November 2025 meta emphasizes mobility and burst damage following Patch 1.10.5 and King's World Cup 2025. S-tier heroes Lam, Augran, Loong, Daji, and Yaria achieve 52-55% win rates with high professional contest rates. Rush Down compositions secure 68% tournament win rates.
What's Actually Happening in November 2025's Meta
Look, I've been covering Honor of Kings for years, and this month's meta shift feels different. Patch 1.10.5 dropped on October 16th, then we had King's World Cup 2025 throwing around a $10 million prize pool with 58 million people watching. That's not just numbers—that's the kind of viewership that fundamentally changes how pros approach the game.
The pros figured something out during Worlds. Mobility beats everything else right now. Burst damage compositions are absolutely demolishing the sustained damage builds we saw dominating earlier this year. Charlotte got those movement speed buffs everyone's talking about, Zhou Yu's mid-lane AoE damage went through the roof, while Sun Shangxiang? Her ultimate scaling got hammered from 200% down to 180% attack damage. Athena took a hit too—crowd control duration dropped from 2.5 to 1.8 seconds.
Here's where it gets interesting though. The November 15th Plus Update introduced performance-based matchmaking from Iron all the way to Legendary. Get an SSS rating? You're earning +2 stars even if your team loses, as long as you're out there destroying towers or eliminating crystals. The system tracks your hero performance, role skills, and teamwork over 20-game stretches.
Regional differences are wild right now. International King's League is banning Mai Shiranui at 80.9% and Arli at 57.1%, while other regions are laser-focused on shutting down Lam and Augran. Makes you wonder what they're seeing that we're not.
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The Real Tier Rankings (Based on What Actually Works)
S+ Tier Champions
Lam is absolutely broken right now. 54.9% win rate, 98% pick/ban rate in pro play
, and a ridiculous 67% win rate across 64 King's World Cup matches. His Hunter passive delivers true damage to low-health targets, while Wavebreaker creates these water zones that give you 30% cooldown reduction and health restoration. The combo that's destroying people? Wavebreaker into Space Split into Death From Below for level 2 ganks. It's disgusting.
Augran is the 1v9 carry everyone's been waiting for. 55.1% win rate, 45.2% ban rate, and the sustain to make you question everything you know about balance. Build path is straightforward: Resistance Boots, Dominance Ice, Shield of the Lost, Twilight Armor. His self-healing and split-pushing create so many win conditions that teams just... break.
Loong has the highest marksman win rate at 55.3% with a 26.8% pick rate. Dragon transformation and elemental souls make his basic attacks feel unfair, while that Infinite Vastness ultimate gives you 4.5 seconds of flight mode. Pro teams are contesting him at 39.2% pick rate because his late-game scaling is unmatched.
S Tier Heroes
Daji earned her spot through 91% King's World Cup presence and 65% win rate. In this burst-heavy meta, she's a priority ban against any immobile carry. Her target elimination capability? Invaluable for ranked climbing.
Yaria sits at 53.8% win rate with 20.2% pick rate through her comprehensive support kit. Verdant Predator ultimate adds true damage shields while amplifying teammate abilities. Mar-Yaria combinations are yielding 70%+ win rates through dual mobility and protection.
A Tier Solid Picks
Angela maintains 53.3% win rate through global ultimate positioning. The combo sequence that works: Chaos Cinders stun into Scorching Barrage burst followed by Blazing Brilliance shield. Charlotte's post-buff movement speed improvements make her Clash Lane viable again. Marco Polo achieves 53.6% win rate with Chain Reaction passive triggering true damage at 10 stacks.
Breaking Down S-Tier by Role (The Stuff That Actually Matters)
Marksman Meta Leaders
Loong's transformation mechanics aren't just flashy—they're providing 96% professional presence with 71% win rate. Dragon form enhances basic attacks through elemental souls, while Infinite Vastness positioning determines team fight outcomes. Period.
Hou Yi offers safety through consistent damage and that global stun ultimate. Split attack wave clear plus late-game scaling? Yeah, that's why he's still relevant.
Lady Sun reaches 52.9% win rate through superior self-peel and positioning tools. Synergy with aggressive supports creates powerful laning phases, while escape mechanisms prevent assassin engagements.
Tank Dominance
Arthur leads with 54.2% win rate through reliable crowd control chains and that 10% HP increase from the 2025 Plus Update. Simple, effective, devastating.
Dun provides 33.3% professional pick rate with survivability, damage, and crowd control that protects hypercarries like Loong. Terra offers ground crack slows, earthquake damage/stun combinations, and 3-second Rock Wall barriers. Continental Shift ultimate provides area damage and displacement. Core build: Resistance Boots, Dominance Ice, Shield of the Lost.
Assassin Excellence
Lam's jungle dominance stems from fastest clear speeds and unmatched mobility. Space Split marks targets for basic attack dashes, while Death From Below drags enemies into disadvantageous positions. Level 2 ganks and objective control explain that 98% pick/ban rate.
Feyd provides wall-jumping mobility and Hardened Jade Mark for duel health recovery. Effectiveness against tanky targets proves valuable in sustained fight meta. That 5% early-game damage reduction shifts optimal gank timing to level 3+.
Mage Power
Yixing maintains 52.8% win rate through zone control and objective denial. Building cooldown reduction and magic power maximizes team fight impact with range advantage against mobile threats.
Angela's 53.3% win rate reflects global ultimate and crowd control capabilities. Cross-map plays create numerical advantages while burst combo eliminates priority targets effectively.
Support Essentials
Da Qiao achieves S-tier through portal positioning and crowd control for rotations. Eye of the Whirlpool ultimate enables global teleports creating map pressure. Building cooldown reduction maximizes utility frequency.
Dyadia balances healing and damage through ultimate locking enemies while providing speed boosts. 15% gold income increase for supports enables faster itemization and earlier utility spikes.
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Ranked Climbing Reality Check
Solo Queue Specialists
Diamond and below? Arthur, Augran, Daji, Marco Polo, Yaria. These require minimal coordination while providing maximum carry potential. Arthur's reliable crowd control teaches tank fundamentals effectively.
Master+ players benefit from Lam's precision execution and Loong's positioning mastery. Performance-based matchmaking rewards individual excellence, making mechanically demanding S-tier heroes valuable for skilled players through SSS rating bonuses.
Team Fight Champions
Rush Down compositions (Charlotte, Lam, Daji, Marco Polo, Yaria) achieve 68% tournament win rates through aggressive positioning. Hypercarry compositions (Dun, Angela, Loong, Lam, Dolia) provide late-game scaling insurance requiring patience and farming priority.
S-tier heroes excel by providing multiple win conditions within single team fights through burst elimination, sustained damage, or crowd control chains.
Early Game Dominators
Here's something most guides won't tell you: jungle ganks between 1:00-1:30 yield 73% higher win rates. Securing buffs by 01:15 provides 15-20% gold leads that compound throughout games. S-tier junglers excel through superior clear speeds and gank potential despite that 5% early-game damage reduction requiring level 3+ adaptation.
Early dominance translates into objective control around first Dragon and Herald spawns, creating snowball potential through favorable fights.
Meta Builds That Actually Work
Core Item Builds
Lam's optimal build: Boots of Tranquility, Muramasa, Blade of Despair, Fenrir's Tooth maximizes that 54.9% win rate through armor penetration and burst. Arcana: Hunt x10, Eagle Eye x10, Mutation x10.
Universal tank builds: Resistance Boots, Dominance Ice, Shield of the Lost, Twilight Armor benefit from 10% HP increase. Item system revamp added 8 new items and reworked 12 existing ones for better synergy.
Marksman builds prioritize attack speed scaling improvements. Cooldown reduction caps reduced to 45% for mages create optimization opportunities for Yixing and Angela reaching maximum ability frequency.
Counter-Build Strategies
Countering Mar-Yaria requires Jing/Lam invasions or Arli/Di Renjie picks blocking synergy effects. Anti-heal items counter Augran's sustain, while grouped engagements prevent split-pushing advantages.
Vision control items become crucial against mobile assassins. Armor penetration gains value against increased tank HP pools requiring earlier purchases for damage relevance.
Draft Strategy (The Part Everyone Gets Wrong)
Must-Ban Heroes
Augran's 45.2% ban rate reflects game-warping potential through sustain enabling 1v5 scenarios. Lam requires bans when teams lack crowd control, with 98% pick/ban rate creating insurmountable early leads.
Daji becomes priority ban against immobile carries, with 91% King's World Cup presence demonstrating elimination effectiveness against positioning-dependent champions.
First Pick Priorities
First rotation should secure Lam or Augran for carry/flex potential providing multiple role options. Second rotation targets Loong or Marco Polo for scaling insurance and late-game win conditions.
Draft priority emphasizes flexibility over specialization. Heroes capable of multiple roles provide greater value than single-purpose champions despite higher individual power levels.
Counter-Pick Strategies
Countering Augran requires burst mages with anti-heal or grouped engagements with Arthur/Dun. Lam counters include grouped positioning or Hou Yi's global stun for pick prevention.
Understanding counter-pick timing prevents favorable enemy matchups. Late-game picks require protection from burst assassins while early-game dominators need scaling insurance.
What the Pros Are Actually Doing
Tournament Meta Trends
King's World Cup 2025 data shows Lam's 98% pick/ban rate and 67% win rate across 64 matches. MVP Shadow's 8.7 KDA demonstrates skill ceiling and carry potential.
Rush Down achieved 68% tournament win rates validating mobility and burst damage over sustained strategies. International Championship (November 14-30, 2025, Philippines, $1 million prize pool) will introduce new innovations.
Pro Player Preferences
Wolves Esports' 4-2 victory over Dynasty showcased optimal hero utilization. Professional pick rates: Loong 96% presence with 71% win rate, Augran 94% presence with 58% win rate, Yaria 87% presence with 59% win rate.
Regional preferences create meta variations reflecting cultural playstyle differences and strategic innovations influencing global trends.
Competitive Strategies
Professional teams demonstrate Rush Down and Hypercarry composition construction. Engagement timing around Dragon and Herald spawns creates consistent win conditions across skill levels.
Professional vision control and rotation timing provide ranked improvement templates. Teams emulating professional map movement achieve higher win rates regardless of mechanical skill.
Common Mistakes (That I See Constantly)
Misunderstanding Tier Placement
Players misinterpret tier placement as absolute power rather than contextual effectiveness. S-tier heroes require specific conditions and skill levels, while A-tier heroes provide consistent value for average players.
One-tricking off-meta heroes limits climbing potential. Performance-based matchmaking rewards adaptation and meta awareness over champion specialization, making tier adherence valuable for progression.
Role Context Importance
Tier placement varies by role context and team needs. Support heroes achieve S-tier through utility rather than carry potential, while jungle heroes require early impact and objective control.
Diamond and below benefit from simple heroes like Arthur and Augran, while Master+ players utilize complex champions effectively. Understanding role responsibilities prevents tier list misapplication.
Skill Level Considerations
Mechanical complexity affects tier relevance across skill levels. Lam's S-tier assumes proper execution, while simpler champions provide consistent value for developing players.
Personal win rate tracking provides more accurate selection than tier adherence alone. Players should master 2-3 S-tier heroes per role while tracking performance statistics.
Looking Ahead (What's Coming Next)
Upcoming Balance Changes
December patch cycle introduces significant adjustments based on November tournament data. International Championship statistics will influence hero adjustments and item modifications.
Assassin balance may address 5% early-game damage reduction impact. Tank itemization improvements could enhance 10% HP increase benefits through new items and utility options.
December Preview
New hero releases may disrupt current placements. Zephyr's assassin/mage hybrid with 15% movement speed could challenge assassin rankings, while Terra's tank/fighter capabilities affect tank tiers.
Celeste's support/mage design with ally magic resistance buffs may influence support rankings. Item system development continues with 8 new items and 12 reworks providing optimization foundations.
Long-term Trends
Mobility and burst emphasis appears sustainable through future patches based on professional trends. Regional meta convergence may occur as international tournaments demonstrate optimal strategies.
Performance-based matchmaking expansion to additional modes may influence hero selection priorities beyond ranked play into broader game experience.
FAQ
What are the current S-tier heroes in Honor of Kings November 2025? Lam (54.9% win rate), Augran (55.1% win rate), Loong (55.3% win rate), Daji (91% KWC presence), and Yaria (53.8% win rate) with 52-55% win rates and 90%+ professional contest rates.
How often do tier lists change in Honor of Kings? Major shifts occur monthly with patches, minor adjustments weekly from tournament results. November 2025 meta stabilized after Patch 1.10.5 (October 16) and King's World Cup conclusions.
Which heroes are best for ranked climbing? Diamond and below: Arthur, Augran, Daji, Marco Polo, Yaria for simple high-impact plays. Master+: Lam, Loong, Charlotte, Yixing, Dyadia for higher skill ceiling carry potential.
What makes a hero S-tier? 54%+ win rates in Diamond+ ranked and 90%+ professional contest rates. Must provide multiple win conditions, strong laning phases, team fight impact while maintaining accessibility across skill levels.
How do tournaments influence the meta? King's World Cup 2025 showed Rush Down compositions achieve 68% win rates through mobility and burst. Professional pick/ban rates directly influence ranked priorities with Lam's 98% contest rate validating S-tier placement.
Which role has strongest climbing impact? Jungle and Marksman offer highest carry potential with Lam (54.9% win rate) and Loong (55.3% win rate). Performance-based matchmaking rewards individual excellence across all roles making personal skill more important than role selection.