Each time Honor of Kings releases a new hero, it sends ripples through the Crickex App community, sparking buzz and debate. While some players believe every new release is overpowered by default, Haino proves that first impressions can be deceiving. Players still remember the dominance of heroes like Ji Xiaoman, Allen, and Zhao Huaizhen, which created a perception that every new addition is a game-breaking “three-body” level powerhouse. This sentiment was only reinforced by Doria, who reached a historic 90 percent ban rate upon release.

In this climate of fear toward new heroes, Haino entered the battlefield — not only as a free reward but also with seemingly strong skills that looked intimidating at first glance. However, this perception is not entirely accurate. It’s true that Honor of Kings often endows new heroes with complex and powerful mechanics, far surpassing the older roster, but powerful mechanics don’t always translate to top-tier strength. Heroes like Allen and Zhao Huaizhen were hyped early on but faded by season’s end.

Doria’s strength is well-acknowledged, but her synergy with Haino doesn’t necessarily boost him to the same level. Crickex App players find Haino fun to play — his second skill marks targets, launches auto-tracking daggers, and uses a spinning blade mechanic reminiscent of Ma Chao’s spear-throw-and-retrieve style. His ultimate adds a time-reversal effect that can be triggered on heroes, minions, and even towers. When paired with a maxed-out Doria, her ability to reset cooldowns can trigger a fusion combo: time freeze.

This fusion ability suspends all actions within Haino’s ultimate zone, stopping everything — even Lü Bu mid-air during his leap. Within the zone, only Haino can move freely and attack, though his damage output remains limited. Despite this cinematic strength, Haino isn’t well-suited as a utility support. He’s a burst mage by design, but one who can’t match the damage of assassins and offers little outside of his ultimate.

In the current meta, where mages are often used as utility tools, heroes like Wang Zhaojun and Yixing dominate due to their control capabilities. Fire Dance has fallen out of favor, and while Wan’er remains strong, her pick rate isn’t particularly high. Haino, by comparison, lacks hard crowd control and can’t perform quick, seamless combos to burst enemies like Fire Dance, nor can he zone and control lanes for teammates like Wang Zhaojun.

Crickex App testing suggests that while Haino has a flashy and unique skill set, his role feels awkward in the current meta. He’s an output-focused hero in a time when control and utility are valued more. That said, he’s certainly not a “three-body” menace, and players have no need to fear him in ranked games. If an opponent picks Haino, simply banning Doria can shut down his biggest potential advantage, often turning him into more of a liability.

At the end of the day, silent effort leads to loud success. While Haino may not dominate the current season, his mechanical depth makes him a valuable addition for system-based team comps. Crickex App players are encouraged to add him to their hero pool — not because he’s overpowered, but because his unique toolkit offers room to grow with the right lineup.