Robot combat births a new business

The URKL Global Humanoid Robot Freestyle Combat League, initiated by EngineAI Robotics, has a total prize pool of 14 million yuan. The first city tour stop at Shanghai Baoshan Gymnasium on September 19 sold out all 5,000 tickets, priced from 68 yuan to 198 yuan. The article argues this proves humanoid robots can move from being displayed tech products to entertainment content consumers are willing to pay for, reaching a similar conclusion to the overseas REK event (nearly 3,400 tickets sold for its first San Francisco event in September 2025).