# WHRGs 2026 (DD-023) > The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games ran Aug 22–26, 2026 at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, with 2,056 robots from 666 teams in 16 countries. That's about four times as many robots as the 2025 Games. The rules now required full autonomy in most competitive events, and the job-style 'scenario' events moved into real factories, hotels and model homes. - Department: Tech - First published: 2026-08-27 - Last updated: 2026-08-27 - Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/whrg-2026/ - Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department ## On the timeline - **August 2025**: The first World Humanoid Robot Games draw just over 500 robots - **Aug. 22–26, 2026**: The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games bring 2,056 robots to Beijing Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=whrg-2026 ## Quick facts - **DD-023-F01**: The 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing drew 2,056 robots from 666 teams in 16 countries, about four times as many robots as the 2025 Games. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (Four times bigger in a year))_ - **DD-023-F02**: At the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games, a fully autonomous run in a scenario event scored double a remote-controlled one (1.0 vs 0.5). _(Write-up · Exhibit D (Autonomy became the rule))_ ## Write-up 2,056 robots competed in Beijing's Robot Olympics. World Humanoid Robot Games, August 2026. 666 teams, 16 countries. 1. **Five days on the 'Ice Ribbon'**: The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games ran Aug 22–26, 2026 at the National Speed Skating Oval (the 'Ice Ribbon') in Beijing. 2. **2,056 robots, 666 teams**: 2,056 robots from 666 teams in 16 countries took part. Reuters notes that most of the teams were Chinese. 3. **Four times bigger in a year**: The first Games, in August 2025, drew 280 teams and just over 500 robots. That means the robot count roughly quadrupled in a year, and the number of teams rose 138%. 4. **Autonomy became the rule**: Except for the 100 m and 400 m obstacle races, every track event and other competitive event had to be completed fully autonomously. In scenario events, a fully autonomous run scored with a weighting of 1.0, while a teleoperated run counted only 0.5. 5. **From demos to real jobs**: The 51 events (more than 1,300 matches) included job-style tasks in real factories, hotels and model homes, plus household, industrial and emergency-rescue scenarios. Organizers said the aim was to push humanoids from 'demonstration tools' toward 'practical productivity'. 6. **Faster than Bolt**: In a 100 m preliminary, Team Tianzhuo's robot ran 9.39 s, beating Usain Bolt's 9.58 s world record. The 2025 Games' best time was 21.5 s. Reuters reports that Tiangong Ultra then won the final in 8.64 s. 7. **Dexterity and teamwork**: Football moved up from 3v3 to 5v5, which tests multi-robot coordination and perception. Events like touhu (traditional pitch-pot) test dexterity and manipulation. In power-tool assembly, team LinkerBot fully autonomously installed 18 screws in five minutes. ## Related case files - [Self-Made Modular (DD-061)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/self-made-modular/): More robots: 2,056 of them competing at the World Humanoid Robot Games. - [NVIDIA's Blue (DD-614)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/nvidias-blue/): Another case about robots learning to move ## Reel vs. record - **Note**: No factual errors found. 'More than 2,000 robots from 666 teams' matches the official figures (2,056 robots, 666 teams, 16 countries). [Xinhua; CGTN; Beijing gov't] - **Context**: the official name is the '2nd World Humanoid Robot Games'. The 2026 edition was the second, after August 2025. [Xinhua] - **Context**: the Reel's 'shift toward autonomy' is borne out by the rules. Full autonomy was required in all competitive events except the two obstacle races, and teleoperated scenario runs counted at half weight. [Beijing gov't; People's Daily] ## Video: WHRGs 2026: 2,056 Robots Competed in Beijing's Robot Olympics - Duration: 24.4 s · Published: 2026-08-27 - File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DckLEQExnL4.mp4 ### Transcript DID YOU KNOW? The 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing were less interesting as a collection of robot sports, and more as a snapshot of how quickly humanoid robotics is advancing. More than 2,000 robots from 666 teams competed, but the important shift was toward autonomy, dexterity, balance, and practical tasks that resemble actual work, rather than simply demonstrating that a robot can walk. NOW YOU KNOW! ## Questions & answers **Q: How many teams competed at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games?** A: 666 teams took part (280 was the 2025 total; 51 was the number of events). _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (2,056 robots, 666 teams) · 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games open in Beijing with over 2,000 robots (Xinhua, Aug 22, 2026); 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games opens with 666 teams, 2,056 droids (CGTN via CCTV+, Aug 22, 2026); Robot Olympics ends with humanoid's 8.64-second 100m, nearly a second faster than Bolt (Reuters, Aug 26, 2026))_ **Q: Where in Beijing were the 2026 Games held?** A: The Games ran Aug 22–26, 2026 at the National Speed Skating Oval, the 'Ice Ribbon'. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Five days on the 'Ice Ribbon') · 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games open in Beijing with over 2,000 robots (Xinhua, Aug 22, 2026); 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games Underway in Beijing: Robots Break Multiple Records (Beijing municipal gov't, Aug 25, 2026))_ **Q: In scenario events, how was a remote-controlled (teleoperated) run weighted compared with a fully autonomous one?** A: A fully autonomous run carried a weighting of 1.0, a teleoperated one only 0.5. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Autonomy became the rule) · 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games: Highlights & Ticket Info (Beijing municipal gov't, Aug 15, 2026); A closer look at second World Humanoid Robot Games (People's Daily Online, Aug 31, 2026))_ **Q: What time did Team Tianzhuo's robot run in a 100 m preliminary?** A: Tianzhuo ran 9.39 s, faster than Bolt's 9.58 s world record (21.5 s was the 2025 best). _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit F (Faster than Bolt) · 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games Underway in Beijing: Robots Break Multiple Records (Beijing municipal gov't, Aug 25, 2026); 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games opens with 666 teams, 2,056 droids (CGTN via CCTV+, Aug 22, 2026); Robot Olympics ends with humanoid's 8.64-second 100m, nearly a second faster than Bolt (Reuters, Aug 26, 2026))_ **Q: Compared with the first Games in 2025, the number of robots in 2026 roughly...** A: About 500 robots in 2025 became 2,056 in 2026, roughly four times as many. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Four times bigger in a year) · 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games open in Beijing with over 2,000 robots (Xinhua, Aug 22, 2026); 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games Underway in Beijing: Robots Break Multiple Records (Beijing municipal gov't, Aug 25, 2026); 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games opens with 666 teams, 2,056 droids (CGTN via CCTV+, Aug 22, 2026))_ ## Sources - [2nd World Humanoid Robot Games open in Beijing with over 2,000 robots (Xinhua, Aug 22, 2026)](https://english.news.cn/20260822/0aa7643b51d747dcacbac394a6e758f5/c.html) - [2nd World Humanoid Robot Games Underway in Beijing: Robots Break Multiple Records (Beijing municipal gov't, Aug 25, 2026)](https://english.beijing.gov.cn/beijinginfo/sci/latesttrends/202608/t20260825_4836357.html) - [2026 World Humanoid Robot Games opens with 666 teams, 2,056 droids (CGTN via CCTV+, Aug 22, 2026)](https://www.cctvplus.com/news/20260822/8495575.shtml) - [2nd World Humanoid Robot Games Conclude (Beijing municipal gov't, Aug 28, 2026)](https://english.beijing.gov.cn/beijinginfo/sci/latesttrends/202608/t20260828_4840947.html) - [Robot Olympics ends with humanoid's 8.64-second 100m, nearly a second faster than Bolt (Reuters, Aug 26, 2026)](https://www.reuters.com/sports/robot-olympics-ends-with-humanoids-864-second-100m-nearly-second-faster-than-2026-08-26/) - [A closer look at second World Humanoid Robot Games (People's Daily Online, Aug 31, 2026)](https://en.people.cn/n3/2026/0831/c90000-20494223.html) - [2nd World Humanoid Robot Games: Highlights & Ticket Info (Beijing municipal gov't, Aug 15, 2026)](https://english.beijing.gov.cn/latest/news/202608/t20260815_4824032.html) ## Cite this case file Easterling, Marcus. "WHRGs 2026." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-023, last updated Aug 27, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/whrg-2026/