Look, I've been tracking Honor of Kings meta shifts for years now, and November 2025 might be the most interesting we've seen since the game's global launch. After watching 64 matches of KWC 2025 and diving deep into the post-tournament ranked chaos, here's what's really working.
The numbers don't lie: Lam's sitting pretty with a 54.9% win rate in the assassin role, Loong's dominating marksmen at 55.3%, Yaria's proving support can carry at 53.8%, and Marco Polo's maintaining his throne with 53.6%. But here's the thing – it's not just about the percentages.
What Actually Changed This Month
The meta shifted hard after King's World Cup 2025 wrapped up and Season 12 'Spriteling Playverse' dropped on September 24th. I'm pulling these rankings from Diamond+ win rates, professional pick/ban stats, and that crucial patch 1.10.5 data from October 16th.
Here's my methodology (because transparency matters): S-tier heroes need to maintain 52-55% win rates consistently. When Lam hits a 98% pick/ban rate with 67% wins across 64 KWC matches? That's not coincidence – that's dominance. I'm evaluating effectiveness across skill levels, role synergy, and how well heroes adapt to patches.
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The Real Meta Story
November 2025 isn't about raw damage anymore. It's mobility, sustain, and team utility. Wolves Esports didn't beat Dynasty 4-2 in the finals by accident – they pushed ranked play toward coordinated compositions. Those Rush Down comps (Charlotte, Lam, Daji, Marco Polo, Yaria) achieved 68% tournament win rates for a reason.
What we're seeing: assassin jungle dominance, marksman scaling becoming crucial, and support utility reaching new heights.
October to November changes hit different. Patch 1.10.5 buffed Charlotte's movement speed and Zhou Yu's damage while nerfing Sun Shangxiang's ultimate and Athena's crowd control. Umbrosa's addition shook up Clash Lane dynamics so hard she earned immediate S-tier placement. The November 15th Plus Update? It's introducing Iron to Legendary tiers with matchmaking that considers hero performance over simple win-loss records.
S-Tier: The Heroes That Actually Matter
Twelve heroes earned S-tier status with 52-55% Diamond+ win rates. Augran leads the pack at 55.1% with a 45.2% ban rate – his sustain and 1v9 carry potential are just ridiculous right now.
Why These Heroes Work
Lam's assassination game is unmatched. 54.9% win rate, 24.1% pick rate, 38.7% ban rate. His Hunter passive deals extra true damage to low-health targets, and those water-based abilities? Perfect for engage and escape. Professional data backs this up hard.
Marco Polo's Chain Reaction passive stacks armor shred and triggers true damage at 10 stacks (40 base + 35% attack scaling). Against tank compositions, he's absolutely devastating while maintaining mobility through dash and ultimate abilities.
The professional numbers validate everything: Loong's 96% presence with 71% win rate, Daji's 91% presence with 65% win rate. These aren't flukes.
Draft Strategy That Works
First rotation? Secure Lam or Augran for carry potential and flex positioning. Second rotation targets Loong or Marco Polo for marksman scaling insurance.
Ban priority gets strategic: Augran against extended fights, Lam when you lack crowd control, Daji with immobile carries. Pro tip: Buy Honor of Kings crystals cheap through BitTopup for cost-effective access with instant delivery and 24/7 support.
Tank Meta: Control Is King
Tank hierarchy emphasizes crowd control utility and team fight initiation. Arthur leads S-tier with 54.2% win rate and 18.5% pick rate – his kit design offers straightforward execution with massive team fight presence.
Arthur provides area denial and damage amplification through his ultimate while offering solid engage/disengage options. Beginner-friendly kit works at all skill levels from Diamond to Master+.
Dun secures S-tier through peel and damage absorption, focusing on carry protection while maintaining backline threat presence. Both maintain 50%+ win rates across multiple patches – consistency matters.
The A-Tier Options
Zhang Fei offers initiation through crowd control chains (effective in coordinated environments with guaranteed follow-up). Lian Po delivers crowd control chains and area denial against mobility-heavy compositions. Bai Qi specializes in anti-mobility scenarios.
Tank selection should prioritize team synergy: Arthur pairs beautifully with burst mages, Dun synergizes with scaling marksmen.
Assassin Jungle: Lam's World
The assassin meta centers on jungle efficiency and gank potential. Lam leads through exceptional clear speed and mobility – his Hunter passive deals extra true damage while Wavebreaker provides gap closing plus sustain through water areas offering 30% cooldown reduction.
Wukong maintains A-tier through clone-based disruption and team fight chaos creation. Li Bai offers invulnerability mechanics and scaling potential, rewarding skilled players with high-risk gameplay.
Professional influence from KWC 2025 emphasizes jungle-focused strategies. Lam's 98% pick/ban rate demonstrates meta-defining impact.
Lam's Kit Breakdown
Wavebreaker creates water areas restoring health with 30% cooldown reduction – enabling jungle presence and escape options. Space Split provides damage and mobility through mark-and-dash mechanism. Basic attacks consume marks for additional dash distance and health recovery. Death From Below serves as ultimate engagement, throwing dagger before dashing while dragging enemies toward your team for follow-up damage.
Marksman Rankings: Scaling Matters
Marco Polo maintains S-tier with 53.6% win rate through Chain Reaction passive applying armor shred stacks, triggering true damage at 10 stacks. Resplendent Revolver fires five bullets with movement speed for poke and kiting. Roaming Gun provides dash with damage and speed boost. Fevered Barrage offers blink and twelve area damage barrages.
Loong leads with 55.3% win rate through dragon transformation and elemental soul system. Hidden Dragon passive attaches souls to swords, enhancing basic attacks based on ability usage.
Lady Sun provides team utility through buffs and self-peel (52.9% win rate, 19.7% pick rate). Hou Yi offers safe laning and consistent damage as A-tier option for positioning safety over aggressive playmaking.
Farm Lane positioning emphasizes last-hitting while avoiding risks. Support synergy crucial – champions like Yaria providing protection make all the difference. Rotation timing centers on 10-minute objective contests where marksmen transition from farming to team fight contribution.
Mage Power Rankings
Daji leads with 54.7% win rate through one-shot burst and safe wave clearing, punishing positioning errors while providing elimination potential. Angela maintains S-tier with 53.3% win rate through global ultimate and consistent crowd control. Yixing secures 52.8% win rate through zone control and area damage.
Burst vs sustained damage? Burst mages like Daji excel in elimination-focused scenarios requiring quick target removal. High damage in short windows requires precise positioning and timing – works best with crowd control support.
Sustained mages like Diao Chan offer consistent damage throughout extended fights. Meta preference leans toward burst potential due to fast-paced team fights where quick elimination determines outcomes.
Support: Yaria's Dominance
Yaria dominates with 53.8% win rate and 20.2% pick rate through comprehensive utility: crowd control, healing, shields, vision control. Verdant Predator ultimate attaches to teammates providing true damage shields while amplifying abilities – particularly effective with scaling carries like Loong.
Da Qiao offers portal-based positioning and crowd control enabling team rotations and objective control. Damage supports like Dyadia provide healing combined with damage output, balancing support functionality with threat presence.
Support selection should prioritize team composition synergy over individual strength. Proper warding enables positioning while preventing flanks.
Professional Scene Impact
KWC 2025 (September 15 - October 24, 2025) significantly influenced rankings through 64 matches, $10 million prize pool, 58 million peak viewership. Rush Down compositions achieved 68% win rates. Tournament MVP Shadow achieved 8.7 KDA primarily through Lam gameplay.
The upcoming Honor of Kings International Championship (November 14-30, Philippines, $1 million prize pool) will further influence meta development.
Tournament statistics that matter:
Lam: 98% pick/ban, 67% win rate across 45 picks, 38 bans
Loong: 96% presence, 71% win rate
Augran: 94% presence, 58% win rate
Yaria: 87% pick/ban, 59% win rate
Daji: 91% presence, 65% win rate
Professional success translates directly to ranked adoption through demonstrated effectiveness.
Climbing Strategy by Rank
Diamond and Below
Focus on Arthur, Augran, Daji, Marco Polo, Yaria for straightforward execution and high impact. Arthur provides reliable crowd control without complex combos. Augran offers 1v9 carry potential through sustain-based kit allowing farming efficiency focus.
Master+
Prioritize Lam, Loong, Charlotte, Yixing, Dyadia – these reward mechanical skill and strategic understanding. Lam requires precise combo execution but provides exceptional carry potential. Loong demands positioning expertise but offers late-game insurance through dragon transformation.
Master 2-3 S-tier heroes per role while understanding matchups. Communication becomes crucial at higher ranks for draft coordination. Avoid high-skill champions like Ling until achieving mechanical consistency with simpler options.
Your Questions Answered
Which heroes are S-tier in November 2025? Augran, Loong, Lam, Marco Polo, Da Qiao, Daji, Hou Yi, Yaria, Arke, Feyd, Fatih, Garuda with 52-55% Diamond+ win rates.
Is Lam still the best assassin? Absolutely. 54.9% win rate, 24.1% pick rate, 38.7% ban rate with fastest jungle clear and exceptional mobility.
How good is Loong compared to other marksmen? He leads marksmen with 55.3% win rate and 26.8% pick rate through dragon transformation and scaling potential.
What makes Yaria top support? 53.8% win rate through comprehensive utility: crowd control, healing, shields, vision control, plus ultimate providing true damage shields.
Should I pick Marco Polo currently? S-tier with 53.6% win rate due to Chain Reaction passive dealing true damage at 10 stacks plus mobility options.
How often do tier lists change? Monthly with patch releases, significant changes following major tournaments and seasonal updates like the November 15, 2025 Plus Update.
Bottom line: This meta rewards smart positioning, team coordination, and understanding when to engage. Master these S-tier picks, and you'll climb.