Honor of Kings: Massive Updates and Redesigns, Reviewing the Most Successful Heroes from the 2025 Rework.

Time flies, and before we knew it, 2025 had come to an end. The Spring Festival event, skin sales, hero rework, and the massive 10th anniversary celebration with its generous rewards all seem like yesterday. As participants, we were often blinded by our own circumstances. Who can recall all the changes from that year? After adapting, it's hard to go back to the original Cao Cao, just like Nuwa. The Tetris gameplay is something I remember. When I first logged in, many summoners were completely clueless about how to synthesize the blocks. The blocks no longer exploded, teleportation was accelerated, and I died repeatedly in team fights. After a while, she went from being an unpopular mage to becoming a staple in high-level games. Within a year, she received two heavyweight skins, one for the Year of the Snake and one for the 10th anniversary. It's clear how much the developers valued her redesign and positioning.

In addition, the planners constantly made balance adjustments, restructured their data, equipped beneficiaries, and made minor optimizations. These seemingly insignificant changes immediately boosted their strength. A large number of heroes were upgraded in 2025. Which one do you think was the most successful? Let's take a look back.

Successful examples: Cao Cao, Yang Jian, Shen Mengxi

It has to be said that Cao Cao is the star of the 2025 version. An ancient figure, he still shines in the modern version, all thanks to the advantages the developers have given him. We must mention the sword aura mechanism. After the last update, the overall attack range has been extended, making him comparable to marksmen. He is no longer vulnerable to being kited, his movement is smooth, and his ability to stand and fight is strong. He is no longer easily pulled away. Coupled with the lifesteal mechanism left over from the old version, he can fight at full health without losing his healing attribute, making him a melee vampire. Then there's the KPL limited edition that was released at the end of the year. Priced at 6 yuan, he is affordable for everyone, elevating his position to another level. With his tough guy style, smooth feel, and powerful ultimate, he has become the first choice for players in the top lane.

Yang Jian was equally not to be outdone. After multiple nerfs, he dropped from T0 to T1. Fortunately, he can play in two lanes and has a medium to high strength, so he is not destined to be banished to the frontier. The transformation of his ultimate skill has made him suitable for jungle play. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is the most successfully upgraded hero of the year.

The third is Shen Mengxi. In casual games, in the low to mid-ranks, his presence is indeed not high. At first, everyone thought he was ruined by the changes, and the new nonsense was that the margin for error was increased. In reality, his 2v2 collision is unmatched, and his crowd control effect is ridiculous. He has gained the appreciation of many professional players and has become a star hero. His playstyle is no longer defensive, but offensive.