Esports movies have captured the essence of a rapidly growing industry that combines the thrill of gaming with the dramatic intensity of cinematic storytelling. These films offer a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of professional gamers, showcasing not just their triumphs and trophies but also the real human emotions and challenges they face.
From gripping documentaries to inspiring dramas, esports movies delve deep into what it takes to succeed in the competitive world of gaming. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a casual viewer, these films promise to entertain and enlighten, bringing you closer to the virtual battles and the hearts of those who fight them.
The subsequent sections highlight the best of the bunch. Let’s get started revealing the best esports movies that deserve a spot on your watchlist.
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League of Legends: Origins
- Release Date: October 16, 2019
- Platforms: Available for streaming on Youtube
“League of Legends: Origins” is a documentary that charts the remarkable rise of League of Legends from its humble beginnings as a free demo to its status as a global esports powerhouse. The film gives an insider’s look at Riot Games from the early days, featuring founders Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill. They share their journey of developing the game, the hurdles they encountered, and their initial dreams for its future.
The documentary captures the exponential growth of Riot Games and how the League of Legends World Championship evolved into a monumental event in the esports world. It particularly highlights the game’s explosive popularity in Asia and its role in reshaping perceptions of gaming from a simple hobby to a culturally significant and competitive pursuit. “League of Legends: Origins” offers a deep dive into the game’s development and its profound impact on the global stage.
Quad Gods
- Release Date: June 7, 2024
- Platforms: HBO Max and Hulu
Quad Gods is one of the top critically acclaimed esports movies. It follows the story of three New Yorkers with quadriplegia: Richard, Prentice, and Blake. They met in a rehab centre, and after hearing their Doctor talk about how video games could help with neuro-rehab, they got inspired to create the world’s first all-quadriplegic esports team.
This esports movie symbolically represents that the journey to the top of esports isn’t a bed of roses. It’s a must-watch for fans who want to be inspired not only to pursue a career in esports but also to navigate life in general.
True Sight
- Release Date: Various episodes; latest released in January 2020
- Platforms: Stream on YouTube and the Dota 2 official website.
Esports popularity largely stems from developers, stakeholders, fans, and players engaging with each other, giving a sense of community and solidarity. What better way for fans to connect with players at one of the biggest esports competitions than to make them able to relate to their best players?
Enters True Sight, a documentary that follows professional DOTA 2 players through The International, the esports tournament that has seen the single biggest prize money ever. It provides exclusive behind-the-scenes footage like preparations, team talks, and close shots of the very best in the world as they compete for the ultimate prize in Dota.
This annual esports movie connects fans better to the best players and makes them understand how they become champions.
The Smash Brothers
- Release Date: October 11, 2013
- Platforms: Available for free on YouTube.
Travis “Samox” Beauchamp created the Super Mario Brothers documentary out of sheer passion. However, it gained immense popularity among the Melee community and racked up an impressive 10 million views on YouTube. It isn’t a surprising feat, though, as he featured seven of the best Super Smash Bros. Melee players, including Joel “Isai” Alvarado, widely considered the game’s all-time greatest-ever player.
He also features some community figures, including Wynton “Prog” Smith, Kashan “Chillindude” Khan, Daniel “ChuDat” Rodriguez, and many others. By interviewing the best players in the Super Smash Bros, the documentary makes us understand how the game shaped them personally and professionally.
Against The Odds
- Release Date: Varied per episode; ongoing series
- Platforms: Watch on Red Bull TV and YouTube.
Against The Odds is one of the most inspiring esports movies ever made. It follows the story of Team OG’s rise to glory at The International 2018. The team had found themselves in literal shambles before the tournament. They lost three players, including two of their best members, to a rival team. The third quit the game due to mental stress.
No one paid attention to Team OG due to these challenges, and everyone expected them to get ousted in the first few rounds. However, the team shocked the entire world and defied all odds to win the tournament, walking away with the $11 million prize. It tells an inspiring tale of the unpredictability of esports and teaches a strong lesson of self-belief.
1UP
- Release Date: July 15, 2022
- Platforms: Streaming options available on VOD services like Amazon Prime Video.
While there are female players who have made a significant mark on esports, like Scarlett F Sasha Hostyn, the community remains male-dominated. 1UP is an esports movie that explores the challenges females face in competitive gaming.
It follows the story of Vivian, a female esports player who joins her college’s male-dominated esports team but faces sexism and is told that she will never be a starting player. Enraged and inspired, she creates an all-girls team to defeat the guys at the national championship.
Vivian’s character is used to portray determination and zeal to overcome societal and personal obstacles in achieving one’s goal. It definitely deserves a add on your esports movie list.
Free to Play
- Release Date: March 19, 2014
- Platforms: Free to stream on Steam and YouTube
“Free to Play” is an esports movie by Valve, the company behind DOTA 2. It tracks the journey of three gamers competing in the inaugural “The International” tournament. Throughout the movie, these players battle not just in the game but also against the societal perception that gaming isn’t a legitimate career. They face challenges in gaining respect and recognition from their communities.
Each player arrives at the tournament with the hope of winning the grand prize to prove the real value of their career choice. While only one emerges as the ultimate winner, the others also achieve top ranks, helping them reorganize their personal lives post-tournament.
The film sends a powerful message to parents and society, highlighting the potential of gaming as a viable and rewarding career. By the end, all the main characters are celebrated as heroes, changing the narrative around professional gaming.
Gran Turismo
- Release Date: 11 August 2023
- Platforms: Netflix
Most PlayStation gamers would instantly recognize Gran Turismo as one of the console’s most popular exclusive racing games. However, for players like Jann Mardebourogh, it’s more than just a game. The 2023 film Gran Turismo follows his journey from playing the game to securing a racing contract with Nissan.
He participated at the GT Academy in 2011, a program that affords outstanding Gran Turismo esports players a chance at becoming real-life drivers. Despite his father’s disapproval, he raced in the GT Academy and was the first among 90,000 participants. The film takes us through the ups and downs of his gaming and early racing careers.
It also sends a strong message about the prospect of esports and traditional sports cohabiting. His gaming experience was enough training to become a professional Nissan driver despite not having any motorsport experience. An esports movies that shows how gaming skills can translate seamlessly into real-life. A true must watch.
Championext
- Release Date: August 18, 2023
- Platforms: Available on Netflix, Prime, Peacock, and other major streaming platforms.
Perhaps esports and traditional sports are more related than we think because the relationship between both is explored in this film starring Jesús Vidal and directed by Javier Fesser. It’s about a basketball team that wins the Spanish basketball championship for the first time but gets disqualified. This chain of events leads to their disbandment.
However, two years later, Julio’s dream of reuniting the team gets a spark when Cecelia, a coach full of optimism but inexperienced, agrees to manage the squad. Despite some challenges with Cecelia at the helm, the team eventually competed at an international esports tournament watched by millions of people.
This compelling story explores the ups and downs of traditional sports and sends a strong message that esports and traditional sports have more in common than people think.
Good Game: The Beginning
- Release Date: August 5, 2021
- Platforms: Available on Netflix
One of the best esports movies of all time, Good Game: The Beginning explores the story of Cent, a passionate gamer who spends most of his time gaming in cafes. However, he got an opportunity to join a professional team despite having little to no experience in competitive esports. We see him journey with his team as they aim for the best tournaments, although it strains his relationship with his mother.
Through Cent’s story, fans learn about the core values needed to succeed in esports, such as teamwork, communication, and discipline. The movie also takes the readers through the strategic intricacies of esports gaming, such as the importance of choosing the right players for the team, the benefit of in-game communication, and how the speed of decision-making can impact a win or loss for any team.
Living the Game
- Release Date: June 9, 2017
- Platforms: Streaming on various documentary-focused platforms like Docurama and CatchPlay
Living the Game is a documentary that follows the story of players like Diago “the beast” Umehara (one of the oldest esports players of all time), Yusuke Momochi, Luffy, Justin Wong, and GamerBee.
This esports movie has everything: in-depth interviews of Diago, Momochi, and other players and stakeholders, an outlook into the development of esports, and the cultural impact of competitive gaming on the Japanese community. However, one of the central themes of the documentary is the dedication and commitment of these players and the sacrifices they make to stay at the top of their game.
The two characters had to deal with personal and financial issues and, above all, sacrificed their relaxation time to ensure they could practice to maintain their status. The film is appropriate for fans who want to understand the landscape of competitive esports.
eHero
- Release Date: May 24, 2018
- Platforms: Rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and other VOD services.
eHero takes us through the story of Tyler, a talented and aspiring professional gamer who found himself shot into the limelight after winning an esports tournament against Johnathan Spencer, the leader of team Nefarious. He must navigate the challenging world of esports with his team, a task he is all but ready for.
Tyler discovers that the life of a professional esports player is two-way: virtual and physical. He has to ensure that his relationship with his teammates is good to get the best out of them. Hence, he went from someone who clashes regularly with his mates due to his solo play ideology to eventually becoming a top player.
Tyler eventually grows by learning about the people around him and maintaining his relationships better, which helps him navigate the dynamic world of reality and virtual competition.
Player Two
- Release Date: April 16, 2016
- Platforms: Available on YouTube and Vimeo.
Player Two was an emotional esports film released in 2016. Inspired by a YouTube comment, it is the true story of a YouTube user who recounts the experience he shared with his father before he died. They used to play together on an Xbox console, and the boy finds it hard to play alone after his dad’s death.
Ten years after the demise of his father, he found the courage to return to the console and play one of their favorite games. This experience takes him through all the emotions he used to feel with his father, and according to him, he found a “ghost” of his dad racing beside him. The film sends a powerful message that video games could be a way to share an intense personal and spiritual connection with your loved one, even one that supersedes this reality.
There Will Never Be a Melee Player Like Hungrybox (By EmpLemon)
- Release Date: January 1, 2021
- Platforms: Watch on YouTube.
Last on the list is one of the most popular Super Smash Bro. Melee videos on YouTube; “There Will Never Be a Melee Player like Hungrybox” (By EmpLemon). It is a documentary that divided the Melee community due to its criticism of some respected players like Mang0. However, everybody agrees that it does a near-perfect job of portraying the ups and downs of Hungrybox’s career.
This esports movie highlights his dedication and commitment to esports despite personal issues like his difficult family relations. His remarkable gaming skills honed from years of consistent practice make him able to go head-to-head with the very best in the business, like Mang0 and Armanda, which is another trait that sets him apart.
This documentary helps skyrocket Super Smash Bros. Melee’s popularity not only among Melee fans but gaming enthusiasts in general.
Parting Shots
Esports movies have significantly impacted public perception of competitive gaming, especially among parents. Films like Free to Play helped change the narrative of the legitimacy of taking up esports as a career. Many aspiring players now don’t need to worry about making their parents support competitive gaming.
These movies have also helped the community relate better to their superstars, thanks to exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. Fans, stakeholders, and aspiring players can understand how champions are made and appreciate players more.
Most of these esports movies and documentaries are engaging and also serve as a source of entertainment. If you want a stress-free way to understand esports better, consider checking out some of these films.
