Game on! “Esports World Cup: Level Up” returns for its second season on June 26, when all five episodes will drop exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video.

Directed by filmmaker R.J. Cutler (Netflix’s “Martha,” Apple TV’s “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry”), the docuseries goes inside the human stories behind the 2025 Esports World Cup, billed as the world’s largest esports competition. The vérité-style series follows the players, clubs and families through the pressure and ambition of the event.

Set in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the seven-week event, Season 2 chronicles the chase for the $70 million prize pool and the EWC Club Championship, while showing the personal journeys at the heart of the competition.

Players featured in the series include Jake “Boaster” Howlett (Fnatic; VALORANT), Vivi “Vivian” Indrawaty (Team Vitality; MLBB), Kasimili “Soka” Tongamoa (Team Falcons; Call of Duty: Warzone), Xiao Hai (KuaiShou Gaming; Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves) and Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren (Mongolz; Counter-Strike). The series’ crew was on set in Riyadh for seven weeks and also traveled to locations across the U.K., U.S. and Indonesia for at-home visits.

In addition to the esports tournaments and player storylines, “Level Up” showcases moments from a star-studded lineup of musical artists and athletes, including opening headliner Post Malone; chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen (pictured above), who triumphed in his first chess esports event; and soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo, who ushered the Club Championship trophy to the stage in the closing ceremony.

“’Level Up’ captures the human side of what we are building with the Esports World Cup,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of Esports Foundation, in a statement. “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 commented, “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 docuseries also captures the reactions of big-name sports and entertainment figures, including reigning F1 champion Lando Norris; Brazilian football legends Ronaldo Nazario and Kaká, who go one-on-one in an EA FC showmatch; professional footballer Alisha Lehmann; skateboarder Tony Hawk; and tennis star Nick Kyrgios.

The Esports World Cup 2025, which was the event’s second year, reached 750 million viewers worldwide and generated 350 million hours watched, with peak concurrent viewership of nearly 8 million during the League of Legends at EWC ’25 tournament. Coverage was delivered across 28 platforms through 97 broadcast partners and more than 800 channels in 35 languages. In all, 25 tournaments spanning 24 games featured more than 2,000 players representing approximately 200 clubs from over 100 countries.

The 2026 edition of the Esports World Cup will be held in Paris, France, from July 6 through Aug. 23, as the top Clubs in the world compete for $75 million and the 2026 EWC Club Championship trophy.

“Esports World Cup: Level Up” is produced by Cutler’s This Machine (which is part of Sony Pictures Television), with showrunner John Dorsey and executive producers Jane Cha Cutler, Trevor Smith, Elise Pearlstein and Mark Blatty all returning for the second season.

Watch the “Level Up” Season 2 trailer: