The first World Humanoid Robot Games ran August 15–17, 2025 at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, with roughly 280 teams from 16 countries fielding more than 500 humanoid robots across 26 events — from running, track and field, soccer and martial arts to practical tasks like cleaning and sorting. Unitree topped the medal table, followed by X-Humanoid. The second edition ran August 22–26, 2026 (see update below).
As spectacle, it worked: global coverage, packed events, viral clips. As a business, it is unproven — the games function today more as a national showcase and a robotics benchmark than as a self-sustaining league with broadcast rights, sponsors and repeat audiences.
Robot sport is a low-stakes, high-visibility way to stress-test locomotion and control in public, and a natural on-ramp to paying audiences. The question the second edition began to answer is whether it becomes a durable commercial format or remains a marketing channel for the makers.
Key Facts
- First World Humanoid Robot Games: Beijing, Aug 15–17, 2025
- ~280 teams, 16 countries, 500+ robots, 26 events
- Unitree topped the medals; X-Humanoid second
- Second edition held August 22–26, 2026: 666 teams from 16 countries, 2,000+ robots
- Today a showcase and benchmark more than a league
Update: the 2026 games more than doubled
Updated October 2, 2026. The second World Humanoid Robot Games ran August 22–26, 2026 at the same National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing. Organisers reported 666 teams from 16 countries and more than 2,000 robots — a 138% increase in teams and roughly four times the robots of the first edition. Football moved to a five-a-side format, and the programme kept races, jumps, weightlifting and tug-of-war. Participation scaled; the organisers’ summaries still cite entrants, not ticket or sponsorship revenue, so the business-model question above stands. Formats built to charge spectators are covered in robot boxing, EngineAI’s fighting league and the Beijing Robot Warrior rescue challenge.
Frequently Asked
When were the World Humanoid Robot Games held?
The first edition ran August 15–17, 2025 at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, and the second edition ran August 22–26, 2026 at the same venue with 666 teams from 16 countries.
How big were the games?
Roughly 280 teams from 16 countries fielded more than 500 humanoid robots across 26 events, spanning athletics and practical tasks; Unitree topped the medal table.
Do the games have a business model?
Not yet a proven one — they function today as a national showcase and robotics benchmark rather than a self-sustaining league with broadcast rights and sponsors.