Esports World Cup: Level Up returns for its second series on 26 June, with all five episodes released exclusively on Prime Video. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler (Martha on Netflix, Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry on Apple TV), the documentary series explores the human stories behind the world’s largest esports competition, following players, clubs and families through the pressures and ambitions of the 2025 Esports World Cup.
Set in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the seven-week event, the new series follows the pursuit of the US $70 million prize pool and the EWC Club Championship, while also showing the personal journeys at the centre of the competition.
Produced by This Machine, part of Sony Pictures Television, with director Cutler, showrunner John Dorsey and executive producers Jane Cha Cutler, Trevor Smith, Elise Pearlstein and Mark Blatty all returning for the second series, Esports World Cup: Level Up adopts a vérité style to depict esports, focusing on the demands, risks and growing recognition faced by leading competitive players.
Featured players include Jake “Boaster” Howlett of Fnatic (Valorant), Vivi “Vivian” Indrawaty of Team Vitality (MLBB), Kasimili “Soka” Tongamoa of Team Falcons (Call of Duty: Warzone), Xiao Hai of KuaiShou Gaming (Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves), and Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren of Mongolz (Counter-Strike). To highlight their personal stories, the production team spent seven weeks on location in Riyadh and also travelled to the United Kingdom, United States and Indonesia for rare at-home visits.
Esports Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert said, “Level Up captures the human side of what we are building with the Esports World Cup. EWC creates the stage: the best games, the best clubs, the best players, life-changing stakes and moments that bring together a global gaming community of billions. The documentary takes you closer to the people inside those moments: their pressure, their ambition, their families and the stories that make esports meaningful to a new generation.”
Cutler shared, “This next chapter deepens our exploration of a global phenomenon that is as much about human ambition and identity as it is about competition. Esports is one of the most dynamic cultural movements of our time. In season two, we continue to chronicle not just the competition, but the lives, dreams, and sacrifices of the players at the center of it, revealing a world that is both intensely personal and globally resonant.”
The Esports World Cup 2025 marked a significant moment in competitive gaming. In its second year, the event reached 750 million viewers worldwide and generated 350 million hours of watch time, with peak concurrent viewership of nearly eight million during the League of Legends tournament. Coverage was provided across 28 platforms through 97 broadcast partners and more than 800 channels in 35 languages. 25 tournaments covering 24 games featured over 2,000 players representing around 200 clubs from more than 100 countries.
The 2026 Esports World Cup will take place in Paris, France, from 6 July to 23 August. The world’s leading clubs will compete for a prize pool of US $75 million and the 2026 EWC Club Championship trophy.
