2,056 robots are taking over Beijing for world robot games

Technology 2, 056 robots are taking over Beijing for world robot games The second World Humanoid Robot Games opens in Beijing with 50 events and record entries.

Key points

• The second World Humanoid Robot Games opens this weekend in Beijing, drawing tech firms and university teams from worldwide to test their machines throughout 50 events.
• The first games included regarding 500 robots in 280 teams that participated in 26 games.
• According to Chen, this year's robots appear to have more challenges controlling themselves than in 2025, possibly due to the new regulations introduced in the running track events.
• Chinese firm Unitree dominated last year's medal table with 11 wins, and its newly unveiled "Superman" robot has generated fresh buzz heading into this year's competition.
• Musk's xAI takes aim at Claude Code with the release of Grok Build.

Notably, the second World Humanoid Robot Games opens this weekend in Beijing, drawing tech firms and university teams from worldwide to test their machines throughout 50 events.

Ahead of the opening ceremony, entrants have been running last-minute trials, producing both genuine breakthroughs and the kind of crashes that go viral for the wrong reasons.

In practice, the first games included regarding 500 robots in 280 teams that participated in 26 games. In this year's game, there are 2, 056 robots in 666 teams from 16 different countries, participating in various games like table tennis, tug of war, weightlifting, assembling power tools, and fire rescue.

While in the case of scenario-based games, the robots can be operated remotely, but the score is reduced by half, nevertheless, rules are different for each game; the sporting category games, such as breakdancing and the 4×100 metre relay, require complete autonomy of the robots.

In a preview video, the robot completed a two-metre standing jump and hit a top running speed of 12.66 metres per second, edging past Usain Bolt's peak sprint speed, widely cited in the range of 12.2 to 12.42 m/s during his 2009 world-record run. Unitree notes the robot has been in development for just over three months, with "significant room for further improvement" still ahead.

Commentator on robotics Eren Chen uploaded a video that seems to demonstrate Superman losing control of himself when tested and crashing into some electrical boxes.

Another video demonstrates an unidentified robot crashing into a soft wall, toppling backwards, hitting his head, breaking in half, and sparking upon contact.

"Knowing when to slow down, when to stop, and how to stop safely matters just as much as how fast you can run, " Chen wrote, questioning the value of continuing to optimise for raw sprint speed alone.

Last year's games weren't free of similar stumbles either, including a robot losing an arm at the starting line and a kickboxer knocking itself over mid-kick.

Though the ban on new foreign-made mobile robots entering the US means most American viewers will only see this year's field through video, the 2026 Games run from August 22 to 26 at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, open to the public with tickets starting around $14.50.

Pareesa Afreen is a reporter and sub editor specialising in technology coverage, with 3 years of experience. She reports on digital innovation, gadgets, and emerging tech trends while ensuring clarity and accuracy through her editorial role, delivering accessible and engaging stories for a fast-evolving digital audience.

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Taken together, the developments around 2, 056 robots are taking over Beijing for world robot games point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.