Honor of Kings’ new Ranked rule will change everything

As part of Honor of Kings Year-End surprises, the game will be experiencing a never-before-seen feature in the new Ranked Season. Starting December 16th, you’ll be able to play in Ranked matches without any Ranked Restrictions for a limited time. This new feature excites some players while proving worrisome for others, raising real questions about how ranked matches will play out this season.

Premade lobbies with players of any rank: What it means for casual vs competitive players

With players now able to queue together in the same lobby regardless of rank, this change will have implications for everyone. Imagine a scenario where Player A, a Grandmaster-ranked player, invites Player B, who sits in Gold Rank. Under normal circumstances, that gap would prevent them from playing ranked together, but with this new feature, both players can now queue freely.

Honor of Kings Ranked Season 12 Rank-up rewards (Image via Level Infinite)

Once they queue and find a match, this system could easily create imbalanced teams, with lobbies shifting heavily toward either lower-ranked or higher-ranked players. As a result, ranked matches may become more frustrating and toxic, especially in situations where the opposing team is stacked with high-ranked players while yours is not.

Where does this leave Solo Queue players?

If you’re a regular HOK player like me, you’ll likely feel the impact of this new ranked feature, it is mostly for the Solo Queue Players. Known for fighting their way through matches alone, these players may now find themselves up against premade teams made up of unevenly ranked players. In many cases, the outcome won’t be excitement or competition, but frustration!

Soloing your way through ranked matches is already stressful enough. Adding unevenly ranked teammates into the mix only makes the experience more harrowing. Sure, there’s always a chance a solo player might land in a higher-ranked lobby and get carried. But realistically, how often does that happen?

The Upside of No-Rank Restrictions

While this new feature has some negative downsides, it also brings notable benefits, in my opinion. Thanks to it, you can queue in 3-man or 5-man premade lobbies, testing fun team compositions regardless of rank differences. This lets you lead and carry lower-ranked friends to higher ranks during the feature’s limited availability.

Ranked can be intense, but removing strict rank barriers allows players to enjoy matches with less pressure. With high and low-ranked players queuing together, lower-ranked players can observe stronger teammates in action. This will, in turn, help improve their overall gameplay skills.

Final Thoughts

Honor of Kings’ new “No Ranked Restrictions” feature is a bold new experiment offering both risks and rewards. This seven-day window promises chaos, fun, and memorable matches that’d help mark a thrilling start for HOK’s new Ranked Season 13.