Battle of the bots: World's first humanoid Games kicks off in Beijing

Hobbling across the field, kicking the ball with all their might – robots of every shape and size lined up to race. Could a contest like this really qualify as a world-class games?

The 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games opened on Friday inside Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, the "Ice Ribbon," turning the Olympic-grade venue into a sci-fi arena of bionic speed, strength and style.

Billed as the world's first multi-sport event for humanoid robots, the Games have drawn a record 280 teams from 16 countries and regions, fielding over 500 android athletes, according to Beijing Youth Daily.

From sprinters and high jumpers to ballerinas and martial artists, competitors will test how far – and how fast – robots can mimic human skill.

Participants include 192 university teams, such as Tsinghua University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and 88 corporate squads from companies like Unitree Robotics and Fourier Intelligence.

International challengers have arrived from the United States, Germany, Australia, Brazil, and Japan.

Thursday's opening ceremony highlighted the robots as the stars. Over a hundred teams shared the stage with human models in futuristic fashion, performing street dances, traditional opera, and other creative displays.

The competitions range from athletic events like track and field and 3v3 and 5v5 football, to performance contests including group dance, martial arts and gymnastics.

In scenario events, they take on real-world tasks in factories, hospitals, hotels, and warehouses. On the sidelines, freestyle fighting, basketball, group performances and table tennis add even more action-packed excitement.

The Games run through August 17, offering a glimpse of what competitive sports could look like in the age of AI.