Honor of Kings: Massive Updates and Redesigns, Reviewing the Most Successful Hero Reworks of 2025. (Part Two)

The most successful changes mean that heroes transform into dominant ones, going from niche to popular, becoming rising stars, the darlings of the patch, with their stats skyrocketing across the board. What was once a niche strategy becomes mainstream, a top choice for players. However, 2025 also saw some extreme reworks, completely altering hero mechanics and gameplay, turning them into overpowered monsters with inherent advantages, becoming nightmares for the entire world, a must-ban or must-pick.

Extreme modifications: Yuan Ge, Dun Shan, and Ye

A few people who mention Yuan Ge remember him as extremely difficult to control, thankless, and incredibly fragile. His rework was naturally largely ignored, with few even bothering to study it firsthand. Now, in high-level matches, he's unstoppable, occasionally appearing to harass you, but it's all an illusion. His puppet can switch places with the real Yuan Ge for an attack, and if you get close, he can deliver a devastating blow. His performance can no longer be described as successful, but rather extreme. If a player scores him out of 10, he averages over 8. This fundamental change widens the gap between beginners, average players, and experts. Master this hero, and virtually nothing else will be too difficult for you.

The most outrageous support is undoubtedly Dunshan. His extreme nature is best evidenced by his high ban rate. His lift ability drastically increases his playability, and he can even launch stone cannons during the process. His ultimate provides a shield, and his anchor point has been completely changed, so he no longer stands still and takes damage; instead, he releases a light wall to block all projectiles and continues moving afterward. His first skill has an extremely short cooldown and adds the ability to pass through walls. Combined with his initiation skill, no other support is more versatile. He's a perfect choice for a close-knit team; paired with Cao Cao or Meng Tian, this divine combination is unstoppable.

Having been rescued from the abyss with great difficulty, they will not be easily suppressed.

Players demanded a nerf, but the developers ignored the public's pleas. Having always fallen into pits, they've simply reached their ceiling. A successful example of an extreme mechanism; reversing their decision would be a waste of effort. The final change was a weakening of the Jade Transformation effect and removal of the invincibility mechanic, but it's still prevalent in high-level matches. The high entry barrier means not everyone can play it, and its unbalanced finishing ability makes even Zhuge Liang pale in comparison. Extremism, at least in terms of difficulty, limits their strength; a skilled player can soar to great heights, while a poor player is simply a liability to the team.