NAVI have made a strong start to their Honor of Kings campaign, securing a spot at KIC 2026 in their very first tournament in the discipline. The Ukrainian organization won all three of their group-stage matches at KML Fall 2026, before crushing Team MAX 4:0 in the playoffs on October 29.
KML Fall 2026 is taking place in Malaysia from October 27 to 31. Eight teams are competing at the tournament, with the top three teams earning spots at KIC 2026, the biggest international Honor of Kings event of the season.
NAVI Go Undefeated in the Group Stage
NAVI were placed in Group B alongside Nongshim RedForce, Burmese Ghouls, and R8 Esports. The team immediately showed that they were aiming for the top spot in the group.
In their opening match, NAVI defeated Burmese Ghouls 3:1. The team then played two more series on October 28, first defeating R8 Esports 3:0 and then beating Nongshim RedForce by the same score.
As a result, NAVI finished the group stage with a 3:0 series record and a 9:1 map score, taking first place in Group B. Nongshim RedForce finished second at 2:1, while Burmese Ghouls and R8 Esports were eliminated.
The victory over Nongshim RedForce was particularly important. The Korean team were also competing for first place, but NAVI did not drop a single map in the decisive series.
4:0 Against MAX — and NAVI Are Already at KIC 2026
In the opening round of the Upper Bracket playoffs, NAVI faced Team MAX, who finished second in Group A.
The series was played in a Best-of-7 format, but it did not come close to going the distance. NAVI won all four maps to secure a dominant 4:0 victory.
The result automatically secured NAVI a spot at KIC 2026. The organization announced the qualification immediately after defeating MAX. As a result, NAVI have reached Honor of Kings' biggest international tournament in their very first season in the discipline.
The Ukrainian organization will now continue their KML Fall 2026 title run. In the Upper Bracket Final, NAVI will face Nongshim RedForce on October 30. The teams have already met in the group stage, where NAVI defeated the Koreans 3:0. The upcoming series will also be played as a Bo7.
NAVI in a New Discipline
NAVI's qualification for KIC 2026 is an important result not only for the organization itself but also for the development of the international Honor of Kings scene. The organization officially entered the discipline by signing the reigning KML Spring 2026 champions.
NAVI's roster consists of JiaBao, Nighty, Hailang, TGold, and Clue. This is the lineup representing the organization at KML Fall 2026.
KML Fall 2026 has brought together teams from different regions, including Europe, North America, the Middle East, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. NAVI, however, became the first team at the tournament to secure a KIC 2026 spot following their playoff victory.
NAVI now need just two more wins to claim the KML Fall 2026 title. The team have already secured their place at KIC 2026, but they continue their run for the championship in Malaysia.
As a reminder, $10.5M prize pool in Honor of Kings: Weibo cause a major upset by defeating EWC champions at KPL Grand Finals 2026.