Take a look back at the incredible achievements and inspiring innovations from the 2025-2026 competition season!
2025-2026 Season Competitions
World Robot Olympiad
Open Championships: Asia & Pacific Delhi, India
Hosted in India's dynamic capital city on September 25th - 27th, 2026, this championship brought together young innovators from across the Asia-Pacific region to demonstrate their creativity, technical skills, and collaborative spirit on a global platform. Celebrating the theme "Robots Meet Culture," teams competed in exciting challenges that blend robotics with cultural innovation, inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders.
World Robot Olympiad
Open Championships: Americas, Ontario, USA
The WRO Open Championship Americas – USA 2026 took place at the Ontario Convention Center from September 25th through 27th, 2026, bringing together robotics teams from across the Americas and around the world to compete in RoboMission, RoboSports, Future Innovators, Future Engineers, and Sumobots. Over three days, students took part in practice sessions, judging, surprise challenges, competition rounds, finals, and an awards ceremony, while showcasing their skills in robotics, engineering, coding, innovation, and teamwork. After the competition concluded, teams celebrated the experience together with a trip to Disneyland.
Hosted by Build Future Minds Foundation
Regional Open Qualifier: Ontario, California
The 2026 WRO Regional Open Qualifier: Ontario, California took place at ONT Field in Ontario, California, on September 12th, bringing together teams from across the country for an exciting single-day WRO competition experience. Hosted by the Build Future Minds Foundation, this event gives eligible teams the opportunity to showcase their skills, teamwork, and innovation in the RoboMission, Future Innovators, and RoboSports categories as they compete for advancement to the WRO Americas Open Championship.
Hosted by Blue Ridge Boost
Regional Open Qualifier: Charlottesville, Virginia
The WRO Regional Open Qualifier: Charlottesville, Virginia took place at Newcomb Hall, University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, on September 5th and 6th, bringing together teams from across the state for an exciting two-day WRO competition experience. This event gave eligible teams the opportunity to showcase their skills, teamwork, and innovation as they compete for advancement to the WRO Americas National Championship.
Hosted by Launchpad Robo Lab
Regional Open Qualifier: Chicago, Illinois
The WRO Regional Open Qualifier: Chicago, Illinois (August 12–14) brought together teams from across the country for a three-day competition experience at the University of Illinois Chicago — one of the nation's leading public research universities, set in the heart of one of America's most dynamic cities. For teams attending the Affiliate Cup a couple days earlier, this event was a natural and convenient continuation of the season just a few days later. Open to all eligible teams nationwide, the event coverered all WRO Open categories, with top-placing teams advancing to the WRO Americas Open Championship. The event was organized by Launchpad Robo Lab, a Chicagoland-based robotics education organization with firsthand experience at WRO competitions at the highest international level.
Hosted by Chasewood Learning
USEL Affiliate Cup
The USEL Affiliate Cup 2026 took place at Northern Illinois University in Aurora, Illinois, from August 7th to 9th, bringing together Season Pass holders from across the country for an exciting WRO competition experience. This event gives eligible teams the opportunity to showcase their skills, teamwork, and innovation as they competed for spots to the WRO International Finals and the WRO Americas Open Championship.
Hosted by USEL
School National Championships 2026
The 2026 School National Championships took place at the Ontario Convention Center from July 24th to 26th, bringing together the top qualifying teams from participating districts for an unforgettable robotics competition. This high level event is where students showcased their skills, teamwork, and innovation as they competed for national titles and the chance to represent the United States on the US National Robotics Team.
Hosted by USEL
Online Regional Open Qualifier: Future Innovators
The Online Regional Open Qualifier 2026: Future Innovators accepted submissions from June 1st to June 19th, 2026, giving eligible Future Innovators teams the opportunity to participate in a virtual regional qualifying event. Teams that purchased the Season Pass were able to submit their project report and video presentation, as well as schedule a live Q&A session with judges. The online qualifier gave teams a flexible way to showcase their creativity, innovation, and engineering process as they competed for spots at the Americas Open Championship.
Hosted by USEL
Regional Open Qualifier: Fort Lee, New Jersey
The 2026 WRO Regional Open Qualifier: Fort Lee took place at the Fort Lee Recreation Center on June 14th, bringing together teams from across the country for a single-day robotics competition. Students competed in RoboMission, RoboSports, and Future Innovators for the chance to advance to the WRO Americas Open Championship.
Hosted by USEL
District Championships 2026
The District Championships 2026, took place at the Ontario Convention Center from April 17th and 18th, 2026. It was one of the most thrilling moments of the season as students bring their hard work, creativity, and determination to the competition floor. This high energy event is where teams will battle for a coveted spot in the School National Championships and a chance to join the US National Robotics Team.
Hosted by USEL
Robopalooza 2025-2026
The Robopalooza 2026 competition was held at the Toyota Arena on February 7th, 2026, with the Awards Ceremony on March 4th, 2026. This event is where students showcased the skills they have learned throughout the semester. Stay tuned for more information.
World Robot Olympiad
Open Championship: Middle East & North Africa
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
The WRO 2025 Open Championship: Middle East & North Africa is scheduled to take place in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, from October 23 - 25, 2025. This event featured competitions across all WRO categories and age groups, bringing together talented young minds from the region to showcase their robotics skills and innovation.
World Robot Olympiad
Open Championship: Americas Panama City, Panama
The WRO 2025 Open Championship: Americas took place in Panama City, Panama, from October 19 - 21, 2025. This event featured competitions across all WRO categories and age groups, bringing together talented young minds from across the Americas to showcase their robotics skills and innovation.
World Robot Olympiad
Open Championship: Asia & Pacific Manila, Philippines
Hosted in one of Asia’s most vibrant cities on September 19th - 21st, 2025, this championship offered participants the opportunity to showcase their problem-solving skills, engineering expertise, and teamwork on an international stage. With a focus on cutting-edge robotics and STEM education, teams engaged in thrilling competitions that push the boundaries of innovation.
World Robot Olympiad
Open Championship: Europe Ljubljana, Slovenia
The WRO Open Championship: Europe in Ljubljana, Slovenia, took place from
September 2nd – 5th 2025, bringing together top robotics teams from across the continent to compete in a dynamic and innovative environment. This prestigious event challenged participants to apply their engineering skills, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork to tackle real-world robotics challenges.
World Robot Olympiad
International Final: Singapore
The WRO 2025 International Final took place in Singapore from
November 26 - 28, 2025. This premier event is the culmination of a season of hard work and engineering. It challenged participants to apply their engineering skills, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork to tackle real-world robotics challenges.
Hosted by USEL Affiliate: Blue Ridge Boost
WRO-USA Panama Open: Charlottesville, VA
Held in Charlottesville for the WRO-USA Open August 23rd , proudly hosted by Blue Ridge Boost, an official affiliate of the US Engineering League—National Organizer of WRO-USA. Over 30 teams competed in this exciting qualifier, where participants had the chance to advance to the Open Championship: Americas in Panama City, Panama—facing off against top talent from across the region.
World Robot Olympiad
WRO-USA Open: Dekalb, Illinois
Hosted in the iconic city of Chicago on August 1st - 3rd, 2025. Known for its rich history, architectural marvels, and vibrant cultural scene, the US Open offers participants a unique opportunity to compete on a national stage.
We expect over 50 teams to compete in the US Open for a chance to qualify for all international competitions, excluding Singapore.
USEL Youth Robotics
WRO-USA National Championships: Ontario, CA
Located in Southern California, Ontario July 18th - 20th, 2025 on provides an ideal venue for this thrilling event. With its proximity to major airports, world-class entertainment, and diverse dining options, participants and spectators can enjoy a seamless and engaging experience.
We anticipate over 150 teams competing across four categories, all aiming to secure their spot on the USA National Robotics Team.
USEL Youth Robotics
Regional Championship: Ontario, CA
Located in Southern California, Ontario on April 18th - 19th, 2025 provides an ideal venue for this thrilling event. With its proximity to major airports, world-class entertainment, and diverse dining options, participants and spectators can enjoy a seamless and engaging experience.
What makes the Regional Championship unique is that it features over 40 schools competing in the RoboMission category, all striving to secure a spot at the National Championships.
USEL Youth Robotics
Online Competition Challenges
Participate in engaging online mini-challenges that test your creativity, problem-solving, and technical skills in robotics and STEM. These challenges provide a fun and accessible way to improve your abilities and compete against peers from across the country.
RoboPalooza Championships
RoboPalooza 2024-2025
Get ready to showcase your robotics skills at the exhilarating RoboPalooza Championships hosted in Ontario, CA! With over 100 teams expected to compete across four exciting categories, this is an event you don't want to miss.
WRO 2026 FAQ
Everything you need to know about the season
How does a WRO season work?
- The WRO 2026 season follows this structured competition schedule:
- Registration Opens: January 2026
- Game Rules Released: January 15, 2026
- District Championships (School Partners Only): Ontario, CA · April 17–18, 2026
- School National Championships (School Partners Only): Ontario, CA · July 24–26, 2026
- USEL Affiliate Cup: DeKalb, IL · August 7–9, 2026
- Regional Open Qualifier: Chicago, Illinois: Chicago, IL · August 12–14, 2026
- Regional Open Qualifier: Charlottesville, Virginia: Charlottesville, VA · September 5–6, 2026
- Regional Open Qualifier: Ontario, California: Ontario, CA · September 12, 2026
- Open Championship: Americas: Ontario, CA · September 25–27, 2026
- Open Championship: Asia & Pacific: Delhi, India · September 25–27, 2026
- Open Championship: Europe: Zagreb, Croatia · October 13–16, 2026
- International Final: San Juan, Puerto Rico · December 8–10, 2026
How do I register a team for the competition?
- Teams in the Affiliate Program Pathway register for each event directly with the USEL affiliate hosting it. Each event sets its own registration and fees.
- Get official WRO equipment, including competition mats, challenge kits, and table tops, in the USEL Store.
- District Championships & School National Championships: Exclusive to USEL school partners.
- A signed data protection form is required when submitting team member details.
How do I host a WRO event?
- Organizations can become USEL affiliates and apply to host sanctioned Regional Open Qualifiers.
- Every event must be approved by USEL before it is held, and affiliates handle registration for the events they host.
- Each year, affiliates can also apply to host the USEL Affiliate Cup.
- Learn more on the Affiliate Program page.
What is the USEL Affiliate Cup?
- The USEL Affiliate Cup is a national level competition held in DeKalb, IL that awards USA National Robotics Team qualification spots to both the International Finals and the Americas Open Championship.
- The traditional single US Nationals format has been replaced by two championship events: the School National Championship and the USEL Affiliate Cup. Together they form the WRO-USA national qualification structure, and each pathway earns International Final entries under WRO's published Qualification Table.
- International Finals qualification spots from the Affiliate Cup:
- RoboMission – one team from each age group
- RoboSports – one qualifying team
- Future Innovators – one qualifying team
- Future Engineers – one qualifying team
- USEL affiliates can apply to host the Affiliate Cup each year.
How do Regional Open Qualifiers work?
- Regional Open Qualifiers are hosted by USEL affiliates and award qualification spots to the WRO Americas Open Championship.
- All Regional Open Qualifiers must be approved by USEL before being held.
- Important: Regional Open Qualifiers do NOT award spots to the International Finals—only the Affiliate Cup does.
- USEL affiliates can apply to host Regional Open Qualifiers through USEL.
Can a team compete at both the Americas Open and International Finals?
- No. Starting this season, teams are no longer allowed to compete at both events.
- You must choose one path: either the WRO Americas Open Championship or the WRO International Finals.
- The Affiliate Cup awards spots to both competitions, while Regional Open Qualifiers only award spots to the Americas Open Championship.
Do I need my own robot?
- Yes, teams must provide their own robot.
- All robot systems are now allowed in all WRO categories for 2026!
- Each category has specific size and weight requirements (e.g., RoboMission: max 25x25x25cm, RoboSports: max 20x20x20cm and 1.2kg, Future Engineers: max 30x20x30cm).
How much does it cost to participate in WRO?
- Teams register for each event directly with its host, and registration fees are set by each event.
- Official WRO equipment, including competition mats, challenge kits, and table tops, is available in the USEL Store.
- For teams qualifying for international competitions, additional fees apply.
Move-in Date and Time
- District Championships (Ontario, CA · April 17–18, 2026): Day before event from 10 AM - 4 PM OR morning of event from 7 AM - 9 AM
- School National Championships (Ontario, CA · July 24–26, 2026): Day before event from 10 AM - 4 PM
- Affiliate Cup (DeKalb, IL · August 7–9, 2026): Day before event from 10 AM - 4 PM
- Please check specific event details closer to the date for exact times and locations.
How many booths are available for exhibitors?
- District Championships: Up to 15 standard 10x10 booths can fit.
- School National Championships / Affiliate Cup: More space is available, allowing for double the booths.
- Contact USEL for specific booth availability at each event.
Is parking included for exhibitors?
- Yes, exhibitors receive one parking pass. Additional passes can be requested.
Will there be WiFi and electricity?
- Yes, WiFi and electricity will be available at all competition venues.