Evidence Emerges: Hoon's "Honor of Kings" Challenge Confirms MSC 2025 Disqualification Cause

Following yesterday's bombshell announcement of Team S8UL's disqualification from the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup (MSC) and Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, new photographic and social media evidence has surfaced, seemingly confirming the precise nature of the rule violation that led to the drastic penalty.

As previously reported, the MSC 2025 Committee cited a breach of rules by S8UL members Jang "Hoon" Seong-Hun and Michael "Mobazane" Cosgun for their participation in an event related to a "competing mobile MOBA game." The newly available images and posts leave little doubt as to which game was involved: Honor of Kings (HoK).

The "Honor of Kings" Ranking Marathon and Pinoy Food Challenge

Video Credits: ZEkilled

Pictures circulating online show Hoon deeply engaged in an "Honor of Kings 48HRS Ranking Marathon," as advertised in promotional materials featuring him as "Challenger: Hoon" with a goal of "RANK CHALLENGE TO GLOBAL 1." One screenshot clearly shows Hoon streaming HoK, with the title "SOLO RANKING CHALLENGE HOK" and a live chat visible.

Adding another layer to the story, a social media post from influencer Mara Aquino dated June 28 at 5:17 PM (PST, likely), explicitly mentions Hoon "completing his HOK 48hr Ranking Marathon with the new Rating System" and provides a YouTube link to his livestream.

Furthermore, a captivating image shows Hoon smiling excitedly alongside Mara Aquino, with text overlaying "P5000 HOK CHALLENGE" and a chat message from @missmaraaquino offering Hoon ₱5,000 to reach "Grandmaster" rank in HoK, promising to take him to "try Filipino food" at Jollibee. A subsequent image, posted by Mara Aquino with the caption "Thank you Honor of Kings for this great challenge, Hoon loved the food!" appears to confirm the successful completion of this challenge, showing Hoon and Aquino enjoying a meal together.

A Clear Violation of MLBB Rules

These pieces of evidence unequivocally demonstrate Hoon's active and public engagement with Honor of Kings, a direct competitor in the mobile MOBA genre. This directly corroborates the MSC 2025 Committee's statement regarding the violation of Section 2, Penalty Index B of the MSC Penalty Index, which prohibits team members from engaging in activities that give "competitor games' exposure."

While Mobazane's specific involvement in a competing title is yet to be publicly detailed through similar visual evidence, the committee's announcement stated both players were disqualified for the same reason. The committee had provided Team S8UL with opportunities to rectify the situation, but the team's decision to proceed ultimately led to their removal from the prestigious tournaments.

The implications for esports organizations and players are clear: cross-game participation, especially with direct competitors, carries severe consequences, particularly at the highest levels of competitive play. The MLBB community continues to react to this unprecedented event as Area 77 prepares to take S8UL's place at MSC 2025.