‘Esports World Cup: Level Up’ Season 2 Turns Competitive Gaming Into Must-Watch Entertainment

Competitive gaming has spent years proving it can fill arenas, command global audiences and create stars. Now, "Esports World Cup: Level Up" is returning for Season 2 after proving it can also carry a prestige sports documentary.

"Esports World Cup: Level Up" Season 2 premieres June 26 on Prime Video, taking viewers behind the scenes of the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Produced and directed by filmmaker R.J. Cutler alongside This Machine, the new season follows the pressure, spectacle and emotional stakes of a seven-week tournament built on a scale that would have been hard to imagine when esports was still treated as a niche corner of gaming culture.

The 2025 event featured a $70 million prize pool, 25 tournaments and competitors from more than 100 countries. While the 2026 Esports World Cup has already drawn attention for its move to Paris, France, from July 6 through August 23, the Prime Video series looks back at the Riyadh competition and the moment when the event’s ambitions moved far beyond gaming.

The opening ceremony alone made that clear. Post Malone headlined the launch festivities, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s appearance underscored the growing overlap between esports and traditional sports culture. The entertainment lineup also included Dino of SEVENTEEN, Duckwrth, Telle Smith of The Word Alive, Alesso and Tina Guo, giving the tournament the feel of a hybrid between a global sports championship, music festival and pop culture showcase.

But "Level Up" does not rely only on the famous faces in the crowd. The new season focuses heavily on the players, teams and coaches trying to survive one of the most intense competitive environments in esports.

Among the major storylines is the addition of VALORANT to the Esports World Cup for the first time, with Fnatic star Boaster emerging as one of the season’s most charismatic figures. His mix of showmanship and elite play makes him a natural example of where the industry is headed: not just toward great competitors, but toward personalities who can command an audience beyond the match itself.

The season also follows one of the tournament’s most unexpected developments: the arrival of chess. Team Liquid’s signing of grandmaster and world champion Magnus Carlsen becomes a major plot point, blurring the line between traditional intellectual competition and esports entertainment as organizations compete to secure top chess talent.

Returning titles including League of Legends, Rocket League, Street Fighter, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty: Warzone and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang drive the championship race, with Team Falcons, Team Liquid and Team Vitality battling for the Club Championship in the final week.

The series also digs into the personal toll behind the spectacle. Team Liquid coach ArSy’s story becomes one of the season’s most emotional arcs, while Team Vitality player Vivian faces childhood trauma and mounting pressure as the tournament tightens.

For longtime fans, "Level Up" offers rare access to the teams and players shaping modern esports. For everyone else, it may be the clearest invitation yet into a world that is no longer waiting to become mainstream.