ongoing efforts to strengthen grassroots esports in the Philippines by providing aspiring players with structured competitive opportunities.
By combining open registration, creator-led communities, and offline championship events, the tournament offers emerging players a platform to gain tournament experience while helping expand the game’s competitive scene.
With more than 81,000 participants taking part in this year’s competition, the Rising Star Cup 2026 underscores the increasing popularity of HOK esports and the growing depth of amateur mobile gaming talent in the Philippines.
