Games
These free and fascinating documentaries are just a click away and ready to take you on deep dive of every aspect of gaming culture.
Much as we’d like to, it's not possible to play video games at every hour of the day. Occasionally you need a bit of a rest period – and you’d be wise to fill it with one of these binge-worthy documentaries.
So, we've raided the archive of Red Bull TV for a list of films and shows which put gaming at the forefront. Best of all, you don’t even need to leave this page to find them.
01
DRX The Rise
This is the inside story of the greatest underdog run in gaming history. Entering Worlds 2022, nobody expected DRX to make it past the Play-In stage, but their past record didn't keep the determined LCK team from eyeing victory at the biggest LoL tournament of the year.
02
Against the Odds
Charting the biggest fairytale in esports history, Against the Odds is an all-access look at how Team OG came back from rock bottom to win The International 18. Going into the event with a team who had never played together, including a former coach drafted in at the last minute, and given no chance by casters and fans alike, this ragtag Dota 2 outfit went on to lift the biggest prize of all in stunning fashion, defying expectations while having fun along the way. Good luck removing that smile that's set to be plastered on your face.
03
Playing Fields
From the neon-lit arcades of Tokyo to its much envied pantheon of video game designers, there are few countries on earth more synonymous with gaming than Japan. To find out why it continues to lead the way, Playing Fields is a series that delves deep into this virtual landscape, uncovering the industry behind the industry, and even asking natives and fellow Red Bull esport athletes Daigo 'The Beast' Umehara, and Tanukana why there really is no place like home.
04
The Ripple Effect
You might not know the name, but you’ll have felt the influence of Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and gaming arcade deity. Part of Red Bull’s Ripple Effect series, which examines entrepreneurs who changed youth culture forever, this episode sits down with the great man himself to chat about how he combined his amusement park background with electronics expertise to create Pong. Yes, Pong! Revisiting his humble beginnings, then Pongmania, before his departure from the company and the ill-fated gaming crash of 1983, it should be mandatory viewing for any pop culture nerd.
05
Esports Unfold
You watch them on Twitch, sure, but how much do you truly know about your favourite gamers? This glossy production provides an inside look at the lives and backstories of the biggest names in esports away from the packed arenas, spending time with the stars in their home environments alongside those closest to them. Interviewees so far include OG’s Topson and JerAx and former FIFA world champion Agge. Sumptuously shot, the episodes are mini masterpieces in themelves.
06
Wreck or Get Rekt
If you thought the trash-talk between the characters of Street Fighter was a little close to the bone, try the verbal sparring between Americans ThatDemoGuy and Quinton, two rival fighting game players who compete for ultimate bragging rights in this film and aren't shy in expressing it. A world away from the packed arenas of Red Bull Kumite, their matchups take place in closeted if boisterous backrooms, taking the game right back to its arcade roots.
07
Diggin' in the Carts
In case you’ve been living in a cave blissfully unaware of Guile’s Theme by Yoko Shimomura (an absolute banger), you’ll know that no nation has had a bigger impact on video game music than Japan. Comprised of six short but sweet episodes, this series is a love letter to the country and its influence on VGM, speaking to some great minds about the games, genres, audiences and technology of old that have shaped how we play. It’s 8-bit special.
08
The Art of Street Fighting
Another one for the Capcom heads, The Art of Street Fighting is a riveting film about the biggest players on today's Street Fighter V scene. Speaking to the likes of Luffy, Xiao Hai, Tokido, Gamerbee, and of course the Beast himself, Diago, as they gear up for Red Bull Kumite, it lays bare mental and physical hardships, fractious rivalries, insider slights (see: NuckleDu’s teabagging) and precisely what goes into being one of the world’s elite.
09
Conquest Road Trip
Sometimes it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. So, to tie in with Red Bull Conquest, America’s foremost regional fighting game series, pro gamers Anakin and Snake Eyez embarked on a road trip to a bunch of US cities, stopping off at local fighting game communities along the way and meeting with gamers on the ground. And no, they didn't encounter any bison...
10
Screenland
Co-creator of Doom making games for his kids? Check. Arcade archaeologists blowing the cobwebs off vintage hardware? You bet. Collaboration between a celebrated erotica author and an indie developer? Yep, that's covered. No matter the gaming subculture, if it's quirky and interesting it's likely been unearthed by the makers of Screenland for this spectacularly moreish nine-part series.
11
Part of the Game
Such is the way online technology has connected the gaming world – or homogenised, depending how you look at it – it’s too easy to lose sight of gaming communities and tribes within specific cities and the role the industry plays on a societal level. This series packs a suitcase and heads for destinations across the world including São Paulo and Istanbul to see which games thrive in certain areas and what impact games have. A powerful reminder of the physical connection that games give us.
12
Prism
Look beneath the billion dollar franchises and glitzy world of esports and you can uncover a raft of true life gaming heroes. Just take Daniel Melville, a gamer with a prosthetic arm inspired by a character from Deus Ex; or Mia Stellberg, a sports psychologist who helps pro gamers deal with mental pressure in order to perform at their best. Both of these figures have been profiled brilliantly for this mini doc series Prism, available now.
13
Levels
From why the world fell in love with the achingly beautiful Monument Valley, to exploring super progressive values behind indie studio Motion Twin, makers of platformer Dead Cells, this six-episode series reveals the lengths developers go to for their craft, finding those who’ve sacrificed for their art and why it matters. It'll give you a newfound respect for the humble pixel.
